This site commemorates the men and women of Collingham, Linton and Micklethwaite who served during World War 1.
Johnson, Ernest Jonathan
(1880-1942)
 

Rank and Unit at End of World War One

Rank

Service Army

Battalion 9th Battalion

Regiment West Yorkshire Regiment

Pre-war Occupation*/marital status**

Trade or Occupation pre-war: Farm labourer
Marital status: Married


* Taken from attestation papers or 1911 census
** Marital status on enlistment or at start of war
Connection with Collingham, Linton or Micklethwaite and reason for inclusion on this web site
  • Lived in Collingham, Linton or Micklethwaite immediately prewar or during the war
  • Named on printed lists of villagers in The Wetherby News or Collingham Parish Magazine

Biography

Family background

In the Collingham Parish Magazine of February 1915 a list of names of those who were serving His Majesty and for whom parishoners were asked to pray included the name Pte Ernest Johnson of the 9th West Yorks Regiment. We believe this might be Ernest Jonathan Johnson, born in 1880 in Walton, another of the sons of Henry and Sarah Ann Johnson (see other Johnsons listed on this site).

Ernest Johnathan Johnson had married Emily Binney in Collingham on the 30th September 1903. He was a labourer.

By 1909, the family were living in Rigton, Bardsey and they were still there on census day 1911. By 1918 and 1919, they appeared on the electoral roll for Collingham, living in Main Street. On these rolls, Ernest is listed in the main list of parishoners in the electoral rolls and not in the lists of those serving in the forces. It may be that Ernest enlisted, or tried to enlist in the early part of the war, but because of his age (he would have been 38 at the start of the war) he was not called on to serve. This fact would also explain why Ernest's name does not appear alongside that of his brothers when, on the 16th April 1915, the Wetherby News published a small section of one column entitled simply "COLLINGHAM": -

Wetherby News 16 April 1915
COLLINGHAM
Mr. H. Johnson, Church Street, has six sons serving with his Majesty's Forces: - Albert (Navy), Walter (Bantams), Raymond, William, Alfred and David (Kitchener's Army). Albert was a reservist prior to the outbreak of the war.

 

Service record

Ernest probably enlisted in the locally raised unit, the 9th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment early in the war, but was either then released from service because of his age, or transferred to a home service unit that we have not managed to trace further.

After the war

Later, in 1939, Ernest was still living in Collingham, being at Jewitt Lane in 1939 at the time of the 1939 registration list. Ernest died in 1942.

Biography last updated 03 December 2019 14:31:47.

Sources

1911 Census. The National Archives. Class RG14 Piece 25956
The Collingham Parish Magazine Feb 1915

If you have any photographs or further details about this person we would be pleased to hear from you. Please contact us via: alan.berry@collinghamanddistrictwararchive.info