John was called up in May 1916 and was enlisted in the RHA in Preston on 11 May 1916. He was soon after transferred to the 15th Battalion North Lancashire Fusiliers (1st Salford Pals) and given regimental number 36327. He was living at 78 Ledsom Street, Ladywood, Birmingham at that time with his mother, who was named as next of kin.
The 1st Salford Pals had almost been wiped out on 1 Jul 1916 which may explain why he was assigned to the battalion in late August. The battalion saw action throughout the remainder of the war. In 1917 they were involved in operations on the Ancre and the pursuit of the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line. In 1918 they were in action on the Somme and in the Battles of the Hindenburg Line and the Final Advance in Picardy.
Following an initial period on reserve and training he joined his battalion in the field on 12 Dec 1916. During his deployment which lasted into 1919, he was promoted to Corporal.
He appears to have survived the war physically unscathed being given a Grade A medical category on discharge, although he had suffered from trench foot in early April 1917, and caught influenza in the summer of 1918.1
John was widowed by 1939 and living with his parents and two of his sisters. There were no children living with him.
Possible marriages include:
- Ada M PEARSON - Q4 1919 in Stourbridge R.D. - An Ada Mary Williams WEAVER died in Berkeley, Gloucestershire in 1921. An Ada Mary WILLIAMS was born in Gloucester in 1895. And an Ada WILLIAMS married Stanley PEARSON in 1914 in Coventry R.D. A Stanley O PEARSON of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment died in 1916, but this was a different man.
- Minnie R FIELDING - Q1 1920 in Aston R.D. A Minnie WEAVER died in 1924 in Northwich Cheshire aged 35.
- Ida M LOUCH - Q3 1922 in Bromsgrove R.D. No death for an Ida M WEAVER can be found before 1939.
- Clarice M KNIGHT - Q3 1923 in Birmingham R.D. and a Clarice M WEAVER died aged 27 in Q1 1924.
