John Handley
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
The CWGC record names his parents as John (sic) and Annie Handley of 1 Southampton Street, St Ann's, Nottingham. However, the military pension record names the recipient of the war pension as John's stepmother, Annie Handley, of 1 Southampton Street. His father had thus remarried and both his first and second wives had the same first name.
An 'In Memoriam' notice in the local paper in 1918 on the anniversary of John's death refers only to his 'father, mother, sisters, and brother'.
However, there are civil records for a Joseph Handley whose first wife was named Annie as was his second wife and the following information seems sufficient to confirm that John's birth parents were Joseph and Annie and that he had a stepmother who was also named Annie.
Joseph and his first wife (née Marshall) were married in 1889 and had three sons. The eldest, Joseph Henry (Marshall later known as Handley), was born in 1888, before their marriage, and was baptised at Nottingham St Catherine on 26 December 1888, mother's address 11 North Yard, Nottingham. Following their marriage Joseph and Annie had George William b. 1890, bap. St Catherine November 1890, died 1892 (JFM), and John Henry b. 1897 (JAS).
In 1890 when George was baptised the family was living at 21 Cyprus Street and they were at the same address the following year when the census was taken: Joseph, a hawker, Annie and their sons Joseph and George who died the following year. John was born six years later. In 1901 Joseph, his wife and their two surviving sons, were living at 5 St Mark's street.
Joseph's wife died in 1903 aged 33 years. His second wife, a widow (formerly Oakland née Lovett), whom he married in 1907, had five daughters by her previous marriage to John Oakland (m. 1874 Nottingham St Mark, d. 1902).
The 1911 Census records Joseph, a hawker (own account), his second wife of four years, son John (13) and two of his wife's unmarried daughters, living at 9 St Mark's Street, Nottingham.
John's older brother, Joseph, had joined the 1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters on 23 August 1906 on a 12 year Short Service Engagement (7 years with the Colour, 5 years Reserve). At the time he enlisted at the age of 18 years 9 months he gave his occupation as hawker (on his discharge he gave his previous occupation as 'carter' and his employer as 'father'). In 1911 Joseph (23) was recorded in Gough Barracks, Trimulgherry, Deccan, India.
Joseph snr. died in 1929; an 'In Memoriam' notice the following year was placed by his 'family'. His widow, Annie, may have died in 1932.
John Handley served in the 8th (Service) Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment. It is not yet known when he enlisted or when he first served in France.
The 8th Battalion was a battalion of Kitchener's New Army and was formed at Lichfield, Staffordshire, as part of K2 in September 1914. It was part of 51st Brigade, 18th (Northern) Division. The Battalion landed at Boulogne on 14 July 1915 and was disbanded in France in February 1918, four months after John's death.
John was reported wounded and missing in action in Flanders on 12 October 1917 and his death 'on or since that date' was presumed, but is recorded on the military records as 12 October.
He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium (panel ref. Panel 90 to 92).
CWGC History of the Tyne Cot Memorial (extract): 'The Tyne Cot Memorial is one of four memorials to the missing in Belgian Flanders which cover the area known as the Ypres Salient ... The Salient was formed during the First Battle of Ypres in October and November 1914, when a small British Expeditionary Force succeeded in securing the town before the onset of winter, pushing the German forces back to the Passchendaele Ridge. The Second Battle of Ypres began in April 1915 when the Germans released poison gas into the Allied lines north of Ypres ... the violence of the attack forced an Allied withdrawal and a shortening of the line of defence. There was little more significant activity on this front until 1917, when in the Third Battle of Ypres an offensive was mounted by Commonwealth forces to divert German attention from a weakened French front further south. The initial attempt in June to dislodge the Germans from the Messines Ridge was a complete success, but the main assault north-eastward, which began at the end of July, quickly became a dogged struggle against determined opposition and the rapidly deteriorating weather. The campaign finally came to a close in November with the capture of Passchendaele.' (www.cwgc.org)
Research RF (August 2025). Original entry had only details from CWGC record.
CWGC Additional information: 'He was the son of John and Annie Handley of 1 Southampton Street St Ann's Nottingham.’ Father's name probably incorrect (see 'Family History')
WW1 Pension Ledger: 'Died 12 October 1917 (wounded and missing).' Stepmother, Annie Handley, 1 Southampton Street, Nottingham, was awarded 8 shillings a week payable from 9 July 1918 to 5 July 1919.
Registers of Soldiers' Effects: 'Killed in action, 12 October 1917.' His sole legatee was Annie Handley.
Nottingham Evening Post, ‘In Memoriam’, 14 October 1918: ‘Handley. In ever-loving memory of Pte. John Handley, South Staffords, missing, presumed killed October 12th, 1917, aged 20. Ever in our thoughts. Father, mother, sisters, and brother (in Germany).’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Reference John's brother who was mentioned in the above notice and who has been identified as Joseph Handley. The following record refers to a Joseph Handley who was a prisoner of war from May 1918: '10120 Private Joseph Handley Company B, 1st Bn Sherwood Foresters, captured (unwounded) 27 May 1918 at Berry au Bac Born 8 November 1888, next of kin Mrs Sara Allen, 29 St Albans Street, Nottingham.' (source Prisoners of War 1715-1945)
The War Diary of the 1st Bn Sherwood Foresters, 11-27 May, confirms that the Battalion was attached to 25th Infantry Brigade near Berry au Bac and that on 27 May, 'At 4:30am [on May 27th] the battalion was ordered forward to the Aisne line and from this time until June the battalion suffered some of the most severest casualties, fighting a rearguard action against troops which overwhelmingly outnumbered them at all points and forced the line back to Montagne de Guyencourt, heights near Jonchery and high ground N. of Treslon.' (war-diaries/war-diary-1-sherwood-foresters-may-1918/May) There are records of two enquiries (2 August 1918, 20 November 1918) through the Red Cross & Order of St John for information about Joseph who had been reported missing on 27 May 1918.
Joseph was discharged from the Army on 17 March 1919, giving his permanent address as 29 St Alban's Street. He had served in France for 4 years 6 months and had been wounded in the right shoulder on 8 January 1915 (transferred to England 22 January for further medical treatment).
Photo of John Handley
Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial (www.cwgc.org)