Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Joseph Wild, a pork butcher, born in the July quarter of 1867 in Bury, Lancashire (son of Joseph Wild, 1828 and Hannah Beard, 1829) and his wife Elizabeth Spencer Wild (nee Mills, married in the April quarter of 1890 in Bury), born in the January quarter of 1872 in Bury and baptised on the 14th June 1872 in St. John’s Church, Bury (daughter of William Mills and Esther Beswick). Joseph Spencer was born in the October quarter of 1892 in Bury. In March 1901 Joseph was residing in the family home at 49, Burder Street, Loughborough, Leicestershire, together with his step father, John Whitworth Sacker, an iron moulder, born 1867 in Bury (son of William Sacker, 1825 and Betty Sacker, 1829), his mother (married in the July quarter of 1900 in Loughborough) and siblings, Harry, born in the April quarter of 1891 in Bury, Joseph’s twin sister, Florrie Spencer and a step sibling, Edith Sacker, born in the July quarter of 1891 in Bury. In April 1911 Joseph was employed as a solicitor’s law clerk and was residing in the family home at 14, Boyer Street, Loughborough, together with his step father, an iron founder and general engineer, his mother and siblings, Harry, an apprentice iron founder and engineer and Florrie, a hosiery trade silk maker.
Joseph’s army service enlistment documents do not survive, therefore the currently available information pertaining to his military service has been obtained from the following sources: - 1921 HMSO Publication, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914 - 1919, WW1 Service Medal and Award Rolls, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards, WW1 Pension Ledgers and Index Cards and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Registers.
Enlisted/Attested in Loughborough into the Regular Army, date not known.
Joined. At place and date not known.
Posted. To Army Service Corps. Pte., date not known.
Allotted the Regimental Service number S4/085948.
Posted. To Army Service Corps. Pte., date not known.
Promoted. Lance Corporal, place and date not known.
Promoted. Corporal, place and date not known.
Promoted. Acting Sergeant, place and date not known.
There is no evidence that he entered the theatre of war.
Died of pneumonia. 20/11/15.
Commemorated on the Brookwood (United Kingdom 1914-1918) Memorial, Surrey.
Buried in Loughborough, Leicester Road Cemetery, Leicestershire.
In the event of his death, Joseph nominated his mother Elizabeth, as his sole legatee.
On the 28th July 1919, Joseph’s mother was awarded a weekly Army Dependant’s Pension of ten shillings, to commence on the 17th February 1919.
On Thursday, November 25th, 1915, The Leicester Daily Post published the following article under the heading. “LEICESTERSHIRE AND THE WAR.” – MILITARY FUNERALS AT LOUGHBOROUGH. – Military honours were paid at the funeral, at Loughborough Cemetery, yesterday afternoon, of Sergeant Joseph Spencer Wild, of 59, Hudson-street, Loughborough, and was 23 years of age. Before he enlisted, he was in a good position in Leicester, and had previously done well at Loughborough Technical Institute, where he was a great favourite among the students. He had an illness while in camp at Aldershot, and came home on sick leave early this month, but very soon after severe pneumonia developed, and for several days he was unconscious, and died on Saturday. The mourners were: Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Secker (step father and mother), Mrs. F. James (sister), Mr. E. James (brother-in-law), Mr. and Mrs. T. Ward (cousins), Miss Rivington, and Mrs. Rivington, Mr. H. Miller and Miss Hart represented the office staff of Messrs J. Marsh, Ltd. (Leicester), where deceased was employed before joining the Army, and Mr. J. A. Martin (tutor) and Mr. H. H. Carpendale represented the advanced shorthand class at the Loughborough Technical Institute. The bearers were five sergeants and four corporals of the A.S.C. from Aldershot, under the command of Sergt-Major Ferris. The firing and bugle parties were from the Depot of the 17th Leicestershire Regiment at Glen Parva, and were under the command of Sergt. Manship. The coffin was covered by the Union Jack, on which was the late sergeant’s headgear and belt. The Revs. F. W. Gostick and H. Hartley conducted the service, and after three volleys had been fired over the grave the “Last Post” was sounded. Wreaths were sent by the family, and floral tributes were also presented by his fellow clerks at Messrs. J. Marsh, Ltd (Leicester), the clerical staff of the Labour Depot A.S.C., Aldershot, and Mr. J. A. Martin and his shorthand friends.