Joseph Cannone was born on Wednesday, 18th August 1897 in Clerkenwell, London, the oldest child of Italian immigrants, Rosario Cannone and Teresa Grillo. Rosario and Teresa had seven children together who were: Joseph, Angelo (Arthur Michael), Mary (Virgellia Catarina), Louise (Luisella E), Vera (Vellia), Florence Hilda and Harold Reginald. His father Rosario was recorded on the 1911 Census as an "Itinerant Musician" and it is evident that this occupation meant the family frequently moved to locations where he could find work. The children were variously born on London, Oxford, Leighton Buzzard and finally Hemel Hempstead where the family settled sometime around 1910. Whilst in Leighton Buzzard his father Rosario took court action against one Anthony Dilorto whom he accused of stealing money from him. The court found in Rosario’s favour although it is not clear if the sum of money was recovered.

Joseph started school in Oxford when he joined St Abb’s School in 1902, before moving to Leighton Buzzard British School when his father brought the family there in 1905. He left the school briefly in 1907 when the family moved to Luton, but only three months later, he was back at school in Leighton Buzzard along with his younger brother Angelo. When he finally left school in July 1910 aged thirteen, it was with a certificate for perfect attendance, remarkable enough for the time, but more praiseworthy given the frequent disruption to his schooling as a result of his father’s work.

Joseph was soon at work as an "Ice Cream Vendor", perhaps not surprising given his strong Italian heritage. Soon afterwards he joined John Dickinson & Co Limited where he was still working when war broke out. Too young at seventeen to enlist in August 1914, Joseph had to wait for his eighteenth birthday. However, his patience ran out and he travelled to Bedford in June 1915, two months before his birthday and enlisted with the Bedfordshire Regiment. It is not known when he went overseas but it was in all likelihood around August 1916 when he was posted to the 2nd Battalion Bedfords and joined his unit at Vignacourt north of Amiens. Just a few weeks after arriving he experienced his first serious action when he fought in the Battle of Transloy on the 12th October. Joseph survived unscathed despite the Division suffering many casualties.

He fought alongside his comrades throughout 1917, starting in the Spring at the First Battle of the Scarpe, before moving to Belgium in May and fighting in the Battle of Messines Ridge in June. The Battle of Pilckem Ridge followed in July which proved to be the last major engagement of the year for the 2nd Bedfords. By early 1918, Joseph had been awarded promotions and attained the rank of Serjeant just prior to the Battle of St Quentin in March 1918. April brought the Battles of Kemmel and Scherpenberg, early phases of the Battle of the Lys, both of which Joseph survived.

However, his luck was soon to run out, when in the early morning on the 8th May, the 2nd Bedfords came under intense German bombardment which inflicted many casualties. The Battalion War Diaries recorded “7 Officers and 170 Other Ranks” killed, wounded or missing and this number unfortunately included Joseph.

Joseph was confirmed killed the following day, Thursday, 9th May 1918.

Not long after Joseph’s death Rosario, Teresa and their youngest children Vera, Florence and Harold moved back to London where they lived on Jamaica Road, Bermondsey. Rosario went into the Greengrocery business and worked there until retirement.

Joseph was commemorated on the John Dickinson & Co Limited War Memorial at Apsley End where he had worked. He has also been remembered on the recently dedicated memorial plaque at St Mary and St Joseph Church in Boxmoor, where he and his family had worshipped.

The plaque at St Mary and St Joseph is a replacement for the original which was lost and is due to the excellent efforts of Brendan Sheridan, a member of the congregation, whose research has been extremely valuable in relation to not only Joseph’s life, but also the other soldiers from the church who fell in the Great War.

Joseph is recorded as Cannon rather than Cannone on the various war memorials, as well as on his military records. It is possible that he "anglicised" his Italian surname or it was simply assumed to be the English spelling.

Joseph is Remembered with Honour on the Tyne Cot Memorial, West Vlaanderen, Belgium, Panel 48 to 50.

He was 21 years old when he died.

Joseph was eligible for the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.