Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the only son of Richard William Branston an agricultural engine driver, born 1871 in Billesdon, Leics., and his wife Ada, born 1871 in Lyddington, Rutland. John Thomas was born in 1899 in Oakham, Rutland his siblings were Edith, born 1895 and Ada Ellen, born 1897, both his siblings were born in Oakham, Rutland, in March 1901 the family home was at Stamford Road, Collyweston, Northants. In April 1911 John was a scholar and was residing in the family home at The Malting, Burghley Park, Stamford, Lincs., together with his father, now an estate gamekeeper, his mother and sister Ellen. He was a plumber by trade. He initially joined the East Yorkshire Regiment, but subsequently transferred into the Machine Gun Corps., embarking with them for France on the 1st April 1918. He was in action with them for the remainder of the war. On the 29th October he was involved in the activities around Cambrai, and was in the best of health and spirits, this disposition being a feature of his life, wherever he was. Always smiling and happy, he, this way, gathered numerous friends around him. On November the 6th a letter was received by his parents saying that he had been admitted to the 2nd Stationary Hospital in early November suffering from influenza, this was followed by a telegram from the War Office to say he was dangerously ill. Two days later the dread news arrived that he had died within three days of his admission. Sadly when the first communication arrived with his parents he had already passed away. The grief his parents bore was doubly heavy he being the only son, and the youngest child, he left two older sisters.