John Mortimore - Coldstream Guards

This picture is of John Mortimore, born at Neadon, Manaton on 28 April 1891. He was the youngest of his mother's 4 children, Susan nee Neck, who was married to George Mortimore (1865-1936). In the 1901 census, when 10 he is recorded as living at East Mill, Manaton. On 9 January 1915 he enlisted in the Coldstream Guards "for the duration" with his address being Gratnar, Manaton and his mother's Deal Cottage Manaton. He was posted to France in November 1915, survived the early par of the War, including the Somme, but was severely wounded on 19 June 1917. Sent home he was hospitalised and returned to France on 1 April 1918, for the last few desperate months of the war, being discharged on 22 April 1919.The insignia above the 2 stripes indicates he qualified as a marksman. The photograph was probably taken 1918/19 as the two stripes on his left arm indicate two or more years service. On 27th December 1920, he married Ivy Edwards in the Congregational Chapel, Newton Abbot, with his address being Mill Cottage, Manaton. By 1920 he had moved to Coffinswell, where his daughter Barbara was born. Later he farmed Widdicombe Farm, now a caravan site on the Paignton ring road. He loved horses, ploughed with horses and used horses for haulage. He never learned to drive a tractor. He retired to Chipley Cottages, Bickington where he died on 30 October 1973, aged 82. Ivy died 16 March 1978 aged 76.