Illustrated Chronicle December 1915
Medal Index Card
Newcastle Journal Thursday 23/12/1915
John Haxon was born on the 12th May 1891? at 5 Clavering Place, Gateshead the eldest child of 8 children to George Haxon, [born 1869, died September 1929, a shipyard Labourer], and his wife Margaret [nee Peeble], born 1869, died 1952, they were married in April 1890 at Gateshead.
The other children were Isabella, born 25th December 1893, baptised 15th January 1894 at the Holy Trinity Church, Gateshead, who married a Ralph Brown, born 9th April 1892, died 19th June 1964, both residing at 110 Northbourne Street, Gateshead in 1939, She died in 1982. William born 24th May 1896 at 5 Clavering Place, Gateshead, baptised 15th June 1896, who married a Louisa Turnbull, born 2nd July 1896, in 1919, who were both residing at 74 Broadway, Gateshead in 1939, he was a London North Eastern Railway Freight Guard who died in March 1945. Mary Ann born 6th January 1899, baptised on the 30th January 1889, married an Adam Watson, [born 24th August 1896], they were residing at 15 Laburnam Street, Gateshead with 2 children [John Haxon, born 14th August 1921 and Thomas Sivell, born 28th October 1923], in 1939, Adam was a volunteer Air Raid Warden, she died 1949, Thomas born 4th September 1901, died December 1959, he married a Kathleen Story, [born 24th August 1905, died 1996], in December 1928 at Gateshead, they were residing at 16 Rothbury Gardens, Gateshead in 1939, Thomas was a Newsagent and a General dealer with his wife helping in the shop, residing with them was their daughter Kathleen, born 8th July 1931, who was at school, George born 22nd June, 1905 died June 1977, married an Ethel Taylor in 1932 at Gateshead, and James born October 1910 but died in 1912. Another child who died is unaccounted for.
In 1901, John Haxon was staying with his grandparents, James and Isabella Peebles, at 18 Hopper Street, Gateshead, and his family were residing at the back of 5 Clavering Place, Gateshead. John's father was a shipyard Labourer. By 1911, the family had moved to 41 Leazes Street, Gateshead. However, the father George Haxon is not showing on the 1911 Census return.
John enlisted on the 12th September 1914 at Gateshead. His stated age was 23 years 4 months, 5 feet 9 inches tall, 148lbs, with a Fresh complexion, Hazel eyes and Dark Brown Hair. Given the service number 18284 with the rank of private. John was put in the 12th Battalion Durham Light Infantry.
Answering the call of Kitchener's new army, the recruiting offices were overwhelmed by men wanting to enrol, and initially there was not enough recruiting offices to enrol all the men willing and able to recruit. Also shortage of accommodation for them was also a problem. So the men were formed into batches of 500 and were despatched by train via Central Station. Over 10.000 men were sent and out of these batches the 8th to the 14th Battalions Northumberland Fusiliers, 10th to 15th Battalions Durham Light Infantry were all formed. On the 16th September 1914, about 4000 of these ended up at Bullswater, near Pirbright, in Surrey, 10th and 11th Northumberland Fusiliers and the 12th and 13th Battalions of the Durham Light Infantry were formed from this batch.
These two battalions 12th and the 13th Durham Light Infantry were brigaded together in the 68th Brigade, one of the three brigades of the 23rd Division.
Command of the 12th Durham Light Infantry Battalion, was given to a retired officer, Lieutenant Colonel Lincoln Elwes. The majority of his officers, however, were newly commissioned and as inexperienced as the men they were to command. The recruits began their military training wearing their own civilian clothes but, eventually, blue serge uniforms were issued. And in late October 100 obsolete Lee Metford rifles arrived.
By late November, rain had made Bullswater tented camp unusable and the 12th and 13th Battalions Durham Light Infantry moved to Malplaquet Barracks in Aldershot, with later moves to Ashford in Kent, and finally to Bramshott in Hampshire.
At Aldershot on the 30th December 1914, John was late returning from leave arriving back on the 4th January 1915, and was confined to barracks for 7 days, and deprived of 6 days' pay. Also when at Bramshott on the 11th August 1915, he was deprived of 6 days' pay and again confined to Barracks for 7 days for breaking out of Hospital on the 20th August 1915 until 10.30pm.
In February 1915, khaki uniforms and leather equipment finally arrived and by July 1915 rifle training at Longmoor Ranges was completed.
His majesty King George V inspected the 23rd Division at Hankley Common on the 23rd August 1915.
On the 26th August 1915, the 12th Battalion, as part of the 68th Brigade of the 23rd Division, embarked at Southampton landed in France at Boulogne and within days was sent into the trenches. The battalion did not take part in the disastrous Battle of Loos and spent the rest of 1915 and early 1916 in and out of the trenches at Armentieres and Souchez.
The 12th and 13th Battalions were now at Moule. At 5.30am the 12th Battalion left the village of Moule and marched to Hazebrouck via St Omer and Arques into billets. On the following day, the 12th Durham Light Infantry continued to march to billets at Maison Blanche via Boure and Strazeele. The 12th Battalion Durham Light Infantry were now billeted in Estaires, and the companies are now getting acclimatised to the front line with other battalions.
On the 2nd October the Battalion took over trenches beyond Bois Grenier, which was a quiet part of the line. The weather was mostly wet and large working parties were required most of the time. On December 4th 'C' Company were shelled in their billets at Rue Marie near Armentieres railway station.
On the 10th December 1915, the Battalion were in Le Marle and trenches 62 to 66. The enemy started a heavy shelling barrage of the battalion trenches, British Artillery responded in return 20 minutes later. This duelling of artillery finished at 2.30 pm in the afternoon there were no casualties due to shelling, however one man was killed shot through the head whilst watching Rifle Grenade firing. This was Lance Corporal John Haxon.
Source: 12th Battalion Durham Light Infantry War Diary
His mother Margaret was now residing at 26 Wordsworth Street, Gateshead having moved after 1911 with the rest of the family.
On the 8th August 1919, she received Johns war gratuity of £4 10s.
John Haxon is remembered at Gateshead on G39.025 and at Durham in D47.013d
