Private John Watson, Northumberland Fusiliers, 1916

13083 Private

J.WATSON

Northumberland Fusiliers

29th May 1916

 

Private WATSON, J

Service NumberL……….. 13083

Died:…………………….. 29/05/1916

Unit:……………………..9th Bn. Northumberland Fusiliers

Buried at NORWICH CEMETERY, NORFOLK

Location: Norfolk, United Kingdom

Cemetery/memorial reference: 25. 187.

Source: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2803351/WATSON,%20J

 

Soldiers Died in the Great War records Private 13083 John Watson Died of Wounds on the 29th May 1916 whilst serving in France & Flanders with the 9th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. He was born Byker, Northumberland and enlisted Wallsend on Tyne. No place of residence is shown.

 

The Medal Index Card for Private 13083 John Watson, Northumberland Fusiliers is held at the National Archive under reference WO 372/21/36637

Source: discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D5777209

He qualified for the 1915 Star, having first landed in France on the 15th July 1915. He was also entitled to the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. There is no additional information on the card other than that he “D of W” (Died of Wounds).

 

The associated service medal roll for his British War Medal and the Victory Medal shows that he only served overseas with the 9th Battalion.

 

His Service Records do not appear to have survived the incendiary attack during the Blitz on the Warehouse where all the Other Ranks Army Service Records were stored.

 

No match on Picture Norfolk, the County Image Archive.

 

The Government Probate Service holds a Soldiers Will for 13083 John Watson who died on the 19th May 1916.

 

The Army Register of Soldiers Effects records that Private 13083 John Watson, 9th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers died on the 29th May 1916 at the Norfolk War Hospital. The balance of his pay was sent in November 1916 to his brother and sole legatee, Thomas. In September 1919 Thomas would also be paid his brothers’ War Gratuity.

 

The death of a 26 year old John Watson was registered in the Blofield District of Norfolk in the April to June quarter, (Q2), of 1916. Blofield Civil Registration District covered the location of the Norfolk War Hospital.

 

 

Birth and Census records………….

 

I could not find a likely candidate in the Census records that was born Byker, had a brother Thomas and who didn’t have a middle name. Of course John may have had a middle name, or even John was his middle name, but he chose not to give it to the Military authorities. As it’s likely the death was registered by the War hospital they would only have had him recorded as John and so that was the name given to the Registrar. Similarly with his age. If he lied about it in order to enlist this wouldn’t have been known to the military official registering the death.

 

If he was truly 26 at the end of May 1916 then he would have been born between June 1889 and May 1890. If he was born at Byker the birth would have been registered in the Newcastle upon Tyne Civil Registration District.

 

Given that time period there are six John Watsons registered in the Newcastle upon Tyne Civil Registration District but there is only one with no middle names. That was a John Wells, mothers’ maiden name Delap, which was recorded in the Newcastle upon Tyne District in the October to December quarter, Q4, of 1890. The source I use for such looks up has only nine other instances of children registered in England & Wales with the surname Watson, mothers’ maiden name Delap, and all are in the Newcastle upon Tyne District between 1874 and 1897 so a strong possibility they are all one family – but there is no Thomas.

 

It would take until the postscript (see below) to actually place him in a family context.

 

 

Army Career………………….

 

9th (Service) Battalion

Formed at Newcastle in September 1914 as part of K2 and came under orders of 52nd Brigade, 17th (Northern) Division.

Landed in France in July 1915.

Source: www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-brit...

 

A number of men with service numbers either side of 13083 John Watson are shown on their Medal Index Cards as receiving the Silver War Badge and being discharged as no longer physically fit. Some Regiments or Corps include the enlistment date on the MiC but this doesn’t appear to be the case for the Northumberland Fusiliers. This information will be available on the Silver War Badge Roll, currently (December 2019) only available on Ancestry. Serveral of the men with those service numbers have the prefix 9/.

 

I suspect John was part of the original establishment of the 9th Battalion, trained with them in the UK and then landed in France with them on the 15th July 1915. Once again looking at the Medal Index Cards for men with nearby service numbers, that seems to be a common date.

 

The history of 17th (Northern) Division

 

This Division was established by the Northern Command in September 1914, as part of the Army Orders authorising Kitchener’s Second New Army, K2. Early days were somewhat chaotic, the new volunteers having very few trained officers and NCOs to command them, no organised billets or equipment. The units of the Division initially concentrated in the Wareham – Lulworth – Swanage – Wool- Bovington area of Dorset but moved in late May 1915 to the Winchester area.

 

After receiving an order that the Division would be retained for home defence (subsequently cancelled), advance parties left for France on 6 July. Main embarkation began on 12 July and units moved to concentrate near St Omer.

 

The Division served on the Western Front for the remainder of the war, taking part in many of the significant actions:

 

1915

The Division spent its initial period of trench familiarisation and then holding the front lines in the southern area of the Ypres salient.

 

1916

The Division was involved in fighting at the Bluff (south east of Ypres on the Comines canal), part of a number of engagements officially known as the Actions of Spring 1916.

Source: www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions...

 

Enemy diversionary attacks around the Ypres Salient: the Bluff, 14 February – 2 March 1916

 

17th (Northern) Division had moved to relieve 3rd Division in the canal sector between 5 and 8 February 1916, and placed 51st Brigade on a 1300 yard front at the Bluff position. It was also responsible for the south bank and had 52nd Brigade there. Enemy shellfire began to fall on both brigade fronts in the morning of 14 February, intensifying on the Bluff from mid afternoon. (The enemy was also shelling 24th Division at Hooge at this time). British artillery began to retaliate and the infantry at the Bluff stood by to meet an anticipated attack. All telephone wires were cut by the shelling, which severely affected the ability of units in the front line to call for support. German tunnellers blew three small mines at 5.45pm, one under the Bluff (which buried a platoon of the 10/Lancashire Fusiliers sheltering in an old tunnel) and two slightly further north, under the 10/Sherwood Foresters. Shortly afterwards, German infantry attacked between the canal bank and the Ravine. They entered and captured the front line trenches but were driven out of the support lines behind the front. Small local efforts to counter attack over the next two days failed. The all-important Bluff position had been lost, and it would take more than localised efforts to regain it.

 

The operations in the area of the Bluff from the start of the enemy attack to noon on 17 February cost the British 1,294 casualties.

 

Lieutenant-General H. Fanshawe, officer commanding V Corps, ordered 17th Division to not only recapture the Bluff but improve the position by capturing the German trench position called The Bean. He placed 76th Brigade of 3rd Division, as well as an additional RFA Brigade and an RE Field Company, under the Division for the operation. 76th and 51st Brigades began an intensive exercise in training to prepare for a frontal assault, planned to take place at dusk on 29 February 1916. All troops were equipped with the new steel helmets. 52nd Brigade held the line and carried out much preparation work, digging new communication and assembly trenches, burying telephone cables, and bringing up stocks of ammunition. This work was not helped by snowfalls, which showed up the new works to enemy observers, whose artillery promptly destroyed them. The severe weather and cold also forced a change of plan, to minimise the time that the assault troops would need to be in the front line before the attack went in. Even the date could be not be agreed: it would have to be “the second morning after the first day fine enough for artillery registration”.

 

The bombardment eventually opened on 1 March, fired by 17th Divisional artillery plus 35 larger guns and howitzers of Second Army and Canadian Corps heavies. At 2.15am on 2 March, Brigadier-General Ernest Pratt, officer commanding 76th Brigade, advised Divisional HQ that he would not require a planned extra 20 minute intensive bombardment. The leading infantry (right to left, the 2/Suffolk, 8/King’s Own and 1/Gordon Highlanders) began to move at 4.15am and the assault was launched fifteen minutes later. British barrage fire began two minutes after that. The attack achieved complete surprise, although a machine gun on the left caused heavy casualties to the Gordons. A party of 172nd Tunnelling Company RE also suffered from a machine-gun burst when, having destroyed a tunnel in no man’s land that led to the Bluff, every man was shot down. By 5.10am, the infantry had captured all objectives, finding many enemy without equipment. 5 German officers and 248 men were sent back as prisoners. German artillery was curiously slow to react and only opened fire at 9.30am, intensifying at 11am, which caused problems for reinforcement and supply as the infantry consolidated the ground won. Some sporadic attempts to counter attack were made by the enemy, but British bombs were for once in plentiful supply and these attacks were beaten off.

 

British casualties incurred in recapturing the position amounted to 1,622 officers and men.

Source: www.longlongtrail.co.uk/battles/battles-of-the-western-fr...

 

 

On the day…………………………………

 

The absence of surviving service records makes it very difficult to know when John incurred the wounds that would eventually claim his life, and what those wounds were.

 

 

Postscript………………………………….

 

There is a Ministry of Pensions index card relating for a dependants pension claim. The individual would have had to have been financially dependant on John Watson. Their name is Adam Watson Low. The dates seem to be October and November 1932, when Adam was living at 1504 Walker Road, St. Anthonys, Newcastle. There is then a stamp dated 1934 with an admin date of the 21st February 1935.

 

The death of an Adam W Low, aged 83, was recorded in the Newcastle upon Tyne District in the July to September quarter, (Q3), of 1934. No obvious probate record.

 

The most likely match for Adam on the 1901 Census of England and Wales is a 49 year old, Adam Low, a Ship Plater from Willington Quay, Northumberland, who was recorded as the married head of the household at No.12, Sumerset Terrace, Walker, Northumberland. He lives there with his wife Mary Ann Taylor Low, (aged 40, born Wallsend, Northumberland and his stepchildren:-

James Watson………aged 20….born Walker…Apprentice Rivetter

Thomas Watson……aged 13…..born Walker…Shipyard Labourer

John Watson……….aged 11…..born Walker

 

And his own children:-

John George Low….aged 12……born Walker

Albert Low………...aged 11……born Walker

Alice Elizabeth Low.aged 9…….born Walker

Mable Low…………aged 4…….born Walker

 

Also living with them is Adams’ 69 year old widower Father-in-Law, John Gibb. John was a retired Joiner, born Alnwick, Northumberland.

 

Going forward to the 1911 Census the family were now recorded living at 1504 Walker Road, St Anthonys, Newcastle upon time. Adam doesn’t distinguish between his own children and his step-children, but they do all retain the relevant surname. Adam was then aged 60 but ship working as a Shipyard Plater, although now he states he was born Walker. He and Mary, (50, also now born Walker), have been married 15 years and have had 5 children, of which 4 were then still alive. (Unless Adam was the father of some of the Watson boys or either of them are counting children from previous marriages, I’m not sure how those children numbers stack up)

 

Also still single and living with them are John George Low, (22, Shipyard Labourer), John Watson, (21, Shipyard Labourer), Alice Low, (18, Servant) and Mable Low, (14). All the children are shown as born Walker.

 

The marriage of a Adam Low to a Mary Taylor Watson was recorded in the Newcastle upon Tyne District in the January to March quarter, (Q1), of 1896.

 

Heading back from that to the 1891 Census bring up the 1891 Cemsus where the 30 year old widow Mary Watson, born Wallsend, was recorded as the head of the household at 6 Byker Street, Longbenton, Walker. Living with her are her children James, (10), Thomas 3 and John, (1) – all shown as born Walker. There are also four adult boarders in the household.

 

And on the 1881 Census of England and Wales there is a 22 year old married woman, Mary T. Watson, born Longbenton, who was recorded living with her husband and 4 month old son James, (born Longbenton) at 5th House, Lamb Street, Longbenton. Her husband was Thomas Watson, aged 29, a Ship Rivetter born Longbenton.

 

The marriage of a Thomas Watson to a Mary Taylor Gibb, (remember the father-in-law was a John Gibb on the 1901 Census), was recorded in the Newcastle upon Tyne District in the October to December quarter, (Q4), of 1877.

 

 

There is a War Memorial apparently outside St Anthony’s Church in Walker which includes the name of 75 people from the parish, of whom 24 died and 51 served. The nearest to an online source for the names on the memorial has just over half and states the rest are illegible – John Watson may be one of those.

www.newmp.org.uk/detail.php?contentId=9254#listlink

 

 

 

Done