Harrogate Herald - 4th April 1917
H Binns says he has found a good many Harrogate lads
at the Front, and it is very nice to come across anyone you know. He
saw John Houseman and gave him his Harrogate Herald as his
had got lost. Houseman was at the base and about all right again.
Harrogate Herald - 9th May 1917
The following are men who have sent us the Army
post-card briefly stating that they are well and have received
papers and parcels, or whose letters contain views that have
repeatedly been expressed by other correspondents, but show their
friends that they are all right :
Lance Corporal John Houseman
Harrogate Herald - 27th June 1917
W H Breare letter
"It did one good to see his smile!" I
don't know how it is, but you can generally trust a woman to realise
by instinct that which would escape a mere man. As it was getting
near a meal time one day a daughter-in-law of mine looked round my
office door, paused, then retired. The fact was I had one of my
soldier boys with me. He turned his head to see who was coming and
smiled. The opening words of this paragraph were uttered by my
daughter-in-law to a lady friend outside, who she regretted had not
caught sight of the soldier's happy face. The boy was my friend Lance
Corporal J Houseman, of a Yorkshire battalion of Regulars. Only
on Saturday he had been wed to Lizzie Malloy, of Harlow Hill. My
daughter returned the smile, for she felt the man was associated
with some pleasant incident. That is why I remark they somehow
instinctively see and feel much that we men are blind to. She was
right! Houseman has a contagious smile. He is as bright and
jolly a chap as I have seen for a long while - all this after being
in hospital since April 20th [maybe 26th] at Rouen where happily,
strange to say, he was under the patient care of Dr H Douglas
Wilson, of Ripon Road, Harrogate. Houseman is just now on
leave, but will soon go to one of the home camps. He has been out
two years and three months, untouched, until rheumatic fever got
him. I was interested to hear that with him is Tom Spencer, the
fruiterer. They are great pals. Then Reff Laycock is of the same
lot. I was very disappointed to find that, though Houseman's
wife was just outside, she didn't like to come in, and so I missed
seeing her. Never mind, I have no doubt I shall see her on some
future occasion, and I hope that will never be a sad one. Now, lads,
let us all stop breathing a second or two and wish Lance Corporal
Houseman and his bride every happiness, he'll do as much for you
when you get home and have reached the happy marriage state.
Harrogate Herald - 2nd January 1918
The following are men who have sent us the Army
post-card briefly stating that they are well and have received
papers and parcels, or whose letters contain views that have
repeatedly been expressed by other correspondents, but show their
friends that they are all right :
Lance Corporal John Houseman
Harrogate Herald – 29th January 1919
[ Photo ]
Local Lads on Active Service
Lance Corporal John Houseman, 18 Union Street, Harrogate
