HAYWOOD, Joseph [of Hucknall]
Corporal Joseph Haywood
Cpl 12823, 1st Bn. Leicestershire regiment
Died 29th September 1916, aged 31
12823 Corporal Joseph Haywood, 1st Battallion, Leicestershire Regiment, died of wounds on 29th September 1916.
He is buried in Abbeville Community Cemetery Extension, France. He was the son of Mary Haywood, 7 Mellors Row, Hucknall.
The Hucknalll Dispatch (9th November 1916) reported his death some weeks afterwards:-
".... He was in the 1st Leicestershire Regiment and was twice rejected before ne succeeded in enlisting on September 14th, 1914. He had previously served two years with the Notts & Derbys., but was discharged unfit. It was his earnest desire to do his bit for his country and his home.
"After training at various places, including Aldershot and Port Purbrook, he was drafted to France on March 19th, 1915, and was in the thick of the fighting at Neuve Chapelle, Ypres, and Festurbert, at which place he was wounded on August 14th 1915, while rescuing one of 'Kitchener's wounded lads', as he put it, under heavy fire, for which act of bravery he was recommended from the DCM. Unfortunately he missed this reward, probably through being sent to hospital in Cork.
"After becoming convalescent he came home for seven days' leave, after which he was sent to Patricroft and Hull. In the course of three months he was again drafted to France, seeing the New Year 1916 in French soil. He was stationed at the Infantry Base for about one month, and then was sent to the trenches again. When the big push began he was transferred to the Somme where he saw a good deal of fighting until he received wounds on September 27th, which proved fatal, dying on 29th of September.
"The news of his death came quite unexpectedly, as his relatives received a letter from him dated September 27th saying he had been wounded, and hoping he would be in 'Blighty' in about a week's time. He also salid 'Look out for letters; I am still aboe board; don't worry, I shall be all right'. Alas! the following day they received official news of his death from wounds in a base hospital, being unconscious when admitted. A photograph of the beautiful cemetery at Abbeville for British soldiers has been received from the chaplain, who sent a very comforting letter..... Previous to enlisting he worked at Newstead Colliery. He was single, and 31 years of age".
[Researched by Jim Grundy]
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