Joseph John Cleveland

A Private with 1st Bn. Joseph  died on 19th of May 1915 at the age of 38. 

Joseph was born at Lowestoft in 1877, a son of William and Charlotte Cleveland. In 1881 his family lived at 80 Selby Street. By 1891 his father had died and his family were living at 30 Selby Street. Later his brother Arthur lived at 13 Dove Street, Lowestoft. 

Joseph was working as a labourer, for Mr. Chapman of Lowestoft, when he enlisted in the Suffolk Artillery Militia, at Lowestoft, on 11 December 1899. On 8 March 1900 Joseph joined the regular army and enlisted in the Royal Scots, at Lowestoft, with service number 7167. He served with the 1st Battalion in the Boer War, from 7 September 1901 to 21 November 1902 and was awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal. He then served in India until his transfer to the Army Reserve on 7 March 1908. He was discharged from the reserve on 7 March 1912. On 30 March 1912 Joseph enlisted in the 3rd Reserve Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, number 7560, at Scarborough. He was working as a blacksmith's striker at that time. It seems that Joseph did not serve with the Yorkshire Regiment for very long.

After the outbreak of the First World War Joseph volunteered and he enlisted in the Royal Scots at North Shields. He arrived in France on 14 April 1915 to serve with the 1st Battalion and he joined C Company. He was wounded in the face at Ypres on 27 April 1915 and admitted to 18 General Hospital on 28 April 1915. On 29 April 1915 he was transferred to hospital at Versailles. Once recovered he returned to the 1st Battalion. 

Joseph was killed in action on 19 May 1915 and buried at Sanctuary Wood Old Cemetery. The precise location of his grave was lost and plans made to add his name to the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres. However, it was realised that he was buried in the vicinity of Sanctuary Wood Cemetery and his headstone bears the note 'buried near this spot.'

While casualty records state that Joseph died on 19 May 1915 the 1st Battalion War Diary records no casualties for that day. Checking the buried records on Commonwealth War Graves shows that there are several discrepancies between the dates of death recorded in Commonwealth War Graves records and the details from the War Diary. It is inferred that Joseph died on or by 17 May 1915 at the latest. 

Also Commonwealth War Graves records state that he was 47 when he died: his actual age was 38.