Etaples Military Cemetery
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
John Golightly Longstaff born at Dipton, County Durham, one of 8 surviving children, he was the 2nd born of 5 sons and had 2 elder and one younger sister. His father Richard William Longstaff of West Auckland born 1847, in 1871, was a boarder in the household of the Little family, he and their daughter Margaret Maria Little born 1849 at West Auckland, County Durham were married in 1871 and settled at Dipton where Richard William was employed as a coal miner. Son William was born in 1872, Sarah Elizabeth 1873, Margaret Jane 1875, John Golightly 1876, Richard 1878, Hutton 1880, Benjamin 1884 and Charlotte 1888. In 1881 they were living at Old Rows, Collierley and had moved to 19, Allendale Cottages by 1891. Richard had been joined at the colliery by son William (18), John (14) and Richard, who was only 12 years of age, daughter Margaret worked from home as a dressmaker, Elizabeth remained at home assisting her mother while the younger children with the exception of Charlotte (3) were scholars. Richard William Longstaff Snr died in 1895 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, aged 48 years, his widow Margaret was supported by her sons until they themselves were married.
John was married in the district of Lanchester in 1899 to Elizabeth Winter of Consett, County Durham born 1876 and with whom he had a son, Richard William, born 1901 at Medomsley. Employed as a coal miner, he and his family in 1901 were living at Bells Cottages along with Margaret Jane Winter (22), his wife’s sister, listed as a general servant. By 1911 they had moved to 10, Spen Street, Stanley and had taken into their home, nephew, John Jewitt.
November 5th 1914 the 23rd (3rd Tyneside Scottish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers was raised in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, mainly from men of Scottish decent. John was one of the first to enlist at Stanley, County Durham and was assigned to the Northumberland Fusiliers as Private 735 joining his regiment at their barracks at Newcastle where he was posted to the newly formed 23rd Battalion. Their initial training took place at Newcastle before they moved to Alnwick Camp in the grounds of Alnwick castle in early May 1915. They joined the 102nd Brigade, 34th Division concentrating at Ripon in Yorkshire by the end of August before moving to Salisbury Plain for final training then on to Warminster.
They departed Warminster railway station bound for Folkestone and crossed to France at 2.30 p.m, January 9th 1916 aboard a small paddle steamer escorted by a destroyer and part way by a small airship, landing at Boulogne at 4 p.m. They marched with bands playing from Boulogne up a steep hill to St. Martin’s camp, concentrating at La Crosse, east of St Omer the following day then on to Wardrecques for training. The 23rd Battalion was issued with gas helmets and moved to Blaringhem, January 23rd 1916 into new billets and over the following months until its participation at the opening battle on the Somme July 1st 1916 was engaged in and out of the trenches in day to day trench warfare on the Western Front. At the end of March the 23rd took over at map reference B.27.d.2.7. Erquinghem Chapelle D’Armentieres, Colgate-Wine & Haystack Avenues.
Private 23/735 John Golightly Longstaff Northumberland Fusiliers was wounded in the line of duty in this sector and evacuated back through the lines by the Field Ambulance to the rail head and hospital centre at Etaples where he succumbed to wounds sustained, April 2nd 1916 and interred at Etaples Military Cemetery, grave V. A. 9A. He was 40 years of age.
His widow Elizabeth received all monies owed to him by the Army, a pension for herself and their child and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 3, Noel Street, East Stanley, County Durham. She commissioned at her own expense an addition inscription to be added to his military headstone, it reads, “The Lord Giveth And The Lord Taketh Away.”
Elizabeth remarried within a few months, 3rd quarter (Jul/ Aug/Sep) 1916 to John Smallwood. Details as regards the demise of Elizabeth Smallwood-Longstaff nee Winter and son Richard William unknown.
John’s mother Margaret Maria Longstaff nee Little died in 1921 aged 72 years, registered in the district of Lanchester, County Durham.
His younger brothers also perished during the Great War, Hutton Longstaff died of wounds at the 1st Canadian C.C.S, Adinkerke, Belgium, August 17th 1917, Richard William Longstaff was presumed to have died April 2nd 1918 in France.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Acknowledgments: Jean McMillan
John Golightly Longstaff is remembered in Stanley on S135.04 and as Longstaffe at South Moor on S129.01
