Brenda McMahon has submitted the following:-
John was born to parents John and Isabella at Thornley in 1890. He was baptised at Durham on 13 October the same year.
He had several full blood siblings including Annie Ethel, Thomas Snowdon and Arthur Whitwell. His mother Isabella died possibly in 1898.
John was originally an iron moulder by trade but by 1911 he was working as a mason.
He enlisted into the army at Cocken Hall, Durham 1 December 1914. He served first in Egypt 6th December 1915 and moved to France 4th March 1916. He was killed 1 July 1916 at the Somme aged 26 years. He has no known grave.
John was awarded the 1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal
CSM Arthur Whitwell Hutchinson was killed in March 1918. Thomas Snowdon Hutchinson joined the Northumberland Fusiliers 9th September 1914 and was transferred to the Durham Light Infantry in May 1915 to join his older brother John with service number 18/567. He rose through the ranks to be Acting Sergeant (unpaid). John and Thomas embarked for Egypt December 1915 and then to France March 1916. Thomas was awarded the Military Medal (Gazette 26/04/1917). He returned to Thornley in 1919.
John Alderson Hutchinson is remembered at Thornley on T55.01 and T55.02 at Tow Law on T57.01 and in the DLI Book of Remembrance
