Private Joseph Francis Naylor
45741 & 24797 King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
177812 83rd Company Machine Gun Corps
Joseph Francis Naylor was born in 1897 at Ironville and in 1901 & 1911 lived at number 5, King William Street, Ironville with his father Joseph Naylor, a coal miner hewer, his mother Harriett Ann (nee Holwell) and his elder brother William.
Joseph Francis attested at the age of 18 years and 7 months on 11th Dec 1915. Place of residence was given as number 2, Sedgwick Street, Jacksdale and previous occupation as sanitary pipe maker. He was 5′ 6″ in height and his medical record notes that he had slightly flat feet. He was transferred to the reserve on 12th Dec 1915 and called up in May of the following year, serving at home until being posted to France on 8th October 1916. He served in France until August 1917 and whilst there, held the rank of Lance Corporal for a few months.
On 27th August 1917 he was wounded in action and posted back to the UK two days later. He served at home until January 1918 and it is likely he returned to the front. In June and July 1918 he was hospitalised several times suffering from malaria. On 1st October 1918 he volunteered for transfer to the Machine Gun Corps, serving until his demobilisation in September 1919. Joseph was a recipient of the British War and Victory Medals.
In 1923 he married Eliza Tarlton and they had a son named Eric in 1926. We believe that Joseph lived until age 95, dying in 1992 in the Chesterfield registration area.