This limited biography is dedicated to the memory of John Robson - My Uncle. John was born on 8th March 1895 and baptised on 21st April 1895 at Choppington Parish Church, Northumberland. He was the first child of William Davison and Isabella Stuart nee Youngson. The Robson family had been settled in the coal mining area around Ashington for at least a generation as John's father, William Davison, had been wokring as a coal hewer for over forty years. We first find John in the 1901 Census living with his parents at 39 Clyde Street, Ashington, Northumberland. John is also recorded attending New Hirst Colliery Infants School, Woodhorn. By the 1911 Census aged 16 years, he was working underground at Woodhorn Colliery employed 'Assisting a Coal Cutter'. He would likely have started work two years previously aged 14 years. When WW1 began, the British Army was not sufficient in size to fight a war. Lord Kitchener required a New Army to be raised by local subscriptions. City leaders became involved in the creation of Army Regiments that reflected the local areas from where the recruits lived - Newcastle civic leaders were no different. The drive to recruit able bodied men between the ages of 19 and 45 years began soon after war was declared. John was to enlist in the 23rd Northumberland Fusiliers (4th Tyneside Scottish) along with plenty of his fellow miners no doubt. He became Pte 914 23rd Batt Northumberland Fusiliers. His battalion was formed in Newcastle on 16th November 1914. They were sent to Alnwick to complete their Basic Military training from 29th April 1915, then onto Salisbury Plain for Under Canvas training during September. Battlefield training at Warminster was completed before embarking to France via Folkestone on 6th January 1916 where they were billeted in and around St Omer. During the early part of 1916 they were moved to a number of frontline positions including Estaires, Fleurbaix, Armentieres before being withdrawn for rest and training. Little did John or his comrades in arms know what the army had in store for them next. They were sent back into the line on 26th April 1916 to a village near La Boisselle on the road between Albert and Bapaume. On 7th June 1916 the British Artillery began a bombardment of the German front lines at La Boisselle. This continued throughout the rest of the month including other areas of Ovillers, Poizieres, Contalmaison and Martinpuich. The 1st July 1916 was to become renowned as one of the worst catastrophes of WW1 - The Battle of the Somme. All of the four Tyneside Scottish Battalions were committed and at the end of the day each had suffered major losses in men and equipment with no advances made. The 2nd and 3rd Battalions could only muster 150 Officers and men while the 1st and 4th Battalions were virtually wiped out with all 4 CO's killed. On 5th July 1916 the Tyneside Scottish were withdrawn from the line to Millencourt. Somehow in all of this carnage John had managed to survive. If he was wounded, no details or family record survives to confirm this assumption and at present, no more details of John have come to light, except that sometime after the Battle of the Somme he is transferred to 24th Batt Royal Fusiliers (City of London - 2nd Sportsman) and given the new Army number of G/93163. This could have been after recovering from wounds received, or as a result of a change in strategy with the Government/Army due to the effect on morale at home from so many close clusters of deaths in the Lads Battalions, or just a general shortage of manpower. John is next found getting married on 26th June 1918 to Rachel Davison in the Parish Church of Hedgefield, Co.Durham. He returns to France after whatever leave was granted to find himself in the big push of running battles that finally conclude in the Armistice. Sadly he didn't make it. He was recorded as 'Died of Wounds' aged 23 years on 18th September 1918 and is buried in St Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, France.

Colin Robson