John Edward Spicer
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John Edward was the second son of George and Alice Basford Spicer (née Fletcher). Both his parents were born in Wymeswold, Leicestershire, George on 2 August 1867 (1867 A/M/J Loughborough Spizer-sic), the son of David and Mary Spicer, and Alice in 1869, the daughter of Wiliam and Elizabeth Fletcher (née Basford). George and Alice were married in Wymeswold St Mary on 14 March 1892 (J/F/M Loughborough) and had six children, all born at Wymeswold (reg. Loughborough), one of whom, Christopher, died young. The children were baptised at St Mary: George William b. 9 April 1893 bap. 4 June 1893; Mary Elizabeth b. 13 July 1895 bap. 15 September 1895; John Edward b. 30 October 1896 bap. 31 January 1897; Christopher b. 24 December 1898 (reg. 1899) bap. 29 January 1899 d. 1900 (J/F/M); Bertie b. 25 March 1900 bap. 3 June 1900 and Hilda b. 8 November 1901 bap. 8 March 1903. In 1901 George (33) a farm labourer, and Alice (31) were living on Brook Street, Wymeswold, with their four surviving children George (7), Mary (6), John (4) and Bertie (1). Their daughter Hilda was born at the end of the year. The family was stil living at the same address in 1911 although only the four youngest children were living at home: Mary, the eldest daughter, was supporting her mother in the home, John was a farm labourer and Bertie and Hilda were still at school. The eldest son George was a cowman at Manor Farm, Wymeswold, in the employ of Herbert Emmerson, farmer. John's older brother George William served in the Leicestershire Regiment (4591 Private) and was killed on 24 March 1916. Their mother Alice died in 1929. In 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled, their father George, a retired grazier, was living with his married daughter Mary in Loughborough. He died in 1950 (O/N/D Loughborough). Of John Edward's three surviving siblings: Mary Elizabeth married Victor William Jones (b. 14 May 1894) in Wymeswold St Mary on 19 December 1922. In 1939 Mary and Victor, a transformer tester (electrical engineering) were living on Parklands Drive, Loughborough with their daughter Hilda (b. 29 September 1924) and Mary's widowed father George. Victor William died in 1964 but Mary Elizabeth has not yet been traced after 1939. Bertie (Bert) married Gladys Bertha Ward (b. 22 January 1899) at Loughborough Holy Trinity on 3 June 1922. In 1939 they were living on School Street, Loughborough; he was a farm foreman. The record of one other member of the household remains closed. Bert died in 1952 (O/N/D Loughborough). Hilda married John Thomas Sleath (b. 28 January 1905) on 3 August 1929 at Loughborough All Saints. In 1939 she and John, a radio service engineer but also a member of Coventry City auxiliary fire service (No. 60359), were living on Mulberry Road, Coventry. The record of one other member of the household remains closed. Hilda probably died in 1996 (J/F/M Loughborough).
Nottinghamhire Yeomanry (South Nottinghamshire Hussars) John Edward Spicer served in Egypt from 12 September 1915. He died of wounds in Egypt on 24 November 1917. and is buried in Kantara War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt, (grave ref. E.73). He qualified for the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. The Nottinghamshire Yeomanry (South Nottinghamshire Hussars) Regiment was formed on the creation of the Territorial Force in 1908 and came under the Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Mounted Brigade. The brigade transferred to the 2nd Mounted Division in September 1914 and arrived Alexandria, Egypt in April 1915 before transferring to Gallipoli, landing in Suvla bay on 18 August. Evacuated from Gallipoli in the December the batallion returned to Egypt but then moved to Salonika as the 7th Mounted Brigade. The brigade had returned to Egypt by 5 July 1917. In May 1918 ithe battalion sailed from Alexandria on HMT Leasowe Castle which was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediteranean with great loss of life including about 50 from the 1/1st Bn South Notts Hussars. CWGC - Kantara War Memorial Cemetery (extract): 'In the early part of the First World War, Kantara was an important point in the defence of Suez against Turkish attacks and marked the starting point of the new railway east towards Sinai and Palestine, begun in January 1916. Kantara developed into a major base and hospital centre and the cemetery was begun in February 1916 for burials from the various hospitals, continuing in use until late 1920. After the Armistice, the cemetery was more than doubled in size when graves were brought in from other cemeteries and desert battlefields, notably those at Rumani, Qatia, El Arish and Rafa.
A cousin, David Spicer, the son of their father's brother Thomas, served in the 15th Bn Sherwood Foresters (24369 Private) and was killed in action on 2 November 1916 aged 35 (Faubourg d'Amiens Cemetery, Arras). David had two brothers, Frederick and Percy, who also served in the war. CWGC 66149: His brother George William Spicer served in the Leicestershire Regiment (4591 Private) and was killed on 24 March 1916. He is buried in Ecoivres Military Cemetery Mont-St Eloi France (I.D.17). Personal inscription on headstone: 'Peace perfect peace' Both George William and John Edward are commemorated on memorials in Wymeswold, Leicestershire: WMR 14776 Wymeswold ROH - St Mary, The Stockwell, Wymeswold LE12 6UF WMR 14761 Wymeswold ROH - Memorial Hall, Clay Street, Wymeswold LE12 6TY Loughborough Echo, ‘In Memoriam’, 28 November 1919: ‘Spicer. In loving memory of our dear son and brother, Pte. John Ed. Spicer of Wymeswold, died of wounds in Egypt, November 24th, 1917. Unseen to the world he stands by our side, And whispers ‘Dear parents, death cannot divide.’ From Mam, Dad, Brother and Sisters.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Registers of Soldiers' Effects: His mother Alice was his sole legatee.
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