Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
James Victor Donaldson was born at Cotehill, Cumberland in 1896, only son of widow Ellen Jane Donaldson of Heworth, born 1872, who remarried in the district of Gateshead in 1903 to James Addison native of Rainton, Northumberland, born 1881 and nine years her junior. She and Edward went on to have 4 daughters, Sarah Ellen 1904, Margaret Jane 1905, Ellen 1907 and Frances Ann in 1910.
James’s step-father Edward Addison on the outbreak of war enlisted in November 1914 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, assigned as Private 16 to the 26th Battalion (Tyneside Irish) Northumberland Fusiliers. He departed to France in early 1916 and was killed on the first day of the Battles of the Somme, July 1st 1916. His mother was awarded all monies due to him, a pension for herself and their children and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
The loss of her husband would have most certainly intensified Ellen Jane’s fear for her son James. James Victor Donaldson had enlisted at Felling, assigned as Private 25328 to the 10th Battalion Durham Light Infantry. August 22nd 1914, the first 500 recruits left the DLI’s Depot in Newcastle for Woking in Surrey, where they were formed into the 10th (Service) Battalion DLI. Living in tents, initially without khaki uniforms or modern rifles, the new battalion began to training. In February 1915, the battalion moved to barracks in Aldershot for final training. May 21st 1915, as part of the 43rd Brigade of the 14th (Light) Division, the main body of men sailed for France and were in the front line south of Ypres three weeks later before being moved into the Ypres Salient itself. There, at the end of July 1915, the battalion successfully defended smashed trenches south of Hooge still filled with the dead from the previous day. In this fighting, the 10th Battalion DLI lost over 170 men killed or wounded. Private Donaldson did not join his regiment in the field until October 12th 1915 where they were fighting on the Somme.
April 9th 1917, the battalion was in action on the opening day of the Battle of Arras, successfully crossing the Hindenburg Line system of barbed wire and trenches, taking prisoners, and advancing over a mile, it was the battalion’s finest achievement of the war. This was followed by their participation in the First and Third Battles of the Scarpe at Arras
Wounded, Private Donaldson was taken to the 45th and 49th Casualty Clearing Station at Achiet which was also a railhead for the evacuation to England of the seriously wounded. He succumbed to his wounds June 6th 1917, Private 25328 James Victor Donaldson Durham Light Infantry was interred at Achiet-Le-Grand Communal Cemetery Extension, 19 kilometres from Arras, Pas de Calais, France, grave I. J. 6. He was 20 years old and single
His mother received all monies due to him and his awards of the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at Factory Houses, Heworth Shore, Felling, County Durham. She commissioned at a cost of 10 Shillings 6 pence an additional inscription to be added to his military headstone, it reads, “His Country Needed Him-He Answered The Call”.
The name of her son has in error been transcribed on the plaque St. Mary's Heworth as G. V. Donaldson, CWGC records no such serviceman but does confirm a J. V. Donaldson as the son of Edward and Ellen Jane Addison. The Register of Soldiers Effects confirms the mother of Private J. V. Donaldson was Ellen Jane Addison.
Ellen Jane Addison-Donaldson died in the district of Durham NE in 1942 aged 70 years.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
James Victor Donaldson is remembered at Heworth on H92.03
