Sergeant John Anthony Charlton

Army Number: 202294 (formerly 877 Northumberland Fusiliers)

Battalion: 1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derbys) Regiment.

Born and lived in Birtley, near Bellingham, Northumberland. Son of Anthony and Harriett Charlton, of Birtley. Husband of Annie Elizabeth Charlton. He was a plasterer prior to enlisting on 5th May 1911 at Bellingham. He was promoted to Corporal on 1st January 1916. Was transferred to the 1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derbys) Regiment, on 23rd March 1916. Promoted to Sergeant 3rd July 1916 and went to France 16th January 1917. He suffered gunshot wounds to his right upper arm, on 7th May 1917. He was transferred to England, on 22nd May 1917. Returned to France and was killed in action on 3rd October 1918 in a raid on a German trench (Oppy Support trench)

War Diary Entry
3rd.         At 5.30 a.m. under an artillery barrage two platoons of B Coy. led by Lieut. CLARKE (No.7 Platoon) and 2/Lieut. ADAMS (No.6 Platoon) made a determined and successful raid on the post raided the previous day and also on a considerable length of OPPY SUPPORT TRENCH including a large dugout therein. A Sergeant Major and 2 privates of the 189 I.R. who had only arrived in the line the previous night were captured. Our men withdrew after making their captures but the hostile barrage was responsible for the following casualties:- 2/Lieut. ADAMS, Sgt. CHARLTON and two men were killed.

Commemorated: Vis-En-Artois Memorial, France. Panel 7.

Sergeant John Anthony Charlton is also commemorated on the following memorials:-
St. Giles Church War Memorial, Birtley, County Durham.