Winter, John Charles

John was born in August 1884 at Ashwell, Hertfordshire, the sixth son of Samuel and Eliza (nee Clements) Winter. He was a pupil at the Merchant Taylors School in Ashwell.

John enlisted at Hertford in September 1914 with the Hertfordshire Regiment, Regimental Number 105326, but was not posted to France until April 1918 where he was transferred to the 6th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment, Regimental Number 205893.  He served in the Western European Theatre of War, France and Flanders and was killed in action on 21 September 1918.

John was awarded the Victory Medal and the British War Medal.

He is commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery, Haucourt, Departement du Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France, the St Mary’s Church Ashwell Roll of Honour and the Ashwell War Memorial.

The 1911 census shows him living with his sister, who was the publican of The Thrift, in Royston.  He was a general carman.

John married Elizabeth Ada Hales in 1915.  It is thought they did not have children.

From the Royston Crow 1914 December:  On the 11th December a handsomely framed engraved Roll of Honour of Old Boys of the Merchant Taylors School serving their King and Country in the war was unveiled. ‘This excited among the Scholars much interest and a patriotic spirit and many were the glances at the list of names some of whom were the Fathers and Brothers of the Boys. They numbered 64 boys in all who had volunteered for active service. Two on the list – Horace Bryant and Percy Reeve – had died the death of heroes in trying to save England from the ravages of the “Cultural Hun” being killed in action in the retreat from Mons.’ Only a week later there were more additions to the list. The new volunteers were Frederick Pack, Clem Pack, Horace Reeve, Jack Harman, John Winter and Albert Amtman. However there was also news of another old boy, George Waldock, that had been killed in action but there was no further information. There are two members of the Waldock family on the War memorial, Harry W.G. Waldock and Herbert George Waldock either could have been familiarly called ‘George’