Joshua Dawson Watson (1894 - 1951)
Tow Law man served on front line with 49th Battalion CEF
Joshua Dawson Watson was the second son of Northumberland born coal miner Thomas Watson and his wife Christina. Joshua was born on 3rd June in Tow Law and baptised in the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel just under three weeks later. He went on to have six siblings, all born in Tow Law, apart from his youngest sister Grace who was born after the family arrived in Canada.
On 21st August 1910 the entire family boarded the SS Corsican in Liverpool and arrived seven days later in Quebec. They made for a farming life in Willow Creek, Alberta then moved to live in Edmonton, Alberta where Joshua became a coal miner.
On 20th February 1915 Joshua enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) in Edmonton as Private 436984 of the 51st Battalion. The Battalion arrived in England on 20th September 1915. Within a few weeks Private Watson was transferred to the 49th Battalion at Shorncliffe and at the beginning of October travelled with them to France. They sailed from Folkestone to Boulogne and then onwards to billets at English Farm, Belgium near Ypres.
Back in France the following year, Joshua spent thirty months on the front line, and although never wounded was treated for several minor illnesses. He had a tooth extracted; had influenza spending two weeks at the divisional rest station, was treated at a Field Ambulance station for boils, and in April 1917, having just been promoted to Corporal was in hospital with an ear infection.
Before a Medical Board in July 1917 he was categorised as fit for base duty only and was transferred to the Canadian Infantry Base Depot. Another Medical Board in December found him to be suffering from Disordered Action of the Heart and he was transferred to the Canadian Labour Pool and then evacuated to England as he couldn’t stand the shell fire.
In hospital at Shorncliffe Barracks, Kent in April 1918 he was diagnosed with neurasthenia, brought on by service conditions. Two months later he returned to Canada. After being treated for pneumonia in the Edmonton Military Hospital, he was discharged from the CEF in Calgary on 27th November as “medically unfit for further service although fit for employment in civil life”.
Joshua returned to live with his parents and in February 1923 he and siblings William and Grace crossed into the USA to start a new life in California. They settled in Los Angeles and Joshua found work as an electrician. He never married; registered for the US draft in 1942, voted Democrat and remained living in the same house in Mirasol Street next door to his brother Herbert until his death in March 1951.
Birth date: 03-Jun-1894
Death date: 21-Mar-1951
Armed force/civilian: Army
Residence: 5 Princes Row, Tow Law (1901 census)
2nd Avenue S, Strathcona, Alberta, Canada (1911 Canadian census)
219 Morris Street, Edmonton, Alberta (enlistment papers)
10928 92nd Street, Edmonton, Alberta (service record)
1184 Mirasol Street, Los Angeles, California (1930 US census)
Religion: Primitive Methodist
Employment: Teamster (1911 Canadian census)
Miner (enlistment papers)
Electrical contractor (1930 US census)
Family: Parents: Thomas N.Watson, Christina Watson (née Dawson)
Siblings: Herbert Watson, Ruby May Watson, William Watson, Ada Watson, Elizabeth Watson, Grace Hilda Watson
Military service:
436984
Corporal
51st Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force
49th Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force
Medal(s): 1914/15 Star
British War Medal
Victory Medal
Gender: Male
Contributed by Jean Longstaff, Durham