Private John Jobson

Private John Stevenson Jobson, 24th ( 1st Tyneside Irish ) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. He was killed in action in France on 1st July 1916 on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, aged 19. He was the son of Johnson and Rachel Jobson of Heckley Fence, Alnwick, Northumberland and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Thiepval, Somme, France  On that fateful day the Battalion advanced from the Tara Usna line just north of Albert and was tasked to capture the German front trench system and eventually the heavily fortified village of Contalmaison. The attack was a disaster and 5 Officers and 142 Other Ranks were killed with 13 Officers and 474 other Ranks being wounded. This total of 634 was about 70% of the Battalion. He is also commemorated on the Wooler Memorial. The photograph shows troops as they commenced their attack at 7.30 a.m. with neatly spaced lines but very little cover.