Duhallow Cemetery
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Emmerson James Jnr, one of 11 children of whom only 6 survived, was the son of Emmerson James Snr born April 26th 1856 at Quarrington Hill and Ann Parkin, known as Annie, of Shadforth, where she was baptised, December 13th 1857, both in County Durham. They were married at Durham in 1876, their son Matthew, who most definitely was not their eldest child, was born at Monk Hesledon in 1880, however, he died in 1883 aged 3 years, prior to the birth of his brother Joseph in 1884 and George 1885 at Castle Eden. By 1891 they had moved to 20, Garden Street, Hutton Henry and now had a daughter Ann born 1889 who died aged 3 years in 1892, within 3 months of the birth of her sister Martha Elizabeth in 1891 born at Station Towns as were Thomas Henry and Emmerson in 1894 and 1896 respectively. Between 1896 and 1898 they transferred to Wheatley Hill and were living at 32, Jubilee Street, Brandon where Emmerson Snr was employed as a coal miner/stone-man, Joseph (18), as a shifter and George (16) a driver. They had returned to Wheatley Hill by 1911, residing at No. 2 2nd Street. Their older children had all left home, Martha Elizabeth assisted her mother in the home while Thomas Henry (17) and Emmerson Jnr (15) had joined their father at the colliery. Thomas Henry worked above ground, head boy at the bank, Emmerson (15) as a driver, John William (13) attended school.
After the initial rush to enlist upon the declaration of war in 1914 when numbers decreased Kitchener agreed to reduce the height limit for enlistment by 3 inches to 5 feet, the result was the formation of the Bantam Battalions. Emmerson was one of the first to enlist at West Hartlepool, County Durham, assigned as Private 948 to the newly formed 19th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry. The battalion left West Hartlepool in March 1915 for Cocken Hall, a private residence owned by the Lambton family which had been handed over to the military as a training camp. To simulate war conditions trenches had been dug and there was a practice firing range. The 19th remained there until May when they transferred to Masham, North Yorkshire, joining the 106th Brigade, 35th Division, their final training took place at Salisbury Plain. Initially ordered to Egypt this order was cancelled and the division departed to France from Southampton, January 31st 1916, landing at Le Havre the following day, entering the trenches for the first time at Neuve Chapelle, February 11th. The 19th battalion moved south after the commencement of the Battles of the Somme, July 1st 1916, however they did little fighting and instead were ordered to dig new communication and reserve trenches but lost many men due to the constant shelling. At the end of August 1916 they left the Somme and moved to the Arras sector where their numbers were again severely reduced before transferring to the Ypres salient in Belgium participating during the Battle of Passchendaele.
Having risen through the ranks the now Lance Corporal 948 Emmerson James Durham Light Infantry died in action, November 20th 1917 and was initially buried at Fusilier Wood Cemetery. After the Armistice his remains were amongst those of 66 British soldiers brought into Duhallow Advanced Dressing Station Cemetery, near Ypres, Belgium, for reburial with all reverence and honour by an army chaplain. He is at rest grave III. C. 2. and was 21 years of age and single.
His mother Annie as sole beneficiary received all monies due to him, also his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 2, North Terrace, Waterhouses, County Durham. His father commissioned at a cost of 12 shillings 3 pence an additional inscription to be added to his military headstone, it reads, “Sleep On Dear Son Of Our Love Till We Meet Thee Above.”
Annie James nee Parkin died aged 78 years in the district of Lanchester in 1936. Widower Emmerson James, a retired stone-man, in 1939 was living at 7, East Terrace, Ushaw Moor, County Durham where he died in 1940 aged 86 years.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Emmerson James is remembered at Waterhouses on W132.03
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance
