He was a native of Eire having been born to Bernard and Mary Ann Wade of County Cavan. The 1911 Census where the family were living as lodgers with a farmer Owen Farley at Gortaquill, County Cavan indicated that Bernard was born in Canada and that none of the family, who were all Roman Catholics, could read or write.
The family appear to have been evicted from a property in Rahahan, County Cavan in 1908 and both Bernard and Mary Ann had appeared in court for minor offences from time to time.
Due to the Irish War of Independence raging at the time no 1921 census was taken the next one being 1926 which is closed for a hundred years. By 1939 when the wartime registration was undertaken John was living at Eastward Ho in Elm Road, South Woodham Ferrers and employed as a cowman. His date of birth was stated as 18th June 1905. During the 1930’s there were more than 500,000 Irish living in Britain.
John was called up in 1940 and, at the time of his death in 1945, he was a gunner in 2 Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery. The Chelmsford Chronicle of 24th August says that he was a dispatch rider who, when riding a motor cycle, collided with a military lorry on the Clacton Road near Wivenhoe Park, Colchester. He died of head injuries aged 39.
He is buried in Colchester Cemetery.