Biography

Family background

John Yetton moved to Collingham around 1936 having served in World War 1. John and his wife continued living in Collingham throughout the 1940s, 50s and 60s until his death.

John Lefevre Yetton was born on the 18th May 1897 in Essex, the son of John Yetton and his wife Mary Ann Yetton. He was baptised on the 10th December 1910 at St.Clement, Great Ilford, Essex. In 1901, John and family were living at 14 Cawley Road, Hackney. John (Snr) was a mechanical engineer. The family was comprised of John (b. 1869 in Bethnal Green), Mary Ann (b. 1871 in Bethnal Green), Winifred M (b. 1896 in Hackney), John L (b. 1898 in Hackney), Alec W (b. 1900 in Hackney) and a servant, Beatrice Croft aged 18 (b. 1883 in Poplar).

Ten years later, at the 1911 census, the family remained living together but are now at 42 Endsleigh Gardens in Ilford. John (Snr) is now a manager of a company working in mechanical engineering. Winifred, John (Jnr) and Alec (aged 15 to 10) are at school, and their general domestic servant is now Elizabeth Smith, aged 20, from Rainham in Kent.

On the 10th May 1914, John, aged 17, joined the Sun Life Assurance Society of 63 Threadneedle Street, London as a student for the Institute of Actuaries, Staple Inn. His studies however must have been cut short by the war.

Service record

John (Jnr) joined the services in World War 1 on the 2nd October 1914. John's Medal Index card shows that he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal for his service in the war. He was not awarded the 1914 or 1915 Stars and so despite joining in 1914 he did not serve abroad before 1916. His card shows he was a corporal (with service number 300681) in the 5th Battalion London Regiment, the London Rifle Brigade and was a flight cadet in the RAF. The associated Medal Roll lists his service with the 5th London Regiment as being from 24th January 1917 to the 23rd May 1917, and notes that he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps on the 3rd December 1917. A further note in his RAF record shows that John received a wound to the left thigh on the 18th May 1917.

On the 3rd December 1917, after he had recovered from his injury, John joined the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) as a cadet training to be a pilot with 1 Cadet Wing. On the 1st April 1918, the Royal Air Force was formed from the RFC and John became a member of the RAF. On the 31st March 1918 he had been posted to RAF Uxbridge, and then on the 27th April to RAF Hendon where many pilots were trained. After that initial training John was posted to 21 Training School at Londonderry and then (on 2nd August 1918) to No. 21 Training Depot Station at RAF Driffield. John became a member of the Royal Flying Club on the 16th May 1918. He gave his address as 42, Endsleigh Gardens, Ilford, Essex.

John was discharged from the RAF on the 22nd February 1919.

After the war

After the war, at the census of 1921, John's parents and siblings were all registered at 42 Endsleigh Gardens, but John is not listed at that address and we have not found him listed anywhere on the census. However in 1924 a newspaper report of the wedding of William George Peake to Esme Violet Parkinson in Driffield lists Mr. John L. Yetton of Leeds as the best man. Then, on the 20th May 1927, John Lefevre Yetton married Mildred Lavinia Gilpin at St. John's Church, Roundhay in Leeds. John had returned to working in the insurance business and listed his occupation as an assurance officer. At the time his address was 22 Kensington Terrace, Leeds. Mildred's father was Craven Gilpin and licenced victualler from The Mansion, Roundhay. Later that year John was on the electoral roll at 7 Bideford Avenue, Leeds and in 1929 John and Mildred are both listed at that address.

Sometime between 1929 and 1936 John and Mildred moved from Leeds to Collingham, being registered on the electoral roll in Collingham in 1936 at Cuddycroft, Leeds Road, Collingham. They remained at that address through the Second World War and were on the electoral rolls there until 1961.

John Lefevre Yetton of Cuddy Croft, Jewitt Lane Collingham died on the 30th October 1968.

Biography last updated 21 March 2024 12:06:44.