Photo Brian Chandler

Son of William Thompson Donkin and Margaret Fletcher Donkin, of 9 Lavender Gardens, West Jesmond, Newcastle-on-Tyne. Native of Sunderland.

Linda Gowans has submitted the following:-

Harry Semmons Donkin was born in Sunderland on July 31st, 1898. In 1901 he was at 7 Chester Oval, Sunderland, with his father William, Music Instrument Tuner, his mother Margaret, and his year-old brother Herbert.

By 1911 William was a Music Instrument Dealer, and the family had moved to 21 Greta Terrace. Harry was at school, another brother, Bryan, had been born in 1904, and the household had a servant, Beatrice Seagrum from Barry, Glamorgan.

Harry was a member of the Church Lads’ Brigade at St. Gabriel's; he was at camp in 1914 with other young men whose lives were soon to be so profoundly altered.

At the time of Harry's enlistment at Newcastle on February 19th 1916 his address was 40 Lavender Gardens, Jesmond, his occupation Book Seller, he was 5' 4" tall, and he gave his age as 19. He appears to have sought to join the 16th (Service) Battalion of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, made up of members of the Church Lads’ Brigade, but the form was then stamped 19 (Reserve) Battalion.

On July 4th 1916, not yet eighteen, he was posted to France, sailing from Southampton to Le Havre. Later that year he was withdrawn from the firing line and sent back to the UK when it was discovered he was under 19, the age when boys could be posted overseas. He was transferred to the Royal Scots in December, and in October 1917 he returned to France and was posted to 1/9 Battalion, which on February 6th 1918 became part of 61st Division, fighting against the German Spring Offensive.

Harry Donkin received a gunshot wound at St Quentin on March 24th 1918. He was admitted to 53 Casualty Clearing Station, then to the 9th General Hospital in Rouen, very busy as 1,125 patients had been admitted the previous day. On April 1st he arrived back in England and was transferred to Station Road Hospital, Gillingham, Dorset, where he died on May 17th of septic pneumonia with his next of kin (one or both of his parents) present. His body was taken home by Newcastle Red Cross.

Details from Service records supplemented by information produced by Bobbie Harding for a First World War Memorials in Jesmond project.

Harry Simmons Donkin is remembered at Jesmond on J1.22 and at Sunderland on S140.009, S140.010 and S140.048 part 6

The CWGC entry for Private Donkin