John Glendinning
John Alexander Cessford Glendinning was born on 10th June 1911 to James and Jane Glendinning of 1 St. Alban’s Street, Hendon; a short distance from the beach. James was a Police constable employed by Sunderland Borough council. In 1913 Jane died leaving James with two sons and a daughter all under 14 James remarried Catherine Shadwick in November 1915 in Brampton, Cumbria. The family were living at 57 Nora Street, Barnes, in Sunderland when Joseph was born in 1919 and Harry in 1921.
In 1922 the family moved to Cumbria where James found employment as a Police Sergeant in Carlisle, they lived at 211 Greystone Road in the centre of Carlisle. After school John found employment as a clerk in the market town of Brampton, the hometown of his step-mother.
John Glendinning is recorded as leaving Dover for Dunkirk on 31st December 1936 with Jason ‘Patrick’ Gurney; the author of Crusade in Spain. Both John and Jason were enlisted into the British Battalion on 4th January 1937, John with ID number 424 and Jason as 425. John’s address is listed as 1 St. Martin’s Terrace, Brampton, he has no party affiliation, and his profession is shown as Book keeper.
John seems not to have joined the Battalion fighting at Jarama; he had been found unfit:
Ankylosis of the right side since 5 year, auxillary service at the front – 545/3/696/47
Ankylosis is a condition where a joint becomes stiff and immobile due to the bone fusing abnormally, it is usually the result of an injury. In March John was transferred into the Service Sanitaire, where he would be employed as an ambulance driver and general medical assistant. Just four months later, during the Battle of Brunete, John was seriously wounded in a motor accident.
In November 1937 John requests to be included on the list of comrades waiting for permission to go to England on leave. Unfortunately, he had to wait until May 1938 before returning to England. Special Branch recorded his return on 25th May 1938.
John does not seem to have returned to Cumbria, the electoral rolls find him in Islington in London and the 1939 register has him living with the divorcee Gabrielle Morgan at 14 Stalbridge house, St Pancras; adjacent to Euston Railway Station. John is described as a Sales Manager of Aircraft Components. On 8th August 1939 John and Gabrielle married at St Pancras Old Church.
Compiled by Tony Fox
Solidarity Park 