John William May

A Private with the 1/4th Battalion, John died on 15th of July 1916 at the age of 21. 

John was born at Lowestoft in 1895, a son of James George and Mary Ann May. In 1901 his family lived at 56 Milton Road. By 1911 his father had died and his family lived at 75 Milton Road and John worked as a butcher’s boy. Later his mother lived at 194 Raglan Street. 

John volunteered and enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft in April 1913. He joined the Suffolk Regiment and served with the 1/4th Battalion. It seems that John arrived in France between 22 November and 31 December 1914.

On 14 July 1916 the 1/4th Battalion moved to a position east of Fricourt and readiness for an attack on Switch Trench the next day. On the 15th the battalion supported the 1st Battalion Middlesex Regiment in the attack. Eventually they took, and held, a line immediately in front of Bezantin-le-Petit. The battalion’s casualties were very heavy with five officers killed and eleven wounded, and 23 other ranks killed, 146 wounded and 17 missing.

John was killed in action on 15 July.