Midddleton*, John

MIDDLETON,

JOHN

BORN 20 FEBRUARY 1890

John Middleton was born on 20 February 1890, son of Colonel Francis Beckford Middleton, retired, (b 1838 on the Isle of Wight) and Charlotte May Middleton (née Swanston, b 1858 in East Indies). Francis and Charlotte were married 17 June 1876 in Madras, India. Francis served in Burma in the Madras Staff Corps.

They had six children, including four sons: William S (b 1879 in East Indies), Frederick Nowell (b 1881 in East Indies), George E B (b 1888 in Bedford), Montague (b 1891 in Bedford) and a daughter Ethel Mary, (or May), (b 1882 in Trichinopoly, India).

In 1891 the family were living at Kimbolton Road, Bedford. John entered form III of the School on 16 January 1906, aged 15. At this time he was still living with his widowed mother at 74 Hampton Road, Redland Park. He stayed only a few months leaving the school in July 1906. He then attended Clarence School, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, later becoming a Clerk at Lloyds Bank, Bristol.

In 1911 Charlotte was living with Frederick, Ethel and John at 8 Ravenswood Road, Redland. Frederick was a 2nd Officer in the Mercantile Marine.

John enlisted on 16 September 1914. He was gazetted as 2nd Lieutenant in the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, 11th Battalion, on 30 December 1914.

He transferred to the 8th Battalion in September 1915, served in the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force in Gallipoli and took part in the evacuation from Suvla Bay. He rose to the rank of Captain. He proceeded to Egypt in February 1916 and then France in the following June. He died, aged 27, from wounds received from a shell on 2 October 1917. His commanding office wrote, “I had only been 13 days with the battalion when he was killed, eight of which were spent in the lines.

This was quite sufficient time to show the sterling qualities of your son. He was a most charming character, a good comrade and a splendid soldier. He died a soldier’s death. He was killed instantaneously by my side by a shell.

The battalion had just been relieved when he was killed.” He was mentioned in Despatches by Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig, London Gazette, 17 November 1917, for gallant and distinguished service in the field.

John is buried and Remembered with Honour at Bard Cottage Cemetery, Boesinghe, West Vlaanderen, and Belgium.

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