John Henry Hallam

Private 49639 - Essex Regiment
9th Battalion

Enlisted: Mansfield April 1918

Died of Wounds Rouen 10th Sep 1918 : Aged 19

St. Sever Cemetery, Rouen - R III H 23

Huthwaite Online WW1 Remembrance

Huthwaite cenotaph Roll of Honour lists J. Hallam, to uncover a young man from Nottingham fully named John Henry Hallam.

Private 40639 John Henry Hallam was born 1900 in Carlton. His father Samuel had been raised on Standhill Road, to begin work like his own father as a Brickmaker. Marriage in early 1899 to wife Mrs Ellen Hallam from Nottingham begins mothering a one year old John Henry at their own Carlton Hill 1901 residence. A second son was also born in Nottingham. Birthplace of further children follows quite frequent and extensive moves through Mansfield Notts, Barnsley Yorks, plus Holmewood Derby. Samuel finally settled in Huthwaite, here gaining work as a coal mining hewer affording an additional son before next census.

Hucknall Huthwaite 1911 census lists entire Hallam household addressed in New Street, headed by Samual 34, wife Edith 29, John Henry 11, James 9, Samuel 7, Ada 5, Edith 2 and Alfred 1. Reportage reveals later address is 28 Newcastle Street. They were pit houses built for a workforce manning New Hucknall Colliery, where John Henry typically followed his father into work.

John enlisted at Mansfield when reaching minimum age for overseas at 19. He joined the military army as Private J. H. Hallam of the Notts and Derby Regiment, and with good chance of at least palling up with one former coworker, because Private 49640 Joseph Hadfield was likewise introduced into active service, recognising very next allotted later Regimental service number.

Their Sherwood Foresters 5th battalion were apparently reserves posted to Saltfleet, Lincolnshire. Entering active service landed them in France 24th August 1918, with renumbered service transferal into their last registered 9th Battalion Essex Regiment.

Private 40639 John Henry Hallam was killed just three weeks after entering the French battlefields. Officially he died of wounds in a Rouen stationary hospital, although the reported military notification describes gruesome suffering awaiting inevitable death.

Huthwaite Roll of Honour lists J. Hallam, also as John Hallam on the Huthwaite Methodist Church members remembrance plaque.

Personalised medal was actually discovered after over 50 years in possession of Mrs Margaret Bonser. Finding this kept in her late mothers button jar can relate back to when their Bowring family had closely neighboured the Hallam's. Why or how it was acquired cannot now be answered.

Mrs Jean Baker has very kindly passed this on in the hopes of finding any related descendent able and wanting to reclaim this Hallam heirloom.

This was claimed and personally handed over to niece Colleen Hallam residing in Ollerton.