Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
John George Johnson born at Sheriff Hill, Gateshead in 1888 married in 1911, at Gateshead, Mary Ann Moffatt with whom he had 3 daughters, Emily 1912, Elizabeth 1914 and Georgina 1916.
He left his employment as a coal miner enlisting at Felling, Gateshead, August 21st 1914 for a period of three years or the duration of war, assigned as Private 13383 to the Durham Light Infantry joining the regiment at South Shields the following day. Private Johnson was assigned to the 16th Battalion D.L.I. part of Kitchener’s New Army formed of volunteers from the 3rd Battalion after the Reserve battalion had been moved from the Depot in Newcastle to the coastal defences. Training began but unlike the other battalions the 16th was not destined for service overseas but as a Reserve battalion it was moved to Darlington and then by September 1915 to Penkridge Bank Camp in Staffordshire as a training battalion regularly supplying drafts of soldiers for service overseas as required. Private Johnson remained there until December 12th 1915 when he was transferred to the 15th Battalion D.L.I. and drafted to France to join his regiment attached to the 21st Division spending the winter in the trenches at Armentieres. Early spring 1916 they were moved south to the Somme where July 1st 1916 they attacked the German front line just north of Fricourt. By the early afternoon they had advanced to Shelter Wood taking 200 German prisoners for the loss of 450 men killed or wounded.
Private 13383 John George Johnson Durham Light Infantry was killed in action July 1st 1916. His sacrifice is recorded as one of the 72,246 names inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, Thiepval, France, commemorating servicemen from the United Kingdom and South Africa who were killed on the Somme 1915-1918 and who have no known grave.
His widow Mary Ann received all monies due to him, a pension of 20 shillings and 6 pence a week for herself and their 3 children as of January 9th 1917 and his awards of the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 8, Hill Top Cottages, Sheriff hill, Gateshead, County Durham.
Other known facts about John George Johnson are as follows; father Thomas Johnson, twice married, full blood brothers and sister of John George, were Edward, Thomas, William, James and Elizabeth. Half brother and sisters, Jonathan, Jane Ann and Mary Hannah Green. Details of Thomas Johnson’s wives' unknown.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
John George Johnson is remembered at Heworth on H92.03
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 169
