John Leonard Josey (30 July 1911 – 20 December 1992)

John was born at 10 Thornfield Road, Shepherd’s Bush, the youngest child of Maurice Josey and Emily (nee Hatton).

As a child John’s family moved to Worcestershire while his father undertook the mosaics at Droitwich. During this time he assisted with some of the simpler mosaics. He returned to London after leaving school at 15 and worked a wide range of jobs. In 1935 he met Sophia ‘Peggy’ Woolford and they married the same year. The Joseys had 6 children, one of which died in infancy.

John joined the army before the start of World War 2 and survived several narrow escapes while serving on British soil, including walking across a minefield when returning to camp. During his time as an instructor, a recruit dropped a live grenade and he had to pick and throw it while shouting for the men to take cover.

While taking drill one day, Sgt. Josey caught sight of his little boy waving and calling to him. He stopped and waved back, only for the marching men to catch up with him, and proceed to walk right into him. The squad ignored his plea to ’stop’ but did so moments later when he called the correct command to ‘halt’.

After the War, while raising his family, John again took a range of jobs including bus driver, photographer and later a decorating contractor.

More details are provided below in John’s own words.

The Story of My Life by John Leonard Josey

[Notes taken from a carbon copy typed by John L. Josey]

This is the story of my life, as I remember it, please allow for some items left out. I was born on July 30th 1911 at 10, Thornfield Road, Shepherds Bush, W 12. This is on the south side of Shepherds Bush Green (Goldhawk Road side). I was in West London Hospital to have my right ear taken off, I had Mastoid, and the surgeons had to cut a piece of bone out of my head. This has made me partly deaf on my right side, otherwise I am o.k. with no after affects whatsoever, in fact the Army put me down as A.1. I should have been B.7. of course.

I remember seeing First World War aeroplanes in a dogfight, from the Post Office in Loftus Road. We lived at 43, Ellerslie Road during that time, opposite Q.P.R.’s ground. I remember when I went to Droitwich, my Father met Mum and I at Shrub Hill Station (not there now) and we went 6 miles to Droitwich in an open carriage slowly, and saw all the relevant countryside. I went to Salwarpe, Droitwich, and finally Rashwood schools.

I came up to London in 1925 and my first job was at McVities in Harlesden. I then got a job at Nelson Murdochs in Hatton Garden EC1. I was there 4 years, I contracted Typhoid Fever, and the last rites were read over me. I had to lie very still and was made an honorary member of the Hampstead Boys Club by the Catholic Padre as a reward for getting over the complaint and lying very still. The surgeons did not have the knowledge as they do today. I remember 3 women died over the Christmas and two telegraph boys died either side of me with pneumonia. I went to Margate and B.B.B. of C. I fought two rounds at Blackfriars Ring, two at Charlton Ring and one at Dreamland Margate. I got about 30/- and gave the manager 5/- I think. Due to this I had a to give a demonstration against Frank Hough the Battersea Heavyweight when I was a Sgt Instructor in the A.P.T.C. I also trained Willie Smith, the then Southern Area Flyweight Champion. He liked to box with me as I was a left-handed boxer, and the chap he was boxing against in Paris was a ‘Southpaw’.

I joined the Army in January 1938. I did this because my two sisters boys, the Two Reggies had joined, and they said, “Please join up” with them. I think they were very worried. I soon began to realise that if I wanted more money, the only way was to get promotion. I used to get 14/- a week, 7/- I had to let Peg have as married man, so all I got was 37p a week. I was a Sgt for almost 5 years and then although being offered an R.S.M.’s job to go to Japan, I opted to be discharged as my time was up. No17. as I was first in. I joined the Royal Engineers at Chelsea Bks, was transferred to the R.A. and finally to the Royal Fusiliers and attached to the Lancashire Fusiliers at Otley in Yorkshire. I was then made a Sgt Major. I must explain the Army method of promotion. A L/Cpl is not a rank, it is an appointment. Corporal has to be held for 6 months to become substantive. A Lance Sgt is held for 6 months to become substantive, and a Sgt Major as R.S.M. is held for one year as acting before becoming substantive.

At Margate I lived at 63 Kings Street, and afterwards my Sister Connie had an Apartment house at 3 Albert Terrace by the Clock Tower. I met Peg on “Monkeys Parade” in Chiswick High Road one night. She lived at No 5 Leysfield Road Shepherds Bush, very posh house, detached. I lived in ‘digs’ at the time in 14 Pennard Road, Shepherds Bush. We were married at Hammersmith Registry Office on Sat. July 13th 1935. I went up to the House of Commons after the War, as I had no decent place to live and went to Clewer Crescent, and then moved to a house at Dudley Road, Harrow when I was a bus driver. We went to Woking at St Michaels Road, and Alan went to do his National Service in the R.O.A.C. I went to Portsmouth when I heard one of his intake had committed suicide on the railway. I have had several jobs, as I always wanted to be one of those persons who did not want anyone looking down on me, in fact I still like discussions and Classical music.

Remembering the above hospital, and I was there 3 months all over Christmas. I am the seventh child. My brothers and sisters were, Dorothy, Thomas, Gladys, Constance, Edna, Ena, and me. My Dad did all the faces at St Paul’s Cathedral, London with Sir William Richmond, executed by the Whitefriars Glassworks, I have recently been in touch with one of the Directors, and he has confirmed all this. Dad was sent to Ravenna in Italy to study mosaics. When I was married in 1935 I was working with my Dad at Middlesex Hospital Chapel on the Baptistry. I have been to Smethwick in Birmingham to do mosaics of head and shoulders of Sir Thomas Moore and Sir John Fisher, two recent Catholic Saints. I also went to Saltash in Cornwall by the River Tamar about two miles downstream. I stayed at the Inn at the other side (Cornwall).

I cannot seem to remember anymore, I am afraid you will have to be satisfied with what I have written.

[Handwritten at bottom] What about Dallas then.

[Signed in handwriting] J L Josey 18th Nov 1981

[Attached sheet]

AFTERTHOUGHT

I am always in such a hurry, I knew I’d leave something out, I have still other things to say.

In my Army life, I will state here and now, that although one volunteers at the start of hostilities as I did to be with my two sisters boys, it doesn’t always work out. For instance Gladys’s Reg went into the R.A. and went to France with the 26th Div. The other Reg (Connie’s) served with the 1st Army in the African desert. I volunteered at the same time and although I was in the Battle of Britain in the Docks (Isle of Dogs), I had a pretty horrific time. I went home on leave one day and when I got back, a bomb had blown everyone up, including some R.E. Bomb Disposal lads. Nothing was ever seen of them again. I remember being in a trench showing some lads how to throw a grenade and one of the nervous boys dropped it. Well, I had a couple of seconds to make my mind up. I shouted for all to hit the ground, and picked it up and just had time to throw it before it went off. One night, when I was in the Lancs. Fusiliers, I got back into the camp at Otley and in doing so, inadvertently walked across a minefield laid for practice the next day. So I have had my lucky escapes.

As to my work, I have been a carbon salesman in the City, Bridgewaters Chocolate Wafer, second hand car salesman, Pepsi Cola salesman, and many other things.

Well, I would like to conclude, until I think of something else, for instance, about the Army, I was Drill Instructor, Sgt Small Arms (S.I.M.) the last letter is Musketry. Sgt Instructor Physical Training Corps. I also passed the Civil Servant oral and written test at the War Office (Whitehall) but the money was so poor at that time I did not pursue it. I was also Trainer at Woking Football Club. I had 98% in Biology in the Army (the highest) so Woking promptly sent for me as Physio/Trainer. I and also Peggy (blue eyes) are in fact honorary Red Indian Chiefs. I am Heap Big Chief (Honorary) “Hurry Up” of the Chippewa Tribe, and Peg is Heap Big Chief (Honorary) “Afraid of Alsatians”, courtesy of Indian Alliance Montana State USA.

Well that’s it folks until I remember something else.

John L. Josey