| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Private John Gray Gillyon aged 34, died of pneumonia in captivity in a German Prisoner of War camp the 14 Nov 1918.
John lived at 56 Beckside, Beverley and was employed as a labourer. He was the youngest of ten children. His parents were Godfrey Gillyon a coal merchant, and Ann Gillyon, nee Gray. They ran a lodging house. John married Alice Hunt in 1907, and they had 6 children.
John enlisted in Beverley as a private in the 5th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (The Green Howards), C Company, his regiment (part of 150th Brigade and 50th Division) was heavily involved at the Somme in 1916, at Passchendaele in 1917 and at the Somme and Lys battles of spring 1918. John Gray Gillyon was captured by the Germans at Chemin Des Dames. John was sent to Heilsberg POW camp in East Prussia. His wife was informed of his capture by the International Committee of the Red Cross on 6 Jul 1918. He died the 14 Nov 1918 and was buried in the camp cemetery, details of the exact place were later lost. He is commemorated on the Malborck Memorial to the missing, Poland.
In Queensgate Cemetery, Beverley an inscription for him was added to his parents' grave stone. He is remembered on the Beckside Street Shrine, on the Hengate Memorial in Beverley and on the East Riding Memorial in Beverley Minster
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |