John was born in Wolverhampton in 1887, the son of Enoch and Jane Sidebotham. In 1901 they were living at Court 7, Moore Street, Wolverhampton, along with John’s siblings Charles, Ernest, Annie, Albert and Florence May. The 14-year-old John was employed “picking up bolts”. In 1901 he married Gertrude Chilton in Wolverhampon, and by 1911 he and his wife, along with their son, William, were living with her parents, Richard and Elizabeth Chilton, at 25a Peel Street, Wolverhampton. John was now a blast furnaceman at an iron works. The couple went on to have a further eight children – Reuben (1911), Ann (1913), Richard J. (1914), Elizabeth J. (1921), Enoch (1922), Ronald (1924), Albert (1926) and Reginald (1929).

John served first with the South Staffordshire Regiment (number 11845) and then with the Royal Engineers (79969). He first served in France from 29 November 1914. John’s name appeared in the Express & Star on 20 January 1917 as having been wounded. However, he survived the war, and died in Wolverhampton in 1953.