Hooge Crater Cemetery
Hooge Crater Cemetery
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
James Armstrong Gosling, one of 9 children of whom only 8 survived, was the 2nd born of 5 sons and had 1 elder and 2 younger sisters. His father Henry Gosling was born at Tunstall, Norfolk in the parish of Halvergate, in 1870. His family moved briefly to Suffolk when he was 13 years of age, in 1891 he, his mother and 7 siblings were living at 86 & 88, Bede Street, South Shields. Although his mother Elizabeth was listed as married in the census there is no trace of his father. Henry Gosling aged 21 years was a labourer, he married in the district of South Shields in 1894 to Margaret Armstrong born circa 1877 at Jarrow, County Durham. They settled at 12, Straker Terrace, South Shields, employed as a boiler stoker at the colliery Henry supported his wife and children, Henry Jnr 1894, Jessie May 1897 and James Armstrong 1899. Over the next ten years they had a further 5 children, Emily 1903, George 1905, Charles 1907, Hannah 1909 and William born in 1911 while they were living at 10, Isaac’s Court, West Harton, South Shields. Henry Snr was now a sea-going fireman, Henry Jnr (16) worked as a screener at the colliery, Jessie May (13), James (11), Emily (8) and George (6) were scholars.
James was only 14/15 years of age when Britain declared war with Germany, August 4th 1914, he enlisted under the name of James Gosling at South Shields in 1917 once he was 18 years of age, assigned as Private 46804 Durham Light Infantry. Unfortunately, his military record has not been found, however, he would have departed for the Western Front as soon as he reached the legal age of 19 years and was eligible for overseas service. Having arrived in France he was posted via the 35th Infantry Base Depot at Etaples to join the 19th Battalion Durham Light Infantry in the field. During 1918 the 19th Battalion fought in France at the Battle of Bapaume, August 21st-September 3rd 1918, then transferring to Belgium as part of the Allied forces participating during the Final Advance in Flanders.
Private 46804 James Armstrong Gosling was killed in action, October 1st 1918, his body buried on the battlefield in a small concentration of graves at map reference Q. 14. a, 8. 7. his grave marked with a cross bearing his name and military details. After the Armistice at the request of the Belgian and French Governments isolated graves and smaller concentrations of graves were brought into larger cemeteries. The remains of Private Gosling were exhumed July 29th 1919, the cross originally marking his grave was no longer there, recognition was ascertained by means of a disc. He was brought into Hooge Crater Cemetery, near Ypres in Belgium for reburial with all honour and reverence by an Army Chaplain and is at rest grave XVII. F. 10. At the time of his demise in 1918 he was 19 years of age and single.
His mother Margaret of 22, John Williamson Street, South Shields, County Durham, received all monies due to him, a pension and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal, also the disc found on his remains.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
James Armstrong Gosling is remembered at South Shields on S85.015
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 269
