Name
John William Engeldow
1888
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
27/03/1920
31
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Corporal
T4/107990
Royal Army Service Corps
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Mentioned in Despatches
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LUTON CHURCH BURIAL GROUND
Y. M. 19.
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
ONE OF THE BRAVEST ONE OF THE BEST MAY GOD GRANT HIM ETERNAL REST
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Berkhamsted or Markyate memorials Not on the Markyate memorials
Pre War
John William Engeldow was born in Marylebone in 1888, the son of Frederick Ross Engeldow and Ruth Engeldow and one of four children.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at 4 Homer Street, St Marylebone where his father was a zinc worker. By 1901 they had moved to 38 Gossoms End, Northchurch, nr Berkhamsted, Herts. His father's occupation was then described as whitesmith. His father died and on the 1911 Census John was living with widowed mother and siblings George and Margaret at 38 Gossoms End, Berkhamsted and working as a Clerk.
He married Ethel Maud Wilder on 20 September 1915 at Luton, Beds and he appears on the Absent Voter lists for 1918 and 1919 at 33 Chobham Street, Luton Beds. They had two children, William (1916) and Dorothy (1919).
Wartime Service
He enlisted on 29 May 1915 at Watford, Herts, and served with the No. 1 Railhead Supply Detachment of the Royal Arm Service Corps. On 5 February 1918 he was promoted to Acting Corporal and later confirmed as Corporal on 27 May 1918.
He was discharged on 16 May 1919 as Class Z, having developed pulmonary tuberculosis on the Somme, France. Being described as 'very thin and emaciated with prominent ribs and very weak' on military records, he was only just able to get about. The tuberculosis was in an advanced stage, and he was too unwell to attend a Board and was visited at home on 12 March 1920.
John died of tuberculosis on 27 March 1920 and is buried in Luton Church Burial Ground, Bedfordshire.
Additional Information
His widow applied for a pension but nothing is shown on the card, although a grant of £7 was paid.
His widow remarried to Hiram Tansley in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire in 1923.
N.B. On CWGC records John's father is given as George Ross, however on census and other records his father is listed as Frederick Ross Engeldow.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, Anne & Gordon Mead
