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WORLD WAR ONE

The Men Who Died

WORLD WAR ONE

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John was born in Brecon in 1897 to John and Emily Sessarago. His father, John, was born in Newry, Northern Ireland, but came to Hereford where he married Emily Florence Williams in 1890. The family moved to Brecon in the mid 1890s and settled in The Struet. They were in number 65 in 1901, but moved to number 46 by 1911. John had three sisters and a brother. His father was a general dealer in old and second hand goods and was well known in the town. A young duo calling themselves the Brecon Nightingales sang at local variety concerts before the war and consisted of Master Clarke and Sessarago. Given John's brother was born in 1910 it is safe to assume this was John. John's father died in 1911, and his mother followed in 1913. His elder sisters were eighteen and fifteen in 1911 and it is likely they maintained the family home. All three sisters married away from Brecon between 1921 and 1923.

John enlisted in Llandrindod Wells, initially with the Hereford Regiment and later the South Wales Borderers.

The 10th Battalion served with the 115th Brigade, 38th Division, which served in France and Flanders from 1915 until the end of the war.

Lance Corporal John Joseph Sessarago

South Wales Borderers 10th Battalion, service no. 42136

Died of wounds 30th April 1918, aged 21

Commemorated at Doullens Communal Cemetery Somme

France

Battalion in February 1917.

He served in Mesopotamia until his death on April 30th, 1917. He was part of a big attack that took place on that date and other Brecon men lost their lives on the same battlefield, Privates William John Jenkins, William Morgan, Charles Bather and Lieutenant Stephen Best²³. A sixth Brecon man was reported as killed, but this later proved to be erroneous although he was taken prisoner by the Turks.

Fred's father received a cheerful letter from him only weeks before his death, in which he said that he had been in two engagements and escaped without a scratch. Henry was living at 39, Newmarch Street before his death in 1922.

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See pages 95, 127, 21 and 27