Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Theodore Staff was born 1899 in Edmondsley, Chester-le-Street and was baptised there, June 12th 1900. One of 12 children, of whom only 7 survived, 4 boys and 3 girls, born to Robert James Staff 1864 Hinton, Suffolk and Emily Burten 1868, St Austell, Cornwall. The parents of both families had migrated north during the 1870s. In 1881 Robert James now 18 was living at 5, Double Row, Craghead, still a scholar having lost a leg in some sort of accident, Emily’s family lived at East Stanley Street. The couple met and married in the district of Lanchester, June 1888, setting up home at 5, Thomas Street, Craghead, where Robert James was employed as a weighman. In 1901 he was working as a colliery lampman and had moved with his family to 35 Beechgrove Terrace, Edmondsley however they returned to Craghead, living at Front Street, by 1911. His father had abandoned work at the colliery and found employment as a caretaker at the Workmans’ Institute, Theodore only being 11 years old was a schoolboy.
Theodore Staff enlisted in Newcastle upon Tyne and was assigned as Private 75913 Northumberland Fusiliers, 1st/4th Territorial Battalion. His full military record was destroyed, as were so many, during the blitz of WW2, it is therefore impossible to know his movements during the conflict. By 1918 the 4th Battalion as part of the 50th Northumbrian Division was participating in the Battle of Lys, their role was to defend the bridges over the Lys in the town of Estaires but after a day of fighting they were pushed back out of the town. Greatly depleted in numbers they withdrew to the north west. The Battle of Aisne began May 27th until June 6th 1918, the 4th Battalion was decimated with the majority of the men either killed or captured as their position was overrun.
Private 75913 Theodore Staff Northumberland Fusiliers was killed May 27th 1918. He was officially 18 years old. The question of his age at the time of his death is fundamental. Recruits were accepted from the age of 18 to 30 initially and could not serve overseas until 19 years old. Theodore most certainly lied about his age when he went to enlist, not only was he too young to enlist, if he had been discovered he would never have been sent to the front.
His sacrifice is commemorated on the Soissons Memorial, department Aisne, France, along with that of almost 4,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom forces who died during the Battle of Aisne and the Marne in 1918 and have no known grave.
His father Robert James was his sole beneficiary receiving 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.
Theodore is remembered at Craghead on C120.02, C120.04 and C120.07 where his regiment is said to be D.L.I. the other memorials have N.F.
