Pte 50178 John Alexander Neilson

• Age: 26
• From: South Shields
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 4th August 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

John Alexander Neilson was born in the 4th quarter of 1889, his birth registered at South Shields district and was the son of Captain Alexander Neilson and his wife Christiana Neilson (nee Clark). They married 17th Jan 1885 at Jarrow Grange Parish Church, South Shields. 


The 1891 Census shows John as a 1 year old livng with his mother at her parents house on Hill Street, Hedworth Monkton and Yarrow.

His grandfather John Clark is a ship caulker born at Elsdon in 1836, whilst his grandmother, Ann was born in Lowick in 1837. His mother Christina is shown as a married woman. Her two brothers and a sister are present. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 65 Winchester Street, South Shields.

His mother Christiana is head of the household and is shown as amarried woman, aged 37,  no occupation is shown and who was born in 1864 at Jarrow, Durham. She is living with four children, John Alexander aged 10, born 1891, Frank aged 4, born 1897, Anne aged 2, born 1899 and Norman born 1901. They have a domestic servant Sarah Weatherson aged 16, born 1885.

His father gained his Master Mariners Certificate on the 21st May 1886 and died 1904 in Calcutta, India.

The mother Christiana remarried 1905 to Frank Sisson who was born in Sunderland. 

By 1911 John is living with his mother who had been widowed and is now remarried to Frank Sisson. His step father Frank is the head of the household and John is described as a step son aged 22, born at Jarrow and working as a Ships platers helper. His three siblings are in the household together with his step brother Harry aged 5. 

He enlisted in South Shields and was serving in the 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 50178 when he was killed in action on the 4th August, 1917,  aged 26, during the Third Battle of Ypres. 

The 17th Battalion Diary groups the action of the opening day of the offensive up to the relief of the Battalion on 04th August as follows: 

On that day, the 89th Brigade was to follow up the attacks of the 21st and 90th Brigades and once their objectives had been taken, to go through them and secure a line of strong points on the German third line. The 89th Brigade line of attack was from the South West corner of Polygon Wood, to the Menin Road. The 17th Battalion The King’s Liverpool Regiment was on the left of the attack, and the 20th to the right, with the 19th Battalion and the 2nd Battalion The Bedfordshire Regiment, in Divisional Reserve.

The Battalion moved into assembly positions east of Maple Copse between 05.00 and 05.20am, they were heavily shelled and suffered many casualties. At 07.50 they began to advance with the 17th Battalion on the left, and the 20th on the right, the whole time under heavy shell fire. On reaching their position which was the Blue Line , troops of both the 21st and 90th Brigades were still pinned down and thus any attempt at further progress were futile.

Despite this they pushed on until their flank was just touching Clapham Junction. They then dug in and awaited the inevitable bombardment which hit them soon after. Despite this, they held onto the ground.

During the action and their time in the line the 17th Battalion lost three officers and 79 men killed or died of wounds, and four officers and 198 men wounded. They were eventually relieved on the night of 3rd -4th August. 

John was one of those casualties referred to in the Diary. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres, Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

He is commemorated on the following memorials:

St Paul And St John United Reformed Church

St Aidan’s Church – Window, South Shields, Tyne And Wear.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to mother Christina Sisson, 1 Roman Rd, South Shields.