James at Steel club Memorial 1970

Newspaper Cutting 1970

Gunner John James Langton 1914-18

The Hartlepool newspaper in 1970 reads:- Golden Day for man with name on war memorial.

A man who “died” in 1916 will be celebrating his golden wedding tomorrow. He is Mr James J. Langton of Carlton Street, Hartlepool whose name appears on the war memorial in the grounds of the Steelworks Social Club, Westbourne Road. Mr Langton said “I was working at the steelworks when the war broke out. I joined the forces and was wounded twice so when I came back I qualified for money drawn out of steel works funds for which all the men from steelworks who fought in the war and were injured qualified. I notified the man organizing the fund that I was wounded in the Somme in 1916 and thought no more about it.

However a short time afterwards I attended the unveiling of the memorial and looked for the name of my best friend who was killed in 1916. I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw my name above his. At first I thought there must be another man with the same name but I checked and found that I was the only J.J. Langton employed by the steelworks.

The mystery was quickly solved by Mr Langton when he realized that the organizer of the fund had inadvertently placed Mr Langton’s name on the list of men who died.

Mr Langton (75) and his wife Ruth (74) have often had their legs pulled about the memorial as they have four children but Mr Langton says that she is only grateful that her husband was not killed in the First World War.

The Langton’s also have seven grandchildren and the newest addition to the family is only three days old. Although Mr Langton was born in Stockton he has lived almost all his life in Hartlepool as has Mrs Langton. They will be celebrating with a small family get together with only two of the family missing their (grand) daughter and great grandchild who are both in Cameron Hospital.

Mrs Langton is very interested in flowers and plants and Mr Langton enjoys watching television. He retired from the steelworks after 51 years service in 1961.

2014 Research

John James Langton was born Thornaby on Tees 5th August 1895 the son of John and Isabella Langton. The family moved to West Hartlepool c1901 – 9 Ainslie Street West Hartlepool (1901 Census). In 1911 John James was a labourer firing test wheeling at the steel works (out of work) living at 94 Mainsforth Terrace (1911 Census)

In August 1914 he enrolled at West Hartlepool. He was 19 years and 26 days, 5 feet 7 ½ inches in height, weighed 131 pounds and had a tattoo mark of an anchor and ship on his right forearm. John James joined the Royal Field Artillery (Service number 33162) and went to France 11th May 1915. He was in a number of different Brigades of the RFA as a Gunner.

John James was wounded in the leg on December 16th 1915 – this is reported in the Hartlepool Mail for 18th January 1916 (51st Brigade RFA), his parents were at 18 Thorne Street West Hartlepool. He was again wounded in the right cheek on 28th July 1916. In May 1919 he left France and in June 1919 was discharged from the Army and went back to 14 Wood Street West Hartlepool.

John James married Ruth Harriman 5th April 1920.James and Ruth celebrated their Golden Wedding in 1970 and their Diamond Wedding in 1980. Ruth died in December 1980 aged 84 years and James died in May 1993 at the age of 97.

J.J. Langton is on West Hartlepool W111.52,, W111.53 and the mistake has been repeated on the more recent memorial in Victory Square W111.55