Capt John Herbert Joseph

• Age: 34
• From: New Galloway, Kirkcudbrightshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Wednesday 1st August 1917
• Commemorated at: Zantvoorde Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: III.J.4

John Herbert Joseph was born on 25th June 1883 at "The Cottage", New Galloway, Scotland, the son of John Neild Joseph and his wife Maria Louise (nee Heylin). His parents married at St Catherine's Church, Liverpool on 01st January 1878. 

He had two brothers, George Sidney who was born in the September quarter of 1878 and sadly died in the same quarter. His other brother was George William Neild who was born in 1880.  

His father was ordained as a Priest at Durham in 1881 and received his Master of Arts from Exeter College, Oxford in 1882.

On the 1891 Census John Herbert is aged 7, born in New Galloway and living at Kenview, Kells. His mother Marie Louise is aged 40, a private teacher born in England, sister Ethel Lindesfarne 9 born in England, and boarder Alice MacGowan Manson 12 born in India.

On the 1901 census he is Herbert Joseph, aged 17, a mercantile clerk lodging with the Wright family at 13 Wellington Rd, Liscard.

His father died on 10th October 1910 with Probate declared on 10th November 1910 in London.

The 1911 Census finds Herbert Joseph an Oils Paints traveller living as a boarder with the family of Mrs Emily Rogers at 18 The Willows, Everton. 

He was listed as a 28 year old commercial traveller in 1913 when initiated into Downshire Lodge No. 594. He is resident at 18, The Willows.

He enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private 16308, reaching the rank of Lance Serjeant before obtaining his commission in 1915.

He was made Captain on 13th June, 1917, serving with the 17th Battalion, joining the Battalion on 02nd July 1917, when it was holding the front line trenches near Observatory Ridge, near Ypres in Belgium.

On the date of his death, 1st August 1917,the Battalion was on the Ypres Salient, in the area known as Clapham Junction, on the Menin Road. It was holding and consolidating ground taken the previous day on the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres. The front line and Battalion Headquarters were being incessantly shelled by the Germans and, during the course of this shelling, Captain Joseph who at this time was Commanding ‘D’ Company, was hit and killed, aged 34.

The Warrington Express on 16th August, 1917 summarised his life story:

Captain John Herbert Joseph, of the King’s, nephew of the Deputy-Mayor of Warrington (Councillor Dr. Joseph) and brother of the medical officer of health was killed in action on July 31. He had one sister who is married and resides in Sheffield. He was 32 years of age, and the younger son of the late Rev. J. N. Joseph, formerly of Berwick-on-Tweed Parish Church. He was educated at Bedford School, and afterwards entered upon a mercantile career in Liverpool.

In September, 1914, he responded to the call for men, enlisting as a private and rising step by step until he obtained his commission early in 1915. He was promoted to captain about 18 months ago.

He was a very smart officer, whose heart was in his work. He had a gift for amateur theatricals and was a capable pianist.

His commanding officer writes:- “On the afternoon of July 31, after the attack was over, he was in command of my support company in rear of the line which we had gained. The enemy were shelling our position heavily, and had machine –guns trained on the position. A portion of the front line troops were shelled out of their position, whereupon Captain Joseph, with great initiative, took forward part of his company and re-established the line, where the shells were falling thickest.

He got his men into position with great skill, and then himself took cover in a shell-hole in order to write me a message on the situation. A shell pitched practically in the same crater in which he was sitting and killed him instantly. The battalion owes him a very great debt for his courageous action-an action which put fresh energy and spirit into all who saw it.”

Herbert now rests at Zantvoorde British Cemetery, Belgium near the Menin Road, South of where he was killed, in plot 3,row J Grave 4. 

Zantvoorde British Cemetery was made after the Armistice when remains were brought in from the battlefields and nearby German cemeteries. Many were those of soldiers who died in the desperate fighting round Zantvoorde, Zillebeke and Gheluvelt in the latter part of October 1914.

There are now 1,583 servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery. 1,135 of the burials are unidentified. Special memorials commemorate 32 soldiers buried in two of the German cemeteries whose graves could not be found on concentration. The cemetery also contains one Second World War burial.The Household Cavalry Memorial, unveiled by Lord Haig in May 1924, stands on the South side of the village at the place where part of the Brigade was annihilated in 1914.

The cemetery was designed by Charles Holden.

Soldiers Effects administered by brother George William Joseph, no Pension record found

Herbert is also commemorated on the Masonic Hall Memorial at Hope Street, Liverpool. (He was in Lodge Downshire No 594 E.C. in West Lancashire. He was initiated on 27^th March 1913 and passed 22^nd May 1913 and raised 26^th June 1913.

Herbert is also commemorated in the Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 60 Left   

His sister Ethel had his details printed in the Local Casualties section of the Sheffield and District Men who have Fallen as follows:

Captain John Herbert Joseph, King's Liverpool Regt, younger brother of Mrs Ethel Slagg, Priory Terrace, Sheffield, killed in action July 31st   

Probate: JOSEPH John Herbert of Sandford Grappenhall Cheshire temporary captain Liverpool regiment attached 17th service battalion died 1 August 1917 either in France or Belgium Administration Chester 13 February to George William Nield Joseph medical officer of health. Effects £158 12s. 5d.

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