John William Pattinson Martindale, lived in County Durham, served in the army and in the middle part of the war was billeted in the Chelmsford area. He died at Oaklands Military Hospital in April 1916 from pneumonia. His body was taken home to  County Durham for burial.

John was born in 1886 in St. John's Chapel, Stanhope, County Durham, the son of Thomas and Isabella Martindale. Both parents had been born in the village.

In 1891 the census recorded four year-old John living with his parents at Windy Side in St. John's Chapel. His father was a lead miner. A decade later John, aged 14, was found by the next census  with his parents and two younger siblings. His father was a grocer.

In 1911 John was a 24 year-old licensed oil merchant, still living with his parents and two siblings. By then two other siblings had died at a young age.

During the First World War John served as Private 4229 in the 7th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry. In the spring of 1916 the Battalion was billeted in the Chelmsford area. John contracted pneumonia and was taken to Oaklands Military Hospital in Chelmsford where he died on Tuesday 25th April 1916. Two days later his body was  conveyed privately to his home for burial.

Today he lies in Bishop Auckland (Escomb) Cemetery in County Durham (grave "C." E. 374.). John's parents lived at Thomas and Isabella Martindale, of 3, Primrose Villas, Etherley Dene, Bishop Auckland.

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