Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
John Creighton was the youngest of his 6 siblings all of whom survived. His father David Creighton was born 1849 in Ambleside, Cumberland, the son of William and Elizabeth Creighton, his father was a gardener at Staffield Hall, however, ten years later David (22) was living with his uncle Joseph Creighton, Market Place. Ambleside, a master blacksmith who employed David and his own son James. He was married in 1877 in the district of Brampton, Cumberland, to Margaret Earl born 1856. Their eldest child Thomas was born in Cumberland in 1878, three years later they were living in Stamfordham, Northumberland, birthplace of Joseph in 1881, where David was employed as an agricultural labourer. Alice was born in Shotley in 1888, Elizabeth 1890 at Belsay as was Annie in 1894, John in Shotley, in 1898. In 1901 David was farm manager at Birkenside, Shotley, Thomas (23) a flour mill labourer, he was now the eldest of his siblings living at home. By 1911 they were living in 10 rooms at Birkenside and now daughter Elizabeth (20) worked for her own account from home as a dressmaker, Annie (17) assisted her mother, John (12) was a scholar.
When war was declared, August 4th 1914, John was 15-years of age, too young to enlist, however, like so many young men, eager to serve his county, he told a lie as regards his age and enlisted at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, where he was assigned as Private 40491 to the 7th East Yorkshire Regiment. The 7th Battalion was one of the many new battalions raised in answer to Kitchener’s call to arms, part of the New Armies. The main body of the regiment departed attached to the 50th Brigade, 17th (Northern) Division, July 14th 1915, Private Creighton joined his regiment as of January 1916.
During 1916 as part of the 17th (Northern) Division the 7th E.Y.R. participated in fighting on the Bluff, south east of Ypres in Belgium, known as the Actions of Spring and moved south during June to the Somme. After a short spell in the Armentieres sector, on the opening day of the Battles of the Somme at Albert, due to commence June 29th, but delayed by bad weather until July 1st 1916, they attacked and successfully captured Fricourt. They did not participate in any other major battle and by 1917 had moved to the Arras sector seeing action during the offensive, April 9th-May 16th 1917 at the First and Second Battles of the Scarpe, including the capture of Roeux, in Belgium at the First and Second Battles of Passchendaele, phases of the 3rd Battle of Ypres. The division was rushed back to the Somme, March 21st 1918 when the Germans attacked again on that front
Private 40491 John Creighton East Yorkshire Regiment is deemed to have been killed in action, March 22nd 1918. His sacrifice is recorded as one of over 35,000 names inscribed on the Arras Memorial which lies within Faubourg D’Amiens Cemetery, Arras, France, which commemorates servicemen from Britain, South Africa and New Zealand who were killed in the sector during the Arras Offensive and the German attack of March 1918 and have no known grave. He was 19 years of age and single.
His father David received all monies due to his son from the Army, his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal, sent to his home address of Shotley Field, Shotley Bridge, County Durham. His mother applied for a pension.
It should be noted his pension award card and the Register of Soldiers Effects gives his military number as 40941.
David Creighton (76) died in 1926, district of Hexham, his widow Margaret Creighton nee Earl (81) in 1938 Northumberland Western.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
John Creighton is remembered In Shotley Low Quarter on S28.01 and S128.07
