BORN HULL 1894. SON OF JAMES AND BRIDGET LYONS, OF 4 PARK PLAVE, MARLBOROUGH TERRACE, HULL (1911 CENSUS) AND LATER 2 FISHER BUILDINGS, HIGH STREET, HULL (1919). THEY HAD FOUR SONS. HIS FATHER DIED IN 1913. HIS WIDOWED MOTHER, WAS UNABLE TO WORK AND MOVED TO 171 WINCOLMLEE, HULL (WAR PENSION ADDRESS).
JOHN THOMAS LYONS WAS EMPLOYED AS A LABOURER. HE LIVED WITH MABEL CARTWRIGHT, AT 4 TRINITY PLACE, FRANCIS STREET, HULL (ARMY RECORD ADDRESS). HIS ARMY MEDICAL DESCRIBED HIM, AS 5 FOOT, 6 INCHES TALL, 36 INCH CHEST SIZE. HE ENLISTED AT HULL, ON 07/07/1915, AGED 21 YEARS AND 9 MONTHS, BEFORE HE WAS CONSCRIPTED.
IN FEBRUARY AND MAY 1916, HE WAS FINED TWICE FOR ABSENCE DURING TRAINING AND RECEIVED A TWELVE MONTHS SENTENCE FOR DESERTION. HE WAS THEN GIVEN FOUR MONTHS HARD LABOUR, ON 17/07/1916, FOR STEALING A WATCH, RAINCOAT FROM JOHN JOHNSON, ANOTHER SOLDIER. HIS SENTENCE WAS SHORTENED SO THAT HE COULD BE RETURNED TO THE FRONT.
HE ARRIVED IN FRANCE, ON 10/02/1917. SERVED AS PRIVATE, 19611, THE 1ST EAST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT. REPORTED MISSING AND PRISONER OF WAR IN APRIL 1918 DURING THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE. IT WAS ALMOST A YEAR BEFORE HE WAS CONFIRMED KILLED ON 25/04/1918, AGED 24. HE HAD SERVED ONE YEAR AND 151 DAYS IN THE ARMY.
HIS WIDOWED MOTHER SOLELY DEPENDED UPON HIM. SHE WROTE TO THE ARMY ON 08/03/1919, STATING THAT HER SON WAS NOT MARRIED AND SHE REQUESTED HIS PENSION. SHE WAS ILL, AND UNABLE TO WORK. SHE WROTE THAT SHE WAS “BROKEN HEARTED” AND “AT HER WITS END” LOSING HIM. SHE WOULD WATCH EVERY SHIP RETURNING TO HULL AND ASK OF HIS WHEREABOUTS. HER OTHER SON, PRIVATE, (JAMES) MARTIN LYONS, 651862, NFUS AND LABOUR CORPS, DIED ON 28/11/1918, AGED 20, JUST AFTER THE WAR ENDED.
