Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery
Pailine Priano has submitted the following:-
Matthew Lonsdale was born 1895 in Craghead, County Durham, one of 6 children, 2 boys, 3 girls and 1 deceased (gender unknown), to father Matthew Lonsdale born August 13th 1864 and Mary Jane Lumsdon 1869 both natives of Tow Law, County Durham. They were married in 1886 and set up home in Craghead at 5, Eastfield Cottages where Matthew was employed as a coal miner-hewer. Living with them and their new born child, Nancy, was George’s brother William and Mary Jane’s sister Amelia. In 1901 they were living in Thomas Street with two children, Matthew was not with them, he was living and continued to live all his life with his maternal grandparents, Matthew and Nancy Lumsdon, who had also taken in two of their other grandchildren, Matthew and James Keers. Matthew Lumsden was a deputy overman at the pit and at the age of 16 grandson Matthew worked there also as a driver.
Matthew Lonsdale enlisted in Chester-le-Street October 28th 1914 joining the 2nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry as Private 20668. He departed for France May 25th 1916 where the Battalion was attached to the 18th Brigade, 20th Division. They participated in the action at Hooge, July 1915 after which they withdrew to the dugouts. Private Lonsdale was wounded August 13th 1915, a gunshot wound to the ankle and shipped back to England for treatment and to convalesce. During this period, he married Beatrice Foster, September 1915 in the district of Lanchester and did not return to France until February 22nd 1916, re-joining the 2nd Battalion in reserve in the trenches at Canal Bank near Ypres. At the beginning of March, they were at Potijze and Poperinghe in Belgium moving back to France by the end of the month near Bollezeele just west of the Belgian border. In the first weeks of April the battalion was in training but on the 17th they returned to the salient at Ypres where they endured heavy shelling. During a counter attack on April 21st Private Lonsdale was wounded in the back by shell fire and taken by Field Ambulance to the 10th Casualty Clearing Station near Poperinghe, consisting of a tented ward and operating tent. Private 20668 Matthew Lonsdale Durham Light Infantry died of wounds at 2 p.m. April 25th 1916, he was 21 years old and is interred at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, West Vlaanderen, near Ypres, Belgium, grave VI. D. 12A.
His widow received all monies due to him, a pension of 10 shillings a week and his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to the address of 7, Thomas Street, Craghead where she was living with her in-laws. Beatrice remarried, December 1917, in the district of Chester-le-Street to Thomas Lawson.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Matthew Lonsdale is remembered at Craghead on C120.01 C120.02 and C120.04
