| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Johnson was born the 6 Dec 1889 on Chantry Lane, Beverley and baptised the 17 Jan 1890. His father, George was a cow hand and labourer. The family lived in Beverley, Brandesburton and Leven. Johnson was unmarried. In 1911 he lived at home with his parents at 5 Mariners Place, Beckside, Beverley.
Johnson was a Private in the Waggoner's Reserve. The Waggoner's Reserve was headed by Captain Mark Sykes of Sledmere, who recruited a lot of young farm hands during the First World War. Johnson joined up in Bainton near Driffield, his mothers the home town. At the time of joining up Johnson worked for Mr Coulson of Braffords Farm, Riplingham as a farm hand but previous to that he worked in Beverley as a general labourer on the railway.
Johnson was one of the first Waggoner's to be killed. He died on 9 Nov 1914, aged 25 and is buried in Bailleul, France near the Belgium border. It contains 610 commonwealth burials from the First World War. Johnson's army number was CHT/1007 and he was a driver in the 7th division of the Army Service Corp. A cross was placed on his grave but it wasn't the actual site of his burial, the exact location is unknown. The inscription on his grave reads 'their glory shall not be blotted out' and was chosen by his father George.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |