Pte. J. Wilson

FIRST NAMES: John

NUMBER: 14244704

RANK: Private

UNIT: 1st East Lancashire Regiment

DOB:18th September 1924

MARITAL STATUS: Married

OCCUPATION: Apprentice Bricklayer

STATUS: Killed in Action

DATE OF DEATH:

WHERE BURIED: Hanover, Germany

MEDALS: 1939-45 Star, France & Germany Star, Victory Medal, Defence Medal

John Wilson was born on the 18th September 1924 and was the second son of Joseph and Jane Wilson and brother to Norman. They lived at Bowman's Yard, but the family moved to Vicar's Croft in the 1930s. John attended the National school at East Road and on leaving was apprenticed as a bricklayer to builder Tom Willoughby.

John was called up for the army in 1942 and joined the 1st Battalion East Lancashire Regiment. His brother had already been in the Royal Marines for three years. It was while he was based near Liverpool that John met a young lady and after a whirlwind courtship they married. Unfortunately, the problems of separation brought on by the war caused them to go their separate ways.

After intense infantry training in the South of England John landed with the 1st Battalion East Lancs on Sword Beach at Normandy on D-Day, the 6th of June 1944. For the next ten months he was involved in all the bitter fighting through France and into Germany. On the 17th of April 1945, a mere three weeks from the end of the war, John was killed in action.

John Wilson lies buried in a Commonwealth War Grave, Plot 7, Row F, Grave 14, in Hanover, Germany. He is also remembered on the Northallerton War Memorial and the Memorial in the Church of All Saints.

John was aged 21 years.