29859 Private John William Belfield

29859 Private John William Belfield born in 1893. Son of Joseph Belfield of Bach Dane Farm, Swythamley, Macclesfield. John had one brother and 11 sisters, his occupation was a farmer, height 5 feet 4 ¼ inched. Weight 107lbs, physical fitness: good.

John enlisted on 25/08/1916 in Macclesfield. Part of his Military Service Records is as follows:

Home 25/08/1916 – 07/12/1916 (Home means in Britain). Embarked from Southampton on 8^th December 1916, disembarked in Boulogne on 9^th December 1916, joined his unit in the field on 18^th December 1916

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On the 8^th May 1917 John was admitted to a hospital in Wimereaux suffering from Trench Fever, on the 14^th May 1917 he was sent back to England on the hospital ship HMHS St Patrick.

Once in England John was admitted into the Huddersfield War Hospital, he was admitted on the 16/05/17 discharged on the 12/07/17 suffering from Trench Fever/ Myalsia (Muscle pain/spasm). He was then readmitted on the 24/07/1917 and discharged on the 14/09/1917 (52 days) still suffering from Trench Fever.

He was to remain in England until the 28^th October 1917, embarking for France on the 28/10/1917, disembarking in France on the 29/10/1917, rejoined his unit in the field.

John was killed on 21^st March 1918, there is no record of how he died, his body was never found, he has no grave, he is remembered on Panel 67 & 68 on the Pozieres Memorial. John’s father Joseph received John’s medals on the 25^th September 1920.