YSJ Alumni, and the Great War – 27th July 1916
The York St John Roll of Honour in the Chapel, commemorates 84 York St John alumni, who gave their lives in the Great War, 1914-1918. On the 1st July, we remembered former students Edward Batley and Reginald Percival Jones, who were both killed in action on the first day of the Somme.
York St John alumni, Pat and John Neal
Today marks exactly 100 years to the day since the death of Johnsmen, Edward Fairless (1910-13), and Matthew Fullerton (1912-14), both men were killed in France on 27th July 1916. Edward and Matthew now lie side by side at the St Vasst Cemetery, Richebourg L’Avouve, Pas de Calais.
York St John alumus Pat Neal (1980-84) along with his wife Gill, and their son John (who is also a former student, 2013-16) visited the graves of both Edward and Matthew today, to lay a wreath on behalf of all York St John students, past and present. Both Pat and Edward Fairless are former captains of the YSJ Cricket Club.
Edward Fairless – St John’s College 1910 -1913
Edward Fairless
Edward Fairless was born in 1893 at Stanhope, County Durham and lived in Westgate, County Durham where his father was the school caretaker and attended Wolsingham Grammar School a few miles from Westgate.
Wolsingham School historian Anita Atkinson gave me the following information about Edward’s days at school.
In 1908, 16 year old Edward described his first three months as a Pupil Teacher at Witton-le-Wear Council School.
‘The first thing I had to do was teach the babies to read, for it was the Infant room in which I was installed. I got over that part successfully but when counting came on, and I had to make up stories and draw objects on blackboards, it was then that my courage defeated me. I was afraid to speak lest the other teacher should laugh at me. The next lesson was paper folding but to tell the truth I knew less about paper folding than the man in the moon. Poor me, unhappy children! But it all came to an end and I must admit that, on walking down to the station, I pitied new beginners like me.
The very next day was like the first and I found myself wishing on and oft that master would come and land me back at the Grammar School. The room was very large and there was a fair number of children. I took my stand in the middle of the room and tried to begin the lesson. My heart jumped painfully and I was quivering in every limb. I said about three words and stopped. I could not utter another syllable but luckily the Master came to the rescue. I suppose he knew exactly how I felt and with his help, I managed to scrape through to the end of the lesson. That was my first but I have given many more since and I feel not in the least afraid. I quite enjoy teaching.
I wish to tender my sincere thanks to all of my school friends who have kindly corresponded with me and thus have kept me in touch with the school.”
In 1909 Edward was Head Boy at Wolsingham and also captain of the cricket and football teams, the following year gained a distinction in English. He also took the lead role in the school production of Henry V. He left school on 13th April 1910.
Edward joined the teaching college in September 1910. Records are a bit slim but show that in 1912 Edward as a junior Johnsman formed an opening partnership with Jack Harrison who was to be awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross in 1917. Games recorded show Bede College, Durham, North Riding Asylum and the Yorkshire Gentlemen. Edward must have been a good cricketer to have an opening spot in the first eleven as a junior.
Also in 1912 Edward gained the honoured position of Senior Man at St John’s.
1913 St John’s Cricket Team, with Edward Fairless (centre, sitting) as captain.
In 1913 The College register show Edward was Cricket Club captain and continued to be a member of the first eleven scoring 13 in both games against Northallerton Thursday and the Yorkshire Gentlemen.
In 1914 Edward was an Assistant Master at Tudhoe Colliery Council Mixed School, County Durham.
On 28th November 1914 the school log book notes that ‘Messers Robinson, Fairless and Corner have obtained leave of absence to join Lord Kitchener’s army. They have not been at school today. They join the battalion tomorrow.’
Edward, along with Arthur Corner enlisted at Spennymoor into the 18th Battalion of the Durham Infantry (‘The Durham Pals’).
In 1914 Edward wrote to his old headmaster whilst in army training. His words show a life very different from what was to come.
‘The life is a very pleasant one, something like college on a larger scale and everyone is full of enthusiasm for his work, and hence improvement is rapid. I have my old college pal here with me so I am A1. The food is plain and somewhat scanty, while the outdoor exercise is fine sauce. We expect to go to France by about Christmas’. From his research, Pat believes the ‘old college pal’ to be Matthew Fullerton.
The battalion first served in Egypt from December 1915 to March 1916.
His colleague Arthur Corner was severely wounded and gassed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme (1st July) during the attack on the village of Serre when 450 men of the battalion were either killed or wounded. He later died of his wounds at a military hospital in Chichester, Hampshire.
We can only assume that Edward was also on the Somme on 1st July.
On the 27th July records state that Lance Corporal, Fairless was killed. As the Battle of the Somme continued, The Durham Pals were holding the front line at Neuve Chapelle and were subject to intensive artillery and trench mortar fire. In a German raid on the night of 27/28 July they suffered 79 casualties. Edward was buried along with his pals in the St. Vaast Post Military Cemetery, Richebourg-L’Avoue, Pas de Calais. Edward was 24 years old when he was killed.
In John Sheen’s book ‘The Durham Pals’ there is an account of Edward’s death described by Corporal James Sanderson in an article for the Bede College, Durham magazine sometime after the end of the war.
‘At the beginning of the bombardment we had one of the finest men in the company killed, Lance Corporal Fairless, a Saint John’s College man. His death was an instance of how fine may be the boundary between death and safety. Fairless was standing in the middle of a bay; on his right and only a few yards away was a comrade. The shell that knocked trench in and killed one, left the other shell shocked but with no other hurt. Sergeant R.N Thompson was near Fairless too and was fortunate to escape.’
Anita Atkinson in her history of Wolsingham School tells the story of the Memorial Oak trees that were planted one for each ex pupil killed in the Great War.
The oak trees are acknowledged by the Imperial War Museum as probably the oldest Great War memorial in the country as the saplings were planted before the war ended in 1918.
In November 2013 Wolsingham School pupil Matthew Douthwaite, planted a memorial poppy cross on behalf of the Old John’s Cricket Association, next to Edward’s oak tree.
‘The most poignant event of 1918 and perhaps of the whole of the history of the school came on a damp morning in March 1918 when a thick veil of mist hung over the whole valley. So began the solemn ceremony of the planting of what would turn out to be the first Memorial Oak Trees in memory of Old Boys who had perished. It was a little premature and tempted fate because the ending of hostilities was still eight months away and those boys who had died were by no means the last.
Mr Backhouse, however wanted to remember those who had gone in a lasting way and assembled the whole school in the playing fields. The school’s youngest pupils were selected to plant oak saplings. In small, quavering voices, the pupils spoke aloud as each sapling was planted.
“I plant this oak, hereafter to be called the —-oak in memory of —- who died gloriously fighting for his country”. Twelve oaks were eventually planted and all students returned to their classrooms, sombrely.’
Matthew Fullerton – St John’s College 1912 – 1914
Matthew was born on 1st February 1895, and attended what was then St John’s College as a student from 1912-14. On leaving St John’s he worked as a Teacher in Pelton Fell County School, County Durham. Less is known about Matthew, and his time at York St John, but we know that he was killed on 27th July 2016, the same day as Edward.
L/Corporal Charles Moss described in a letter how Matthew lost his life:-
‘You will no doubt have heard about our scrap the other night and what a bad knock the Chester chaps got. Poor Jimmy Curry, Matt Fullerton and Tot Stubbs……… we had a terrific two hours prelimery bombardment, a most fierce affair, in the midst of which the Chester chaps went down …….. The Chester chaps had a breastwork knocked on top of them. One fellow (L/C Jack McKeag) managed to pull himself out and spent the night trying to get the others out and scraping sandbags and earth off their heads’.
Privates Martin Carney and Monty Williams were rescued but the others had perished.
St. Vasst Cemetery, Richebourg-L’Avoue – The graves of Edward and Matthew are in M row, eight in from the cross.
