Photo: Paul Graham
In St.Andrew's Churchyard is a family headstone which includes:
and of Flying Officer
John Barclay Jaques, M.C. A.F.C.
their son
born 3rd May 1894
buried at Abu Hamad 1st April 1920
Durham Light Infantry attd
216 Squadron Royal Air Force
Simon Glancey has submitted the following:
Flying Officer Jaques was killed when Handley Page O/400 E302 of 216 Squadron crashed en route from Khartoum to Cairo. All four crew members on board were killed:
Fg Off John Barclay Jaques MC (25) killed
Fg Off Desmond Wilkie Sibley (21) killed
Sgt Edmund West Wadey (23) killed
AC2 Reginald Collin Meldrum (19) killed
F/Off Jaques's death was reported in Flight Magazine 05/04/1920:
"Flying Officer JOHN BARCLAY JAQUES, M.C., R.A.F., formerly lieutenant in the 12th Durham L.I., who was killed in an aeroplane crash between Khartum and Cairo on April 1, 1919 [sic], was the son of Mr. and Mrs. T. W. Jaques, Hollinside Hall, Lanchester, Co. Durham."
His M.C. award was reported in the Newcastle Daily Journal Tuesday, 06/06/1916, page 4:
"Lieut. John Barclay Jaques, who has just been awarded the Military Cross, is the second son of Mr. T. W. Jaques, for many years fitter to the Hetton Coal Co., Ltd., at Sunderland, who was well known on the Newcastle Exchange, and is now residing at Hollinside Hall, Lanchester. Lieut. Jaques was engaged in survey work in Canada when the war broke out, and came home at once and enlisted in the 7th D.L.I. He received a commission in the 12th D.L.I. Service Battalion, and was promoted lieutenant in February, 1915."
The old D.L.I Museum website recorded that he was born in Sunderland [May 3rd 1894, not 1895 as the D.L.I. Museum website recorded], and that he joined the R.A.F. in April 1918. His Air Force Cross was awarded posthumously in June 1920.
John Barclay Jaques is remembered in Sunderland on S140.048 page 192
