| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
John Roland Nelson was born the 17 Sep 1892 in Hull where his father was a marine engineer. He was baptised at the church of St John the Baptist, Newington. He was the son of Richard and Charlotte Nelson who lived in St George’s Road, Hull until Richard’s death in 1900. Richard and Charlotte had six children: Margaret, Richard Henry, John Roland, Charlotte Evelyn, Charles Victor and Harold. When their father died John and Richard were placed in the Port of Hull Orphans’ Home on Cottingham Road where they received their education and Charlotte was placed in the Hull Seaman’s’ Orphan Asylum in Myton. The family were later reunited when their mother moved to Molescroft.
By 1914 John was working as a chauffeur to Mr Plimpton of Park House, Walkington. He enlisted in the Army Service Corps on 16 Feb 1915, at first as a motor lorry driver and later as an ambulance driver. He served as part of the British Expeditionary Force in France between Feb 1916 and Oct 1918. He was awarded the British War Medal, the Victory Medal and the 1914/1915 Star.
On 26 Oct 1918 he married Pollie Hayton at Beverley Minster. The couple had two children, Walter born 1923 died 10 months later, Doris born 1927 in Shardlow, Derbyshire. On leaving the Army in 1919, John became the chauffeur to William Hodgson, solicitor of Westwood Hall, Beverley. John and Pollie later moved to Sheffield. In 1939 he was living with his wife and daughter and mother at 176, Edmund Road, Sheffield, and was working as a works car maintenance press operator. He died in 1970 in Watford, Pollie died in 1969.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |