'B' Battery, 122nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery.

Awarded the Military Medal in the London Gazette of 16 November 1916.

Halstead was a native of Burnley.

The Burnley Express of 22 January 1919 reported, WORKHOUSE OFFICIAL'S HONOUR. As we exclusively announced in Saturday's "Express", Bombardier Joseph Halstead (4019), of the R.F.A., has been awarded the Military Medal. When the war broke out he was the firebeater of the Burnley Union Workhouse, but at once joined the army. In a letter to a friend, he says, "I have been presented with the Military Medal this Sunday morning, September 17th by the General of our Corps, and he congratulated me on our bravery in the big advance under heavy shell fire in July. We have only got the ribbons up yet. We will probably be before the King or the General for our medals.

In a later report it adds, "Driver Halstead was the recipient of the Military Medal, on July 7th, 1916, during the first British offensive on the Somme, between Mametz and Fricourt, Driver Halstead and another man named Howard, were in charge of a six horse ammunition wagon, taking ammunition to the guns. They had passed through a valley that was being very heavily shelled by the enemy, and were just ascending the crest of an hill when a shell burst five yards away, the two shaft horses being literally blown to pieces. Whilst still under this heavy fire Driver Halstead and his companion extricated the harness from the dead horses and put the two leading horses into the shafts, and reached their destination with just four horses."