Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of John Squires, a coal miner, born on the 24th August 1862 in Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire and his wife Esther Squires (nee Watson, married in the 2nd quarter of 1881 in the Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire district), born on the 27th March 1863 in Thringstone, Leicestershire. Johney was born in the 1st quarter of 1888 in Barrow upon Soar and was baptised on the 1st April 1888 in the Parish Church, Barrow upon Soar, his siblings were, Mary Ann, a schoolgirl, born on the 20th August 1882, Edward, a schoolboy, born on the 9th February 1884 and Amelia, a schoolgirl, born on the 27th November 1885, the latter three siblings were all born in Barrow upon Soar and Caroline, born in the 4th quarter of 1889 in Thringstone, in April 1891 the family home was at Paris Hill, Whitwick, Leicestershire. In March 1901 John was employed as a colliery horse driver and was residing in the family home at Main Street, Thringstone, together with his father, a coal miner, his mother and siblings, Mary, a general servant, Edward, a colliery horse driver, Amelia, a general servant, Thomas, born in the 1st quarter of 1892 and Emily, born 16th December 1894, the latter two siblings were both born in Whitwick. In April 1911 John was employed as a coal miner and was residing in the family home at Main Street, Thringstone, together with his wife Louisa Squires (nee Haywood, married in the 1st quarter of 1909 in the Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire district), born on the 7th June 1888 in Whitwick and their children, Violet Haywood, born on the 5th March 1909 and May, born on the 5th November 1910, both children were born in Thringstone. John and Louisa also had a daughter Norah born on the 6th February 1913 in Thringstone. He was officially recorded at birth, and at his baptism with the Christian name of Johney, however in the majority of documents including the census returns, military records and the marriage registration ledger, he is recorded with the Christian name of John. His widow and three children were awarded a weekly Army Pension of twenty nine shillings and seven pence to commence on the 29th July 1918. John also had two more siblings, Annie who was born in the 1st quarter of 1901 and who died in the 1st quarter of 1901 and William who was born in the 2nd quarter of 1898 and who died in the 3rd quarter of 1898, both siblings were born in Thringstone. John’s younger brother, Thomas who enlisted on the same day died of wounds received in action on the 16th July 1916.
John, Edward and Thomas Squires all enlisted into the 6th (Service) Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment in Coalville on the 26th September 1914, being allotted the consecutive service numbers 15523, 15524 and 15525 respectively, John and Thomas both died as a result of wounds received in action but Edward survived the war having been severely wounded in action and subsequently being discharged on the 4th August 1917 as being no longer fit for active service under King’s Regulations Para; 392 (xvi), he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal and additionally was awarded the Silver War Badge No. 120496.
John enlisted/attested into the Regular Army on the 26th September 1914 in Coalville, and was allotted the service number 15523. He gave his place of birth as Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire and age as 26 years 278 days. Marital status as married and his trade or calling as collier. He gave his present address as Main Street, Thringstone.
During his period of military service the following events of note occurred:-
Joined. At Coalville. 26/9/14.
Joined. Depot. Leicestershire Regt. Pte. 30/9/14.
Posted. 6th Bn. Leicestershire Regt. Pte. 23/10/14.
Embarked. 29/7/15.
Posted. 2/4th Bn. Leicestershire Regt. Pte. 21/9/17.
Admitted. 64th Field Ambulance. 16/7/16.
Admitted. 36th Casualty Clearing Station. 17/7/16.
He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.
John’s surviving service record amounts to a total of twelve pages, of which only three pages relate directly to his military service, and these are in extremely poor condition with much of the hand written information in some cases barely legible, damaged or missing entirely, however the content does offer at least a little descriptive insight into some of the events that took place during his period of military service.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Coalville Times article - Friday January 4th, 1918

LOCAL CASUALTIES

Mrs Squires, of Main Street, Thringstone, has received news that her husband, Pte. J. Squires of the Leicesters, was admitted to hospital severely wounded in his chest, on December 19th, and despite every attention, passed peacefully away on December 21st. The matron writes expressing sympathy with the widow and children. The day on which the deceased died was his birthday, and in a letter written to his wife, on December 9th, he referred to the fact that it would soon be his birthday, and he was hoping to receive something. He acknowledges the receipt of some “fags”. They had been in a funny position but, thank God, they got out of it after a struggle. He added, “There is not much chance of leave while things are so busy, but keep your pecker up, as I think we shall pull through.”

Coalville Times article - Friday May 21st, 1920

THRINGSTONE WAR MEMORIAL

UNVEILED BY COL. BOOTH AT THE PARISH CHURCH

A beautiful stained-glass window has been placed in St. Andrew’s Church, Thringstone, in memory of men from the parish who fell in the war, together with a brass tablet bearing all the names, and the unveiling was performed by Col. T. Booth at a special service last Sunday afternoon, when there was a crowded congregation, which included many relatives of the deceased soldiers.

The service was impressively conducted by the Vicar (the Rev. C. Shrewsbury) and opened with the singing of the hymn, “There is a Land of pure Delight.” Other hymns sung were, “O God our help in ages past,” “The Saints of God,” and “For all the Saints,” also the psalm, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”

The window, which faces the church entrance, depicts St. Alban, the first British martyr to die for the Christian faith, and inscribed, “Christ’s faithful soldier and servant unto his life’s end.”

The tablet by the side of the window bears the inscription, “To the greater glory of God, and in memory of the following who from this parish and congregation have given their lives for their country in the great war 1914 – 1919, this window is dedicated by the congregation and parishioners of St. Andrew’s.”

Here are 27 names, as follows:

1914
Pte. T. Jones, Durham Light Infantry.
1915
Pte. E. Hall, Leicestershire
Corp’l W. E. Moore, R.G.A.
Pte. I. Hall, Leicestershire
1916
Pte. E. Howe, Leicestershire
Sapper E. Robinson, Royal Engineers
Pte. L. Whitmore, Leicestershire
Pte. T. Squires, Leicestershire
Pte. M. Grainger, Leicestershire
1917
Pte. F. B. Bowler, Royal Dublin Fusiliers
Pte. R. Freeman, Leicestershire
Sapper H. Briers, Royal Engineers
A. J. Turner, telegraphist, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
Pte. J. Squires, Leicestershire
Pte. L. Haywood, Scottish Rifles
Corp’l W. Sykes, Leicestershire
Pte. T. Bailey, Royal Scots
1918
Corp’l J. Bancroft, Leicestershire
Rfn. G. W. W. Howe, Rifle Brigade
Pte. J. Gee, York and Lancaster
2nd Lieut. T. F. McCarthy, Loyal North Lancashire
Pte. S. R. Dring, Leicestershire
J. T. Fortnam, Able Seaman, Royal Naval Division
L.-Corp’l A. Griffin, Sherwood Foresters
Pte. J. Morley, Suffolk
Pte. H. Freeman, Leicestershire
Pte. H. Lakin, Leicestershire

At the foot appear the words: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Having unveiled the memorial, Col. Booth proceeded to the other end of the church and from the chancel steps addressed the congregation as follows:

“My friends, I have been entrusted with the very solemn, but to me, the very proud duty, of coming here to address you, the members of this congregation on the subject of the memorial, that beautiful brass tablet which I have just had the honour to unveil, and I can assure you all that I am fully alive to the responsibility which that has involved upon me, and I am also very appreciative of the honour which it has imposed upon me. I am sure that as you heard those names read out, you could not fail to have been impressed, as I was, with the fact that these precious lives came from every class and from all ranks. What you may not have realised altogether is the width and scope of their sacrifice. I will try to explain what I mean. Reading out those names, I first find mention of men who went out at the start, in 1914, to help to stem the first wild onslaught of the Germans before we were ready; when everything was unprepared. Think of that. Then we pass on to other names of men who gave their lives in 1915, in those dull days in the trenches, when everything seemed dark, and when we appeared to be hammering our heads against a stone wall. Then I find more names in 1916, men who died in the great Battle of the Somme, which lasted for many weeks, but in which their services were rewarded by the first ray of hope which seemed to come to the nation. Then more names I find in 1917, men who took part in those hammering blows which we may regard as the period during which the war reached its height, when the storm seemed to be at its worst. Then in those terrible days in the early spring of 1918, I find more names, when the nation strained well-nigh to breaking point in her brave endeavour to stave off the last despairing effort of the Germans to overwhelm us on the soil of France. Lastly, and to me the most pathetic of all, are some few names of men who fell just as the dawn was breaking, a few days before the Armistice. Well, I have given a brief account of how those names covered that scope I spoke of at first. What then do we owe these men? I do not know whether you, or I, or anybody can yet appreciate the magnitude of that debt, but certain it is, we can never repay. What are we to do then – what must we do? Well, I think we must see to it that these men are never forgotten; that their names are never forgotten. This beautiful brass tablet and memorial window are the proof we intend to give that they shall not be forgotten. I think we must do more than this; we must see that we explain to the new generation that is coming on – explain to them what this tablet means; show them the names, and as they get older and more able to understand, explain to them what it stands for, what we really owe to these men; that we owe to them the peaceful possession of our houses, the freedom of the countryside to-day, the honour of our women and the safety of our little children. I think that is the duty for us in the future, and they will carry it on long after we are no more. Then, finally, I want to say a word to the members of this congregation who are relatives of the fallen. I know that nothing I can say is any real comfort; nothing that anybody can say is of any real comfort; but it may afford you some consolation to know that we, your fellow countrymen, are determined that the names of those beloved ones are not forgotten, and that brass tablet and window stand for all time as a witness to the noble and unselfish example of those brave souls, and I hope when you leave this church after this beautiful service, that you will feel as I do, and as all this congregation do I am sure, that their sacrifice has not been in vain.”

After the Benediction, the service closed with the singing of the National Anthem.

Research undertaken and submitted (including photograph from Coalville Times) by Andy Murby 5/1/2018