This man is a candidate for addition to Keighley’s Supplementary Volume under the proposal to add further names in 2024, the centenary of the original roll of honour.
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Supported by the National Lottery’s Heritage Fund, our project intends to submit about 120 names for peer review to add them to the book which is kept at Keighley Library. The unveiling of the book with it’s new names is planned for November 2024, 100 years after the unveiling of the original war memorial.

Private. 28th Battalion, Canadian Infantry. Service number 192198.

Photo of Jowett Coulton, from Toronto Telegram in October 1916.

Early life:

Jowett’s parents were Arthur Coulton and Lily Coulton née White who were married at Keighley in the last quarter of 1895.
A year later in 1896 Ellen was born, followed by Jowett on 13th October 1897, both registered in Keighley. They were living at Damems when Jowett was baptised at St. John’s Church at Ingrow on 21st November the same year. Their father Arthur was a mechanic. Damems was a small hamlet of less than thirty houses in the South Ward of the Borough of Keighley and had a railway station on the Midland Railway Line serving the Worth Valley.
The vicar who baptised Jowett Coulton was the Reverend John William Oates, who was vicar of St. John’s Church between 1882 and 1906.
In the 1901 census Jowett was three years of age and living at 132, Ingrow Lane, Keighley wth his parents and his older sister Ellen who was five. Their father Arthur was employed as an engineer in a wollen mill and Lily was a woollen weaver.
The family emigrated to Canada, embarking on the S.S. Ionian on 4th June 1903. The ship was part of the Allan Line and was heading for Montreal in Quebec. Arthur was 27, Lily was 29, Ellen was seven and Jowett was five years of age. The voyage of 1500 miles was expected to take 24 days, giving an estimated date of arrival on 24th June.

War service

Jowett’s mother Lily was his next of kin and she was living at 681, Woodbine Avenue in Toronto when he enlisted on 17th August 1915 at Toronto, with the 48th Highlanders (86th Battalion). Jowett was working as a grocer in a shop he ran with his mother Lily. At the time of his declaration he was actually 17 years and 10 months old, but he lied about his date of birth, stating that it was 13th October 1895, to make it appear that he was two years older.
His medical details were: 5 feet 6 inches height; 121 lbs weight; 34 inch chest; fair complexion, grey eyes, and with light coloured hair. His religious denomination was Church of England. He was declared fit for service on 17th August.
His home address at enlistment was 210 Galley Avenue, Toronto, 19th October 1916. He was transferred to the 92nd Overseas Battalion.

He sailed from Halifax on S.S. Lapland on 27th November 1916, arrived at East Sandling in England, to the 43rd Battalion on 5th December 1915. He was taken on strength of the 17th Battalion on 28th January 1916.
On 29th May 1916 he was admitted to Brigade Hospital (no explanation given) and discharged on 23rd June 1916 when he was transferred to the Canadian Machine Gun Depot at Shorncliffe Army Camp.

On 5th July 1916 he was transferred to 28th Battalion overseas and at the Canadian Base depot on 6th July. The next day he was taken on strength of the 28th Battalion (2nd Canadian Division) in the field and arrived at his unit on 9th July when he made his will out to leave the whole of his effects to his mother Lily.
Jowett was killed in action in the 28th Battalion trenches on 26th September 1916. He has no known grave and is named on the Canadian Memorial at Vimy, between the towns of Lens and Arras.

Extract from the war diary of the 28th Battalion Canadian Infantry, September 1916:

LAVICOGNE. 23rd September.
7 am:
Battalion paraded and moved to bivouac area at VADENCOURT arriving at 12.30 noon.
Major ROSS and several officers accompanied party fo officers from other units in 5th Canadian Infantry Battalion and went up to look over the situation, preparatory to taking over sector to be held in the line.
4.30 pm: Conference at Brigade O.C.S. units.
7 pm: Infantry, all battalion officers conference on sector to be taken over and dispositions.
VADENCOURT. 24th September.
7.30 am: Battalion paraded and were transported by buses to LA BOISELLE area on BAPAUME ROAD between ALBERT AND POZIERES and arrived at this point at 10.30 am. Orders received to relieve 3rd Battalion in the line, night 24/25 inst. Line BAPAUME ROAD (exclusive) to M.19d.0.3 (100 yards frontage). A busy afternoon securing ammunition, mortar and all supplies for trench tour & Battalion moved from LA BOISELLE at 4.30 pm for trenches.
Transport lines in BRICKFIELDS area at ALBERT.
After order received during afternoon that one company 28th Battalion would relieve one company 13th Battalion thus making extending line taken over by 28th Battalion to R.24.c.5.5.

TRENCHES. Night 24/25th September.
Came in touch with infantry guides (3rd & 13th Battalions) about 6.30 pm at 6 Brigade Headquarters ending 24th & started in to get relief under way & owing to guides going astray and also indefinite state of trenches taken over. Relief completed at 2.05 am on 25th slight casualties also caused delay in relief.

25th September.
Heavy shelling on 28th Battalion sector by enemy artillery & great activity sniping on our account of enemy snipers.
8.20 am: Enemy attempted attack on 28th line in front of cemetery but was repulsed.
12.35 noon: A bombing party under LT. LITTLE advanced along trench toward BAPAUME ROAD and was stopped by enemy infantry. This party established a block at about M26a1.0. approximately 100 yards in advance of trench taken by us from 3rd Battalion. Heavy retaliation shelling by enemy for our artillery bombardment which preceded attack of Durhmas on right flank. Adjutant Capt J. F. McRay became ill and allowed to leave trenches. Major A. F. MANTLE killed while on duty in command of B Company.
Jowett was killed in action during this period.

Jowett’s death was reported in the Toronto Telegram in October 1916:

Pte. J. E. COULTON
Pte. Jowett E. Coulton, who joined the 92nd Battalion, and who was killed in action on Sept, 25 last, was the only son of a widowed mother. His father died two years ago when the family lived at Mimico. The mother is stopping at 210 Galley avenue, and beside the mother one sister survivies. Pte. Coulton was born in England, but came to Canada when he was about six years old. Before enlisting he ran a general store at Mimico along with his mother. Had he lived he would have been nineteen years old.

On 9th July 1916, Jowett had written his soldier’s will to leave the whole of his effects to his mother Lily.
She was granted a pension from 26th September 1916 and she also received a war gratuity of $180 on 14th July 1920. At that time she was living at 108, Robert Street in Mimico, Toronto.
Jowett’s mother would also have received his personal effects and his posthumously awarded War Medal and Victory Medal.
He is remembered on the Vimy Memorial in France and also on the Mimlico War Memorial.

Note:

The TSS Ionian merchant ship

The ship which transported the Coulton family to Canada in 1903 was sunk in 1917:
Her details were:
T.S.S.Ionian (1901) Allan Line
She was built by Workman, Clark & Co., Ltd., pf Belfast, Northern Ireland. Tonnage: 8,268. Dimensions: 470′ x 57′. Propulsion: Twin-screw, 14 knots. Masts and Funnels: Four masts and one funnel. Fate: Torpedoed and sunk 2 miles from St. Govans Head on October 20, 1917, with the loss of 7 lives.
Apart from transporting emigrants across the Atlantic, T.S.S. (Twin Screw Steamship) Ionian also transported many troops during the Great War, notably bringing the 8th Battalion West Riding Regiment from Alexandria to Marseilles, where they disembarked and travelled North to serve in the Somme region in 1916.
T.S.S. Ionian was sunk either by a torpedo or mine laid by a U-boat, approximately two miles from Govan Head on 20th October 1917. She drifted ashore and wrecked at St. Govan’s Head, on the south coast of Pembrokeshire. The crew escaped in lifeboats but one of these turned over in heavy seas and 22 men went into the water, six of those aboard drowned in the process and were all buried in Castlemartin Churchyard.
They were all serving in the Mercantile Marine and their names were:
Seaman J. Shallow, age 36; Assistant Cook J. Maguire; Steward P. Monjou; Waiter J. Brown; Trimmer D. Doyle and Waiter Francis Daniel Simmons.

Information sources:

1891 England, Wales & Scotland Census
England & Wales Marriages 1837-2005
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1910
1901 England and Wales Census
UK and Ireland, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960
Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) – Digitized service file – PDF format: B2047-S040
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Toronto Telegram October 1916
Town of Mimico – Soldiers of the First World War, war memorial
Canadian service records from Canadian Veteran’s Affairs
Canadian War Diaries
Canadian Virtual memorial