Person

Jehu Fosbrooke Gerrard Aubin (known as ‘John’) was the son of Jehu Jonathan and Annie Aubin. He had a brother and two sisters and lived in Bishop Auckland, where he was an articled accountant, until he enlisted in the Northumberland Fusiliers on 5 September 1914. He was discharged on 2 June 1915 but was then commissioned into the 6th Battalion Durham Light Infantry (DLI). He landed in France on 20 July 1915 and remained in France until he was killed in action on 9 April 1918. He won the Military Cross (MC) in 1916 and a Bar to it in 1917. He was also Mentioned in Despatches and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in 1918.

His MC was gazetted on 1 January 1917 and the citation reads: “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. The battalion was holding a village, covering the retirement of another unit, when it was attacked by the enemy, and withdrew, leaving one company as rearguard under this officer. He remained with his rear platoon under machine-gun fire and sniping, and beat off the attack while the rest withdrew. Later, three companies were ambushed in the marshes, and he collected almost all the men, organising a rear guard, so that each company in turn could cross by a bridge, he himself being the last to cross. A few days later his company was in support, when the three forward companies began to fall back. He went up under intense fire, rallied them, and re-established the front line. His grasp of the situation saved the battalion from what might have been annihilation”.

Newcastle Journal, 26 April 1918

Bar to Military Cross

Lieut. (acting Captain) Jehu Fosbrooke Gerrard Aubin MC, Durham LI – When in command of a company holding a line of shell holes he succeeded in advancing his whole frontage on three successive nights, himself reconnoitring the ground before each advance under close enemy machine gun fire, and personally superintending the operation on each night.

Jehu’s father arranged a day out for wounded soldiers in Stanhope. See “Related to this story” for a photograph and newspaper report.

Jehu Aubin’s medals are part of the DLI medal collection, DLI Medal database:
http://www.durham.gov.uk/article/7532/Medal-collection

An archival collection of items created by John Aubin can be found at Durham County Record Office (D/DLI 7/30/1-10);
http://www.durhamrecordoffice.org.uk/article/10527/Search-the-Catalogue

Civil Parish: Bishop Auckland

Birth date: 22-Sep-1892

Death date: 9-Apr-1918

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: 14 Low Tenters Street, Bishop Auckland (1901 Census)
1 Hedley Street, Gosforth (1911 Census)

Education: Easingwold Grammar School, North Eastern County School, Barnard Castle
Sandyford Academy, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Employment: Chartered Accountant

Family: Father: Jehu Jonathan Aubin
Mother: Annie Aubin (nee Gerrard)
Siblings: Melville Hudreth (who also served in the Durham Light Infantry), Doris Maud Aubin, Ethel May Aubin

Military service:

9th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers
Regimental no.: 12209
Private
6th Battalion Durham Light Infantry
Captain

Medal(s): Distinguished Service Order
Military Cross and Bar
Mentioned in Despatches
British War Medal
Victory Medal

Memorial(s): Barnard Castle School Stained Glass Window, Panels & Roll of Honour
9th Northumberland Fusiliers 1914-1918 Roll of Honour
St Andrew’s Churchyard Memorial, South Church Road, Bishop Auckland
St Andrew’s Church, Bishop Auckland Book of Remembrance
Durham Cathedral 1914-1918 DLI Book of Remembrance (Aubyn)
Ploegsteert Memorial, Hainault, Belgium

Gender: Male

Contributed by John Edwards