Name
John Hayden Healey (MM)
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
17/07/1918
29
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
102086
Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby )
15th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Military Medal
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ABEELE AERODROME MILITARY CEMETERY
II. B. 6.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
HE GAVE HIS ALL
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Markyate memorials, Luton Conservative & Unionist Club WW1, Luton Book of Remembrance WW1 Luton, Luton Modern (Grammar) School, Luton
Pre War
John Hayden Healey was born in Markyate in 1889 (baptised 14 Jul 1889) to Arthur Healey, grocer & off licence holder, and Florence Ann (nee Bradshaw).
On the 1891 Census the family of parents, John and Frederick William (born 1891) were living at 29/31 Court Road, Luton.
On the 1901 Census the family of parents, John , Frederick, Augustus (born 1893) and Margaret Florence (born 1898) were living at Court Road.
On the 1911 Census the family were still living at Court Road and consisted of parents, John (now a journalist), Frank (assistant ironmongery), Augustus (apprentice signwriter), Margaret and Ann Bradshaw, grandmother of John and his siblings.
Wartime Service
John attested on 7 Dec 1915 as a Territorial Soldier for the Duration of the War as a Private 6232 in the Bedfordshire Regiment and was placed on Army Reserve until he was mobilised on 11 Feb 1916 and posted to 3rd /5th Battalion. He was appointed as Lance Corporal on 1 Sep, Corporal on 2 Sep and Serjeant on14 Oct 1916, all acting unpaid. He reverted to Private on 6 Mar 1918 prior to his posting to Infantry Base school in France on 7 Mar 1918.
On 11 Mar 1918 he was transferred to Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regiment as Private 102086 in 2nd/6th Battalion which had arrived in France on 15 Feb 1918 after serving in Ireland during the Easter Rising. As part of 59 Division (2nd North Midland) John may have taken part in the Battle of Bapaume (24-25 Mar 1918) before moving to the Lys Sector for the Battles of Bailleul (14-15 Apr) and Kemmel Ridge (17-18 Apr 1918).
John was posted to 15 (Service) Battalion Sherwood Foresters, part of 35 Division on 13 Jun 1918. 15th Battalion had been raised as a Bantam Battalion for soldiers below the height of 5ft 3inches but this stipulation was abandoned when replacements were deemed unfit for service. On 19 Jun John was again promoted to Lance Corporal and again was unpaid.
John was killed in action on 17 Jul 1918, (reported to have been in the Kemmel Area), the award of his Military Medal was gazetted on 18 Sep 1918.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £11 and arrears of £5 13s 6d was paid to his father.
His father ordered his headstone inscription while living at 31, Court Rd., Luton, Beds., it reads: "HE GAVE HIS ALL".
Brother Frederick served in Royal Flying Corps as 6630 from Jun 1915 and Royal Air Force (from Apr 1918), he survived the Great War completing his service as Flight Sergeant on 6 Jun 1921. He was placed on Reserve but was recalled and finally discharged on 27 Jun 1923.
Brother Augustus enlisted as Sapper 1435 (trade painter) in 2nd Field Company East Anglia Royal Engineers in Sep 1914 (for 4 years Territorial Force Service) later serving in Egypt with 54 (East Anglia) Division in 484 and 486 Field Companies. He was returned to UK in Mar 1919 for demobilisation.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild, Anne & Gordon Mead
