Joseph was born in 1919 in Wrexham, Denbighshire to Mark and Hannah née Cadwallader and had an older sister Margaret. A younger brother Julian died when he was four years old. Their father who worked as a general clothing dealer died in 1927.

Joseph married Pauline Wagg in July 1944 in Wrexham, five months before he was killed. Pauline was pregnant with their daughter Anthea who was born three months after her father’s death.

Joseph was the navigator in Stirling LK143 which departed from RAF Tempsford on a mission to drop supplies to the Danish resistance at Tablejam 169 which was located 9½ km N of Kolind, 6 1/4 km S of Fjellerup and Tablejam 177 which was located 15½ km NE of Randers, 5 km N of Mellerup. The aircraft carried 12 containers and 1 package for each drop zone. A report from the Danish resistance stated that the aircraft did not reach any of the drop zones and that they had no news about the aircraft. The aircraft was lost without trace and the crew are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial in the United Kingdom.

The crew were:
Pilot F/O George Frederick Nichols
F/E, Arthur Cecil “Taffy” Butler
F/S Joseph Albert Golding
F/S John George Harris
F/S Leslie William Poulson, RAAF
Sgt Frederick Albert Walter Filer
F/S Charles Edward Terrell.