John Durham was born in 1884, the son of Michael and Elizabeth Durham. His father died in 1895, so by 1901 John was living with his widowed mother and brother James at Horseley Fields. John was a hardware enameller. They were living at Court 4, Lower Horseley Fields, in 1911. John was a labourer in an iron foundry.
John enlisted as a Sapper in the Royal Engineers (number 97538). He first served in France from 19 December 1915. Unfortunately he became sick, and died on 1 February 1919 in France. He is buried at the Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille