Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Samuel Driver, a coalman, born in the January quarter of 1842 in Newton Harcourt, Leicestershire and baptised on the 29th March 1842 in St. Wistan’s Church, Wistow, Leicestershire (son of Thomas Driver, 1796-1880 and Mary Waldrom (Waldram), 1797-1882) and his wife Elizabeth Driver (nee Coulson, married on the 26th October 1863 in St. Wistan’s Church, Wistow), born in the October quarter of 1843 in Enderby, Leicestershire (daughter of William Coulson and Burton). John George, a schoolboy, was born in the October quarter of 1881 in Wigston, Leicestershire and baptised on the 2nd April 1882 in All Saint’s Church, Wigston Magna, his siblings were, Edith, a hosiery trade mender, born 1867 and baptised on the 21st July 1867 in St. Wistan’s Church, Wistow, Emma, a frame work knitter, born in the October quarter of 1871 and baptised on the 25th February 1872 in St. Wistan’s Church, Wistow and Anne, a shirt cutter, born in the January quarter of 1874 and baptised as Annie on the 11th October 1874 in St. Wistan’s Church, Wistow, the latter three siblings were all born in Newton Harcourt, Mary Ann, a schoolgirl, born in the July quarter of 1879 in Wigston Magna and baptised on the 6th July 1879 in All Saint’s Church, Wigston Magna and a nephew, Wilfrid, a schoolboy, born in the October quarter of 1887 in Wigston Magna, in April 1891 the family home was at Welford Road, Wigston Magna, Leicestershire.
In March 1901 John was employed as a shoe trade finisher and was residing in the family home at Paddock Street, Wigston Magna, together with his father, an agricultural labourer, his mother and siblings, Edith, a hosiery trade mender and Sarah, a Griswold stocking knitter, born on the 10th May 1876 in Newton Harcourt and baptised on the 10th September 1876 in St. Wistan’s Church, Wistow, also residing with the family was a grandson, Wilfrid, a shopkeeper’s errand boy.
In April 1911 John was employed as a Police Constable and was residing in the family home at Scalford, Leicestershire together with his wife, Florence Ruth Driver (nee West, married on the 26th December 1903 in St. Peter’s Church, Whetstone), born on the 2nd October 1884 in Whetstone, Leicestershire and baptised on the 20th September 1885 in St. Peter’s Church, Whetstone (daughter of Obed West, 1832 and Emma Copson, 1853), and their children, Hazel, born on the 16th April 1906 in Scalford and baptised on the 13th May 1906 in St. Peter’s Church, Whetstone and John George, born on the 6th May 1909 in Whetstone.
GENERAL NOTES: John also had the following siblings, William, born on the 8th September 1864 in Newton Harcourt and baptised on the 18th December 1864 in St. Wistan’s Church, Wistow, Elizabeth born in the April quarter of 1869 in Newton Harcourt and baptised on the 5th September 1869 in St. Wistan’s Church, Wistow and Louisa, born in the October quarter of 1884 in Wigston Magna.
The Wigston Council Offices Memorial lists a Gunner J. H. Driver, Royal Field Artillery, however I have assumed that it should read as Gunner J. G. Driver, as I have been unable to locate a Gunner of that name and initials that was serving with the Royal Field Artillery with a connection to Wigston, John George was born in Wigston and his parents at the time of the Great War continued to reside in Wigston, and it must be assumed that it was they who put their son’s name forward for inclusion on the memorial.
John’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, 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 Leicester into the Regular Army. Date not known.
Joined. At Leicester. Date not known.
Posted. To Royal Regiment of Artillery. Date not known.
Allotted the Regimental Service number L/29084.
Posted. To Royal Field Artillery. Gunner. Date not known.
First entered the theatre of war in France after the 31st December 1915.
Posted. To “D” Battery, 46th Brigade. Royal Field Artillery. Date not known.
Killed in action. In the Field. 3/12/17.
Buried in Oxford Road Cemetery, Ypres, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.
Awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In the event of his death, John nominated his wife, Florence as his sole legatee.
The War Diary records: 3 Dec-17 – PASSCHENDAELE FRONT. KOREK and Battery positions intermittently shelled during the day, at times heavily. Batteries carried out usual harassing fire. 3 Gunners of “D” Battery killed by shell fire. Issued orders to Batteries re new zones to come into force at 10.00am 4th December. A little hostile shelling on wagon lines during the afternoon. 14th Division Infantry relieved 8th Division Infantry on our front.
On Friday December 14th 1917, The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “MELTON AND THE WAR.” – LOCAL POLICEMAN KILLED. – News reached Melton Mowbray on Tuesday evening that Driver J. G. Driver, of the Howitzer Brigade, had been killed in action. Up to the time of his enlistment he was a police constable. He made himself very popular whilst stationed at Melton Mowbray and Scalford, at which latter place his wife and family reside, and they will receive the sincere sympathy of a wide circle of friends. Deceased was at one time a prominent member of Egerton Park Cricket Club and for a number of years he also played regularly for the County Constabulary.
On the 10th June 1918, John’s widow Florence Ruth, of Brook Street, Whetstone, Leicestershire was awarded a weekly Army Dependant’s Pension of twenty-five shillings and five pence, for herself and her two children, commensurate on the 1st July 1918.
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