John Mellor
Birth
John Mellor was the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Mellor. They lived at 31 York Street, in Chesterfield.
Early Life
At school, John gained first-class honours in the Oxford Senior Locals. He was also a well-respected member of the Hasland Primitive Methodist Sunday School.
Chester College
John gained a scholarship for Cheltenham College, but as it had been taken over by the Government, he had to wait until he could enter Chester College. Meanwhile, he taught at the St. Helen’s Street Schools.
Military Service
John attested and in April 1916, he joined the 8th Battalion Royal Fusiliers (City of London) Battalion (the Public Schools Battalion) as Private 10407. John trained at Edinburgh for only three months and was drafted to France on July 29, 1916. There he was transferred to another Battalion from which he went into the firing line.
Lest We Forget
John was killed in action on August 3, 1916. He was 20 years old.
Post Mortem
John is commemorated on the Thiepval memorial. The memorial commemorates more than 72,000 men of British and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before March 20, 1918 and have no known grave.