Person

John Jackson was born on 25 December 1896. His father was John Thomas Jackson (1862-1927) who was born in Wigan, Lancashire. His mother was Jane Jackson nee Wilkinson (1862-1929) who was also born in Wigan. His father worked as a coal miner and his mother as a cotton factory operative in Lancashire at the time of the 1881 census. They married on 9 September 1889 in Wigan St James. They are known to have had seven children during their marriage of whom five survived infancy giving John three brothers and a sister.

The Jackson’s earliest children were born in Wigan but their youngest were born in Sacriston. They had moved to 166 Staffordshire B Street, Sacriston by the time of the 1901 census and were still living there at both the time of the 1911 census and in 1917 when they received news of John’s death. At the time of the 1911 census John junior was working as a pony driver in the local coal mine.

John enlisted in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve on 20 August 1915 when he was eighteen years old. He was drafted to the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (MEF) for operations in the Dardanelles on 1 August 1915 and joined Hood Battalion of the Royal Naval Division on 20 August 1915. It is likely that he saw service throughout the Gallipoli campaign. On 9 November 1915 he was charged with “sleeping whilst sentinel” for which he was given 90 days detention with loss of pay and “42 days grog stopped 11/11/1915”.

After the evacuation at Gallipoli, John’s battalion moved to France and the Western Front where he would have served throughout most of 1916. On 24 October 1916 he was found to be suffering from impetigo and sent to No 23 Ambulance Train. After treatment, he rejoined Hood Battalion in the field on 9 December 1916. He died on 12 January 1917. He was found by a Court of Enquiry to have “died from exposure”. This replaced the finding of two previous reports that he was “found dead having apparently been drowned” or had “died from exhaustion”. He was buried in Le Crotoy Communal Cemetery, Somme, France.

John Jackson was awarded the 1914-15 Star, the Victory Medal and the British War Medal for his service in World War One. His death was reported in the Chester le Street Chronicle on 1 June 1917. He is honoured in Sacriston on the Plaque 1914-18, St Peter’s Church and the Roll of Honour Fallen 1914-18, Institute, Front Street, Sacriston.

John’s older brother George Jackson served as a gunner in the Royal Field Artillery and was awarded the Military Medal.

Civil Parish: Witton Gilbert

Birth date: 25-Dec-1896

Death date: 12-Jan-1917

Armed force/civilian: Navy

Residence: 166 Staffordshire B Street, Sacriston (1901 and 1911 census)

Religion: Church of England

Employment: Coal miner, driver (1911 census)

Family: Parents: John Thomas Jackson (1862-1927), Jane Jackson nee Wilkinson (1862-1929)
Siblings: Mary A Jackson (1886), Robert W Jackson (1890), George Jackson (1892), Reuben Jackson (1899)

Military service:

TZ/2848
Able seaman
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
Hood Battalion, Royal Naval Division

Medal(s): 1914-15 Star
Victory Medal
British War Medal

Memorial(s): Le Crotoy Communal Cemetery, Somme, France
Plaque 1914-18 St Peter’s Church, Sacriston
Roll of Honour Fallen 1914-18 Institute, Front Street, Sacriston

Gender: Male

Contributed by Sacriston Heritage Group | Durham County Record Office. Jack Mulligan and Lewis Cooper