Heslop’s Local Advertiser 22/12/1916
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:
John Thomas Ross was born September 4th 1896 at Felling, Gateshead, County Durham, one of 8 children of whom only 5 survived he was the 2nd of 4 sons and a daughter. His father Thomas Ross born at Kireton Park, Yorkshire in 1972 married at Gateshead in 1894 to Jane Ann Simpson native of Felling born in 1869. When John was 4 years old the family were living at Church Street, Felling where his father was employed below ground as a hewer at the colliery. By 1911 they had moved to 2, Davidson Street, his father and elder brother William (17) were both employed at the colliery as a stonemason and putter respectively, he, John Thomas (14) was a butcher’s apprentice, brothers Albert (11) and Ernest (10) were scholars, sister Lily only 4 remained at home with her mother.
On the outbreak of war in 1914 John Thomas Ross was 17 years old, only just too young to enlist but may also have still been under contract as an apprentice, only his, “master”, had the power to free him in order to enlist when he came of age. At the time of his enlistment after the surge of volunteers when war commenced there was an excess of men that were no longer required in the Army hence the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve was formed, an idea of the then Prime Minister Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty. John Thomas Ross was assigned as Able Seaman TZ/7598 RNVR, attached to Anson Battalion.
Anson was one of 8 battalions of the Royal Naval Division which prior to 1916 had served during the Gallipoli Campaign, was withdrawn to Egypt by the end of 1915 before returning to England. The battalion transferred from the authority of the Admiralty to the War Office on April 29th 1916 and was redesigned as the 63rd Royal Naval Division, July 19th 1916. Able Seaman Ross departed with Anson Battalion attached to the 63rd Division arriving at Marseilles, France, between May 12th-23rd 1916. They did not participate in any major battles until the final phase of the Battles of the Somme where they advanced along the River Ancre to capture Beaucourt at the Battle of Ancre, November 13th-16th 1916.
Wounded in action, Able Seaman TZ/7598 John Thomas Ross Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve died of wounds sustained, November 23rd 1916 and interred at Varennes Military Cemetery, Somme France, grave I. G. 39. He was 20 years old and single. The village of Varennes as of August 1916 was, “home” to the 39th Casualty Clearing Station and mobile divisional Field Ambulances. The 4th and 11th Casualty Clearing Stations used the cemetery as of October 1916.
His family still living at 2, Davidson Street were informed of his death December 3rd 1916. They received all monies due to him and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Heslop’s Local Advertiser 22/12/1916 carries a notice which reads:
Able Seaman John Thomas Ross, R.N.D., died Nov.23rd, from wounds received in action, aged 20 years. Second son of Thomas and Jane Ann Ross, 2, Davidson Street, Felling.
John Thomas Ross is remembered in Felling on F32.07
