Name
John Alfred Sharp
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
16731
Coldstream Guards
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Headstone Inscription
NA
UK & Other Memorials
NA
Pre War
The name F A Sharp appears on the Hitchin Town Memorial and the Memorial Book, in St Mary’s Church, Hitchin. The latter generally reflects the entries that exist on any other Hitchin memorial. In trying to identify F A Sharp, we thought that he may have been confused with a J A (John Alfred) Sharp whose handwritten initials look very like ‘F A’. We thought that he might have died shortly after the war and so began researching, however as we found him in the 1921 census and he seems to have died in 1947, it cannot be him. However the following applies to John Alfred Sharp who survived and also deserves to be remembered here.
John Alfred Sharp was born in 1891 in Hitchin and christened on 1 March 1891 in Hitchin. His parents were John Charles and Lizzie Sharp.
In 1891 the family were living at Nightingale Road, Hitchin – possible 103. Present were both parents: John (26) and Lizzie (29), with x working as a oilman labourer. Their children were:
Mary J (4), Grace A (2) and John Alfred at 3 weeks.
In 1901 the family were living in Palmerston Road, Islington. London. Present were both parents, with John working as a railway plate layer. Of the children listed above, Mary and Grace were missing, but new children were Thomas (6) and George (2).
By 1911 the family were living at 1 Lennox Road, Finsbury Park, North London. Present were both parents, John now working as a railway platelayer. The census recorded they had been married for 25 years with 7 children, all living. The children now listed as were Mary, John, now 20 and working as a railway carriage cleaner, Lillie (18), Tom, George and Frederick (7).
In 1921 he was 30 years and 6 months old still living with his poarents at Islington, London, Middlesex, England
His service record records his enlistment in Holloway, London on 16 August 1915. He was living at 58 Charteris Road, Finsbury Park, North London and working as a charge hand. Joining the Coldstream Guards as Private 16731 at 24 years old.
The medical history from his service records record that John was born in Hitchin, Herts when he was examined on 9 August 1915 in Holloway, London. He was 24 years old, working as a charge hand and was described as 5’ 10 ½” tall, 162 lbs, with a 41” chest when fully expanded. It recorded that he had enlisted into the Coldstream Guards on 16 August 1915.
Wartime Service
He joined the Coldstream Guards at Caterham on the 18 August 1915, was appointed Lance Corporal 1 December 1915, he landed in France on 29 August 1916 and was posted to the 4th Battalion on the same day.
On 26 September 1916 he was posted to 2nd Battalion, and joined them in the field the following day and was appointed paid Lance Corporal two days later.
He was qualified as a 1st Class Lewis Gunner.
He was accidentally wounded on 17 October 1916, he was admitted to hospital and received treatment, but was returned to England from France and was admitted to Graylingwell War Hospital, Chichester on 8 November 1916 with a bomb wound to his right arm and was discharged to the Convalescent Hospital, Eastbourne on 1 December and remained there until 27 February when he was discharged as fit for duty.
There was a court of inquiry which found that this accident was not due to any negligence on the part of persons present but to some defect in the bomb which burst prematurely.
After returning to duty he was posted to the 5th Battalion on 8 November 1916, but did not return to France until 9 August 1917 and on that day was posted to the 2nd Battalion.
He joined the 7th Entrenching Battalion on 2 September 1917 and was deprived of rank and reduced to Private 12 October 1917, but the reason has not been found. He joined his unit in the field on the 19th.
He was taken sick with scabies on 15 December 1917 and admitted to hospital, rejoining his Battalion on 23 December.
He was granted leave to the UK between 7 September 1918 to 21st September 1918.
He finally embarked to England from Dunkirk on 26 February 1919 and demobilized on 10 April 1919.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild
