DANIEL, John Victor



No.12561, Guardsman, John Victor DANIEL
Aged 30


1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards
Died of his Illness on Monday, 10th July 1916


John Victor Daniel was born on 8th March 1886 in Eastwood, Adelaide, Australia in 1886, baptised on 25th April 1886 at St.Oswald's, Parkside, Adelaide, son of Victor Louis and Alice Maud DANIEL (née HOLDER). His parents had married at St Matthews, Kensington in 1884. His father (born 1843) died in Eastwood, Adelaide, Australia in 1889.

1901 census...Aged 15, a baker's assistant, he was at Regent Street, Stowmarket with his widowed mother Alice M. [37] born Bury St Edmunds; sister Rebecca Maude [10] and Brother Henry [7]. The three children are recorded as born Parkside, South Australia. Parkside is an inner southern suburb of Adelaide, next door to Eastwood. His father died on 8th October 1899 at Elizabeth Street, Eastwood, Adelaide, Australia in 1899 after a long and painful illness (Adelaide Chronicle), hence the return of Alice and her children to England.

His mother married Charles ROBINSON in Stowmarket Q3-1901.

1911 census...Aged 25, a police constable, he was lodging with six other constables in Bury St Edmunds with Police Inspector Frederick BRUNNING and his family. On 26th September 1911 he married Florence May TASKER [8-7-1887(born Nuthurst, W.Sussex) at St John's Church, Bury St.Edmunds. They lived at No 15 The Green, Risby in 1915. They had two sons, Victor Thomas DANIEL on 2nd November 1913, who died in 1916, and is buried with his father, and John Louis (3-8-1916-to-1992). The address for his widow was 103 Constantine Road, Hampstead NW3.

Thanks to "yekepa" on Rootschat for much of the above



He enlisted in Stowmarket for 3 years in the Grenadier Guards on 15th January 1906, found fit on 17th. He was a big man, 5 feet 11inches tall, weighing 156 lbs (71 kg), chest 35" to 37"(88.9 to 94 cm) grey eyes, brown hair and C of E, A baker by trade he gave his age as 19year 10 months.
Completing his 3 years in the colours on 15th January 1909 he was placed on "A" Reserves, reverting to "B" Reserves on 15th January 1910. He was mobilised on 5th August 1914 and by 4th October 1914 was in France. He was not awarded the clasp to his 1914 Star, but this would more than likely be due to no claim being made (not instituted until 1919). rather than not serving within range of the enemy guns.
On 11th May 1915 he was evacuated to England and on 14th July 1915 discharged as no longer being physically fit for war service.
It transpires that whilst a police constable and on Army Reserve he had contracted influenza and tubercule of the lung. His service documents record his medical condition was aggravated by military service and his death certificate give cause of death as TB, therefore we should be able to convince the authorities via "In from the Cold" and have him recognised on the National Book of Remembrance as at present he is not recorded by CWGC.
His Army records give his next of kin as his mother Alice Maud ROBINSON of Regent Street, Stowmarket and his brother Henry David and half sisters Margaret and Maud of that address. He died at the Sanitorium at Rougham near Bury St.Edmunds, cause of death pulmonary tuberculosis. Edith Tasker, his mother in law, of 5 Hampton Cottages, Maplehurst, Sussex was present.



John Daniel is buried in Bury St.Edmunds west cemetery, Compartment 70, grave 87

Currently not recognised by CWGC.

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