Laughlin, John Walter Henry: Service no. 407058

My grandfather was born Alexander John Walter Edward Laughlin (although he might have been known as John) on the 4th of November 1896 (attestation papers say 1897). He was 1st generation Canadian .His father was drowned in the Niagara River in 1901 and both his mother’s parents died in 1902.His mother put the 3 eldest children into a children’s home in Toronto. The 4th child died before she was 1 year old. She never saw her children again. When going into the home his name was recorded as John Walter Henry Laughlin and believing this to be his name went by it for a few years. After coming out of the children’s home and apprenticeship system he probably went into farm labouring before joining the 36th battalion at Niagara on the Lake on 10th June 1915.

After joining the 36th on the 10^th June 1915.he sailed with them on the 19th and arrived in the UK on the 28th June 1915. On arrival the 36th became a reserve battalion and John was transferred to the 18th joining them in the field at the end of November 1915.Whenever he was in France/Flanders he was with the 18th. He was wounded 3 times (once at the Somme) suffered trench foot (Passchendaele) and myalgia. He fell foul of military discipline while at Witley 21 days detention for being late for morning parade and refusing to obey an order and while waiting to join 18th in the field, loss of pay for gambling. He was on strength of battalion when Nov./Dec 1918 the 18th marched from near Mons to the Rhine to become part of the Army of Occupation.c4th April 1919 he was waiting to go back to UK. He sailed from Liverpool on the 14^th May 1919 and was demobilized at London, Ontario on the 24th May 1919. He finished the war as a corporal.

While in the UK John met the Durrant family and on his return to Canada he kept in contact. After a time in Canada he made his return to the UK working his passage on a cattle boat. He went to stay with the Durrants at their home in Burpham, Surrey. The parents having lost their 2 eldest sons to the war treated John like a son. On 1st August 1925 John married Agatha Durrant. My grandparents lived their married life on Whitmoor Common, Worplesdon, Surrey. My grandmother died in 1969 and my grandfather continued living on the common with my uncle and his family. Eventually he moved to Wales and lived with his daughter and son-in-law. He died in Wales on 10th November 1985 aged 89. He was cremated and his ashes interred at Guildford Crematorium.

Biography by his grandson, Martin Laughlin.