58277: No. 1 War Hospital, Reading

Corporal 33404 John Henry Kelty, known as Harry was my grandfather. He was born in Newton Heath Manchester in 1890.

He was in the territorial army before joining the Manchester Regiment for war service.

He became a sergeant (gas NCO) and was transferred between battalions due, I assume, to losses. He was wounded and returned to England spending time in No. 1 War Hospital Reading (later known as the Reading Battle Hospital), photographed here, and another hospital which I do not know it's name.

He did not return to the front due to losing a large portion of his right calf muscle from the gunshot wound. He was eventually discharged in December 1918. He spent some time in Germany after the war and eventually became a manager of the Yates' Wine Lodge in Manchester. He died in 1956, a year before my birth.