Corporal 13333 Job Hesson

Died of Wounds on Monday, 6th November 1916, age 32.
Buried in Grave II. C. 30. at Grove Town Cemetery, Meaulte, Somme, France.

'D' Company of 8th Bn., South Staffordshire Regiment. 51st Brigade of 17th Division.

Son of John and Frances Hannah Hesson, of Wednesbury, Staffs; husband of Betsy Jane Hesson, of 10 Old Row, Gold's Hill, West Bromwich, Staffs.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Wednesbury, Resident: Tipton.

First landed France & Flanders, 14th July 1915.
Medal entitlement: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Commemorated on the St. Paul's, Golds Hill Memorial.
Commemorated here because identified as Tipton on 'Soldiers Died in the Great War'.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/31193/

Genealogical Data

Birth of Job Hesson registered March quarter 1884 at Dudley.

1901 Census
Blakesley Wood, Tipton, Staffs.
John Hesson (43, Bricklayer's Labourer, born Tipton), his wife Fanny (39, born Tipton), and their 9 children: Joseph (20, Socket Winder in Tube Works, born Tipton), Job (17, Socket Heater in Tube Works, born Tipton), Lilly (14, born Birmingham), William F. (12, born Birmingham), George L. (7, born West Bromwich), Bernard (4, born West Bromwich), Elsie (2, born Tipton), Arthur J.N. (1, born Tipton), and Dorothy I. (7 months, born Tipton).

Marriage of Job Hesson and Betsy Jane Cooksey registered September quarter 1906 at Walsall.

1911 Census
32 Queen Street, Walsall, Staffs.
Job Hesson (27, Socket Maker - Tube Works, born Toll End), his wife Betsy Jane (26, born Golds Hill), and their 2 children: Edwin (4, born Walsall on 30th August 1906), and Gertrude D. (2, born Walsall on 28th December 1908). Two further children were born: Irene on 17th June 1911, and Frances Olive on 18th August 1913.

Personal Data

Hesson family information courtesy of Ray Hesson.
Job was the son of John and Frances Hesson (who had 20 children) who moved to Blakeley Hall off Leabrook Road on the Tipton/Wednesbury border in the early 1890's, possibly on the death of John's father William Hesson. Blakeley Hall had previously been a coaching inn, it was also known locally as Oldfield's Cottage, but shown on the electoral register as Blakeley Hall. The Hall became uninhabitable in 1928 when rising water from recently shut down coal mines flooded the cellar, then the living quarters, finally submerging the cottage completely.

Three of Job's brother also served in WW1 with Bernard, the youngest, winning the DCM and MSM.
The Roll of Honour in Smethwick Archives reads: Bernard Hesson Army No. 86137 Royal Engineers; Awarded the D.C.M. and Star of Saint George of Russia.

Family legend recalls that Bernard, at the age of eighteen, covered his head and face with a wet sack and entered a bunker that had undergone a mustard gas attack. He carried two injured soldiers to safety. His DCM citation records:
11509 Pte. B Hesson 2nd South Staffs (att 170th Mining Company, Royal Engineers)
For conspicuos bravery of 25th & 26th April 1915, at Givenchy, in assiting to rescue Officers and men from a deep mine full of poisionous gas. The courage and devotion to duty displayed were very pronounced, the risk of death through asphyxiation being great.
Gazetted 3rd June 1915.

Another brother who served in WW1 was William Frederick Hesson - quite a character by all accounts! As a youth he was sent to Borstal for breaking into a bonded warehouse, was given the opportunity of release if he went to Canada as a railway tracklayer for seven years, which he did. He reputedly knew Buffalo Bill! On returning from Canada and USA, he joined the Norwegian Merchant Navy travelling to Australia numerous times in the grain clippers. According to his own story he had signed-up for the maiden voyage of the Titanic, but along with a number of others got drunk the previous night and missed its departure. On 4th September 1914, he joined the 8th South Staffs, Army Number 13327, very close to Job's number 13333 so they certainly joined together. In November 1914 Fred was discharged due to medical unfitness "atrophy of leg and deformed foot" (he had had polio some years before). Fred however enlisted as a driver with the RFA and served throughout the war until being de-mobbed in January 1919.

After Job’s death, his outstanding army pay and allowances amounted to £2/9/8d (2 pounds, 9 shillings and 8 pence); this was paid to his widow, Mrs Betsy Hesson, in March 1917. His War Gratuity was £10/10/0d (10 pounds and 10 shillings), this was also paid to Betsy in November 1919. The value of the War Gratuity suggests that Job had enlisted in approximately September 1914.

Job's widow, Betsy, was awarded a Widow's Pension of £1/8/9d (1 pound, 8 shillings and 9 pence) per week for herself and her 4 children, effective from 21st May 1917. Her address was given as 10 Old Row, Golds Hill. The pension was re-calculated under the ‘Alternative Pension’ rules and increased to a total of £2/16/2d per week from 2nd May 1921, this was £1/6/8d for Betsy and £1/9/6d for the 4 children. Emily's pension would have ceased in 1924 when she married Andrew Whitehouse. A lump-sum compensation would have been paid, generally around a year's lost pension; the children’s pensions would continue until their 16th birthdays.

Action resulting in his death

Job Hesson joined the 8th Battalion South Staffs in 1914, and trained in Lichfield, Wareham, West Lulworth and Wool, before moving to Winchester in June 1915 and landing in Boulogne on 14th July 1915.

As part of 17th (Northern) Division they were in the southern part of the Ypres Salient in 1915, taking part in fighting at The Bluff (near Hill 60) in Spring 1916 before moving to the Somme. On the First Day of the Somme the 17th Division captured Fricourt; 'Rue du Major Raper' in Fricourt commemorates an officer of the 8th Staffords who was killed on 2nd July. Subsequently they were involved in the Battle of Delville Wood.

On 3rd November 1916 the 8th South Staffs moved from 'F' Camp near Montauban to support trenches north-west of Lesbouefs, moving to the front line on the 4th.

The War Diary entry for 5th November 1916 reads: "Day in line. Heavy shelling whole day. 5 Officers wounded." No mention is made of the 17 Other Ranks killed on the same day. The 8th South Staffs were relieved from the front line back to the support line at 8pm on the 6th November.

Job was severely wounded on either the 5th or 6th November. On the 6th November, he was admitted to the 34th Casualty Clearing Station (34 CCS), at Grove Town, Meaulte. This is approximately 10 miles south-west of Lesbouefs where the 8th South Staffs were located.

Job's Admission Records to 34 CCS shows that he had Gun Shot Wounds to the head and chest (both penetrating), and to the the left arm and left thigh. He was unconcious on admission, and marked as 'dangerously ill'. Sadly, he did not last the day and died from his wounds on 6th November. Job was buried in the adjacent Grove Town Cemetery, Meaulte.

Newspaper Cuttings

Tipton Herald 30th October 1915
DECORATION FOR LEABROOK SOLDIER.
Private Bernard Hesson of Leabrook, has received a coveted Russian decoration as well as the DCM. The latter was awarded for assisting to rescue officers and men from a deep minefield of poisonous gas. The Russian decoration was the medal of St George (third class). He is the youngest of four brothers serving with the Colours, and is only 18 years of age. He has not yet been able to obtain leave. Formerly of the 2nd South Staffordshires, he is now of the Royal Engineers.