Corporal John William Welsby.
243781 1/5th Loyal North Lancashire Regiment.
Formerly 2204 East Lancashire Regiment.
Killed in action 3rd June 1917. Aged 32.
John was born in Blackburn about 1885. The son of Benjamin James Welsby and Annie.
He enlisted in the ASC on the 22nd Jan 1902. His occupation at that time was a coal miner. His next of kin was his father Benjamin James Welsby of 7 King St, Blackburn, Lancs. He also had previous service with the Militia. He passed the classes for Swimming on the 22nd July 1904. In the Jan of 1905 he was transferred to the Army Reserve and was discharged on the 21st Jan 1914.
In the 1911 census the family were living at 37 Job St, Burnley. Annie 47 a widow, John William 26 fruit hawker, Benjamin James 13 weaver, all 3 were born in Blackburn, Lancs. Mary Lea 10, Harriet and Mary Whittaker (John’s future wife) 27 all born in Burnley. Annie had been married 27 years and had had 7 children 3 of whom had died.
John, re-enlisted/mobilised on the 7th Aug 1914 into the East Lancs Regt. He served on the home front until 7th Aug 1916 when he left Folkestone for Boulogne in France. In the Aug of that year he was transferred to the 1/5th Loyal North Lancashires “D” Coy. He had a couple of days in a field ambulance with diarrhoea and was promoted to L/Cpl on the 10 Jan 1917.
John married Mary Whittaker in the March quarter of 1916 in Burnley.
From the Burnley News dated 31st Dec 1910:
J.W. Wellsby, a Burnley ex-soldier presented by Burnley Swimming Club with medal and certificate for saving two people from the canal in one day.
From the Burnley News dated 22nd March 1916: HARBOURING ABSENTEES. WOMAN HEAVILY FINED AT BURNLEY.
Remarkable evidence was given at Burnley Police Court yesterday morning, when a charge of desertion was preferred against Benjamin James Welsby, a sailor, who gave his age as 18, and Mary Welsby (32), the wife of John William Welsby a soldier of 82 Finsley Gate, was charged with unlawfully assisting to conceal the first named prisoner, he then being an absentee from His Majesty's Navy.
Lived at 82 Finsley Gate.
John left his effects to his widow Mary.
John William was buried in Vlamertinghe Communal Cemetery, Belgium: Grave Ref; VII.F.24.