Sergeant John William Matthews

 

John William Matthews was born in Kilburn, London, in 1883.

On 18 October 1902 at London he enlisted in the 4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards (No.5254). He gave his civilian occupation as labourer. At the time of the 1911 Census he was with his regiment at the Preston Military Barracks, having reached the rank of corporal. He was later promoted to sergeant.

Matthews married Mary Caroline Hayward in South Tidworth, Wiltshire, on 8 August 1914. Eight days later he embarked for France. On 24 November he was wounded in the hand and soon after was evacuated to the UK for treatment.

Between 12 April and 2 June 1915 he was transferred to the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons Service Squadron (No. UD/259 – later Corps of Dragoons No.21274), retaining his sergeant's rank. (That Matthews was transferred to the Inniskillings, and the 'UD' number he was given, are supposition, based on his Corps of Dragoons number, which was within the block allocated to the service squadron when these numbers were issued in August-September 1917.)

On 30 June 1917 he was transferred to the Labour Corps (No.320096) and was posted to No.633 Home Service Employment Company (although the fact that he was issued a Corps of Dragoons number soon after this suggests that the transfer may have been reversed).

Matthews remained in the army after the war (Army No.390696). In the 1921 Census he and his wife and two children were living at South Tidworth, where John, a sergeant in the 4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards, was working as caretaker in the Officers' Club. He was discharged on 16 February 1922, being 'no longer physically fit for war service' (paragraph 392(xvi), King's Regulations), having been awarded a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. His military character was recorded as 'exemplary'.

 

This page last updated 15 September 2023.