John was born in 1890 in Galgate nr Lancaster and was the eldest son of John Thomas and Dorothy Wilson.

In the 1911 census, he was listed as a Silk dresser at a Silk mill living at 23, The Crescent Galgate. His Siblings in 1911 were Maud, Peter, Doris, Fred, and Annie. John married Edith Foxcroft on Christmas Eve 1913. Initially the couple set up home in Chapel Street with Edith’s parents, and they had a son (also named John) in May 1915.

John was conscripted in 1916 and reported for duty at Galgate. He was sent to the 2/6th King's on 14 October 1916. The 2/6th Kings were formed in Liverpool in September 1914 and in 1917 were part of 171 Brigade, 57th Division. Wilson is thought to have landed in France with the rest of the unit in February 1917.

During April and May the Battalion was in a quiet sector of the front near Houplines and the only casualties were 4 men gassed during a failed British Gas attack (the gas did not get much further than the British trenches) on the 29 April and 2 men were killed by a sniper.

It seems likely that one of the gas casualties was therefore John Wilson, and he died of the effects of the gas on the 11th May.

John was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal after the war.

He is commemorated on the Ellel War Memorial.