Ypres Reservoir Cemetery
Ypres Reservoir Cemetery
Ypres Reservoir Cemetery
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
James Johnson, one of 5 known children, was the eldest of 2 sons and had 1 older and 2 younger sisters. His father Allen Moat Johnson born August 12th 1850 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, married at St. Paul’s Hendon, County Durham, January 1st 1875, to Christiana Pearson of Sunderland, County Durham, born January 25th 1858. Their daughter Isabella was born at Sunderland in 1876, James at Hendon, 1878, in 1891 the family was living at 36, Charlotte Street, Southwark, Central London, a property shared with two other families, Allen supported his family employed as a hairdresser. Youngest son William was born in London in 1882, however, they had returned to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, by the time Christiana was born, April 5th 1884 and moved to Sunderland between 1884 and 1889 where Catherine was born in 1890 at 13, Zion Street. James now 18 years of age was employed by his father in his hairdressing business, Isabella (15) remained at home, William (9) and Christiana (7) were scholars, to increment the family income they had 2 boarders, 68-year-old Charles Pearson of Yorkshire, a mariner and blacksmith, 21-year-old Joseph Barber of Hereford, both single.
Isabella Johnson married Thomas Conlin and after the death of her mother Christiana in 1895, aged 36 years, took her family into her home at Norman Street, Sunderland. By 1901 her brother William (19) was employed as a milk cart driver, Christiana a general servant, Catherine (10) a scholar. Their father had returned to London and was living as one of 250 persons at the Jubilee Chambers Lodging House, Bradmore Lane, Fulham, still a hairdresser, however, in 1911 he was living with his married niece Sarah Joseph at Hylton, Sunderland.
James Johnson, at the age of 19 years 7 months, May 22nd 1897 received a Notice to enlist, he presented himself at Newcastle-upon-Tyne Depot, a barracks shared by both the Northumberland Fusiliers and the Durham Light Infantry, where he was assigned as Private 5098 to the 2nd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, May 25th. During his training period he was appointed Sergeant, May 21st 1899, Drummer June 5th and departed with the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade to South Africa, November 3rd 1899 arriving at Cape Town, November 20th. At the end of their journey they made a 24-hour railway journey to Putter’s Kraal to meet their commanding officer, Sir William Gatacre and transferred to the lines of communication of the 3rd Division. As a Drummer not only did he have to learn over 170 drum commands, play the fife and bugle but was also a combatant, carried munitions and stretchered the wounded. James fought at the Battle of Graspan, November 25th and Modder River, November 28th where the Northumberland Fusiliers lost 11 men killed and 34 wounded. During the Stormberg Disaster, December 10th 1899, the 2nd Battalion had the misfortune to be led by a Cape Police guide who could not find the correct route, a 4-hour march became 7 hours. The men led the Royal Rifles into battle at 3.45 am up the steep slopes of the Kissieberg hills. The CO considered the situation was no longer viable and ordered the men to retreat across open land to the ridge, many were left behind and ended up as prisoners of the Boers. He remained with the 2nd Battalion until May 7th 1901 when he was sent back to Britain and posted to the 4th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, July 6th 1901 based in Ireland and where he remained with his regiment. Reverted to the rank of Private, April 26th 1904 he transferred to Class B Army Reserve for a further 5 years, under the obligation to be called upon in the event of a general mobilisation, until his discharge, “termination of 1st period of engagement”, May 20th 1909. Recipient of 3rd Class certificate of education, Queen’s South Africa Medal (bronze) and clasp Orange Free State and Cape Colony, for service in South Africa October 11th 1899 to May 31st 1902, clasp indicates particular actions and campaigns of the 2nd Boer War.
James had married, exact date and name of spouse unknown, and had 2 children by 1907, Allen James Johnson born January 27th 1906 and William Lyall Johnson, October 28th 1907. After the death of his wife he remarried in 1911 to Elizabeth Angela Monaghan, born 1883 at Sunderland and with whom he had a daughter Iris Angela born at Sunderland, October 31st 1911.
James enlisted during WW1 at Sunderland assigned as Private 18429 and rose to the rank of Sergeant in the 10th Battalion Durham Light Infantry. The first wave of the 10th (Service) Battalion departed for the Western Front during February 1915, his training complete, James disembarked at Boulogne, France, joining them in the field May 21st 1915 where they were attached to the 43rd Brigade, 14th (Light) Division, on the Ypres salient in Belgium. In July 1915 they successfully defended the smashed trenches at Hooge still filled with the dead of the previous days fighting where the Germans had used flamethrowers for the first time. They remained in the mud filled trenches of the salient during the winter of 1915 until the spring of 1916 when they were moved south to the Somme.
Sergeant 18429 James Johnson Durham Light Infantry died near Ypres, Belgium, September 7th 1915 and was interred initially at Ypres Reservoir Middle Cemetery, used by the fighting units during August and September 1915 and later exhumed and brought the short distance into Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium, for reburial, grave X. A. 5. Sergeant Johnson at the time of his demise in 1917 was 38 years of age and Angela and their children were living at 182, High Street East, Sunderland.
His widow Angela received all monies due to him, a pension for herself and the children also his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal, sent to her at her new address of 17, Saint Mark’s Road, Sunderland, County Durham. She commissioned at a cost of 15 shillings 9 pence an additional inscription to be added to his military headstone, it reads, “May He Rest In Peace Ever Remembered By His Loving Wife And Family”.
Allen Moat Johnson of 10, Hawthorne Terrace, Durham died June 18th 1919 aged 68 years, effects in the sum of 371 pounds 12 shillings 5 pence to Catherine Johnson, spinster, and Henry Johnson, painter.
Elizabeth Angela Johnson nee Monaghan never remarried and died aged 82 years in 1966. Allen James Johnson died in 1989 aged 83 years, Caernarfon, Wales, William Lyall Johnson married Hilda H. Hall in 1936, born at Sunderland October 28th 1907, with whom he had a daughter Kathleen, October 15th 1941 born Langley Moor, County Durham, William died June 17th 2012, Oxfordshire. Iris Angela Johnson married Kenneth Boddington, she died aged 93 years at Stroud, Gloucestershire in 2005.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
James Johnson is remembered possibly at Sunderland on S140.027 and he is named in S140.048 Part 2
