Capt Arthur de Bells Adam (MC)
1885 - 1916

CPL David Wallace Crawford
1887 - 1916

Lce-Corpl John Joseph Nickle
1894 - 1916

Pte 17911 Morton Neill
1897 - 1916

Lieut Edward Stanley Ashcroft
1883 - 1918

Pte 58710 Herbert Hanson Johnson

Age: 28
From: Ossett, Yorks
Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
K.I.A Monday 10th September 1917
Commemorated at: Torreken Farm
Panel Ref: E.9

Herbert Hanson Johnson was born on the 26^th January, 1889, in Ossett, Yorkshire and and was baptised on the 16th October 1889 at Ossett Holy Trinity Church. Herbert’s brother, James, born on the 17th December 1885 was baptised the same day. Herbert was the son of James Rowland Johnson and Eliza Hanson. James Rowland had married widow Alice Barker (formerly Austin) in February 1884 at Ilkeston, but sadly she died in late 1884. No record has been found of a marriage between James Rowland Johnson and Eliza Hanson.

The 1891 Census shows Herbert living with his parents and two siblings at Pepper Alley, Gawthorpe. His father John Rowland is aged 38, occupation a stone miner, born Ilkeston, Derbyshire, his mother Eliza 28 is a dressmaker born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Their children are shown as; Alice Hanson 6 a scholar b.Darfield Yorks, James 4 a scholar b.Hanging Heaton Yorks, Herbert Hanson 2 b.Ossett Yorks, Ethel 1 b.Ossett Yorks.

By 1901 the family now with five children have moved to Swallow Nest, Aston with Aughton, near Rotherham. Father John R. aged 50, a stone or coal miner, mother Eliza 38, children James 14 a pony driver, Herbert Hanson 12, Ethel 11 b,Gawthorpe, Sarah 9 b.Alverthorpe, and Ruth G. 1 b.Swallow Nest.

He was unfortunately imprisoned for 4 months in 1908 at Wakefield prison for assault. He was 19, a miner, 5 foot tall with brown hair, from Ossett.

On the 1911 census he is boarding with the Harding family at 24 Victoria Terrace, Tibshelf, Derbyshire. He is a 23 year old coal miner loader b.Ossett.

On the 18th August 1915, Herbert married Edith Gatley Taylor at Oldham Registry Office. They had a son Herbert Vernon born 7th February 1917.

He enlisted in Sheffield as Private 14118 serving initially with the Lancashire Fusiliers, before being transferred to the 18^th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 58710.

He was killed in action on the 10th September 1917, aged 28 during the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele).

He was posthumously awarded the British and Victory Medals but not the 1914/15 Star, indicating that he did not serve overseas before 31st December 1915.

He now rests at Torreken Farm Cemetery No 1, Belgium.

Wytschaete was taken by the Germans early in November 1914, and was recovered by Commonwealth forces during the Battle of Messines on 7 June 1917, but fell into German hands once more on 16 April 1918. The village was retaken for the last time on 28 September. The cemetery, begun by the 5th Dorset Regiment in June 1917 and used as a front line cemetery until April 1918, contains 90 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and 14 German war graves.

Herbert was reported killed in the Weekly Casualty List 16th October 1917:

King's Liverpool Regiment - Johnson 57810 H. H. (Tinsley);

His widow Edith was living at 90, Dundas Road., Tinsley, Sheffield.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to widow Edith G. and child Herbert Vernon.

Family trees have noted that his father died in 1909, and mother in 1951.

We currently have no further information on Herbert Hanson Johnson. If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.

Grateful thanks are extended to Ancestry user MalClemmon for kind permission to use the photo of Herbert now on the website.

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