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142896 12th Division, Signal Company, Royal Engineers
John Stearns was born around 1889 in Acton, Suffolk, one of three surviving children of William and Sarah Stearns. His father was a farm labourer and the family lived at Post Office Row, Sudbury Road, Acton, before moving to 53 East Street in Sudbury. Before enlisting John was employed as a shop porter.
John died of influenza aged 29 on 11 November 1918, the day the Armistice was declared and lies buried in Douai British Cemetery, Cuincy, France.
He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal. A Cross of Remembrance was laid by his grave in September 2016.
In 1918 the influenza pandemic spread quickly through thousands of soldiers who had survived the fighting. It is believed to have killed at least 20 million people across the world over the course of two years; more than all the casualties on both sides from four years of fighting.
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