Earlier this week (9 Jan), the Commonwealth War Graves put out an appeal to find the next of kin of four soldiers, including one from the Durham Light Infantry (DLI). https://www.cwgc.org/learn/news-and-events/news/2018/01/09/09/06/appeal-for-relatives---jan-2018
1706 Private Joseph Winn of 3/5th Battalion, DLI, from Thornaby-on-Tees, son of Alexander, died on 16 January 1918 and is buried in the local cemetery.
Census records show Joseph living in Thornaby-on-Tees, and to have been born in 1892, the fourth of nine children born to Alexander and Rebecca Winn. Alexander and Rebecca had both been born in Ireland. The men of working age in the family were employed in iron works, a large industry on Teesside. Joseph’s older siblings were William, Catherine, and Margaret. Younger than him were Alexander, Agnes, Mary, Samuel, and Rebecca.
Ancestry shows that some information of his army service survived amongst the pension records. Joseph joined the local territorial battalion, 5 DLI in 1912 and was discharged in May 1916. He did not serve abroad during the war, but remained in the reserve battalion on home service. Joseph received the Silver War Badge as his discharge from service was due to being medically unfit (records suggest that he did not apply for it when he was first eligible). One of the documents in the pension record provides quite detailed information on Joseph’s condition, and is stamped ‘Total disablement’, and a pension of 20/- per week from 1 January to 3 April 1917, then 27/6, and offered sanatorium. He was medically unfit due to ‘Tubercle of the lung and fistula in ano’, meaning that he had tuberculosis and an anal fistula.
The report of the medical board of 6 April 1916 says:
‘Originated (haemoptysis [coughing up blood]) in April 1913 at Thornaby-on-Tees. Recovering from haemoptysis. Sputum examined for tubercle bacilli, result positive… Not result or aggravated by ordinary military service’.
A further report on 26 October 1917 says:
‘Very emaciated and anaemic…severe case of tubercle of lung…From history although he had a haemorrhage in 1913, he got over this and was able to carry on his work until enlistment in 1914 when he states he did not report sick until December 1915 and was not admitted to hospital March 1916 with a severe haemorrhage. Condition was aggravated by his military service’. [This text is as written, and is not very clear].
On 11 November 1917:
‘Sanatorium treatment recommended subject to opinion of local tuberculosis medical officer’.
There is no indication whether Joseph made it to a sanatorium before his death in January 1918.
If you believe you have a connection with Joseph Winn, contact the Commonwealth War Graves commission at: enquiries@cwgc.org
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