Thy will be done
Son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Harwood, of 6, Forster Street, Consett, Co. Durham.
Brian Pirrie has submitted the following:-
John (Jack) Harwood was born in the district of Lanchester (Consett) in Co Durham in Quarter 1 of 1893 to father John and mother Sarah J (formerly Turnbull).
By 1901 the census shows 8-year-old John at school and living with his parents, 2 sisters and brother George in Roseberry Terrace in Consett Co Durham.
The 1911 census has a transcription error as it shows Jack (John) aged ll where he was actually 18 which the actual census record shows. He was an apprentice at the brickworks which was south-east of and about half-a-mile from the Iron and Steel Works, and had a capacity of about 120,000 bricks per week. Ordinary fire bricks, blast furnace lumps, and other fire brick articles used in the various departments of the steel works were made here, the coal and clay being obtained at the Delves Pit, which was in close proximity. Jack (John) now had 6 brothers and sisters and the family were at 21 Buddle Street in Consett.
From his service record John attested for service on 9th April 1912 in Consett. He was likely to have been one of the part time volunteers whilst continuing his apprenticeship.
Before the First World War began in August 1914, the Durham Light Infantry, County Durham’s own infantry regiment, was made up of nine battalions each of about 1,000 men. There were two Regular battalions of full-time professional soldiers, many of whom came from outside the North East of England; two Reserve battalions of part-time volunteers and ex-Regular soldiers; and five Territorial Force battalions of part-time volunteers centred on key County towns. There was also a Depot or headquarters shared with the Northumberland Fusiliers at Fenham Barracks in Newcastle upon Tyne.
The 6th Battalion DLI, formed in 1908 from the old 2nd Volunteer Battalion DLI, was a Territorial Force battalion with headquarters in Bishop Auckland and eight companies in drill halls in Barnard Castle, Consett, Crook, Spennymoor, Stanhope, and Bishop Auckland. On 3 August 1914, 6 DLI was on annual camp in North Wales with the rest of the Northumbrian Division, when the order came to return home and prepare for war. Over the next nine months, the battalion’s part-time volunteer soldiers, formed into four companies (named ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, and ‘D’) were trained at Boldon, Ravensworth, and Bensham for full-time active service overseas.
Meanwhile, in September 1914, a reserve battalion was formed at Ravensworth Park as the 2nd/6th Battalion DLI. Later still, in June 1915, a 3rd/6th Battalion was formed for home service.
The 1st/6th Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Harry Watson, a well-known solicitor in Barnard Castle, left Newcastle railway station for France on 19 April 1915. Within days, the raw Durham soldiers were fighting for their lives in the Second Battle of Ypres, suffering heavy casualties from shelling and gas attacks at Frezenberg and in the GHQ line, the last trench defence before Ypres itself. (Source Durham at War Project)
John’s war record confirms that he left for France with his colleagues on 20th April 1915 having started his training in Scarborough. John would most likely have been at camp in North Wales when the Battalion were summoned to return to prepare for war.
On 24th May at Brielen just over 1 month after arriving in France the war diaries report that at 2:45 am there was a gas attack and John along with 40 offices and 137 other ranks was treated for the effects of the Gas. John was hospitalised at 4th Stationary Hospital which was at Arques near St Omer, until 5th June 1915 although he was not fit enough to re-join his unit until 10th August 1915.
Only 1 month later on 20th September, while the Battalion were in the trenches at Armentieres, Private Harwood was killed having being hit by a shell. Unusually, being a Private, he is actually named in the war diaries of the Battalion for this particular day.
John Harwood is buried and commemorated at Ferme Buterne Military Cemetery, Houplines, France.
His family received his Victory Medal, British War Medal and 1915 Star medal.
John Harwood is remembered at Consett on C101.01, C101.03 and C101.15
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 254
