South Shields Gazette 17/12/1929

2020

2020

1920s

Reported dead
Names of three living men on war memorials
In the little Durham Town of West Stanley, with its 20,000 inhabitants, there are three cases of men living in the town whose names appear on the war memorial as dead.

Thomas Perkins's wife had official word of his death in 1918, and drew two insurance policies. He returned three months later and is now living with her in Sladeburn Road. His name is on the war memorial in St. Andrew's Church.

Wardle Robinson passes the South Moor memorial daily going to work, though his name is on it, and Able-Seaman Matthew Dargue of Catherine Terrace, New Kyo has his name on the same memorial, but he also is alive.

Acknowledgments: Michael Mulhern.

On the WW1 memorial Plaques at South Moor Memorial Park Gates two names are blanked out.

The first plaque has a blank between Dover, Ralph and Dixon, William. In the Stanley News 14/07/1921 there is Matthew Dargue's name listed between the two.

The second plaque on the old photograph clearly shows Robinson, Wardle after Robinson, Charlton.

NEWMP suggests that these two names were covered over when the WW2 plaques were added.

Thomas Perkins is more problematic - there is no Thomas Perkins in Stanley's Book of Remembrance but there is a John Thomas Parkin serving with the 11th DLI with a death date of 28th March 1918.

The CWGC does not list either a Perkins or a Parkin for that date.

John T. Parkin was living with his wife May at 28, Annfield Street, Stanley in 1939.

NEWMP suggests that this is likely to be the third man on a War Memorial.