In a letter from 2nd Lieutenant H. Simpson wrote to Joseph’s father saying “your son in the previous action, September 15th, showed great courage and devotion to duty; he behaved splendidly and rendered aid to other sections our units, namely, machine gunners. I am pleased to say your son was attached to me personally at Aldershot eight months since, and he was a very fine lad, the best all-round man in the Company, and I took the keenest interest in him and his work. The only consolation you have is the happy knowledge that he died bravely doing his duty.”

Sergeant D. L Smith of the Machine Gun Corps also wrote to Joseph’s father stating “I was with your son until a very few minutes before he was killed, and I must day he was very cheerful always and was of great assistance to me in keeping up the spirits of other men who were with me. He did not know what fear was, always showing that grim determination and gallantry in the face of the enemy that won for him the name of being one of the finest soldiers the battalion ever had. I sincerely hope you will endeavour to hear the great sorrow I know it will cause you, and have the thoughts that he gave his life as a hero for his country.”