Private Archibald Neville Hanson
3765 8th Middlesex Regiment
60716 Northamptonshire Regiment
43925 6th Royal Dublin Fusiliers
Archibald was born in 1885 in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, son of Isaac Hanson a pit banksman born in Huddersfield and his wife Mary (nee Disney) from Keyworth. Around 1890 to 1892 his parents moved to Westwood and in 1901 and also in 1911 the family was living at Old Westwood (Palmerston Street), Westwood. Archibald was one of 7 sons, Arthur b. 1883 (Keyworth), Archibald Neville b. 1885 (Long Eaton), John Henry b. 1888 (Keyworth), Sidney Herbert b. 1890 (Keyworth), George Ernest b. 1892 (Westwood), Samuel Disney b. 1898 (Westwood) and Oswald b. 1901 (Westwood). Five of the brothers served during WW1. In 1911 Archie’s occupation is recorded as a collier.
The Absent Voters Roll of 1918 records that Archibald was serving with the Middlesex Regiment. He volunteered in 1915, attesting at Hornchurch, Lincs on 18th October 1915, aged 30 years. He gave his civilian occupation as ‘labourer’, his marital status as ‘single’ and next of kin as his mother Mary. From October 1915 to August 1916 he was stationed in the UK. From 12th August 1916 to 11th June 1918 he served in Salonika in the Dardanelles. By 21st Jun 1918 he was back in England and served at home until mid September 1918. On 25th Sep 1918 he was posted to France, no doubt to help with all the cleaning up operations and was there up to an including Christmas Day 25th December 1918. On the 26th December he sailed home again. He was discharged from the Army on 24th January 1919, aged 33 years, with a weekly invalidity pension of 5s/6d (equivalent to 27p) to be reviewed after 33 weeks. He was suffering from malaria attributed to his Army service which had left him 20% disabled. Archibald was awarded the British War and Victory Medals.
Archibald and his brothers Arthur, John, George and Samuel are all listed on the Jacksdale War Memorial as having served and survived.
Archibald does not seem to have married. He died in 1927 at the relatively young age of 42 and is buried at St. Mary’s, Westwood. His father Isaac Hanson died in 1931, aged 74 and his mother Mary died in 1919, aged 60 years, both are buried at Westwood, St. Mary’s.