John Joseph Furlong

A Gunner with 73 Anti-Tank Regiment, John died on 22nd of March 1943 aged 26. 

John was born at Saint Denis, Southampton, on 15 September 1916, a son of Patrick and Charlotte Furlong. He was baptised at Saint Edmund's Church, Southampton, on 9 October 1916. 

John married Esther Minnie Singer at Birmingham Register Office on 23 April 1938. At that time John and Esther were living at 224 Stratford Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham. By 1939 John's father had died and John's mother lived with him at 260 Balsall Heath Road, Birmingham. John worked as a carpenter for the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company.

John joined the Army at Birmingham, serving, initially, with the North Staffordshire Regiment, as indicated by his service number, before being transferred to the Royal Artillery. John served with the 73rd Anti-Tank Regiment, part of the 8th Army, in North Africa. On 22 March 1943 he was serving with B Battery at Birbsir, Tunisia. During the night of 22-23 March he was killed by enemy shell-fire.  

In 1944 Esther married Basil Robert Kirkby, who was from Lowestoft, and they lived at 147 Fir Lane, Lowestoft.