Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Norman Hebdon, one of 10 children, all of whom survived, was the 5th born of 6 sons and had 2 elder and 2 younger sisters. His father Matthew Thorpe Hebdon was born at Easingwold, Yorkshire in 1857, his mother Mary Kirk in 1862 at Ovingham, Northumberland, they were married at Easingwold in 1881. In 1891 they were living with their children John William (8), George Ernest (6), Edith (4), James born September 15th 1888 and new born Elizabeth, in the village of Sainforth, just north of Settle in Yorkshire, where Matthew was employed as a railway plate layer. By the time Charles was born in 1895 they had moved to Willington, County Durham, Norman was born at Annfield Plain in 1897 and Hannah in 1900 at Willington. Living at East Castle, Annfield Plain, County Durham, in 1901 Matthew was employed by the railway as a signalman, their elder children had left home and they had a new born baby girl Hannah, Thorpe and Mary were also born at East Castle, in 1904 and 1907 respectively. James (15) and Charles (10) in 1911 were employed as miners, their father had remained with the railway, Norman and his younger siblings with the exception of Mary were scholars.
After the declaration of war in August 1914 Norman left the family home at Annfield Plain, County Durham and enlisted at Consett, declaring he was 18 years and 24 days old, which was a lie, he was only 17 years old. Assigned as Private 27023 Durham Light Infantry, he joined his regiment at their barracks at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland and posted on the 15th to the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, part of the coastal defences but which also trained new recruits and later retrained the recovering wounded for service overseas.
Norman, by law, would not have been eligible for active service overseas until he turned 19 years of age, thinking he was older and calculating he had done so, Private Hebdon departed to France, August 24th 1916. After spending time at the D.L.I. Depot for a period of trench familiarisation he was posted September 4th to “D” Coy, 10th Battalion D.L.I. in the field, who were fighting as part of the 43rd Brigade, 14th (Light) Division and had just concluded their participation at the Battle of Delville Wood, September 3rd. His first experience of warfare came during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, September 15th-22nd 1916 at the conclusion of which he was declared as missing, which must have come as a tremendous shock to his family so soon after his departure (3 weeks) and added to their anxiety having two sons engaged in the same battle zone on the Somme.
After extensive investigations as to his whereabouts Private 27023 Norman Hebdon Durham Light Infantry was struck off, January 16th 1917, declared to have been killed in action on or since, September 16th 1916, this date was adopted by the CWGC officially as the date of his demise. His sacrifice is recorded as one of the 72,336 names inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, Thiepval, France, commemorating servicemen from Britain and South Africa who were killed on the Somme before March 20th 1918, who have no known grave. He was 18 years of age and single.
All monies due to him, his personal effects and medals, consisting of the British War Medal and Victory Medal, were, as per his will dated August 27th 1916, given to his sole beneficiary, Miss Amelia Reay of High Bush Blades, Tantobie, County Durham, a dear friend or perhaps his sweetheart.
Although all the Hebdon brothers would have been eligible for war service not all details have survived. Norman’s brother Charles also served during WW1 and perished whilst serving with the Durham Light Infantry in Belgium, little over 12 month later in October 1917, James who had emigrated to America joined the U.S. Army and survived the conflict.
It should be noted that the CWGC entry for Private Hebdon states he was 17 years of age, this is inaccurate, his birth is registered in the district of Lanchester, County Durham, 4th quarter (Oct/Nov/Dec) 1897, he was in fact 18 almost 19 years of age.
Mary Hebdon nee Kirk died during the 2nd quarter 1935 aged 73 years, registered in the district of Lanchester. Matthew Thorpe Hebdon of 10, Burn Row, East Holywell, Northumberland died aged 83 years, February 16th 1940, at Victoria Terrace, Whitley Bay. Effects of 414 pounds and 5 pence were assigned to his son George Ernest Hebdon, coal miner.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Norman Hebdon is remembered in Annfield Plain on A38.01, in Leadgate on L65.02 and L65.03 and in South Moor on S129.01
