In Alnwick Cemetery is the Commonwealth War Grave of :
32983 Private
J.H. Hynes
Northumberland Fusiliers
29th November 1918 aged 22.
He was the son of William Hynes, of Stump Yard, Clayport Street, Alnwick.
Joyce and Neil Brison have provided the following:
HYNES James, 32983, Private, 8th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, died 29 November 1918, age 22.
The 1891 census shows his parents William, a coach painter and Mary living in Shorts Yard, Clayport Street, Alnwick with James’s older siblings John (8), Catherine (3) and Mary (1).
James was born in 1896 and the casualty details on the CWGC website show him as the son of William Hynes of Stump Yard with no mention of his mother, who presumably died before James.
The 1901 census shows the family living in Blair’s Yard Clayport Street. There is no mention of James’s mother or John and Catherine, now aged 18 and 13 respectively, although there were five more children including James, the youngest of these being one-year-old George, so possibly his mother died in childbirth.
David Thompson has submitted the following:-
James Hynes was born in 1896 at Alnwick, Northumberland, the son of William (a Coach Painter) and Mary Hynes.
The 1891 Census records his parents lived in Shorts Yard, Clayport, Alnwick; in 1901 they were living in Blairs Yard, Clayport (but Mary was absent): and by 1911 the family had moved to Stamp Yard, Clayport Street, Alnwick.
Pre-enlistment occupation: Coach Painter.
Enlisted on 24 July 1916. Hynes was in France from 3 May 1917 to 18 August 1917.
He was injured in action on 16 August 1917 at Ypres, and admitted to Middlesex War Hospital, Napsbury, near St Albans on 19 August 1917. He had shrapnel wounds of both hands, which led to amputation of the index and little fingers of his left hand, plus the removal by operation of shattered carpal bones and of metacarpal bone of right hand.
He was discharged from service on 18 December 1917 at York, as being no longer physically fit for war service. He was 5 feet 2 inches tall with dark hair, brown eyes and a dark complexion.
His military conduct was ‘Good’ and he was said to be a steady and sober man. He was awarded the Silver War Badge (awarded to service personnel who had been honourably discharged due to wounds or sickness from military service in the First World War).
It appears two of his brothers, or close family members, also served during the First World War – Private John Hynes (Northumberland Fusiliers, 2nd Garrison Battalion; Service number. 6790); and Driver William Hynes (Army Service Corps; 4th Cavalry Reserve Park, 669th Company; Service number T4/160234).
James Hynes is remembered at Alnwick on A11.03 and A11.09.
