Newcastle Daily Chronicle 29/05/1919

Benwell Colliery Employees Welcomed Home.
Presentation of Military Medals.

A welcome home to the employees of Benwell Colliery, who had served in the war, was given at the Co-operative Café, Darn Crook, Newcastle, last night. Mr. Edward Middleton, president of the Miners’ Lodge, presided over a tea, at which a large company sat down, and extended a welcome to all, whilst a musical programme was afterwards rendered by Messrs. E. Earnshaw, W. Taylor, Bob Coulston, P.G. Doreen, G. Moncrief and L. Bennett, and the Harmony Four.

During the evening, Captain W. Cochran Carr, Army Remount Service, presented the Military Medal and a cheque from the Lord Mayor, together with a box of cigarettes, to each of three employees who had performed acts of valour in the field. Pte. P.W. Scott, N.F. and Pte. J. Nugent, R.N.D., it was explained, had won the medal for carrying wounded under heavy fire, whilst Pte. J. Smithson, Machine Gun Corps, had acted similarly, and had also remained at his gun after the loss of his team-mates.

Gifts of a silver cigarette-case to Captain Carr and a silver card-case to Mrs. Carr, were presented by Mr. Young and Councillor J. Chapman, and Mrs. Carr made the men and their wives the recipients of handsome souvenirs before leaving.