BORN SOUTH FERRIBY, 1894. ELDEST SON OF ALFRED & DINAH HANDSON. ONE OF NINE CHILDREN, LIVING AT 22, SWANN STREET, HULL. (CWGC ADDRESS).
JOHN WILLIAM HANDSON WAS A FORMER SOLDIER AND RESERVIST. HE WAS DESCRIBED AS 5 FOOT 6.5 INCHES TALL, WEIGHING 124 LBS. ‘FAIR’ BUILD. DARK COMPLEXION, BLUE EYES, BROWN HAIR. WESLEYAN RELIGION.
HE ENLISTED IN HULL ON 17/05/1909, AS PRIVATE, 833, 1/4TH EYR AND REMAINED IN SERVICE UNTIL 07/11/1911. HE RE-ENLISTED AGAIN IN HULL IN THE DRAGOON GUARDS, AS TROOPER, NO: 6442, ON 08/11/1911.
HIS FATHER PAID £18 TO HAVE HIM DISCHARGED FROM THE ARMY ON 15/05/1912. HOWEVER, HE RE-ENLISTED IN THE ARMY SERVICE CORPS, IN HULL, ON 17/03/1913 AND RETURNED TO THE DRAGOON GUARDS ON 14/10/1913.
BEFORE THE WAR HE WAS A TIN WORKER AT MESSRS H. JONES, STONEFERRY, HULL. HIS PARTNER HETTY COX, LIVED AT 8 POPLAR GROVE, SCULCOATES LANE, HULL.
AS A REGULAR SOLDIER HE WAS SENT TO BELGIUM AT THE OUTBREAK OF WAR. SERVED WITH THE 2ND DRAGOON GUARDS (QUEEN BAYS). HIS COMPANY WAS AT YPRES AND HAD BEEN SHELLED FOR 14 HOURS AND ALREADY REPULSED TWO ATTACKS. IT WAS DURING THE SECOND ATTACK THAT A SHELL BURST IN FRONT OF HANDSON’S TRENCH. A SHELL SPLINTER PIERCED HIS CHEST AND HE DIED ON 13/05/1915.
HE WAS UNMARRIED AND AGED 23 WHEN HE WAS KILLED.
HIS ARMY EFFECTS WERE LEFT TO HIS FATHER. HIS FATHER ALFRED WAS SERVING WITH THE ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE, IN THE DARDENELLES, AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH AND LATER DIED OF INFLUENZA ON 06/04/1918.
HE IS LISTED ON THE SCULCOATES LANE ROLL OF HONOUR. HIS NAME WAS INSCRIBED ON THE STONE PILLARS OF ST MARY’S CHURCH, SCULCOATES LANE, HULL.
HIS DEATH AND PHOTOGRAPH APPEAR IN THE HULL DAILY MAIL 30TH JUNE 1915. *
