John Francis Daly was born in 1893, the third son of John Daly and Cecilia (nee Targett), he also had a younger sister Ethel. John Snr. was from Southern Ireland so the family were brought up in the Catholic faith. At the turn of the century, because John Snr. was working as a coachman for Sir Charles Nicholson, the family were living at Grange Lodge in Totteridge, North London - just across the road from Sir Charles's mansion. 

In 1911, John Francis was employed as a shop assistant whilst his elder brother, Simeon, was a career soldier. Simeon had joined up in 1907, and it's thought that this may have motivated John Francis to volunteer for the army soon after war broke out, joining the 10th battalion of the Essex regiment. 

On 3rd April 1915, he married Ethel Eagle at North Finchley. John Francis Daly probably sailed for France with the battalion in July 1915, as part of the 53rd Brigade, 18th Division.

The 18th division was in action on the southern sector of the Battle of the Somme on the 1st of July 1916. In this sector, operations went very well - far better than further north. Supported by French artillery, several units advanced more than two miles uphill, capturing all of their targeted objectives.

It was fortunate that there was high ground behind the line in this sector, so the artillery spotters could accurately correct the gunners' aim during the week-long bombardment before the attack. Complex preparations including Russian saps, (tunnelling across no-mans land) and even two experimental flame-projectors, also aided them as they advanced up the challenging gradient. Their effective use of flame projectors and the effects that these weapons had on the defenders could be clearly seen from the high ground behind the front line. There was another successful attack on this sector on the 14th of July which reached Delville Wood and almost further, to High Wood.

John Francis's battalion was resting from the 8th to the 18th, giving them some well-earned rest and recuperation time, even allowing them to bathe in the River Somme between time spent talking to ever-eager journalists. However, from the 14th of July onwards, there was ferocious hand-to-hand fighting back and forth in the shattered Delville Wood, with a South African brigade almost destroyed.

In the early morning of 19th July, the l0th Essex received urgent orders to report to Brigade Rendezvous in Caterpillar Valley, this coming after two frustrating days of orders, counter-orders and cancellations. By 16.30 hours, the Battalion lay in artillery formation on the right of the Montauban-Longueval road near Bernafay Wood. At 17.00 hours, further orders confirmed that the 10th Essex had been loaned to the 9th Division to retake Longueval and Delville Wood. On the 19th and 20th of July, the 10th Essex was involved in heavy, continuous fighting in Delville Wood.

John Daly was killed sometime on the 20th, his Commanding Officer later confirmed that he'd been shot whilst helping a wounded comrade. John Francis Daly's body was never identified, so he is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.

General Higginson of the 53rd Brigade later wrote "This attack was carried out at such short notice that no previous reconnaissance or adequate preparations were possible and there was no time to arrange any effective fire plan. When it received orders to move the Bde was in bivouac at Talus Bois and was not expecting to be engaged immediately. In my opinion, this attack demonstrated the futility of such hastily considered and ill-prepared attacks. At the time I thought that XIII Corps made a grave mistake in not allowing sufficient time for its preparation and I am even more firmly of that opinion today".

John's elder brother Simeon transferred to front-line service when he heard John had been killed, and he also died 9 months later near Arras. Their eldest brother Frederick also joined the army and we believe he was gassed, suffering permanent lung damage for the rest of his life (he died in 1939 aged just 51 of influenzal pneumonia and pleurisy of the left lung). Simeon and John are remembered on the memorial at St Alban's Catholic Church, North Finchley.

In 2014 we had a battlefield tour with a perfect itinerary to follow the family - first to Delville Wood, then the Theipval Memorial, and later to Arras.