Donald Howard King
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Harry and Emily King had a double tragedy in their lives inasmuch as they had two of their children killed in the Great War. As a railway worker, Harry moved around the country for his work. His first three children were born in Doncaster, two more in Lincolnshire and the youngest in Ranskill where Harry was appointed to the position of Station Master. Following in his footsteps, his eldest, Donald at the age of 14, in 1911 was working as a railway clerk on the Great North Railway.Donald enlisted in the 1st 4th Battalion of the Northampton Regiment on the 7th December 1914
After his training he went to Gallipoli on the 28th July 1915. He survived this bloody battle and on the evacuation went to Egypt, eventually joining the expedition into Palestine. In November 1917, the War Office contacted the King family in Ranskill with the bad news that their son, Donald had been killed on November 2nd 1917 at Gaza, age 21. He was buried in the Gaza War Cemetery.
Ranskill memorial book information:- Corpl. Donald Howard King No. 200769 – joined July 1915 – Killed at Gaza, Palestine 1917 – buried there age 21 – ‘Northamptons’ CWG additional information:- Son of Harry and Emily King, of Station House, Ranskill, Doncaster Commemorated in Ranskill Church WW1 record book and Window 1. Worksop Guardian 23 November 1917 Corpl. Donald H. King Mr. H. King, Station Master at Ranskill, has been notified by the War Office that his eldest son, Donald, has been killed in action. Corpl. D. H. King enlisted in the early months of the war and has been out at the Front for a considerable period. The sympathy of the residents goes out to Mr. and Mrs. King and family in their bereavement. Corpl. Donald Howard King was 21 years of age, and enlisted on December 7th, 1914, prior to which he was a clerk in the service of the G. N. R. He left England on July 28th, 1915, for Gallipoli, and on the evacuation, went to Egypt, eventually joining the expedition into Palestine, where he was killed in action on November 2nd.
No Photos