Private John McHugh
| Date of Birth | c.1899 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 19 |
| Date of Death | 18 July 1918 |
| Service Number | 42681 |
| Military Service | Training Reserve 99th Battalion & 253 Infantry Battalion |
| Merton Address | |
| Local Memorial | Streatham Park Cemetery |
Additional Information
Born in Lambeth in 1899, John was the son of John McHugh snr and his wife, Susan. The couple also had a young daughter, Hetty. In 1901 the family was living at Old Paradise Street, Lambeth. John snr was working as a hotel porter and like many people in the area, his wife was employed making packing cases and boxes.
By 1911 the family had moved to 66 Surrey Lodge Buildings, Kennington Road, Lambeth. Young John now had a further two sisters, Arlow – born in 1905 and Susan, who was just a few weeks old.
After leaving school, John jnr became a waiter. He was just 15 years old when war broke out and was living with his family at 2 Stockwell Grove, Stockwell. Conscription was introduced in 1916 for all men aged 18 to 41 and John enlisted as a Private in the army on 17 April 1917. His enlistment papers describe him as 5 feet, 2 inches tall, with a fair complexion and blue eyes.
John initially served with the Training Reserve 99th Battalion, but was later transferred to the 253rd Infantry Battalion. After completing his basic training at Aldershot, he and his unit were sent to France.
John’s military career was cut short when he was invalided home suffering from Pulmonary Tuberculosis. A contemporary medical report stated: About the time he signed up, he commenced to be troubled with a cough, pains in the chest and weakness. Since this time cough has persisted become aggravated and he says he has been losing weight and strength.
Ill health seems to have run in the family, as two of John’s sisters also suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis and all his grandparents died from the same disease. On his return to England, John required treatment at a sanatorium and was admitted to the Military hospital in Colchester on 24 October 1917.
He was discharged as physically unfit for duty on 22nd November 1917 and sadly died on 18 July 1918. He is commemorated on a memorial at Streatham Park Cemetery.
John McHugh senior also fought in the First World War. He volunteered for military service in 1915 and was a rifleman in the King’s Royal Rifle Corps. Posted to France and Flanders in 1916, he fought in many of the key battles of the war, including Ypres, Passchendaele and Lens. He was eventually invalided home due to ill health resulting from his time in action. Unlike his son, he survived the war.