Notes
The Roll lists his address as 26 South Street. It also records the death of his brother Samuel.
(CWGC records that Corporal J.W. Yerrell, regimental number 4/9493, died aged 26 on 2/4/1915 serving in 2nd Battalion of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, and is buried in grave IX.C.22 at Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery at Armentieres in France. They record him as the husband of Nellie Yerrell of 1 Joseph's Place, Lower Union Street in Hull.
His birth was registered as John William Yerrell in Spalding District in 1887. On the 1891 census he was aged 3, living with his parents John and Emily at Alma Road in Peterborough; the family was using the surname Smith on that census. On the 1901 census he was living with his parents John & Emily in Main Road, Deeping St Nicholas; the family was then using the surname Yerrell. On the 1911 census his mother was living at 179 Eastfield Road in Peterborough; John was recorded as being an Able Seaman at the Royal Naval Barracks in Chatham.
John William Yerrell's Royal Navy service record states that he was born on 26/8/1887 at Spalding and had enlisted at Chatham on under service number 227595 on 7/8/1900 as a Boy 2nd Class, serving first on HMS Ganges. He was promoted to Boy 1st Class on 7/3/1904. On 13/11/1905 he became an Ordinary Seaman while serving on HMS Venerable. He was serving on HMS Minerva when he was promoted to Able Seaman on 15/6/1908. On 6/7/1911 he was invalided out of the Navy suffering from deafness (otitis medea). He married Nellie Smith Farran in Fletton on 27/1/1912.
The WW1 Medal Rolls indicate that John went to France as a Private in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders on 24/1/1915; he later became a Corporal. The Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects record that he died of wounds on 2/4/1915 at No 19 Field Ambulance; his widow Ellen was his legatee.
When his death was announced in the Peterborough Advertiser on 17/4/1915 he was reported to have joined the Army at the outbreak of the War; he left a widow and one child).