Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of George Briggs a paper mill time and store keeper, born 1873 in Louth, Lincs., and his wife Emma, born 1872 in Grimsby, Lincs. John William was born in 1895 in Louth, Lincs., his siblings were George Vinter, born 1896, Jim Martin, born 1898 and Jonathan, born 1900, all his siblings were born in Louth, Lincs., in March 1901 the family home was at 8, Little South Street, Louth, Lincs. In April 1911 John was employed as an apprentice cabinet maker and was residing in the family home at 15, Windermere Street, Leicester, together with his father, now a wallpaper store manager, his mother and siblings, George, Jim and Jonathan, also residing with the family was his widowed paternal grandmother Ann Briggs, born 1832 in Horncastle, Lincs. The War Diary entry for the events from the 17th to the 22nd October 1917 records. CAMP AT HASEBROUCK. Cable trench digging parties were found daily by the Battalion for work in the forward areas between CLAPHAM JUNCTION and FITZ CLARENCE FARM J.14.d.45.95. (Reference GHELUVELT), this was carried out under very trying circumstances the men working in heavy hostile barrages, and moving to and from the work under shell fire. More working parties were -?- to and from the camp in motor lorries. Casualties, 1 officer wounded 2nd Lt. F. C. FLOOD, and 86 other ranks killed, wounded and missing.The citation for the award of the Distinguished Conduct Medal taken from the London Gazette dated the 6th February 1918 records. 13244 Corporal (Acting Sergeant) J. W. Briggs. “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during a hostile attack. He took his Lewis gun forward as soon as the enemy barrage began, and, though the line was outflanked, he remained in an isolated forward position until his gun was put out of action. He then went back, obtained another gun, and kept it in action until the attack was beaten off. He showed the greatest courage and determination in a very difficult position.”