Thomas Whitfield born 1892 was married in the district of Lanchester, County Durham, December 1st 1913 to Margaret Hannah Dolphin born 1897 at Black Road, Witton-le-Wear, daughter Elizabeth Harriet was born April 9th 1914 at Old Cornsay Village, County Durham.

Thomas enlisted November 5th 1914 for the duration of the war and was assigned as Private 176 to the 22nd (3rd Tyneside Scottish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. Initially trained at Newcastle they moved to Alnwick camp in the grounds of Alnwick Castle, January 29th 1915. They were transferred to Ripon, Yorkshire in June 1915 where they joined the 102nd Brigade, 34th Division and moved for final training in late August to Salisbury Plain. They departed to France in January 1916, concentrated at La Crosse near St. Omer.

After undergoing a period of trench familiarisation they were moved to the Somme in preparation for the forthcoming offensive due to commence June 29th 1916, which because of bad weather did not take place until July 1st 1916. At 7.28 a.m. July 1st 1916 two huge mines were detonated in the explosive packed tunnels under the German lines, one to the north, the other to the south of the village of La Boisselle, near Albert. The 20th (1st Tyneside Scottish) Battalion had 500 yards to cross under machine gun fire before reaching the German lines, 26 Officers and 564 men lost their lives, they successfully captured Scots and Sausage Redoubts. The 22nd followed the 21st Battalion across 200 yards of No Man’s Land and lost 20 Officers and 628 men.

In 1917 they fought during the 1st and 2nd Battles of the Scarpe and the Battle of Arleux during the Arras Offensive. In August they were in action at Hargicourt where the battalion made little progress in the main advance to the Hindenburg Line and in October at the 3rd Battle of Ypres in Belgium at Broenbeek.

During 1918 he was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal, however, he was demoted to Private due to misconduct, October 8th 1918 and permanently transferred to the 2nd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers part of the 150th Brigade, 50th Northumberland Division and returned to England October 28th 1918. He was demobilised to class Z, February 12th 1919, free to return to his civilian occupation but under the obligation to return to the colours should hostilities resume with Germany. Class Z ceased to exists after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, June 28th 1919 officially bringing to an end the Great War. Recipient of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

Post war Thomas and Margaret Hannah had a further 3 children, Ruby in 1919, Thomas E. in 1921 and George R. Whitfield in 1924.

Margaret Hannah’s brother Christopher Edmund Dolphinwas killed on the Somme in 1917.

In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.