Tournai Cemetery
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
John George Horsley was born at Lanchester, County Durham, one of 8 children, 5 boys and 3 girls of whom only 6 survived, gender of deceased unknown. The eldest child of Henry Horsley born August 31st 1860 at Gateshead, County Durham and his wife Harriet Prosser, native of Blaenavon, Wales, born April 14th 1863, who were married March 1882, in the district of Lanchester, he was baptised December 18th 1882 at the Primitive Methodist Church in Crook, County Durham. His father worked as a coal hewer, John George aged 18 worked for his own account from their home at Low Flatts, Harraton, in the parish of Birtley, as a hackney driver/groom. November 8th 1902 John George married Verona Mary Ash in the district of Chester le Street and they were living in 1911 at 20, West Street, Grange Villa, along with their son William Henry born January 27th 1903. They went on to have a further two children John George Jnr. born August 8th 1911 and Verona Mary born April 5th 1916, he was employed as a lamp cabin man at the colliery.
John George Horsley enlisted at Newcastle upon Tyne, December 8th 1915 and was originally assigned to the Army Reserve Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers as Private 5999. Mobilised June 23rd 1916 he was first transferred the following day to the 22nd Battalion Queen’s Regiment and by December 10th to the 18th Battalion, undergoing training in England. He was sent as Private 33851, part of the British Expeditionary Force, to France, January 15th 1917, during the final stages of the Battles of the Somme and in the run up to the spring offensive of the Battle of Arras. He was moved as and when needed between the Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment and the Labour Corp also spending a short time serving with the 1st Battalion Gloucester Regiment during late September 1917 returning to the 111th Labour Corp, November 6th 1917. as Private 66259.
The Labour Corp in France and Flanders had the enormous task of building and maintaining the huge network of roads, railways, canals, buildings, camps, stores, dumps, telegraphs and telephone systems and also moving soldiers as well as the horses and mules.
He reported sick December 3rd 1918 in the field and was given leave to the United Kingdom from December 14th to 28th 1918. Returned to his unit he once again was taken ill and transported to the 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station at Tournai, in Belgium. Private 33851 John George Horsley Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment died January 2nd 1919, the conclusion was he had died of influenza due to privation and exposure whilst on military duty. His body was given temporary burial at Ath German Cemetery, Hainaut by the Australians, marked with a cross and his military details, after Armistice it was exhumed and brought into the newly created Tournai Communal Cemetery Allied Extension, Hainaut, Belgium along with 6 others and interred with all reverence and military honours, grave V. H. 10. He was 37 years old.
The War Office returned to his widow Verona his personal possessions consisting of, 4 razors in case, 3 knives, comb, watch in case with strap, match box cover, 2 metal rings, cap badge, wallet and note book, 2 purses and coins, sent to her at 33, Kimberley Terrace, Craghead, County Durham.
She also received a pension for herself and their children of 25 shillings and 5 pence a week as of July 14th 1919 along with all monies due to him and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Henry Horsley, preceding his son by several years, died October 12th 1913 aged 53, his mother passed away just over 12 weeks after him, aged 56, April 16th 1919. His widow Verona did not remarry, she died in 1966 aged 82, her death was registered in the district of Bishop Auckland, County Durham. Their eldest son William Henry who resided at 11 John Street, Craghead died at Shafto House Craghead, January 21st 1963, aged 59, leaving the sum of 1019 pounds and 8 shillings to his wife Emily Hetta Horsley. John George Hosley Jnr. died aged 69, December 1980, Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Their daughter Verona May married Joseph A. Ord in the district of Lanchester, in 1935, died in 1965, Staincross, Yorkshire, aged 49.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
John George Horsley is remembered at Craghead on C120.01 and C120.04
