John was born on 5 Oct 1911 in Amersfoort, Netherlands to Samuel and Rozette nee de Vries and he had five siblings. Samuel and Rozette were married in 1907 in Utrecht and had three children and then moved to England in 1914 where their youngest three children were born. Samuel worked as a pastry cook and John was a cake confectioner. In 1939, John lived at 17 Paget Road, Stoke Newington and married Beatrice Weingott in 1940 in Edmonton, Middlesex. Their son David was born the following year.

John was training as an air gunner when he died. He died at Base Hospital in Driffield. His death certificate states that he died from (a) Peritonitis (b) Operation for removal of umbilical sinus.