Joseph Squires was born in the autumn of 1891. One of the eight children of Herbert Squires and Amelia (née Shurrock) living at 71 Park Street, Thame. In 1911 he was employed as a carter for a corn merchant and the following year married Susan Jane Munday of Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire.

By 1916 they were living in Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire and had three children, George William and Bertha Victoria, both born in Thame, and Benjamin Herbert born in Princes Risborough.

It is likely that Joseph was called up after conscription was extended to married men in late 1916 and he was initially posted with the 95th Training Reserve (TR) Battalion based at Chisledon, Wiltshire, before being transferred to the 20th Company, Machine Gun Corps. The Company was attached to the 20th Brigade of the 7th Division and served in many actions throughout 1917.

It was 26th October 1917 during the Second Battle of Passchendaele, the last major action of the Third Battle of Ypres, that Joseph was wounded. At that time, the unit was situated along the Ypres-Menin Road, north west of Gheluvelt. The Battalion lost 33 men, either killed, wounded or missing, in the action that day.

Joseph, age 26, was evacuated back as far as the casualty clearing station at Lijssenthoek, south west of Ypres, where he died of his wounds on 27th October.

Joseph had three other brothers who served in World War One. His younger brother Benjamin was killed in 1918 whilst serving in France with the Grenadier Guards, but Albert and William survived.

13804 Private Joseph Squires, Machine Gun Corps, is buried in the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinge. He is remembered in Thame on the War Memorial and on the Memorial Boards of St Mary’s Church, All Saints’ Church and Christchurch. He is also commemorated on Longwick War Memorial and on the Church and the Market House Memorials in Princes Risborough.