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Piper. John William Fellows
British Army 20th (Tyneside Scottish) Btn, No.1 Coy. Northumberland Fusiliers
from:29 Weardale Avenue, Walker, Newcastle
(d.1st July 1916)
John Fellows was my great, great uncle. He served with the 20th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers in WW1 and was 21 when he died at the Battle of the Somme on 1st of July 1916.
He was a piper in the Battalion band. Family memories of him were that he could pick up any instrument and play it, he was very musical. This is particularly poignant for me as I too am very musical. I have been head of music in a high school for 25 years. He was known as John Willie. John's uncle Tom was also in the same Battalion but he survived the war. He said the last time he saw John he had thrown down his bagpipes and was running towards the Germans drawing his bayonet. The pipers of the 20th Battalion led the troops into battle on the very first day of the Battle of the Somme. John would literally have been right at the front, playing his pipes to stir morale, and probably as a result, one of the first men to die in the battle of the Somme. He was my great grandma's brother.
John's initial training was in Newcastle, then they moved on to the grounds of Alnwick Castle before completing training in 1915 on Salisbury Plain. Once in France his Battalion moved to La Boiselle. He was in France for approx 6 months and died somewhere near La Boiselle, I think near where 2 large craters were created. I feel very proud of him but also deeply moved that he died at such a young age, unable to have a family of his own.
We have a photo of him in his uniform and kilt. I will make sure my own children know all about him. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial and I hope to visit one day to pay my respects. Son of William and Martha Fellows of 29, Weardale Avenue, Walker, Newcastle-on-Tyne. I would dearly love to find out more about him.
