Heslop's Local Advertiser
Medal Card
Newcastle Journal Wednesday 02/08/1916
Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligence 15/09/1915
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
John Chesterton McShane was born at no 5 Providence Place, Felling, Gateshead, County Durham in 1888, one of 9 children of whom only 8 survived he was the second born of 4 sons and 4 daughters. His father James McShane was born in 1849, at Longford, Longford, Ireland, and mother Mary Ann Chesterton was born in Dundalk, Louth, Ireland 1861, and brought to England by their parents as children. They were married at Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1881 where their eldest son James Henry was born in 1884 however by 1886 they had moved to Felling. James McShane was employed as a chemical labourer at the newly formed United Alkali Company Limited.
John was educated at St Patrick's Roman Catholic School at Felling, at the age of 12 in 1900 until 1901. John was a student at Ushaw Roman Catholic College a seminary near the village of Ushaw Moor, County Durham, however, John did not join the priesthood, in 1911 aged 23 he was a commercial traveller for the Cement Works. His sister Mary Anne (25), a qualified teacher, worked for the Urban District Council, Francis (23) who later did become a priest was employed at a fine art studio as a dealer, Vincent (17) was at college studying to become a teacher, Norah (15) and Kathleen (9) also attended college, the family were living at 19, Oban Terrace, Felling.
John Chesterton McShane enlisted during WW1 exact date unknown, and was nominated to join the Division by a Major Craster, [temporary Lieutenant-Colonel], who was in the 15th (Reserve) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. He was a temporary Major from the 18th May 1915.
Which incidentally was the same battalion that his brother Vincent Chesterton McShane was commissioned in.
Major Craster was interviewed by the Doncaster Gazette 04/06/1915
Most of his active service had been spent in West Africa. He had survived 15 years in Northern and Southern Nigeria, and he had been awarded 3 medals (with clasps) and thrice Mentioned in Dispatches. In August 1914 he had been in Calcutta and on the outbreak of war he had returned home and offered his services to Lord Kitchener who had at once (my italics) accepted them and appointed him to the Northumberland Fusiliers. For 3 months he had been Brigade Instructor in Field Engineering to the 89th Brigade at Darlington and when an officer had been urgently required to raise the Doncaster Field Company, Brigadier-General Leach, CB DSO, recommended Craster to the General Officer of the Northern Command at York.
Source for above : Graham Wilburn
John was commissioned on the 17th August 1915 as a temporary 2nd Lieutenant in the Corps of Royal Engineers. He departed for the front on the 5th June 1916, and was assigned to the 229th (Doncaster) Field Company Royal Engineers attached to the 40th Division landing in France where they concentrated near Lillers, the 40th Division served between June until late October 1916 on the front line near Loos.
The 229th Field Company was raised from a request by Northern Command to the town of Doncaster to raise a company of Royal Engineers. Mayor Councillor Halmforth was very enthusiastic and the 224th Company was the first to form. The next call was for a Division and with in a very short space of time 1500 men had enrolled. Their early training took place on the racecourse and the Town Moor. A Major Craster from the Northumberland Fusiliers was in command.
They left Doncaster with an impressive march past the Grand Stand. There was impressive an inspiring speeches made by the Mayor and Archdeacon Sandford as well as Major Craster boasting that he was taking the 'cream of Doncaster.'
The unit then were at Rushmoor Botton, near Aldershot from about September 1915. Then on the 9th October the unit proceeded to Borden Camp where they took over the camp recently vacated by the 16th Division, stayed there until Christmas.
They continued their training until the end of May. On the 1st June they embarked at Southampton and disembarked at Le Havre, proceeding at once into the line at Calonne, in front of Bethune.
They were attached to the 1st Divisional Royal Engineers. The 224th Field Company were attached to the 26th Field Company, 231st to the 23rd Field Company and the 229th to the Lowland Field Company. These three companies consisted of the 1st Divisional R.E.
At the beginning of July they were withdrawn from the front line and now took over their own responsibility. The 1st Division having been withdrawn from the line, and were at various places, incuding Hulloch, 14 Bis, Loos, Maroe and Calonne, moving about these places until the 26th October, when the 30th Division trekked south. 224th Field Company being called upon to assist the Division occupying the Hebuterne front. The 229th were similarly employed, and the 231st were dispatched to Dormart-en-Ponthien for the purpose of constructing the necessary requirements for the formation of a Fifth Army School of Instruction.
On the 16th November the whole division concentrated near Abbeville for the purpose of Infantry Training.
There was an Army Chaplain, who wrote to Ushaw College with some comments just after the opening of the Battle of the Somme, the chaplain [Rev. A. Gribben C.F.,] writes A short time ago I met McShane: he's been privileged to have a permanent crowd under him, and they think the world of him. It is a shame that he hasn't got something, but most of our people are that way, as it is merely the men who know them.
Also another entry reads : 'John McShane (1900-1901) had a commission in the Royal Engineers, and had been told off to deal with a quantity of German ammunition which had been captured. While engaged in this task an explosion occurred and he was killed. His brother, Rev. James McShane, is still serving at the Front, and another brother lost his life a year ago.
Source: Ushaw College Notes from the Front page 255 and 261.
John was severely wounded by a faulty nose-cap on his hands and chest, in his billet, and was evacuated back through the lines to the 33rd Casualty Clearing Station. 2nd Lieutenant John Chesterton McShane Royal Engineers succumbed to his wounds before he reached the Casualty Clearing Station on the 28th July 1916. He was interred at Bethune Town Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France, grave III. K. 35. He was 28 years old and single.
The War diary for 229 Field Company, the entry for the 28th July 1916 reads as follows:
Location: Les Brebis, Date: 28th July 1916.
Nos 1 and 4 sections attached to 231 Field Company RE for work in Front Line system.
3.30pm ii Lieut J C McShane RE seriously wounded, one Lance Cpl killed* and one Sergeant and 4 men wounded by accidental explosion in billets.
6.0pm ii Lieut J C McShane RE died in being transferred to 33rd Casualty Clearing Station. Evidence of witnesses taken by Lieut A B Rayner RE.
* The Lance-Corporal was a J. T. Ogden, Service Number 99272, 229th Field Company, Royal Engineers. He was the son of Henry Thomas and Agnes Elizabeth Ogden, of 11, Clarke Avenue, Hyde Park, Doncaster.
His father received all monies due to him in the sum of 52 pounds 15 shillings 4 pence and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to him at 19, Oban Terrace, Felling, Gateshead, County Durham.
His brother Lieutenant Vincent Chesterton McShane had been killed during the Gallipoli Campaign on the 21st August 1915, brother Father Francis James McShane served as a chaplain during WW1.
Their mother Mary Anne McShane died in 1919 aged 58 years and James McShane aged 77 years in 1925, both deaths registered at Gateshead, County Durham.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Heslop’s Local Advertiser 18/08/1916 reports:
"Another Felling family has been severely hit by the war. Mr. and Mrs. James McShane of 19 Oban Terrace, Felling, have suffered the loss of a second son, Lieut. John McShane, who died in hospital after being twice wounded. A younger son, Lieut. Vincent McShane, was killed at Gallipoli last year. Another son, Fr. James McShane, is a chaplain in France for the past eighteen months."
Reverend James McShane is remembered in Felling on F32.24 and in Newcastle on NUT263
John Chesterton McShane is remembered in Felling on F32.06 and at Ushaw College on U10.01, also an entry in the Ushaw College Roll of Honour for March 1919, page 5.
