Photo: Ken and Pam Linge
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Joseph William Davison was born 1890 at Willington, County Durham, one of 10 children of whom only 8 survived, the 2nd born of 3 sons he had 5 younger sisters. His father William John Davison of Houghton-le-Spring born 1861 married in 1887, Elizabeth Jane Atkinson born 1879 at Willington, County Durham. They settled at 46, Russell Place, Willington where William was employed at the colliery. Later they moved to 11 Cross Street, Stockley by which time their eldest son Henry (14) was also working at the colliery as a driver below ground. By 1911 Henry was no longer living at home, however his sister Catherine, now married to John Henry Parkin with a baby son Henry, lived with her parents and siblings at 38, Railway Street, Willington, John Henry, his father-in-law William and Joseph William (20) all worked as hewers they had been joined by Luke (14) employed as a driver. Three of Joseph William’s other sisters still lived at home Matilda (18) assisted with home duties, Edith Ann (12) and Elizabeth (10) were scholars.
Joseph William married during 22nd November 1913 in the district of Durham, Dorothy Annie Snowdon of Byers Green, County Durham, born 1892.
On the outbreak of war Joseph William enlisted at Durham, September 8th 1914 assigned as Private 16046 Durham Light Infantry joining his regiment at Newcastle-upon-Tyne that same day. September 16th 1914 he left Newcastle as part of over 4,000 recruits bound for Bullswater Camp, near Pirbright in Surrey, where they were divided into the 12th and 13th Battalions Durham Light Infantry and the 10th and 11th Battalions Northumberland Fusiliers. Assigned to the 13th Battalion D.L.I. his training began, however, by November the tented camp at Bullswater was waterlogged and unusable, the 12th and 13th Battalions were moved to Ashford in Kent and on to Malplaquet Barracks in Aldershot, Hampshire. The troops were still training wearing their own clothes, later blue serge uniforms were issued but khaki uniforms and leather equipment did not arrive until February 1915.
August 26th 1915 as part of the 68th Brigade, 23rd Division the Battalions landed in France and were sent into the trenches although spared the disastrous Battle of Loos and spent the rest of 1915 and early 1916 in and out of the trenches at Armentieres and Souchez. October 27th 1915 Private Davison was taken to the general hospital at Etaples suffering from a hernia, he was sent back to England aboard a hospital ship for treatment. Once recovered and considered fit for active service he returned to the front assigned to a trench battalion February 11th 1916 before returning to front line duty with the 11th (Pioneer) Battalion Durham Light Infantry, April 8th 1916. The 11th Battalion during the Battles of the Somme 1916 often worked at night repairing old and digging new tranches but also as infantrymen when required.
Private 16046 Joseph William Davison Durham Light Infantry was killed in action October 5th 1916, his body buried on the battlefield by his comrades, marked with a cross bearing his name and military details, map reference 57c.N.21.C.9.1. After Armistice his body was exhumed and brought into Bancourt British Cemetery, near Bapaume, Pas de Calais, France, along with remains of 2 unidentified British soldiers found at the same map reference, for reburial grave V.D.3. At the time of his demise he was 24 years old.
Prior to his death during the 3rd quarter 1916 his wife gave birth to their daughter Dorothy Dakers Davison who unfortunately would never have known her father. Dorothy Annie received all monies due to him, his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 2, Rutter’s Yard, Mill Street, Willington and a pension of 18 shillings 9 pence a week for herself and their child as of May 14th 1917 until she remarried in 1919 to Joseph Sands.
Joseph Sands was born in 1883 at Cornsay, County Durham, they had 2 children together Elizabeth Jane 1920-2005 and Joseph Sands Jnr 1923-2000. Joseph Sands died in the district of Lanchester in 1933 aged 50 years, Dorothy Annie Sands-Davison nee Snowdon in 1969 aged 79 years.
Joseph William and Dorothy Annie’s daughter Dorothy Drakers Davison married John Wilson in 1937 at Huddersfield, Yorkshire, where she died in 1998 aged 82 years of age.
Luke Atkinson Davison also served during WW1 as Private 250481 Durham Light Infantry, reaching the rank of Lance Corporal he served 1915-1919.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Acknowledgements: Ken and Pam Linge
Joseph William Davison is remembered in Willington on W120.02 W120.03 and W120.15 and in the D.L.I. Book of Remembrance page 274.
