John Grimley was born on the 3rd of September 1894 and baptised on the 11th of November 1894 to William and Emma Grimley. John attended Richard Clarke school from the 10th of April 1899. At that time, the family were recorded as living in Bagot Street. On the 1901 census, the family had moved to 1 High Street. John was 6 years old. By 1911 John is 16 and working as a House Porter at St Mary & St Anne School. Following the outbreak of war, John enlisted in the army on the 2nd of March 1916 at age 21 but as he was working for Webley & Son Gun Manufacturers he was exempt from Active Service. As the war progressed and manpower was short John was officially transferred to Active Service on the 18th of January 1917 and he was posted to France on the 28th of March 1917. John joined the Inland Water Transport Corps, attached to the Royal Engineers and remained with them until April 1918. From the Royal Engineers, John found himself serving with the 6th Battalion Durham Light Infantry. At the end of May 1918 after a heavy German bombardment, John was listed as missing on the 1st of June 1918. His mother then received news her son was a POW and was alive and well. John’s mother was overjoyed and expected him home for Christmas. As the village was celebrating the Armistice on the 11th of November 1918 with flags flying and many people parading through the village, little did John’s mother know that on that very day her son John had passed away from Influenza and Diarrhoea. RIP John Grimley