Photo: Pauline Priano
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
One of 12 children of whom only 11 had survived by 1911, Jonathan Thompson was the eldest of his siblings, 4 sons and 7 daughters. His father Robert Thompson was born at Haltwhistle, Northumberland, August 1st 1863, his mother Jane Steadman, born at Low Fell, Gateshead, County Durham, in 1868, and her 2 elder brothers adopted the surname Craven when her mother Elizabeth married Jonathan Craven in 1869 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland. Coal miner Robert Thompson and Jane Craven were married, March 7th 1885 at St James’, Benwell, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, by 1891 they had 3 children, Jonathan born 1886 at Scotswood, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Ann 1889 at Spennymoor, County Durham and having returned to Scotswood, Elizabeth in 1891, whilst they were living at 2, Blackett Terrace, Benwell. In search of work Robert transferred his family to Felling, Gateshead, County Durham, birthplace of Barbara, December 31st 1893, then to Delaval, Northumberland where Jane and Polly were born, December 4th 1894 and 1897 respectively. moving again to Denton Burn, birthplace of Edward in 1898 and Robert Jnr in 1900, where they lived at Wood Row. Over the next 8 years they had a further 3 children, John, 1904, Ethel, 1907 and Florence in 1908, all of whom were born at Westerhope, Northumberland. With the exception of Ann and Elizabeth who had married and left the family home, the Thompsons were in 3 rooms at Benson’s Buildings, Westerhope, in 1911, supported by Robert and Jonathan (24) employed at the colliery as hewers.
After the declaration of war, August 4th 1914, Jonathan Thompson enlisted at Newcastle-upon-Tyne and was assigned to the 11th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers which had been formed at Omagh, September 1914, initially attached to the 3rd Brigade, Ulster Division by November 1914 it was renamed the 109th Brigade, 36th Division. The men trained at Dufferin and Ava Estate at Clandeboye, County Down, before transferring to Sussex in England. Private 18237 Jonathan Thompson departed with his regiment, October 5th 1915, landing in France.
Having made their way to Abbeville by the 21st, away from the fighting, they remained in training during the winter and took over the front line between the River Ancre and the Mailly-Mailley to Serre road in February 1916, which was extended during March to Thiepval Wood. The 36th Ulster Division participated during the opening Battles of the Somme at Albert, July 1st-13th and were one of the few divisions to reach their objective at Thiepval Wood, crossing the 400 yards of No-Man’s Land entering Schwaben Redoubt sustaining 5,000casualties on July 1st. Although they remained on the Western Front they did not take part in any other major battles on the Somme.
By 1917 they had moved to Belgium seeing action at the Battle of Messines, June 7th-14th, during which the division captured Wyteschaete and the Third Battle of Ypres, which raged from July 31st-November 10th 1917, at the Battle of Langemarck, August 16th-18th, before moving to the Cambrai sector capturing Bourlon Wood.
Records report that Private Jonathan Thompson, was mortally wounded during the Battle of Langemarck, August 17th 1917. His body remained on the battlefield and could neither be found or retrieved due to the conditions, a quagmire over which it was impossible to move and into which, over time, the bodies of the dead, sank.
The sacrifice of Private 18237 Jonathan Thompson Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers is recorded as one of 35,000 names inscribed on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing which forms part of the boundary wall of Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke, near Ypres, Belgium, commemorating men of the British and New Zealand forces who fell on the Ypres salient between August 16th 1917 to November 1918, who have no known grave. He was 31 years of age and single.
As sole beneficiary his mother Jane received all monies due to him from the Army, his awards of the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal and also a pension sent to her at Benson’s Buildings, Westerhope, Northumberland.
Although Jonathan’s brother Edward would also have been eligible to serve no records have been found.
Details as regards the demise of his parents as yet unknown.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Jonathan Thompson is remembered at Whorlton on W53.01
