Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
John Hasson was born at Esh, in 1892, one of 13 children of whom only 9 survived. He was the 2nd born of 7 sons and 2 daughters. His father James Hasson born 1862 at Spennymoor, married in the district of Lanchester in 1889, Elizabeth McCahey of Crook, born in 1865. Newly married they and their 3 children, Thomas born 1889, James 1890 and Margaret Ellen 1 month old, lived with James’s parents and siblings at 161, Chapel Row, Esh. James and his father were employed as labourers. Unfortunately, Margaret Ellen had died before reaching 3 months of age however over the next 10 years they had a further 4 children John 1892, Annie 1897, Robert 1899 and Theresa in 1901 and moved to 19, Chapel Street, living with them was James’s widowed mother Annie and his sister Agnes who worked from home for her own account as a dressmaker while James was employed below ground at the colliery as an onsetter. By 1911 he was a wagonway-man and had been joined at the pit by his elder sons Thomas (22), James (21) and John (18) all employed as hewers/putters, their family was now complete with the arrival of William in 1903, Joseph 1905 and Sylvester 1901 who were scholars.
Prior to the outbreak of war John Hassan married in the district of Lanchester, Ada Tinnion born July 27th 1894. They set up home at Esh Lane where their son Charles was born during the 2nd quarter (Apr/May/Jun) 1915. John enlisted at Durham, October 2nd 1915, assigned initially as Private 4247 8th Battalion Durham Light Infantry. Ada was pregnant with their second child when he departed with his regiment as part of the British Expeditionary Force, July 27th 1916. Attached to the 151st Brigade, 50th Northumbrian Division, he joined his regiment in the field in the trenches of the Ypres salient at Armentieres and Kemmel, considered to be a quiet area but the battalion sustained casualties every day by shell and sniper fire. They joined the fighting on the Somme in September 1916 suffering heavy casualties at Le Sars and at the Butte de Warlencourt November 5th 1916. During the 1st quarter (Jan/Feb/Mar) 1917 news would have reached John that his wife had given birth to a daughter, Elizabeth.
The regiment fought during the Battle of Arras, April 9th-May 15th and at Cherisy in September before returning to the battlefields of the Ypres salient in Belgium during October and November for the final stages of the 3rd Battle of Ypres also known as the Battle of Passchendaele. By December 17th 1917 he had risen through the ranks to Corporal and spent another winter in the mud-filled trenches of the salient before the regiment was posted back to the Somme when the Germans attacked March 21st 1918. Rushed into battle they were soon in retreat along with the rest of the Division. Fighting on the River Lys during April their numbers were greatly reduced until May 27th 1918 the battalion was destroyed in fighting on the River Aisne. In June 1918 the surviving soldiers were sent to other battalions and finally disbanded in France November 6th 1918.
John was still in France after the declaration of the Armistice. Having survived the fighting on the Western Front for over 2 years he was taken ill and transported by the Field Ambulance to the 10th General Hospital at Rouen. John died of influenza, diarrhoea and bronchitis, December 7th 1918 and interred at St. Sever Cemetery Extension. He was 25 years old.
His widow Ada received all monies due to him, his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal and also a pension for herself and their children until she married in 1921, James King and moved from Lanchester to 2, Malcolm Street, Seaham Harbour, Co Durham. They do not appear to have had any children.
It should be noted both the CWGC entry and his military record list John Hassan as having the rank of Corporal, the Malton memorial lists him as a Private. Also the surname seems to alter from Hasson at birth and 1901 census to Hassan 1911, marriage and all his military records are as John Hassan.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
John Hasson is remembered at Malton on M49.01 at Esh Laude as John Hassan on E73.01 and at Lanchester on L62.01
He is not remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance.
