Joseph is recorded as working as a miner at Bonds Main colliery.

No details of when Joseph joined the 1^st/5^th Battalion the Sherwood Foresters, but it was either in 1940 or 1941. It is possible that he fought with the British Expeditionary Force in France. Or he may have joined after Dunkirk when the battalion was in the process of being refitted and became part of the 18^th Infantry Division. Private Ralph Jones from Tupton was also in the 1^st/5^th Sherwood Foresters.

In December 1941 Joseph and his battalion were on a convoy bound for the Middle East, when news came that the Japanese had entered the war attacking Malaya, The Philippines and Pearl Harbour. The convoy was diverted to reinforce the Singapore Garrison.

The 18^th Infantry Division arrived at Singapore in stages from the 29^th January to the 5^th February.  By this time the Japanese Army had advanced down the length of the Malayan Peninsular and were about to attack Singapore itself.

The battle for Singapore started on the 8^th February 1942 and was to last for 7 days. The 1^st/5^th Sherwood Foresters, despite having 2 months at sea and being trained for open, not jungle warfare, were thrown straight into the battle and involved in the fierce fighting at Bukit Timah. This was to no avail, as the Japanese had overrun the food and fuel dumps for Singapore and cut off the water supply to the city.

Despite outnumbering the Japanese 2:1, being low on ammunition and supplies, on the 15^th February 1942 General Percival surrendered the city placing 85,000 British and Australian troops into captivity joining the 50,000 already captured in the earlier part of the campaign. Churchill was to comment, ‘’This was the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British History’’

Joseph’s obituary states that he died on the 14^th February 1942 at Bukit Timah. This was the last day of the battle, when the fighting was at its most desperate. His body was not recovered and he is remembered on the Singapore Memorial, Column 70.