Doncaster Times Issue 1 - June 2016

James
Crampton
From Private to Major
As part of the Doncaster 1914-18 project,
Dr Charles Kelham, Borough Archivist for
Doncaster, asked if I would look through
the school log books at Doncaster Archives to
check the physical condition of the books, and
to explore the content relating to the First World
War, and how it affected the pupils, teachers and
everyday life in Doncaster. This research project
proved to be fascinating; some schools barely
mentioned the war, apart from losing teachers
to the war effort and ‘having’ to employ married
women, whilst others gave detailed accounts
on how the schools were affected. The central
Doncaster schools were commandeered by the
army for troops, and the children were moved into
church halls and other buildings. In the outlying
areas, children assisted the war effort by growing
vegetables and collecting berries to make jam.
This was how I first came across James
Crampton, in the Hexthorpe Middle School log
book. His head teacher, Mr W S Willing, B.A.,
expressed how proud he was of James.
“It has been a red letter day in the history of the
school. The Mayor, Councillor G Raithby, the
Chairman of the Education Committee, Alderman
C Smith, Alderman Cole, Councillors Morris and
Sutton, the Education Secretary and others visited
the school to honour an old boy, James Crampton,
who has been awarded the Military Cross for
valour at the Battle of Messines, Hill 60 and has
been promoted to the rank of Captain, 8th York
and Lancaster. The school rooms were suitably
decorated, complimentary speeches were made
by the Mayor and Alderman Smith, the headmaster
gave a report on the school record during the war,
and then a presentation solid silver cigarette case
was handed to the gallant captain, who replied
in an “apt and suitable manner”. National songs
were rendered and the whole James Crampton
proceedings, interspersed with cheering and
applause were most enthusiastic. A half day holiday
was granted in honour of Captain Crampton”.
By kind permission of Janet Farrar
This was only the beginning, and I was intrigued. My
curiosity inspired me to check for more information
from Wyn’s Military Index to Doncaster Newspapers
1914-1919. Over the last ten years Wyn Bulmer, a
Local Studies project volunteer, has spent almost
every Saturday morning in the Local Studies Library
trawling the newspapers for information on serving
military personnel and their families and indexing
the material found. This wonderful resource is
available as part of the Doncaster 1914-18 project
online and as a CD. There were several entries for
James Crampton, and his brother Thomas, which
also gave information on other members of the
family helping me to construct a family tree. Their
father, Thomas had fought in South Africa and
both James and Thomas junior had joined the
Doncaster Territorials before the outbreak of war.
Armed with this information, I began to build up a
picture of James’ war service; from his promotion
to 2nd Lieutenant in the York & Lancaster regiment,
receiving the Military Cross at the battle of
Messines, Hill 60 and promotion to Captain four
days later, on his 21st birthday. He also won the
Belgian Croix de Guerre, the Belgian War Cross, the
honour being conferred on him by King Albert I for
‘most daring and conspicuous gallantry in action in
Belgium’. On the 1 July 1918, he was promoted to
Major at the considerably young age of 22 years.
Whilst serving in Italy on 31 October 1918, he was
awarded the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O) for
conspicuous ability and gallantry at the Piave Battle,
during a crossing of the River Livenza into Sacile.
After several unsuccessful attempts to improve
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