Tess McTiernan has submitted the following:
Michael, born 1st October 1891 at Woodhouse Close, Bishop Auckland, was the son of Aaron and Mary Gould (née Toole). The 1901 and 1911 censuses show the family living at South Pontop Cottages, Annfield Plain.
Enlisting in the 2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry, Michael arrived in France 28 August 1915. After spending a miserable winter at Ypres, the Battalion moved south in late July 1916 to join the fighting on the Somme. Then on 20 November 1917, after months of trench warfare, 2nd Bn., DLI, as part of the 6th Division, joined the British tank advance at Cambrai, taking prisoners and capturing German guns. A German counter-attack, however, forced the Durhams back with heavy losses.
In the early hours of 21 March 1918, after a shattering bombardment of gas, high explosive, and shrapnel shells, the German army attacked on the Somme front. The 2nd Battalion D.L.I. was the only D.L.I. battalion in the front line that day and within 36 hours, the battalion had been overwhelmed.
Rebuilt after the March losses, 2nd D.L.I. was again involved in heavy fighting in September 1918. Michael, aged 27 years, lost his life on 18 September 1918. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, Victory Medal and British War Medal. His next of kin at this time was his sister Sarah.
Remembered with Honour
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Michael Gould, one of 10 children of whom only 8 survived, was the only son of Aaron Gould of Little Ley, Essex and Mary an Irish immigrant born 1858, County Mayo, whom he married in 1879. Michael had an elder sister. His parents settled initially at Lanchester, County Durham, they also spent 3 years in Elswick, Newcastle-upon-Tyne where his sister Sarah was born in 1888.
By 1891 Aaron, his wife and children, Hannah 4, who died in infancy and Sarah 3 were living at Woodhouse Close Colliery where he was employed as a coal miner and had moved by 1901 to South Pontop, Greencroft.
In 1911 at the age of 19 Michael was a driver employed at South Pontop Colliery, his father and brother-in-law also worked there as coal miners. His sister Sarah who had married in 1909 to John Henry Turner and her two children Mary Ann (2) and new born John Henry Jnr. lived with them.
On the outbreak of war in 1914 Michael was one of the first to enlist at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, assigned as a Private to the Durham Light Infantry, joining his regiment at their barracks and underwent a period of training. He departed to France, August 24th 1915 and transferred in the field to the 2nd Battalion, 18th Brigade, 6th Division, part of the Regular Army as Private 22210 which was tasked in late July to retake the old line at Zouave and Sanctuary Wood in Belgium. The 2nd Battalion had to face a 500 yards advance before reaching its objective. August 9th they overran the German trenches at bayonets point and established the British Line north of the Menin Road, Ypres, at a cost of 200 dead, 270 wounded and by September few of the original men who had landed in France were left.
The battalion spent a miserable winter in the trenches on the Ypres salient until moving in late July 1916 to the Somme but did not take part in any major offensive until the Battle of Flers-Courcelette September 15th-22nd, Morval September 26th-28th and Le Transloy October 1st-18th. They were withdrawn from the Somme in November 1917 and transferred with the 6th Division to Cambrai, after a successful attack they were subsequently forced back by a German counter-attack with heavy losses. Having returned to the Somme, during fighting March 21st 1918, the 2nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry was the only D.L.I. battalion in the front line and were overwhelmed, only 60 men escaped death, wounding or capture. After March 1918 they were reorganised, however, were not ready until September 1918 to be again involved in heavy fighting, participating as the German Army was finally pushed back by the Allied armies.
Private 22210 Michael Gould Durham Light Infantry died September 28th 1918 during the assault that took place that month by the British forces to retake the villages of Caulaincourt and Trefcon and interred in what was originally called Caulaincourt Military Cemetery, begun by the 6th and 32nd Divisions during September 1918, now known as Trefcon British Cemetery, Cailaincourt, Aisne, France. He is at rest memorial reference C 53, Private Gould was 26 years of age and single.
Whilst fighting on the Western Front, Michael had received news of his father’s death during the 4th quarter (Oct/Nov/Dec) 1915 aged 64 years, his mother Mary aged 60 years died either just prior to her son or also during September 1918 as her death was registered during the 3rd quarter (Jul/Aug/Sep) 1918. It was his sister Sarah Turner who received all monies due to him and his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 3, West View Terrace, South Pontop, Annfield Plain, County Durham.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Michael Gould is remembered at Greencroft on G54.01, at Annfield Plain on A38.01, at Dipton on D46.06, at Leadgate on L65.01, at South Moor on S129.01
He is also remembered in the D.L.I. Book of Remembrance page 253
