This site commemorates the men and women of Collingham, Linton and Micklethwaite who served during World War 1.
Masterman, John Percy Beckett
(1887-1965)
 

Rank and Unit at End of World War One

Rank A/ Sgt

Service Number 344170

Service Army

Battalion 19 Company

Regiment Royal Army Medical Corps

Pre-war Occupation*/marital status**

Trade or Occupation pre-war: Optician
Marital status: Married


* Taken from attestation papers or 1911 census
** Marital status on enlistment or at start of war
Connection with Collingham, Linton or Micklethwaite and reason for inclusion on this web site
  • Named as an Absent Voter due to Naval or Military Service on the 1918 or 1919 Absent Voter list for Collingham, Linton or Micklethwaite

Biography

Family background

John Percy Beckett Masterman was born in 1887 in York, the son of Henry Rayson Masterman and his wife Mary Ann Beckett. Four years later, at the time of the 1891 census, the family were living at 44, Goodramsgate in York where Henry was a tobacconist. By 1901, the family had moved from York and were now at 56, Elizabeth Street in Abercrombie, Liverpool. Henry Masterman now gives his trade as a Builder's Clerk.

In 1910, we believe that John Percy Beckett Masterman married in the Chorlton area of Lancashire but we do not know his spouses name.

In 1911, John had continued travelling around the country and we now find him as a Boarder with the family of Walter Henry Morton, a Lace Merchant, at 72 Radcliffe Road, West Bridgford in Nottinghamshire. John gave his trade as an Optologist working at an opticians.

Service record

John Percy Beckett Masterman is listed on the Electoral Roll of Collingham in 1918 as an absent voter due to Naval or Military Service, although we do not know when he moved to Collingham.

Two years before, on the 7th June 1916 he attested for service and was called up on the 10th July 1916 into the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC). He was called up under the Group scheme (see 'Joining up') as a note in his service file shows that a Calling-up notice for John Percy B. Masterman of 12 Queen Victoria St. Leeds, as part of Group Number 34 had been sent to him. John's firm had obviously appealed against his call-up. This had to be considered by the Tribunal and given that he served, we assume the appeal had been dismissed.

John served in the RAMC with the service number 344170 in the 19th Company RAMC. He must have been promoted as he ended the war as Acting Sergeant, but we can find no trace of him being awarded medals so he probably served exclusively in the UK. John served until the 6th November 1919 when he was discharged.

After the war

In 1919, when John started claiming a war pension for disability he gave his address as 9, Penrhyn Road, Colwyn Bay. He was suffering from heart trouble and neurasthemia.

John was a retired optician when he died in Hove on the 27th June 1965.

Biography last updated 27 December 2019 16:06:36.


Sources

1911 Census. The National Archives. Class RG14 Piece 20472
First World War British Army Service Records. The National Archives (WO363).
Pension Record Cards and Ledgers. Case number 5/M M/4598

If you have any photographs or further details about this person we would be pleased to hear from you. Please contact us via: alan.berry@collinghamanddistrictwararchive.info