Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Ann Allen a widow, born 1846 in Ibstock, Leicestershire. Joseph was a Brickyard Labourer and was born in 1885 in Ibstock, Leicestershire, his siblings were Ezekiel, born 1871, Emma, born 1887, Isaac, born 1889, John Tom, born 1891, Lily, born 1903 and Thomas, born 1908, all his siblings were born in Ibstock, Leicestershire, in 1911 the family home was at 13, Station Road, Ibstock, Leicestershire.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Coalville Times article - Friday September 14th, 1917

IBSTOCK

MILITARY FUNERAL

Private Joseph Allen, of Ibstock, who has been in the fighting on the Western Front the last two years, succumbed to trench fever in Birmingham hospital and was buried at Ibstock Cemetery on Sunday last with full military honours. The cortege was met at the top of Gladstone Street on Sunday afternoon by the Ibstock United Silver Prize Band, and was subsequently joined by the Ibstock Church Lads’ Brigade and a firing party from Glen Parva. Suitable military music was played en route to the cemetery where the funeral service was conducted by the Rector, the Rev. S. Flood, M.A. and Mr H. Holmes, sen., of the Wesleyan Reform Church. After the service the “Last Post” was sounded by the bugles and a volley fired over the grave. There was a large number of people present, and many evidences of sympathy for the deceased soldier and his family. The coffin was draped with the Union Jack.

Coalville Times article - Friday October 12th, 1917

MEMORIAL SERVICE

On Sunday evening last, the Rev. S. Flood C.A. (Rector) conducted a memorial service in memory of Ibstock boys who have fallen recently in the war, viz., Privates W. Tyers, A. Newman, Joe Allen, W. Sharp, (drowned Mesopotamia). The Parish Church was crowded with sympathisers and relatives of the deceased soldiers. The Rector, speaking from the chancel step, assured the congregation of the great helpfulness of human sympathy at a time like the present and said they could be quite certain that Divine sympathy was ever present to help bear the awful burden of sorrow that mankind generally was having to bear now through the calamity of the world war. The Church Lads’ Brigade was in attendance, and the “Last Post” was sounded by the buglers at the close of the service. Mr W. Dunstan presided at the organ and played the “Dead March”, the congregation meanwhile standing.

Research undertaken and submitted by Andy Murby 20/12/2017