Beschreibung:

John Allen Sidney Coleman was born in 1873 in Whitechapel, London to John A. and Emily Coleman. He married Jane Ketteridge on 20 Apr. 1909, and they had a daughter, Millicent Lucy (1910-1990) the following year. Five years later her sister, Kathleen Mary (1915 - 1996) followed. Both sisters had careers with the National Children's Home, Millicent as a Guidance Adviser and psychologist and Kathleen as dietary adviser and buyer. Their papers are housed at the King's College London Archives. During the war they lived at 2 Bradstock Road, South Hackney NE. Actually John is registered as a voter there from at least 1896. Having been born in 1873, John Coleman was just at the upper age limit (41) for service when "The Great War" broke out in 1914. The initial volunteer recruits were more than needed in the first year or so. By the time England was running low on volunteers and considering conscription, Coleman was 42 or 43 years old, beyond the age of conscription. It would appear, however, that he volunteered for air raid spotter, although the report is not signed. The report with this archive is dated 4 Sept. 1917 and he relates that since he lives but 9 doors from the police station, "... Bombs or Shells commenced to fall about 12:30 & the litter from the police station was taken past my house so I left home & again reported at the Station & was told I might find some work at Clarendon road Hornsey. On my way there I passed the New River Pumping Station & was told that two Bombs or Shells had dropped there (one did not explode) & I found one of the men from the Engine House had a slight wound in the arm which I dressed & then proceeded to Clarendon road where I found a house had been struck and a soldier on leave who had been hurt had been taken to a neighboring Doctor and from thence to the Cottage Hospital. Returning home I heard of damage to a house in Middle Lane so proceeded there but as nobody was hurt returned home. You will notice that what little I did was on my own initiative - this was due to there not being any one under whom I could place myself." There is an envelope with a scrap of paper and a charred piece of fabric. The note indicates: "This is a fragment of the Zepplin which was brought down in flames at Billericay on Sunday morning at 12:45 on 24th Sept 1916." The fragment is approx. 0.5 x 2 in. National Identity cards for John Albert Sid[n]ey Coleman and Jane Coleman. Special Food Cards for John, Jane, Millicent and Kathleen; Purchaser's Shopping Card for sugar and butter; a notice from the Ministry of Food re: rationing in 1918; food card for Mary Ann Knox (possibly a boarder); National Ration Books for Millicent, Jane, John and a Child's ration book with the father's name on it, plus a ration book for M.A. Knox; 5 sugar tickets with J.A.S. Coleman's name on them; 5 ration cards for 1918 that appear to cover meat rations (with name of butcher on them), as well as fats and sugar (for John, Jane, Millicent, Kathleen and Mary Ann); plus 3 Visitors' Declaration Form, for 1918 rations, for the Wellington House, Aug. 23, 1919 - one for John, one for Jane, and one with both girls' names on it (plus two blanks). A Christmas/New Year's card with "Good Luck Great Britain, France, Russia" on front, not signed. And a folding brochure for Empire Day, may 24th, with a Union Jack to which children can fold the crosses of St. George, St. Patrick and St. Andrew to form the present flag. Also an embroidered French postcard. Metropolitan Borough of Hackney, Souvenir Programme of Peace Celebrations. Sept. 1919. 8vo, printed paper wraps, 40 unnumb. pp. Five "War Aims" pamphlets: "'Gentlemen' of Germany" (No. 12, outlining German brutalities); "Right and Might: A Lesson Which Germany Must be Made to Unlearn" (No. 14); "A Kalendar of 'Kultur'" (No. 15); "Our United War Aims (No. 33); and "A World Peace: President Wilson's Programme" (No. 34). All clearly propaganda pamphlets. Plus about a dozen miscellaneous ephemera, several pages