Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Henry MacKay was born at Bill Quay, Gateshead, County Durham, the illegitimate son of Eleanor Mackay, native of Windy Nook, near Gateshead. Eleanor married George Thomas Johnson, native of Leadgate, Durham at Gateshead in 1883, both were born in 1858. They set up home at 6, Dyson Street, Bear Park, near Brancepeth where Eleanor gave birth to their daughter Sarah Ann in 1885, William in 1888 and Margaret known as Maggie in 1890. George Johnson was a coal miner and found work where he could, by 1901 they had moved to New Pavillion Terrace, Lanchester, George, his son William (17) and Henry (20) all worked below ground at the colliery as hewers. Later that year George passed away aged only 43 years, although his entry of death states 45 years. Over the next ten years Henry took his step-father’s surname and became known as Henry Johnson, along with his mother and youngest sister Eleanor (14) in 1911 they were living at 30 Pensher Street, Felling where Henry was employed as a coal miner stone-man.
Prior to the outbreak of war Henry had served with the General Service Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry. He enlisted under the surname of Johnson, aged 33 years 6 months at Sunderland, September 14th 1914, assigned as Private 19672 to the 12th Battalion Durham Light Infantry and sent with the 12th and 13th Battalion to Bullswater Camp, near Pirbright in Surry where they were joined by the 10th and 11th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers for training. By late November, rain had made Bullswater tented camp unusable the12th and 13th D.L.I. moved to Malplaquet Barracks in Aldershot, later moving to Ashford in Kent, and finally to Bramshott in Hampshire. The recruits had begun their military training wearing their own civilian clothes. Later blue serge uniforms were issued but khaki uniforms and leather equipment only arrived in February 1915.
August 25th 1915 they left England for the Western Front as part of the British Expeditionary Force landing at Boulogne, August 26th 1915, as part of the 68th Brigade, 23rd Division concentrating near Tiques. Within days the battalion was sent into the trenches but was 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. January 10th 1916 Private Johnson was taken by the 64th Field Ambulance for treatment, suffering from Impetigo and did not return to duty until January 25th.
In late June 1916, the 23rd Division was moved south to the Somme, the 12th Battalion D.L.I. entered the fighting south of La Boisselle, July 7th 1916 during the Battle of Albert, July 1st-13th followed by the Battle of Bazentin Ridge, July 14th-17th 1916.
Private 19672 Henry Johnson Durham Light Infantry was killed in action July 17th 1916. His sacrifice is recorded as one of the 72,246 names of servicemen from the United Kingdom and South Africa inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, Thiepval, France, commemorating those who were killed on the Somme 1915-1918 and who have no known grave. He was 35 years old and single.
His mother Eleanor received all monies due to him, a pension and his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. During the war Eleanor had been living at 40, Sea View, Grangetown, Sunderland with her daughter, now Mrs. Sarah Ann Clark, her brother Thomas Henry MacKay informed the authorities she had returned to the Gateshead area and was now living at Wood Terrace, Bill Quay. Details of her demise are unknown.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Henry Johnson is remembered at Heworth on H92.03
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 185
