| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
John William Fairley was born the 7 Feb 1887 in Beverley and baptised on 10 Dec 1892 at Beverley Minster, the son of John and Annie Fairley (nee Smith). Up until his marriage in 1914 he used the name of Fairley and then used his mother’s name of Smith. In 1910 he was convicted of stealing some lead and this may have been why he changed his name. On 14 Dec 1914 he married Daisy May Bach at St Philips Church, Sculcoates, Hull. He was a labourer.
John served as a private in the East Yorkshire Regiment. The Beverley Recorder on 25 Nov 1916 states he had been wounded, when he was discharged from the Labour Corps in 1920 he was awarded the Victory and British Medals. In 1922 he re-enlisted in the Royal Artillery and served until 1925. His enlistment papers record that he had two children, Muriel and Dorothy Ellen.
In 1932 John married for the second time, Hannah Fenby at Sculcoates Register Office. In 1939 the couple were living in Hull. John died on 25 Sep 1942, aged 55.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |