Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
John Humes was born at Heworth, November 7th 1886, one of 9 children of whom only 8 survived 4 sons and 4 daughters. His father Henry Walker Humes born 1862 at Felling, a coal miner, married in the parish of St Edmund, Gateshead, December 27th 1884, Sarah Joice born at Washington, near Gateshead in 1863. They lived at 82, First Street, Heworth for the next 20 years and in 1901, aged 14 years, John was working as a coal miner-screener above ground. John was married October 16th 1909 in the district of Gateshead to Hannah Jane Simpson born 1885 at Heworth, living at 21, Heworth Village, Felling-on-Tyne having taken in her widowed father Thomas Simpson. His wife gave birth to 3 children Thomas born February 16th 1911, Henry Walker December 7th 1912 and John Jnr. February 22nd 1914.
Enlisted at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, he was assigned as Private 25/275 (Tyneside Irish) Northumberland Fusiliers formed November 9th 1914. The 25th Battalion came under the orders of the 103rd Brigade, 34th Division at Ripon and after further training moved to Salisbury Plain in late August for final training. They proceeded to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force, January 1916 where they concentrated at La Crosse, east of St Omer. Preparations were underway for the forthcoming battles on the Somme and they saw action on the first day during the Battle of Albert involving the capture of Montauban, Mametz, Fricourt, Contalmaison and La Boiselle between July 1st-14th 1916.
Private 25/275 John Humes Northumberland Fusiliers was killed in action July 1st 1916. His sacrifice is recorded as one of the 75,246 names inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, Somme, France, panel 10/11/12B, commemorating servicemen from the British Empire killed on the Somme between 1915 and 1918 who have no known grave. He was 30 years old.
His widow Hannah Jane received all monies due to him, a pension for herself and their children and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 24, Heworth Village, Felling-on-Tyne, Gateshead, County Durham.
Hannah Jane Humes nee Simpson died December 30th 1956, registered at Gateshead, aged 71 years.
John and Hannah’s eldest son Thomas married Dorothy E. Moon at Gateshead in 1935 and died district of Leeds in 1999 aged 88 years. The youngest John Jnr died May 8th 2007 at Gateshead aged 93 years.
Henry Walker Humes during WW2 served aboard HMS Harvester as Petty Officer Stoker C/KX 81984. Harvester was an H-class destroyer of the Brazilian Navy bought by the Royal Navy after the beginning of WW2 in September 1939. After being commissioned, in May 1940, the ship began evacuating Allied troops from Dunkirk and other locations in France. Assigned to the Western Approaches Command for convoy escort Harvester and another destroyer sank a German submarine in October 1940. Served briefly with Force H, May 1941, she was transferred on to the Newfoundland Escort Force in June 1941 for duties in the North Atlantic. October 1941 transferred back to the Western Approachers Command and converted to an escort destroyer HMS Harvester was torpedoed and sunk March 1943 while escorting Convoy HX 228 by U-boat 432 and broke in half. The French corvette Aconite rammed and sank U-boat 432 and then rescued Harvester’s few survivors.
Petty Officer Stoker C/KX 81984 Henry Walker Humes was amongst the 9 officers and 136 ratings who went down with the ship, March 11th 1943. His sacrifice is recorded as one of the names inscribed on Chatham Naval Memorial, Kent, panel 71, 3, an obelisk commemorating those members of the Royal Navy from both world wars who have no known grave, the majority of whom were lost at sea where no permanent memorial could be raised.
Petty Officer Stoker Humes was 30 years old and had married Mary Reay in the district of Gateshead in (Jan/Feb/Mar) 1942. Probate was settled July 31st 1943 in the sum of 195 pound 7 pence to Mary Humes, 2, Thompson’s Place, Felling, County Durham.
John Humes’s father Henry Walker Humes died aged 74 years, January 27th 1937 at Dinnington Colliery.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Morpeth Herald 02/03/1917 carries the following:
Mrs Hume, of Heworth Village, has been notified that her husband, Private J. Hume, N.F., previously reported as missing, is now reported killed.
John Humes is remembered at Heworth on H92.03, H92.04 and H92.07 and at Windy Nook W95.16
