Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
John Henry Chaters was born 1882 at Wardley Colliery, Pelaw, County Durham and married in the district of Gateshead in 1914, Mary E. Richardson, his wife gave birth to a son, John Henry Jnr in 1915.
John Henry Chaters enlisted as Jack Chaters at Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1914 and was assigned as Private 18245 to the 11th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. The Battalion was attached to the 3rd Brigade, Ulster Division until the 2nd of November 1914 when they were renamed 109th Brigade, 36th Division. The men trained at Dufferin and Ava Estate at Clandeboye, County Down and in July 1915, the Division moved to Seaford, in Sussex, and then to France in early October 1915. The 36th Ulster Division are most famous for their action on the 1st of July 1916, when they were one of the few Divisions to reach their objective. The front lines were at the edge of Thiepval Wood, troops crossed about 400 yards of No Man's Land, entering the Schwaben Redoubt, (close to where the Ulster Tower stands today) then advancing on towards Stuff Redoubt. The men held out for the day but as their stocks of bombs and ammunition dwindled, they were forced to fall back. The casualties suffered by the 36th Division on the 1st of July were over 5,000 in total.
Private Chaters was declared missing presumed dead, July 1st 1916, his death was later confirmed as killed in action, his body was found buried on the battlefield, map reference 57 D at the end of hostilities. He was exhumed along with 14 other, some unidentified, by a Canadian Burial Party, September 17th 1919 and brought into Regina Trench Cemetery, Grandcourt, Somme, France. He was reburied with all reverence and honour grave VII. H. 25. At the time of his demise he was 34 years old.
His widow received all monies due to him, a pension for herself and their son along with his awards of the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Mary remarried in the district of Gateshead in 1921 to Jeremiah Peace, they do not appear to have had children.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
John Henry Chaters is remembered at Heworth on H92.03
