John Alfred Spooner

A Private with the 7th Battalion, John died on 6th of June 1918 at the age of 18. 

John was born at Lowestoft on 1 August 1899, a son of John William and Alice Emmeline Spooner. He was baptised at Saint John’s Church, Lowestoft, on 25 August 1899, and his family lived at Kirkley Run. John attended Kirkley School from 19 June 1900 and then Morton Road School before, on 4 February 1913, joining Saint John’s School for a short time. 

In 1901 his family lived at Bird’s Lane, Carlton Road. By 1911 they were living at 76 Stanford Street. In 1917 they lived at 1 Avenue Road, Kirkley, and later they lived at 149 The Avenue, South Lowestoft.

John was working as a motor driver when he enlisted in the Army at Ipswich on 1 September 1917. Initially he served with the 27th Training Reserve Battalion, number TR/4445. On 12 January 1918 he joined the 51st Graduated Battalion. He was then transferred to the Bedfordshire Regiment, service number 51614, and joined the 8th Battalion in France on 3 April 1918. On 4 April 1918 he was transferred to the Northamptonshire Regiment, service number 41114, and joined the 7th Battalion.  

On 6 June 1918 the 7th Battalion were at Hill 70. The Battalion’s War Diary for that day states that the Battalion had orders to extend their front line and that the enemy was quiet during the day, but during the night were very active with 7.7 cm and “Minnie” shells on the front company areas. John was killed in action on that day. 

John’s father, John William, died in 1916 in the loss of the trawler Whooper.