Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of James Breakspear a general farm labourer, born 1861 in Deenethorpe, Northants., and his wife Alice Elizabeth, born 1864 in Weldon, Northants. John William was born in 1886 in Bulwick, Northants, his siblings were, Leah, born 1884 in Deene, Northants, Annie, born 1887, Eliza Ann, born 1889, George, born 1890, Phoebe, born 1891, Grace Mary, born 1893, Alfred, born 1895, and Ellen, born 1897, the latter seven siblings were all born in Bulwick, Northants., in March 1901 the family home was at Bulwick Rectory, Bulwick, Northants. In April 1911 Alfred was employed as a gardener and was residing in the family home at Langham, Rutland, together with his parents and siblings, Leah, Ellen, Mabel Violet, born 1902 and Dorothy Mildred, born 1905, the latter two siblings were both born in Bulwick, Northants. Prior to the war he served for five years in India, and was in the reserves when war was declared. He disembarked in France on the 13th August 1914, and took part in the Retreat from Mons, being wounded on the 24th August 1914 by a shrapnel bullet to the head. The bullet about the size of an ordinary marble, cut through the top of his cap near the peak, and fortunately took a slanting direction, instead of burying itself in the head, made a deep cut along the scalp and must have become embedded in the stiffening of the band. It made him, he said feel a “bit silly” at the time, but he did not fall out, and after having his head bandaged, retired with the Battalion. It was during this proceeding that John feeling something inside his cap, asked the man next to him to look what it was, and the bullet was found on the top of the bandage, having worked out of the stiffening of the cap where it had first lodged. He was sent to hospital, made a quick recovery, and went out again to the front. During the war he was twice further wounded, the third time most severely in September 1916. After a full recovery he returned to the front. Upon demobilisation he took up work for the post office in Shipton, Market Weighton, Yorkshire, but he continued to have trouble from his many wounds and was admitted to hospital on many occasions, after a relapse in May 1920 he passed away, just an hour after his parents and friends arrived at his bedside. He left a widow and two young children, he was buried in Shipton Cemetery with full Military Honours. His brother Alfred fell in action.