A reader has sent this picture of a soldier, James T Chandler [above], who was severely wounded in World War One, losing both his feet. 

Unfortunately the reader did not give their name and I would appreciate if they would get back in touch, my contact details will be at the end of this piece.

James was born on March 25, 1898 in Kent, the eldest son of Thomas and Eleanor Chandler. 

His father was a signalman on the railways and his job brought him to Wycombe in the early 1900s, where the family lived in Downley. 

As a boy James was a keen footballer, which led him in October 1913 into trouble with the law. 

He and four friends were summonsed “for playing football in the street to the annoyance of passengers” in Abercrombie Avenue. The football was in fact a “lawn tennis ball”! 

The Mayor commented: “We will have to get some of the Directors of the FA to come down and sign-on some of the boys.” 

The boys were ordered to pay costs of 1s.6d each.

Little is known about James’s war service except that he enlisted on May 20 1916 and was posted to the Gloucestershire Regiment, Private No.37934. 

He was wounded in June 1918 and discharged later that year, on October 17. He was awarded the Silver War Badge on November 4 that same year.

So at the age of 20, James faced life as a severely-disabled man, but importantly he had a positive and forward-looking attitude to help him overcome his difficulty. 

He needed an occupation for a man whose movements were greatly restricted, so he became a boot and shoe repairer. 

A year after his discharge he married Amy Burrows, two years his senior. 

They went on to have four children, James who was born in 1922, Donald in 1923, Maisie in 1926, and Douglas in 1929. 

In 1930 the family were living at No.40 Kitchener Road, to the west of the town centre.

The family then moved to No.30 Oakridge Road and by 1939 to No.257 Desborough Rd, where James’s youngest brother Thomas was living with them. 

James was now a Master Boot Repairer. He died in the early months of 1961, aged 62.

I would be grateful if the person who sent me the photo of James would get in touch, either emailing me at deweymiked@aol.com or by telephoning 01494 755070.

Readers may remember that in 2017 the Nostalgia page ran a series of four articles on the history of the iconic Wycombe furniture company of Nichols & Janes (N&J). 

These were written in conjunction with Rowland Janes a descendant of the founder of the company Allan Janes. 

Rowland set up a website in March 2011 as a basis for ongoing research into the history of Nicholls & Janes, the furniture they made, and the people who made its reputation for quality products.

He has recently been in touch seeking further information about Albert Edwin Shattock, a furniture designer who worked for N&J for about 20 years, c.1910 to c.1930. 

He was born in Bath in 1872 and became an apprentice furniture designer, possibly at the prestigious Bath Cabinet Makers company under the direction of the eminent designer Charles Richter.

Albert married Florence Frampton in Bath in the Spring of 1897 and by the time of the national census in 1901 the couple had moved to London to live at 70 Wakeman Road, Willesden. 

They then moved to High Wycombe, Albert presumably having obtained a job at N&J. 

Their only child Marjorie Florence was born on February 9 1911, when they were living at 11 Roberts Road. 

That was still their home in 1931 but shortly afterwards they moved back to Bath, where Albert died on June 18, 1934.

At N&J Albert is credited as having made one of the pieces the company provided for Queen Mary’s Dolls House in 1924.  

The dolls house was the project of the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. N&J made a lot of furniture for Lutyens from his designs in the 1920s.

Their daughter Marjorie, who never married, remained in High Wycombe. In 1939 she was employed as a “Hospital Clerk” and lodging with an elderly retired couple George and Ann Lewington at 149 Desborough Ave. 

From about the year 2000, she was living at 112 West Wycombe Rd with a Christopher Bryan. Marjorie died in hospital in Amersham early in 2003.

Rowland Janes would like to hear from any reader who may remember the Shattocks, either Albert and his wife Florence, or their daughter Marjorie. 

In the first instance please contact Mike Dewey on my telephone number 01494 755070 or email me at deweymiked@aol.com.