John Thomas Halford Lanark Era 1917

Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-

Born in the Derbyshire village of Measham on 4th April 1879 to local girl Jane Halford (nee Williamson) and George, her Yorkshire born husband of one year, by the time John Thomas was aged two the Halford family had moved to Stone, Staffordshire where they owned a general dealers, and the family grew with the addition of young George in 1881 and Lillian Emma in 1884.

In April 1894 aged 15 John Thomas joined the Royal Navy as a boy seaman with the service number 182966, signing on for a twelve-year period. He spent a year on the training ship HMS Caledonia, and then served as a Boy 1st Class on the Boscawen, Benbow, Vivid, finally jumping ship whilst serving on the armoured cruiser HMS Imperieuse off the south east coast of America in September 1896.

John found himself in Canada and settled in Winnipeg, Manitoba where he found work as a dangerous goods packer, and then on 12th June 1900 he married American Ella Lashley. Three years later they returned to the USA and settled in Spookane, Washington where John found work as a travelling salesman for a shoe company.

Whilst John had been away both his mother and sister Lily had been widowed and by 1911 they had moved to live in Silver Street, Stockton-on-Tees.

When John enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in British Columbia on 30th August 1916 he gave his address in Seattle, Washington and his next of kin as Ella living in Lanark, Ontario. Becoming Private 826914 in the 143rd Battalion he made out his will in favour of his wife and shortly afterwards was awarded 168 hours detention for a reason unknown. In barracks at Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, British Columbia they trained at Sidney Camp, and then at the end of February 1917 sailed for England on the SS Southland.

After a brief landing leave the battalion was posted to the Canadian Camp at Shorncliffe on the south coast where it was broken up and Private Thomas was one of a batch of 667 men transferred to the 24th Reserve Battalion at Seaford. In mid May they moved to France as part of the 49th Battalion joining their new battalion at Villers au Bois, just in time for the regimental sports day. Moving to the front line near Vimy in June Private Thomas was wounded in the right arm and leg and admitted to hospital at Wimereux followed by convalescence at Boulogne. Discharged from hospital after a month he then spent seven weeks with the 4th Entrenching Battalion before rejoining the 49th at the beginning of September 1917.

Part of a working party operating in the vicinity of Passchendaele, Private Thomas was one eight men killed by heavy enemy shelling on 28th October 1917.

John Thomas Halford is remembered in Stockton on Tees in S138.15 and S138.18a page 24

In Canada he is remembered on their Virtual War Memorial and in their Book of Remembrance and on the Lanark Legion Honour Roll.

Canadian Book of Remembrance
Canadian Virtual Memorial
The CWGC entry for Private Halford