John Breach

A Private with the 5th Dragoon Guards, John died on 11th of June 1915 at the age of 36. 

John was born at Lowestoft on 5 April 1879, a son of William and Sarah Breach. He was baptised at Saint Margaret's Church, Lowestoft, on 7 December 1879. In 1881 his family lived at 48 Haward Street, Lowestoft. By 1891 they were living at 22 Lorne Park Road, Kirkley. John attended Lowestoft board and technical schools. 

John enlisted in the Army, at Ipswich, on 16 April 1898. He joined the 7th Dragoon Guards, number 5002, and saw active service in the Boer War, being awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal. On 23 October 1902 he transferred to the 5th Dragoon Guards in India. By March 1910 he had joined the Army Reserve. 

John married Agnes Maud Hadenham at Saint Peter's Church, Kirkley, on 28 March 1910 and the register shows that John worked as an insurance agent. In 1911 John and Agnes lived at 3 Rosebud Terrace, Kirkley Run, Oulton Broad, and John worked as a farm bailiff. 

On 12 April 1912 John and Agnes set sail for Montreal and John became a farmer. With the outbreak of the First World War John was recalled to the Army and came back to the U.K. His regiment, the 5th Dragoon Guards, was already in France and he was sent to join them, arriving in France on 29 November 1914.

Cavalry regiments, such at the 5th Dragoon Guards, often had to fight dismounted in trenches, and it was in this capacity that John was serving when he was wounded at Hill 60 (in the Ypres area). John was evacuated to Boulogne where he succumbed to his wounds at the 13th General Hospital.

Agnes settled in Ipswich and lived at 7 Kitchener Road. 

A note in De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour states:

Private Breach was a life-long abstainer, a keen footballer, and an expert cricketer, and held several good conduct medals. His three brothers are all now (1916) on active service.