On Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium is the name of 32795 Private Thomas Winter serving with the 9th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment who died 24/09/1917.

The son of Mrs. E.M. Lee (formerly Winter), of Beamish, and the late William Winter and the husband of Mary Lydia Winter, of Urpeth Villas, Beamish, Co. Durham.

Thomas was born at Pittington, County Durham, in 1890 the son of William and Elizabeth Ann Winter. In 1911 the family were living at 10 Sherburn Colliery Station. Father William was a Coal Inspector at Bank. His sister Isabella Elizabeth was a Clerk, Thomas was a Colliery Clerk, brother William was an Engineer’s apprentice and youngest sister Edith was at School.

Thomas married Mary Lydia Lee in 1914 at St. Paul’s Church West Pelton. The couple set up home in Plantation View Twizell Lane Beamish.

An Account Clerk residing at Beamish Thomas Winter was Initiated into 1274 Earl of Durham Lodge at Chester le Street on the 1st March 1916; Passed 5th April 1916 and Raised on the 28th June 1916.

Working as a Clerk in Armstrong and Whitworths’ Munitions factory and exempt from service, Thomas enlisted at Newcastle upon Tyne. He was 5 feet 3½ inches tall.

Thomas was mobilised January 22nd 1917 with the 81st Training Reserve. He went to France in May 1917 and was transferred to the York and Lancaster Regiment.

Thomas was wounded in June 1917. The 9th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment was attached to the 70th Brigade, 23rd Division between July 17th and November 1917. At the time Thomas was killed, his unit participated in the Third Battle of Ypres. On September 19th, they were located at a position called Bedford House, a couple of miles west of Gheluvelt. On September 20th the 70th Brigade moved to an area just north west of Gheluvelt in and around the Jasper Trench. Thomas was killed in action on the 24th September 1917 aged 27.

Thomas was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

Thomas and Mary Lydia’s daughter Margaret Gentry Winter was born on August 9th 1917.
In 1921 widow Mary Lydia and Gentry were living at Urpeth Villas Beamish with her parents John and Elizabeth Ann Lee. John was a traffic Manager West Pelton Collieries.

Mary Lydia Winter died tragically in July 1939 and was buried in Pelton Churchyard with her parents.

Gentry as she was known, taught for many years at Pelton Roseberry Infant School. She married another local teacher Norman William Flowers at Pelton Holy Trinity Church in November 1939. Gentry died December 22nd 1995.

Thomas’ parents, brothers and sisters remained in the Sherburn area.

In September 2017 grandchildren Tom, Hilary and their partners, Claire and great grandson Mark visited Tyne Cot Memorial and the area where Thomas’s regiment were deployed on September 24th 1917.

Acknowledgements: Rev. Youngson; Dorothy Hall; the Winter family

Thomas Winter is remembered at Chester le Street on C105.41, at Sherburn on S121.01, S121.02, S121.03, S121.05 and S121.08, at West Pelton on W112.01 and in the Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-18 (London)