Name
Joseph West
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
12/06/1918
31
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
205506
The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
7th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ANNOIS COMMUNAL CEMETERY
I. B. 2.
France
Headstone Inscription
FROM HIS SORROWING MOTHER PEACE PERFECT PEACE
UK & Other Memorials
Tring Town Memorial, St Peter & St Paul Church Roll of Honour, Tring
Pre War
Joseph West was born in Tring on 21 Mar 1887 to George West, bootmaker, and Martha (nee Baldwin).
On the 1891 census the family of parents, Herbert (born 1874), Alice (born 1876), Walter 1879), Annie (born 1884), Minnie (born 1888), Joseph, and Emily (born 1889) were living at 13, Chapel Street, Tring.
On the 1901 Census the family had moved to 19, Albert Street, Tring and consisted of parents, Herbert, Alice, Walter, Joseph, Emily, Edith (born 1892), Kate (born 1894), Elsie (born 1897).
Joseph’s father died in 1911
On the 1911 Census Joseph was working as a domestic gardener and living with the family of mother, Minnie, Kate and Elsie (all Domestic servants) still at Albert Street.
Wartime Service
Joseph was enlisted initially in the Northumberland Fusiliers as Private 316310 as no Service Record was found for him we are not sure when he was transferred to 7th (Service) Battalion, Queens Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) as Private 205506.
He was probably sent France in 1917 and may have taken part in the Battles of Arras and Passchendaele before the German Spring Offensive of 1918 saw them involved in the Battle of St Quentin (21-13 Mar 1918) where the Germans broke the front line. Joseph was taken prisoner on 21 Mar 1918 apparently wounded and died on 12 Jun 1918 while in captivity at 365 Field hospital , Flavy le Martel. He was buried in the nearby French cemetery in Annois.
Additional Information
Arrears of £19 9s 6d including War Gratuity of £8 10s was paid to his mother.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild
