Name
Joseph William (Will) Johnson
1895
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
19/11/1914
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
2428
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 54 and 56.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
NA
UK & Other Memorials
Letchworth Town Memorial, Church of St Nicholas Memorial, Norton, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Joseph William Johnson was born 1895 in Catford, Lewisham to Joseph Johnson and Ada Lucy (nee Froud).
On the 1901 Census the family of parents, Joseph W, Ada M (born 1895), Amy E (born 1897), and Albert E (born 1900) were living at 7 Clarence Road, Lewisham.
On the 1911 Census the family of parents, Joseph W (builder’s clerk), Ada M, Amy E, Albert E, Ivy Mary (born 1902), mabel Emily (born 1903), John Sidney (born1906), Dorothy Rose (born 1908),and George Frederick (born 1910) were living at 60, Common View, Letchworth. Joseph’s father was employed as builder’s yard foreman.
He was recorded after his death at 7, Cromwell Rd., Letchworth, Herts. , and was a Storekeeper for Messrs J. A. Weston and Co.
Wartime Service
Joseph enlisted as Private 2428 in E Company, 1st/1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment on 24 Mar 1914. He volunteered for overseas duty and so went to France on 5 Nov 1914 with the Battalion to become part of 4th (Guards) Brigade in 2nd Division. By 17 Nov 1914 the Battalion were in Trenches at Zillebeke near Ypres, remaining for 18 Nov and on 19 Nov ‘E’Company was heavily shelled and lost 3 men killed, 19 wounded, 2nd Lieut C.M. Down was wounded. In the evening they were relieved by the 2nd Bn Coldstream Guards and marched back to their former bivouacs. Killed in action on 19 Nov were :- Privates 2504 William BUTTS, 2747 George Haslear CATLIN, 2518 George Edward ELLIS, 2426 Walter William FLANDERS, 2428 Joseph William JOHNSON, 1911 Frank PULLEY, 2636 Phillip James ROBINSON, 2746 Henry WEST.
Joseph’s remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £3 and arrears of £3 1s 6d was paid to his father.
He is mentioned in the story of William Sell, which can be found here in the Archive at: Archive - Hertfordshire Men & Women - Individuals Stories - William Sell (MM) - Biography Include others from the Herts Reg
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Dan Hill, Ellen Barnes, Jonty Wild
