Lance Corporal John Heald
14095 4th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment
John Heald was born at Westwood in 1893 son of William Heald, a colliery blacksmith and his wife Beatrice. In 1891 the family was living at Old Westwood (Palmerston Street) but by 1901 and also in 1911 was living at Inkerman, Selston. John had brothers and sisters William b. 1890, Hiram b. 1891, Kate b. 1896, Clarice Mary b. 1898, Harry b. 1901 and Albert Hanford b. 1905.
in 1911 John was still living at home, occupation given as coal miner ganger. His two elder brothers were coal miner corporals.
John joined the Lincolnshire Regiment at Sutton-in-Ashfield, at the very start of WW1 in September 1914, aged 21 years. He was first posted to France in September 1915 and in April 1916 he sustained a gunshot wound to his left hand. In January 1917 his service record notes that he was placed under open arrest and put on trial for the offence of ‘when on active service neglecting to obey orders.’ He was found guilty and sentenced to 60 days fatigues. Despite this, on 26th January 1918 he was promoted to Lance Corporal. On 23rd March 1918 he was wounded again, suffering a gunshot wound to the face, chest and fingers. He was demobbed in August 1918, being posted to the reserve just prior to the end of the war and was finally discharged on 14th December 1918. He was returning to Main Road, Jacksdale to resume work at James Oakes Collieries. The absent Voter Roll confirms his address as Main Road and also gives his service number, rank and regiment. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War and Victory Medals as well as Silver War Badge number B69620.
A marriage is recorded in 1923 in the Basford District for John Heald and Bertha Keeling. They went on to have a daughter Nora in 1923.
John was the first cousin of Harry Heald listed on the Jacksdale War Memorial as Fallen.