(L to R) British War Medal; Allied Victory Medal

Joseph was born between April and June 1898 in Atcham, near Shrewsbury in Shropshire. His father was Thomas and his mother's name was Elizabeth. He had two older siblings; Lucy and Frank, and one younger brother; Charles.

In 1911 Thomas was working for the London and North Western Railway Company as a Guard, and the family lived at 18 Wood Street, Greenfields in Shropshire.

They were still living at this address in August 1914 when the First World War broke out. Joseph was not old enough to join the Army until he reached his 18th birthday in 1916.

Joseph joined the Army, either through volunteering or being conscripted, at some point after this. We don't know exactly when Joseph enlisted. By this point in the war men could be sent to any unit that needed soldiers and this would explain why Joseph joined the Manchester Regiment. He was given the service number 52840. We don't know which Battalion he served with.

At some point Joseph was transferred to the 9th Battalion of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. This meant he was given a new service number: 29244.

The 9th Battalion was fighting near Ploegsteert Wood in Flanders, Belgium when Joseph was killed in action on the 10th April 1918. He was 20 years old.

Joseph has no known grave and is commemorated on Panel 7 of the Ploegstreet Memorial in Belgium, along with more than 11,000 other soldiers.