- The Medals and time capsule of documents to the Wilkinson family
- The Medals and time capsule of documents to the Wilkinson family
- The Medals and time capsule of documents to the Wilkinson family
The Medals and time capsule of documents to the Wilkinson family
- £1,700.00
No bar Queens South Africa Medal. Correctly impressed J L Wilkinson CGR.
Contemporary framed 1914 Star Bar Trio and Plaque to 10729 John Lambert Douglas Wilkinson. With a picture of the recipient.
Great War Pair correctly impressed to 127388 Gnr E W Wilkinson RA
Condition EF+
John Lambert Wilkinson was born in Haydon Bridge, Northumberland, on 28th September 1851. In 1861, he lived with his mother and father, a Railway Porter, at Railway Station Yard, Haydon Bridge.
At the time of the 1871 census, he was living at 62 Edward St, Gateshead, Durham and working as a railway stoker. He married Elizabeth Yellowey on 4th July 1873 and had three daughters with her. Elizabeth sadly died in India on 11th November 1885 from a fever.
John remarried to Annie Douglas on 5th April 1889 and went on to have two sons with her, John Lambert Douglas, born in December 1890 and Ernest William, born on the 28th August 1893.
During the Boer War, John served as a Locomotive Driver with the Cape Garrison Railway. For his service in the war, he was awarded a Queens South Africa Medal.
At the age of 17, in August 1908, John Lambert Douglas joined the Durham Light Infantry. He was based in Hyderabad Barracks, Colchester, at the time of the 1911 census. There are letters from John to his father during this period and postcard photographs on which John is identified.
John struggled with adapting to army life in his first few months; he was fined and confined to barracks on several occasions due to his appearance and lateness. He then progressed to not turning up to classes, overstaying his pass and being absent. His last reprimand was in November 1911 when he made an improper remark to a senior rank.
A solider in the 2nd Battalion, he was part of the BEF and landed in France on 8th September 1914. Tragically he was killed in action 13 days later, on the 21st. He was laid to rest in Vendresse British Cemetery. Letters of condolence were sent to his family; his father received one from his local Masonic lodge members.
John's possessions were returned to the family. A Princess Mary Tin, DLI cap badge and dog tag. A number of official documents dealing with his death are with the medals, along with his scroll, envelopes and packets for the medals.
Ernest William, the youngest son, looks to have first served with the 9th Battalion, Durham light infantry. There are several photographs of him and his friends in DLI uniforms. A signaller, he was posted to the 6 Battery 1 "B" Reserve RFA and went to France with them on 21st October 1917.
Ernest had a box brownie camera, and he took four of the pictures, which are with his medals. One is of a field gun, he he states he was shellshocked in 1917 at Ypres.
A souvenir picture of a battlefield has the handwritten note on the reverse that it was given to him by a German. He survived the war was part of the occupation force. Three lovely silhouette cards that Ernest had made of himself in Cologne in 1919 are included.
By 1924 he owned a Fruit Shop on Askew Road in Low Teams, Gateshead. He named his son after his brother and father, and a photograph shows his 14 and 1/2-year-old son outside the shop.
