The number of miners who joined the forces was 1,130 of whom 140 were killed.
Those who returned were presented with watches or alberts.
£4,200 was raised locally for the men serving. Donations were made to: Sailors and Soldiers Funds; Red Cross; South Shields Soldiers’ Fund; Harton Colliery Widows and Orphans Fund; Lieut. Dennis Bailey’s Motor Ambulance Fund; Mill Dam Hospital; Mayoress’s Ambulance Fund.
Between August 1914 to June 1919, Harton Coal Company paid £13,678 to the dependants of soldier and sailor workmen.
THE HONOURS LIST.
The honours won by men from the colliery is as follows.
Those who fell are marked by an asterisk*.
*2nd Lieut. Chas. Lovatt M.C.
Gunner A. Turner M.de Guerre
Sec.Cpl. M. Pletts M.S.M. See 2 below.
Pte. Jno. Drysdale M.S.M. See 1 below.
*Pte. Mick Glynn D.S.M.
Sgt. Jno. O’Brien D.C.M.
Cpl. T. Plummer D.C.M.
Cpl. A. Pollard D.C.M.
L.Cpl. W.H. Farraday D.C.M.
C.S.M. J. Halpin M.M.
*Sergt. P. Duffy M.M.
Sapper W. Gatenby M.M.
Sergt. R. Craig M.M.
Cpl. S. Hutchinson M.M.
Sergt. R. Crawford M.M.
Gunner Wm. Hepplewhite M.M.
Cpl. Jno. Nye M.M.
Gunner J. Harrison M.M.
Sergt. A. McArdle M.M.
*Pte. J. Lumsdale M.M.
*A.B. Wm. Chapman M.M.
Sapper R. McCarthy M.M.
Gunner T. Duncan M.M.
Cpl. H. George M.M.
Lce.Cpl. R. Walker M.M.
Pte. A.V. Henderson M.M.
Pte. H. McDonald M.M.
Driver T. Urwin M.M.
Pte. Geo. Young M.M.
P.O. R. Brooks M.M.
Gunner Jno. Lindsay M.M.
Pte. Mick McAdams M.M.
Leading Seaman E. Heslop M.M.
Sergt. T. Watson M.M. See 3 below.
*Pte. Laverick M.M.
1 Pte. John Drysdale
“The M.S.M. went to Pte. John Drysdale, R.A.M.C. on December 31st last ‘for special attention to duty whilst in charge of a heat stroke station in Mesopotamia and obtaining a good record of cures. This was done under strained circumstances for a Britisher on account of the prevailing high temperature.’
Drysdale devoted the whole of his time from early morning to midnight to the sick, and during the two years he had charge of the station no fewer than 260 patients passed through, the number of deaths for the same period being 37.
2. 2nd Cpl. Mark Pletts
The rigours of the life in forward labour companies is told in connection with the award of the M.S.M. to 2nd Cpl. Mark Pletts. In charge of the 238 Light Railway Company it was his duty to maintain and repair a section of light railways which were the only means of supplying the front line with food, ammunition and reinforcements. Near Neippe Forest particular areas of great importance were heavily shelled with disruptive and gas for many nights in succession.
The company had as their solemn duty the repairing of serious damage aid shellfire and the dreaded poison gas. But for the heroic services of Pletts and his men fatal dislocation of transportation may have resulted. As it was, by perseverance , bravery and determination supplies to the amount of 1,000 tons a day were kept passing under terrible conditions.
3. Sgt. T. Watson, R.E.
Twice mentioned in despatches and later awarded the Military Medal – the “emma emma” as the telephonist has it – is Sgt. T. Watson, R.E. His achievements were the fixing of barbed wire entanglements under withering conditions at Braclie Zumin: heroic work in connection with the capture of Pero station in November 1917, while attached to the 2nd East Yorks; and a successful but an extremely difficult part in the construction of a pontoon bridge in a ‘stunt’ which ended in the capture of Borsock in the Balkans. In Watson’s own words: “The loss of life was terrible. I wonder myself how I got back!”