Private John William HORNE (known as William)
Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry
12th Labour Battalion 157 Labour Company 93827
John William was born in Spratton in 1885, the son of Peter Horne, a cattle drover, and his wife, Sarah Ann from Kislingbury. To distinguish him from his cousin John, whose family lived next door, he was known by his middle name William. William worked as a farm labourer until his father died in 1907 when he took over his father’s cattle drover work. His brother and sister moved away, but William remained in Spratton living with his widowed mother in Station Road (now Brixworth Road).
William did not volunteer immediately war was declared but signed up in December 1915 aged 30 under Lord Derby’s Scheme. He had recently married Sarah Elizabeth Laxton in Northampton Registry Office (October 1915) and was living in a small cottage in Station Road, Spratton (now Brixworth Road). He was called up the following March into the Royal Fusiliers and then transferred quickly into the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry. He arrived at Havre in France with the British Expeditionary Force on 8 May 1916. He seems to have been ill with fever and kidney problems for some considerable time and did not rejoin the regiment until February 1917 by which time his low medical category rendered him unfit for front line duty and he was transferred to the Labour Corps. He came home at the end of the war and was discharged on 5 February 1919.
John William was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. He died in June 1929 in Spratton aged 45.
Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry badge
Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry badge
EXPLORE SECTIONS
MEN WHO SERVED
- Private Charles Herbert AUSTIN (known as Herbert)
- Corporal Frank AUSTIN
- Lance Corporal James William AUSTIN
- Private John Samuel AUSTIN
- Sergeant William Henry AUSTIN
- Sergeant Bertie Henry BALDERSON
- Corporal Frederick Charles BALDERSON MM
- Lance Corporal Robert Samuel BALDERSON
- Private George William BUCKBY (known as William)
- Private Henry Andrew BUCKBY
- Richard Henry Horne BUCKBY
- Transport Sergeant Thomas BUCKBY MM
- Company Quartermaster Sergeant William Gander BUCKBY
- William Archibald COPSON (known as Archibald)
- Sapper Ebenezer COPSON
- Private Ernest Edward COPSON
- Pioneer Henry Owman COPSON (known as Harry)
- Private James COPSON
- Private John William COPSON
- Private Joseph COPSON
- Private Arthur Sidney GOODEN (known as Sidney)
- Private Hugh Henry GOODEN
- Sergeant Joseph Eric GOODEN (known as Eric)
- Private Arthur Thomas HAYTER
- Driver Frank Leonard HAYTER
- Private Harold Herbert HAYTER
- Lance Corporal John Charles HAYTER DCM (known as Jack)
- Private Walter Ernest HAYTER
- Ordinary Seaman Arthur Charles HORNE
- Private John William HORNE (known as William)
- Lance Corporal Lewis HORNE
- Private Thomas HORNE
- Driver John Henry LEESON
- Corporal Joseph Henry LEESON (known as Harry)
- Thomas Baden Powell LEESON (known as ‘Bard’)
- Private Albert MANNING
- Corporal Amos MANNING
- Private Arthur Cecil MANNING
- Private George MANNING
- Sergeant George William MANNING
- Sapper Henry Stanley MANNING (known as Stanley)
- Private John Thomas MANNING
- Private John William MANNING
- Air Mechanic Nathaniel MANNING
- Driver/Saddler Samuel MANNING
- Gunner George Albert MARTIN
- Private Joseph MARTIN
- Private Thomas Henry MARTIN (known as Harry)
- Private Thomas Walter MARTIN (known as Walter)
- Pioneer Walter Ernest MARTIN
- Sergeant William Higgs MARTIN, DCM
- Private Arthur Walter PAGE
- Private Francis Samuel PAGE (known as Sam)
- Private Frank PAGE
- Private Stephen PAGE
- Lieutenant George REEVE MC MM
- Private Richard Henry REEVE (known as Harry)
- Private Samuel REEVE
- Private Sidney Philip REEVE
- Private Frederick Thomas RICHARDSON
- Private John William RICHARDSON
- Private Percy John Partridge RICHARDSON
- Private Abraham Bert SMITH
- Private Alfred SMITH
- Private Frank SMITH 46648
- Private John Samuel SMITH
- Private John William SMITH (6942)
- Private John William (William John) SMITH (8964)
- Private Charles Walter WADHAMS
- Private John Edward WADHAMS
- Private Thomas Edwin WADHAMS
- Private William WADHAMS