John Henry Read

1914 - 1942  (27 years)

• Name	John Henry Read  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
  	READ, JOHN HENRY MOTHER: PITCHER GRO Reference: 1914 J Quarter in PORTSMOUTH Volume 02B Page 971
  Birth	12 May 1914	Portsmouth, Hampshire, England   [1, 3, 6, 7]
  	READ, JOHN HENRY MOTHER PITCHER GRO Reference: 1914 J Quarter in PORTSMOUTH Volume 02B Page 971
  Gender	Male
  1921 Census	19 Jun 1921	24, Hartham Road, Holloway, Islington, London & Middlesex, England   [8]
  Joined Ordnance Survey	1 Jul 1931  [7]
  	Register of Staff
  Register of Staff	1 Jul 1931  [7]
  	9412, John Henry Read
  	Name: John Henry Read Date of Birth: 12/5/1914 Date Joined OS: 1/7/1931 Date Left OS: 12/5/1934 Last entry, See Staff Record Sheet
  Residence	1939	216 Winchester Road, Southampton, Hampshire, England   [6]
  	Civil Servant Clerical Officer
  Military Enlistment	20 Dec 1939
  	1885164, Sapper, Royal Engineers
  Commonwealth War Grave	29 Jan 1942	Heliopolis War Cemetery, Egypt   [3]
  	1885164, Lance Sergeant John Henry Read, Royal Engineers
  Death	29 Jan 1942	Egypt   [1, 2, 3, 5]
  Burial	30 Jan 1942	Heliopolis War Cemetery, Egypt   [3, 5]
  Person ID	I48350	Ordnance Survey People
  Last Modified	14 Aug 2026

  
  

  Father	James Henry Read,   b. 28 Oct 1876, Alderholt, Dorset, England
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Lily Rosina Pitcher,   b. 1884, Devonport, Devon, England d. Sep 1914, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England (Age 30 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Marriage	1911	Devonport, Devon, England
  Family ID	F5178	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  John Henry Read was born on 12 May 1914 in Portsmouth the child of James Henry Read and Lily Read (nee Pitcher). John joined Ordnance Survey on 12 May 1934. The 1939 Register records him as a Civil Servant, Clerical Officer living at 216 Winchester Road, Southampton. John enlisted into the Royal Engineers on 20 December 1940. He was posted to 512 Army Field Survey Company, Royal Engineers.

  
  

• Sources

  [S58] Ancestry.com, UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2009;). Record for John Read [S155] Ancestry.com, England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966, 1973-1995, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010;). Record for John Henry Read [S14] Ancestry.com, UK, Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921 and 1939-1947, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;), Peter Singlehurst; The War Dead of the Commonwealth Heliopolis War Cemetery, Cairo. Record for John Henry Read http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=CommonWarGraves&h=333652&indiv=try [S13] FreeBMD, England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2006;). Record for John H Read [S321] Ancestry.com, UK, Military Records of Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages and Burials, 1813-1957, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Lehi, UT, USA; Date: 2021;), The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; WO 156: War Office: UK and overseas garrisons: Registers of Baptisms, Confirmations, Deaths/Burials, and Marriage, 1808-2013. Record for John Henry Read https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=62113&h=1241&indiv=try [S194] Ancestry.com, 1939 England and Wales Register, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Lehi, UT, USA; Date: 2018;), The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1939 Register; Reference: Rg 101/2310a. Record for John H Read https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=61596&h=2522260&indiv=try [S281] Register of Staff, Register of Staff. Details: 1921 Census.