Pauline Priano has submitted the following information:-
John Wynne Williams was born 1894 in Binchester, County Durham, one of 8 surviving children, 6 boys and 2 girls, (2 deceased), of John Wynne Williams born 1864, Fintshire, North Wales and his wife Harriet nee’ Williams born 1864 in Bishop Auckland. His parents were married in Bishop Auckland, December 1882, by 1901 they were living at Binchester Blocks, Old Park, his father worked as a coal miner hewer and later a foreman labourer below ground. His mother died in 1907 when he was 13 years old, by the age of 17, still living with his father at 34 West Chilton, Ferryhill, John worked as a putter below ground.
November 10th 1914 he enlisted in Ferryhill and was assigned as Private 15047 to the 7th East Yorkshire Regiment, 50th Brigade, 17th Division of the 2nd Army and moved to Wargaret Camp, Wareham. January 1916 he applied under King’s Regulation 333 (iv) to be transferred and join his elder brother Thomas with the 18th Battalion Durham Light Infantry. This was accepted, as the conditions for such a transfer were that both brothers be serving in the same country, which they were. John joined his brother Thomas with the !8th Battalion D. L. I. January 26th 1916 as Private 1327. After being moved several times between Cocken Hall, Fence Houses and Cramlington the Battalion was moved February 1915 to Ripon where it joined the 93rd Brigade, 31st Division and in August of the same year was taken over by the War Office. September 1915 it was again moved to Fovant, Wiltshire and December 6th 1915 embarked for Egypt from Liverpool arriving at Port Said to take over defence of the Suez Canal until March 6th 1916 when it embarked for France from Port Said arriving at Marseilles still part of the 31st Division of the Fourth Army.
The following months saw the build-up and preparations for the Battles of the Somme. The main offensive was to be made by the French supported on the northern flank by the Fourth Army. The opening day of the Battles of the Somme began with the Battle of Albert. The attack was made with five divisions of the French Sixth Army and eleven British Divisions including the 31st. It was during this first day of battle that his brother Private 650 Thomas Wynne Williams was killed in action, John was wounded in action and taken to Doullens, a French hospital at the railhead, used by the French and British Armies and housed the 19th, 41st, 35th and 11th Casualty Clearing Station. Private 1327 John Wynne Williams died of wounds July 3rd 1916 aged 22 years. He is interred at Doullens Communal Cemetery Extension No.1, Somme, France, grave IV. B. 9. His father requested and paid for an inscription to be added to his headstone which reads, “Will Ever Be Remembered, Father Brothers and Sisters. R. I. P.”.
John was single, his awards of the 14/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal and all monies due to him were sent to his father at 1, Ninth Street, Blackhall Colliery, Castle Eden, County Durham.
His brother Thomas Wynne Williams enlisted as Private 650 in the 18th Battalion Durham Light infantry in 1914 and was killed on the first day of the Battles of the Somme July 1st 1916.Their father John Wynne Williams died June 11th 1949 at Blackhall Colliery, County Durham.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
John Wynne Williams is remembered at Chilton on C107.01, C107.04, C107.08, C107.09 and C107.12
