Private 14064 John Wilkinson

Killed in Action Mesopotamia on Thursday, 20th April 1916, age 38.
Commemorated on Panel 34 of Basra Memorial, Basra, Iraq.

7th Bn., North Staffordshire Regiment. 39th Brigade of 13th Division.
Formerly 16035 North Staffordshire Regiment.

Unmarried husband of Mary Ellen Wilkinson (Rose), of 22 Edward Street, Longton, Staffs.
Born: Dudley Port, Enlisted: Longton, Staffs., Resident: Longton, Staffs.

First landed Balkans, before 1st January 1916.
Medal entitlement: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Commemorated on the Tipton Library Memorial.
Commemorated here because he appears on a Tipton memorial.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/864078/

Genealogical Data

Birth of John Wilkinson registered December quarter 1877 in Dudley.

1891 Census
11 Caroline Street, Longton, Staffordshire.
Samuel Wilkinson (38, Bricklayer, born Dudley Port), his wife Elizabeth (32, born Longton), and their 7 children: Timothy (14, Apprentice Bricklayer, born Longton), John (13, Scholar, born Dudley Port), Florence (11, Scholar, born Longton), William (9, Scholar, born Longton), Alfred J. (5, Scholar, born Longton), Samuel (3, born Longton), and Hannah (3 months, born Longton).

In June quarter 1897 John Wilkinson married Martha Jane Alcock (in Stoke-on-Trent); a daughter, Ellen Louise, was born in December quarter 1897. Sadly, Martha died in December quarter 1899 and their child Ellen Louise was ‘adopted’ by her maternal grandmother who shared the same name. In 1901, 3-year-old Ellen was living with her grandmother Ellen Louise Alcock at 49 Victoria Road, Fenton. No further trace is found of the young Ellen Louise until she marries in Canada in 1920.

1901 Census
10 May Place, Fenton, Staffordshire.
Samuel Wilkinson (50, Bricklayer, born Dudley Port), his wife Elizabeth (43, born Longton), and their 7 children: John (24, widower, Bricklayer, born Longton - actually Dudley Port), William (19, Apprentice Bricklayer, born Longton), Florence (21, born Longton), Alfred J. (15, Apprentice House Painter, born Longton), Samuel (13, born Longton), Hannah (11, born Longton), and George (9, born Longton).

By 1903, widower John Wilkinson and Mary Ellen Rose had set up home together as man and wife, they never married but between 1904 and 1911 had 5 children. It is possible that they never married because Mary was still married to William Rose. On the 1911 Census, 41 year-old William Rose was an inmate of the County Lunatic Assylum at Cheddleton, Staffs. He had been a Groom, and had been born in Stone, this matches the detail for Mary's husband on the 1901 census. The Census says "lunatic at 33" - about the time that John and Mary began living together around 1903.

1911 Census
32 Arthur Street, Longton, Staffordshire.
John Wilkinson (34, Bricklayer, born Dudley Port), his wife Mary Ellen (40, born Longton), Mary’s 2 children from her first marriage: Frederick John Rose (16. Mould Runner (Pottery), born Longton) and Helen Elizabeth Rose (12, born Longton), and John and Mary’s 5 children: Samuel John (7, born Stoke), William Timothy (6, born Stoke), Florence Mary (4, born Longton), Monica (3, born Longton) and George Thomas (3 months, born Longton).
Mary had given birth to 11 children, 4 of whom had died. It is not known if these 4 children were Rose or Wilkinson.

Personal Data

The Wilkinson family were Longton residents from at least 1875 when John's parents had married there, his father had been born in Dudley Port and his mother in Longton. They remained resident in the Potteries except for a short period around 1878 when John was born in Dudley Port. His older brother (1 year older) and younger sister (2 years younger) were both born in Longton. He would have considered himself a Longton man.

After John's death, his outstanding army pay and allowances amounted to £4/12/6d (4 pounds, 12 shillings and 6 pence), and his War Gratuity was £6/10/0d (6 pounds and 10 shillings). The value of the War Gratuity suggests that John had enlisted in approximately October 1914.
John left no instructions on how to distribute this money, so it was advertised as "awaiting claim" in the London Gazette in July 1918. There is no evidence that any claim was made. If unclaimed the money would eventually be gifted to the Royal Patriotic Fund for charitable use.

John’s “unmarried wife”, Mary Ellen Rose, was awarded a Dependant’s Pension (rather then Widow’s Pension) of £1/4/6d (1 pounds, 4 shillings and 6 pence) per week for herself and her five children with John. Mary’s 2 children with William Rose were beyond the pension eligibility cut-off point of 16 years of age, but regardless would have been excluded because they were not John’s children. Mary’s eldest son, Frederick John Rose, served as Pte 14180 with the 8th North Staffs, serving abroad from July 1915 to the end of the war.

Action resulting in his death

The 7th North Staffs served in Gallipoli until the campaign was abandoned in January 1916. They were transported via Mudros, Egypt, then on to Basra in early March 1916. At this stage General Townshend's forces had been besieged in Kut for 2 months, operations here were with the sole aim of relieving the garrison at Kut.

Attacks by the 13th Division along the north bank of the River Tigris had been successful at Hanna and Falahiya positions, but the third attack, at Sannaiyat, had failed badly on 9th April. A continuation of this attack seemed impossible, so the focus moved south of the Tigris to Bait Isa.

The 3rd Indian Division successfully took Bait Isa on 17th April, but strong counter-attacks on that evening as it became dark caused the 3rd Indian Division's line live to break. The 39th Brigade were able to advance and stem this breach by the morning of 18th April. Kut was still besieged so the resumption of the advance was imperative.

The attack was planned for early in the morning of 19th April. Unfortunately the river level rose, and during the night the Turks were able to flood the ground. The advance was impossible, with men sinking up to their armpits. Attempts were made over the 19th and 20th April to find a route through the marsh, but it was impassable and the advance was abandoned. Further attempts in the next week to reach Kut also failed, and the garrison surrendered on 29th April.

John Wilkinson was killed in action on 20th April during the attack at Bait Isa. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Basra Memorial.

Newspaper Cuttings

None.