Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
John William Black born 1878 at Leeds, Yorkshire was married in 1910 in the district of Lanchester to Elizabeth Cutmore native of Cornsay born April 17th 1890.Their son John William Jnr was born later that same year. John was employed at the colliery as a coal screener on the surface, in 1911 the family was living at 9, Queen Street, Sacriston, County Durham.
By 1914 when war broke out with Germany they had returned to Cornsay Colliery. John enlisted at Durham and was assigned as Private C/9211 King’s Royal Rifles Corps and posted to the 20th Battalion. Raised August 20th 1915 they trained at Wellingborough and departed to France, March 30th 1916, landing at Le Havre. May 19th 1916 they were attached to the 3rd Division as a Pioneer Battalion and took part in the Actions of the Bluff at St Eloi Craters before moving to the Somme. They participated during the Battle of Albert July 1st-13th, Bazentin Ridge July 14th-17th helping capture Longueval, the Battle of Delville Wood July 15th-September 3rd and the Battle of the Ancre November 13th-16th 1916. In the spring of 1917 they were moved to the Arras sector where they saw action at the 1st and 2nd Battles of the Scarpe, April 9th-May 16th 1917 before heading north to Belgium. They fought on the Ypres salient including the Battle of Menin Road and Polygon Wood during the 3rd Battle of Ypres, then again moved south participating at the Battle of Cambrai. The regiment returned to the Somme when the Germans again attacked on that front in March 1918. They saw action at the Battle of Lys, on the Hindenburg Line and the Battle of the Selle. After the Armistice the 3rd Division advanced into Germany, part of the Occupation Force.
Private C/9211 John William Black, King’s Royal Rifle Corps died of wounds on the battlefield, May 31st 1918 and was taken to the small town of Pernes-en-Artois, on the main road from Lillers to St. Pol, where the 1st and 4th Canadian Casualty Clearing Station had begun a cemetery in April 1918. Private Black, who was 40 years of age, is at rest within Pernes British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France, grave II. E. 19. Unlike other cemeteries the headstones at Pernes are touching in order to capacitate the 1,098 casualties.
His widow received all monies due to him, his awards of the British War Medal and a pension until she remarried. Elizabeth’s marriage to Michael Collin born April 20th 1892 in the district of Lanchester, took place within 4 months of her husband’s demise. Elizabeth and Michael went on to have 4 children, registered at birth under her single name of Cutmore. Eva Collin was born in 1920, George G. 1924, John R. 1932 and Brian 1934.
Michael Collin died in 1967 aged 75 years, Elizabeth Collin-Black nee Cutmore died aged 86 years in 1956 both registered at Durham Central.
Elizabeth’s brother Private George Cutmore also served and had perished prior to her husband, October 20th 1917, on the Ypres salient in Belgium.
The CWGC in error have listed John William as Rifleman which refers to servicemen in infantry battalions not pioneers.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
John William Black is remembered at Cornsay on C116.01 and at Quebec on Q2.06
