916491 Pte. John "Jack" Lomax was born in August 1887, in Winton, Lancashire, England (now part of the Greater Manchester area). He was the second of several children born to John Henry Lomax and Eleanor (or Ellen) Lomax, nee Rennion. He worked as an iron moulder, probably in the Ellesmere Foundry nearby Patricroft.
In 1910, at age 23, he emigrated to Ontario, Canada. There he met Zoe Mager Halliwell, who had also emigrated from the Manchester area. They married in December 1915 and lived in Toronto.
In March 1916, John joined the 198th (Canadian Buffs) Battalion, attesting with them on March 27th, 1916, in Toronto. His older, brother, 916265 Pte. Robert Lomax, who had also emigrated to Canada, had joined slightly earlier, signing on, also in Toronto, on March 11th. The pair served together throughout the war.
Transferred to the 4th CMR, with his brother, in March 1918, family oral history indicates they were both signallers. Both survived the war, though John suffered from a degree of exposure to poison gas, and both he and Robert were discharged together a year later, in March 1919.
John, as a result of his gas exposure, was not physically fit enough to return to work as an iron moulder. He joined the Toronto Transit Commission, though, and worked as a streetcar driver until his retirement.
John and Zoe had three children after the war: Eleanor (who died in infancy), James and Zoe, from whom they had three granddaughters: Pamela and Deborah (daughters of James) and Stephanie (daughter of Zoe). John was a keen golfer and won many Toronto Transit Commission tournaments. He passed away in 1957 and lies at rest in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto.
Biography and image credit to John's granddaughter, Stephanie Lomax, with thanks.