BORN HULL 08/02/1891. SON OF JAMES TOALSTER (1854-1913) AND MARY ANN CLEARY (1859-1929), OF 2, KINGS BUILDINGS, NEW GEORGE STREET AND 7, HAMPDEN TERRACE, LOCKWOOD STREET, HULL. SON OF AN OIL SEED PRESSMAN. ONE OF TWELVE CHILDREN. HIS FATHER DIED IN 1913. THE FAMILY WERE ROMAN CATHOLIC. BEFORE THE WAR JOHN LIKE HIS BROTHERS WAS AN OIL SEED MILLER. HE WAS EMPLOYED B.T.H & F LEE SMITH, OIL MILLERS, WINCOLMLEE, HULL.
HE ENLISTED IN HULL IN OCTOBER 1914. SERVED WITH THE 1ST EAST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT. KILLED ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME, 01/07/1916, AGED 25. HE IS COMMEMORATED ON THE THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, SOMME, FRANCE. (HDM, 02.08.1916 PHOTO)
HIS TWO BROTHERS ALSO DIED IN THE WAR:- PTE, EDWARD TOALSTER, 2ND EYR, WAS KILLED ON 07/05/1915 & PTE, THOMAS TOALSTER, 13TH EYR ALSO KILLED ON 13/11/1916. THEIR NAMES ARE RECORDED ON ST CHARLES BORROMEO CHURCH MEMORIAL, JARRATT STREET, HULL
THEIR PHOTOGRAPHS WERE ALL PRINTED IN THE HULL DAILY MAIL ON 7TH APRIL 1917.* THEY ARE ALL LISTED ON HULL’S, NEW GEORGE STREET ROLL OF HONOUR.
