| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
John was born in Beverley the 19 May 1892 and baptised at Beverley Minster the 21 Aug 1892, the son of Habbeshaw Richardson and Martha (nee Rispin). John was brought up on Flemingate and then at Albert Place, Blucher Lane, Beckside. On leaving school he became an agricultural worker and in 1911 was lodging in Finkle Street, Market Weighton and working as a horseman.
John enlisted in Hull and arrived in France on 20 Apr 1915. He served as a gunner and later lance-bombardier in the Royal Field Artillery, latterly in A Battery of 251 Brigade. A letter from him appeared in the Beverley Guardian of 10 Jul 1915. He said:
“We have had a dose or two of shell fire but I have come out safe so far. Our first experience of what it was like was when we came through a town which the Germans were shelling. We had to gallop through with our wagons but we got through alright, but one of the wagons got struck by a piece of shrapnel.”
In the spring of 1917 he married Hilda Varey, at Sculcoates Register Office. Hilda was born in Kilham but worked in domestic service in Hull. They already had a child, Marjorie, born in late 1914.
On 27 May 1918 John was reported missing, but he had been taken prisoner. He died of dysentery on 26 Sep 1918 and was buried at Glageon Communal Cemetery Extension on the border of France and Belgium. John was awarded the War and Victory Medals and the 1914-15 Star.
He is commemorated on the Hengate War Memorial, the East Riding Memorial in Beverley Minster and on the Beckside Street Shrine.
Includes information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |