9th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment
John William Craddock was born in Cheltenham in the second quarter of 1896, the son of Alfred and Mary Craddock, who lived at 4 Western Cottage, Tewkesbury Road, Cheltenham.
John enlisted in Cheltenham in December 1914 and was posted to the 9th Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment. Drafted to France on 20 September 1915 he was wounded in the head and leg on 15 March 1917 whilst serving in Salonika and subsequently hospitalised in Malta.
The battalion was later transferred to the Western Front in July 1918 and Private Craddock was wounded at the battle of Selle during the final advance in Picardy in October and November 1918. He was evacuated to England and died of his wounds in Netley Hospital, Southampton on 10 November 1918, age 22. He was buried in Cheltenham Borough Cemetery, where his grave is marked with a CWGC headstone.
Researched by Graham Adams 28 February 2012