Hamsteels St John
96079 Private
F.J.H. Bodinner
The Durham Light Infantry
17th February 1919
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Francis James Henry Bodinner was the eldest of 4 children 3 sons and a daughter. His father Matthew was born in Yorkshire in 1870. Matthew Bodinner was living in 1891 with his widowed father and siblings at Esk Valley to where his parents had migrated between 1862 and 1867 with his elder siblings from Cornwall. His father Christopher, brother James and he were all employed as ironstone miners. Between 1891 and 1894 Matthew migrated to the north east where he was married, district of Lanchester, in 1894, to Margaret Dakers Hull born at Willington, County Durham in 1871.
Francis was born in 1896 at Cornsay Colliery as were all his siblings, Frances Annie born 1898 died within 6 months, John J. H. was born in 1900. In 1901 they were living at 196, High Street, Cornsay, Matthew supported his family employed as a coal miner. Margaret gave birth to their youngest child Matthew Jnr in 1908. By 1911 Matthew Snr had been joined at the colliery by Francis James (14) a pit heap lad, John (11) attended school, Matthew (3) remained at home with his mother.
Soon after the commencement of WW1 Francis James Henry Bodinner was married May 11th 1915 at Durham Registry Office to Lena Jane Robinson of Crossgate Moor, Durham, born September 16th 1897. Their daughter Aylwin Leslie was born July 25th 1915 at Cornsay, son James Bransby during the 2nd quarter 1918 at Waterhouses, both in County Durham.
Francis enlisted December 10th 1915 and was assigned to the Army Reserve the following day. He continued his employment as a coal miner until he was mobilised June 10th 1918, assigned as Private 96079 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne Depot he was posted to No1 Company, 3rd Battalion Durham Light Infantry. The 3rd Battalion was part of the coastal defences at South Shields and Jarrow but also trained new recruits and retrained the wounded for active service overseas.
Private Bodinner was given special leave as he was due to be drafted to the front, he overstayed his leave from September 23rd-30th 1918, as punishment he was confined to base for 3 days. Posted to the British Expeditionary Force he departed with his regiment for the front and joined the 2nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry in the field October 12th 1918. They were in action during the Allied Advance in Flanders and later that year returned to the Cambrai area during the Battles of the Hindenburg Line.
Private Bodinner was wounded, exact date unknown, a gunshot wound to the back and evacuated back through the lines by the Field Ambulance to the hospital centre and railhead at Etaples. From Etaples he was taken to Boulogne and repatriated to England. His military record is extremely faded and illegible, however, one of the final entries states he was admitted to the 1st General Hospital, Camberwell, London, February 1st 1919.
Private 96079 Francis James Henry Bodinner Durham Light Infantry died of wounds sustained at Camberwell, February 17th 1919. He was 23 years of age.
At the request of his widow the Army organised the transportation of his remains back home to Cornsay, this would have been paid for by Lena Jane. He was interred in the south west part of Hamsteels (St John The Baptist) Churchyard.
Lena Jane Bodinner received all monies due to him from the Army, a pension of 25 shillings 6 pence a week as of August 1919 for herself and their 2 children, also his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Lena Jane re-married in 1935 at Thorne, Yorkshire, to John Leonard. Lena Jane Leonard-Bodinner nee Robinson died at Doncaster, Yorkshire, in 1977 aged 90 years.
James Bransby Bodinner died in 1932 aged 14 years, Aylwin Leslie Bodinner aged 71 years in 1986, both registered at Doncaster, Yorkshire.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Francis James Henry Bodinner is remembered at Waterhouses on W132.03
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 30
