Lives of the First World War

1919

John Edward Hebblethwaite was born in Holmfirth in 1898, the fourth son of labourer Wilson Hebblethwaite and his wife Emma. In the 1911 census, the family are living on South Lane, Holmfirth and John is still at school. John Edward enlisted in Halifax on 20 February 1917 aged 18 years and 7 months, giving his occupation as joiner. He was posted to France on 31 July 1917 and, having been admitted to military hospital in France on 29 September 1917, he returned home to hospital in Ripon at the beginning of November that year suffering from a ‘tubercle of the lung’. He was treated in hospital for 51 days and discharged on 22 December that year. He was readmitted the following year on 2 March 1918 suffering from the related condition Phthisis. He remained in hospital until the middle of May when he was discharged from the Army as permanently unfit for service. John Edward died on 3 July 1919, his ‘In Memoriam’ notice in the local paper containing the phrase “He hath fought a good fight”.

Created by: , Holmfirth126389