Name
John Thomas Archer
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
28/05/1919
39
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Sapper
523912
Royal Engineers
317th Company
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
WATFORD CEMETERY
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
St James' Church Memorial, Watford Fields
Pre War
Son of Emma (nee CHRISTMAS) and the late Thomas ARCHER; husband of Emily Elizabeth (nee HALL) ARCHER.
His parents married 28 November 1878 at St James’, Bushey, Herts. Thomas died 1900 in Watford aged 52, and was buried 7 April in Vicarage Road Cemetery, Watford.
John was born 1 March 1881 in Watford. He attended Watford Fields School; then Beechen Grove Board School, Watford from 15 February 1892 to 14 March 1894. He married 10 April 1909 at St Mary’s, Watford. He died 28 May 1919 in Watford aged 39, and was buried 2 June in Vicarage Road Cemetery. Emily remarried 5 September 1925 at St James’, Watford, to Ralph Evelyn SABIN (q.v.), and died 27 February 1974 in St Alban’s, Herts, aged 87.
On the 1881 Census, aged 1 month he lived in Watford, with his parents and one sibling. On the 1891 Census, a scholar aged 10, he still lived in Watford, with his parents and three siblings. On the 1901 Census, a general labourer at a brewery aged 20, he still lived in Watford, with one sister. On the 1911 Census, a road sweeper aged 31, he still lived in Watford, with his wife and no children.
Wartime Service
However, a John Thomas ARCHER attested 18 November 1915 in Watford for the Duration of the War: a caretaker aged 34, married.
He was mobilised 9 June 1916 as Private 6250 and 327904 in the Cambridgeshire Regiment, embarking from Folkestone 25 December 1916 arriving Calais the same day.
He transferred to the Corps of Royal Engineers 10 April 1917, Sapper 523912, 317th Company. Returned to England 24 May 1917 aboard the Hospital Ship St David, suffering from nephritis attributable to exposure to cold and damp on active service. and was sent to the Scottish National Red Cross General Hospital, Glasgow.
He appeared before a Medical Board and was recommended for discharge as permanently unfit for further military service of any kind. He was discharged 3 December 1917 at Chatham, Kent: a caretaker aged 37, 5’7″ tall, of Watford. He was entitled to the Victory and British War medals; a Silver War Badge was issued 10 January 1918.
Additional Information
No found in the CWGC records or in the Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919 dataset.
Acknowledgments
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
