Photo: Paul Graham
John Anderson
James Anderson
Jane Eleanor Anderson
Delville Wood: Pauline Priano
In St. John's Churchyard is a family headstone which reads:
In loving memory of
James Anderson
who died October 13th 1934
aged 74 years
Also Jane Eleanor Anderson
his beloved wife
who died December 26th 1938
aged 73 years.
also John Anderson,
son of the above,
who was killed in action
August 31st 1916, aged 20 years
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
John Anderson, one of 6 children of whom only 5 survived, was the eldest of 3 brother and had 1 elder and 2 younger sisters. His father James Anderson, born at Slaley, Northumberland, July 18th 1960, baptised September 2nd, was at the age of 11-years living at Shotley, Northumberland, where his father James Snr was a farmer of 200 acres at Wallish Walls Farm. After his death in 1891, widow Ann Anderson continued to farm the holding with the help of James, his brother Anthony, two servants and a farm lad.
James Anderson Jnr was married in Shotley Bridge, December 3rd 1892 to Jane/Jennie Eleanor Lishman, daughter of mason and beer retailer John Lishman and his wife Margaret of Front Street, Shotley Bridge. Their daughter Annie was born on their farm at Black Hedley, October 22nd 1894, as was John, June 28th 1896, sadly his sister died, July 17th 1897. It was almost two years later before Jennie gave birth again, another little girl, born March 29th 1899, whom they named Annie Jane. James, born June 10th 1900, was followed by a further two children, Ellen, May 18th 1902 and Michael, January 1st 1907. By 1911 they had moved to The School House, Shotley Bridge, James Anderson was now a farm labourer supporting his wife and four children, John (15) had left home and was employed by widower and farmer, Robert Oliver of Shotley Field Mill, Shotley Bridge, as a farm labourer.
When war was declared, August 4th 1914, John Anderson was 18 years of age and called upon to enlist, he presented himself at Consett, where he was assigned as Private 20855 Durham Light Infantry and then transferred as Private 46253 to the Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). The Infantry Branch of the M.G.C. was bar far the largest and was formed by the transfer of battalion machine gun sections to the M.G.C. and formed into Brigade Machine Gun Companies, three per division.
Private Anderson would have become eligible for service overseas once he turned 19, June 28th 1915, however, his medal index card proves he departed to the front post January 1916. He was posted to the 73rd Coy which joined the 24th Division as of March 14th 1916 at Ouderdom in Belgium. The division was involved during the German gas attacks at Hulluch, April 27-28th 1916 and Wulverghem, April 30th-June 17th 1916, The gas used at Wulverghem was a mixture of chlorine and phosgene which had been used by the Germans in 1915 at Wieltje, north of Ypres, but on this occasion the troops were forewarned by two German deserters that the attack was imminent and issued with helmets impregnated with the correct chemicals to counteract and neutralise the chlorine based gas.
Preparation had been underway since the beginning of 1916 for the offensive on the Somme. The opening battle at Albert, due to commence June 29th was delayed by bad weather until July 1st 1916. The 24th Division did not take part in the opening battles but joined the fighting as of July 15th until September 3rd 1916 during the Battle of Delville Wood. The British troops attempted to advance on both flanks to strengthen the salient at Delville Wood for future attacks. For the rest of July and August both sides fought for control of the wood and the village. Bad weather and visibility made movement of troops difficult, there was a shortage of ammunition and casualties were high.
Private 46253 John Anderson Machine Gun Corps was reported as missing circa August 31st 1916, after extensive investigations as to his whereabouts he was struck off strength, deemed to have died, “on or since August 31st 1916.”
His sacrifice is recorded as one of the 72,246 names inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, Thiepval, France, commemorating servicemen from Britain and South Africa who died on the Somme 1915-1918 and have no known grave. He was 20 years of age and single.
His father received all monies due to him from the Army and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal. His mother Mrs. Jane Eleanor Anderson of Snods Edge, Shotley, Northumberland, a pension of 5 shilling a week as of November 6th 1918.
James Anderson (74) died October 13th 1934, Jane Eleanor Anderson nee Lishman (73), December 26th 1938, both were laid to rest in the family plot within St. John’s Churchyard, Shotley Low Quarter, Northumberland.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
John Anderson is remembered In Shotley Low Quarter on S28.01 and S128.07
