BORN HULL, 1889. ELDEST SON OF WILLIAM EDWARD SPARKS (1870-1937) AND JANE CHARLOTTE BARTON (1870-1957), OF 79 WARREN STREET, FLEETWOOD, LANCASHIRE. THE FAMILY LEFT HULL, IN 1910. HE HAD SIX SISTERS. HE WORKED AS A FISH PACKER.
ENLISTED FLEETWOOD. POSTED TO FRANCE, ON 14/02/1915. SERVED AS PRIVATE, 2016, 1/5TH KING’S OWN ROYAL LANCASTER REGIMENT. KILLED IN ACTION, ON 08/05/1915, AGED 25. THE BATTALION WAR DIARY STATES THAT THE REGIMENT ADVANCED 1200 YARDS, UNDER HEAVY SHELL FIRE AND HEAVY MAXIM FIRE FROM A BLOCK HOUSE, AT ST JEAN, BELGIUM. THEY CAPTURED THE TRENCH, BUT A BAYONET CHARGE AT NIGHT FAILED ON THE 8TH MAY 1915.
COMMEMORATED ON THE YPRES MENIN GATE MEMORIAL, BELGIUM. HIS ARMY EFFECTS WERE LEFT TO HIS MOTHER, JANE CHARLOTTE.
First name:
JOSEPH EDWARD
Regiment:
Military Number:
T5/2016
Rank:
Private
Date Died
08/05/1915
Place died:
Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
Age:
25
