John Stanley Firth
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John Stanley Firth was born on 28th January 1898 at Hanley and was the son of Stanley Silverwood a post office engineer and Elizabeth May Firth née Harding of 28,Caledon Rd,Sherwood, Nottingham.His father Stanley Silverwood was born in 1869 in Salford, Lancashire and his mother Elizabeth May Harding was born in 1873 in Hanley, they were married in 1896 their marriage was recorded in the Woolstanton, Staffordshire Registration District, they went on to have a further son Frank Harding Firth b1900 in Kings Heath, Worcestershire. In the 1911 census the family are living art 28 Caledon Road, Sherwood, Nottingham and are shown as Stanley Firth 42 yrs a telephone engineer, he is living with his wife May 38 yrs and their two sons, John Stanley 13 yrs a scholar and Frank Harding 11 yrs a scholar. His probate was proven in Nottingham on 13th November 1917 and shows him as John Stanley Firth of 28 Caledon Road, Sherwood, Nottingham, Second Lieutenant in H.M.Army died on 9th October 1917 in Flanders , his effects of £15 were left to Stanley Silverwood Firth a post office engineer.
Second Lieutenant John Stanley Firth initially joined up and served as a Private in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He joined the Nottingham University Officer Training Corps. He was commission as Second Lieutenant on 27th April 1917 and went out to France in the same month serving with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He was in action during the Batttle of Poelcapelle and was killed on 9th October 1917. Having no known grave his name is commemorated on the Tyne Cott Memorial.
His commanding Officer wrote to his parents stating :- Your son 2nd Lieutenant J.S. Firth was beloved and admired by the men of his platoon, who were following his leadership when he fell and died during the attack on the 9th inst. His loss is keenly felt by his brother officers, with whom he was very popular, and by all ranks in the battalion. May the fact of knowing that he died the death of a gallant officer while fighting for his country help you to bear in a small way the sad blow which his end must cause you.One of the men of his platoon wrote ;- He was greatly liked by all his company. He was very cool and brave in action and always joined in all the sports with his platoon. His brother Frank Harding Firth also served during the 'Great War' he served as a Private with the Royal Army Medical Corps, landing in France on 17 April 1915, he survived the war.
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