John Chubbock

Driver - Service No. 2363 - Royal Field Artillery

John Chubbock, the son of Walter Chubbock and his wife Evelyn (Lain), was born 27th July 1890 at the Queens Head Inn in Bunwell, Norfolk where Walter was the licensee. He was the eldest of twelve children, Blanche (1892), Edith (1894), Archibald (1895), Emily (1896), Walter (1899), Ella (1901), Charles (1903), George (1905), Alfred, (1907), Miriam (1910) and Faith (1911). Archibald died in 1908 at the age of 13 years. Walter and Evelyn had married in Bunwell, Norfolk in 1889 where they lived, at the Queens Head Inn, for about five years before moving to Wreningham then Blofield and Witton before finally settling in Swardeston around 1902 by which time they had seven children. Evelyn's father, James, was a butcher and this probably prompted Walter to follow this same trade becoming a journeyman butcher which would go some way to explaining the frequent relocations.

On 14th April 1919 John married Ethel May Smith at St. Mary's church in Swardeston. Ethel was born on 24th September 1893 at Stoke Holy Cross, Norfolk, the daughter of Henry Rumsby Smith and his wife Eden (Buck) of Stoke Holy Cross.

John and Ethel had six children, Evelyn (1920), John (Jack) (1921), Alfred (1922), Jean (1925), Herbert (1927) and Peter (1929). All six subsequently married and had children many of whom survive to this day. John Chubbock died in 2nd May 1972, at East Dereham, and his widow, Ethel, on 2nd October 1982.

John joined the 1st East Anglian Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery, as a driver, on 4th August 1915 (by which time he was working as a fishmonger) and was discharged on 15th April the following year, after 256 days, as "no longer fit for war service". It appears he had a bout of pneumonia four years earlier and should never have joined the army as he had never recovered. Having spent all of his 256 days in England he did not qualify for any medals or pension as the Silver War Badge was not introduced until September 1916. His army records survive.

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