Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas MacDonald was born 1888 at Broompark, Consett, County Durham, one of 7 known children, 4 boys and 3 girls born to Michael MacDonald and Bridget Donnally 1856 of Consett. Michael MacDonald died prior to 1891, his widow was living at 10 Medomsley Street, Leadgate, Consett along with her aunt, uncle and a cousin, where she was a small shopkeeper. In 1910 Thomas, now a steelworker at the steel mills, married Margaret A. Boyle (Maggie), in the district of Chester-le-Street and lived at 258, Green Street, Leadgate, Consett.
Thomas enlisted in Durham and was firstly assigned as Private 5773 1/6th Battalion Durham Light Infantry later transferred to the 1/9th Battalion as Private 250733, 151st Brigade, 50th Northumbrian Division. He was drafted to France after December 1915 and his division participated at the battles of Flers-Courcelette, Morval and Transloy Ridge all phases of the Battle of the Somme 1916, followed by the Third Battle of Ypres consisting of the Battles of Arras and the Second Battle of Passchendaele in 1917.
In 1918, with the Russians out of the war, the Germans could transfer forces and outnumbered the Allies on the Western Front before the arrival of the Americans. The Allies began to prepare an offensive and because of lack of manpower the British Army was reorganised in February, the 9th Battalion converted to a Pioneer Battalion attached to the 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division. They fought in March before Bucquoy. Reduced by fighting on the Ypres salient the 151st Brigade was sent to Aisne to recuperate where a third German attack found them at the end of May 1918. The scattered parties were forced south to the Marne where finally the 151st Brigade could only muster 103 men of all ranks, Private MacDonald was one of them. In July the 9th Battalion was used as infantry for the counter offensive on the Ardre river and on July 20th fought through thick woods and captured the village of Cuitron, July 23rd 1918, at the cost of 294 officers and men killed, wounded and missing.
Private 250733 Thomas MacDonald was killed in action July 23rd 1918, his body buried on the battlefield and marked with a cross bearing his service details. After Armistice Courmas British Cemetery, Marne, France, was created, his body was exhumed and reburied there with full military honours and reverence, grave II. B. 5.
His widow Maggie received all monies due to him, a pension and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Thomas Macdonald is remembered at Craghead on C120.02
CWGC entry has him as T. McDonald
