Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas was born at Malton Colliery. One of 11 children, he was the 4th born of 7 brothers and had 2 elder and 2 younger sisters. His father Joseph Wardle of Felling, Gateshead, born 1863, married in the district of Chester-le-Street in 1882 to Mary Jane Routledge, born 1863 at Birtley. Joseph supported his family employed as a coal miner. Newly married, they had settled at Hedley Hill where their daughter Dorothy was born in 1885 before moving to Malton Colliery by 1888 where their other children were born: Sarah Isabella 1888, Joseph Jnr 1889, William Henry 1891, George 1892, Thomas 1895, Mary Jane 1896, Jonathan 1899, Robert 1902, Lillian 1905 and Walter Vincent 1907. In 1901 their address was 7, Jubilee Terrace, Malton Colliery. By 1911 Joseph was an overman at the colliery, William (20), George (18) and Thomas (16) were all employed as putters while the remainder of their younger siblings were scholars. Sarah Isabella and her husband, coal miner John Irwin, who were newly married, also lived with the family.
On the outbreak of war Thomas enlisted at Consett, November 7th 1914 for the duration, assigned as Private 21444 Durham Light Infantry. He joined his regiment and was transferred to the 16th Battalion, part of Kitchener’s New Army, 2 days later. The 16th and 17th Battalions Durham Light Infantry were not destined for service overseas instead becoming Reserve Battalions. Having moved to Penkridge Bank Camp, near Rugeley in Staffordshire they were designated as training battalions supplying drafts of men for service overseas when required. Whilst they were at Rugeley, the Reserve companies of the 22nd (Pioneers) Battalion joined the 16th Battalion in order to form a new battalion, the 24th, but this never happened.
Thomas was posted to the 14th Battalion Durham Light Infantry attached to the 64th Brigade, 21st Division and departed to France, October 8th 1915 after the conclusion of the Battle of Loos. November 28th they were transferred to the 18th Brigade, 6th Division and joined the division on the Somme. He was wounded and required treatment to a finger on his left hand, February 11th 1916. Taken by the 16th Field Ambulance to the 17th Casualty Clearing Station at Remy Sidings, once sufficiently recovered, he returned to the Base Depot at Boulogne March 3rd 1916 returning to his battalion in the field March 23rd 1916. The battalion participated in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, September 15th-22nd 1916 before moving to the salient in Belgium.
Thomas was given leave to return to England where he married Laura Hobbs of Castle Eden, during the 1st quarter (Jan/Feb/Mar) 1917. When he returned to the front he was soon injured again with a slight wound to his nose. Taken by the 17th Field Ambulance, April 24th 1917 for treatment, he returned to his battalion May 7th. The battalion stayed in Belgium during 1917 where they participated at Hill 70 before moving to France where they took part in the Battle of Cambrai, November 20th-December 7th 1917.
When the 14th Battalion Durham Light Infantry was disbanded in February 1918, Thomas was posted to the 22nd (Pioneer) Battalion Durham Light Infantry which had left Belgium and returned to the battlefields of the Somme when the Germans attacked March 21st 1918. As part of the 8th Division, the Pioneers were soon called upon to fight as infantry as the division was forced to retreat. During the fighting their commanding officer, Colonel Cecil Morgan was mortally wounded and by the time the 22nd Battalion was relieved by the French, April 2nd 1918, the Pioneers had lost almost 500 men killed, wounded or missing.
Thomas was reported as missing and had not been seen since March 23rd and his next of kin were informed. After extensive investigations as to his whereabouts the War Office concluded that he was presumed to have died on or since March 23rd 1918. His sacrifice is recorded on the Pozieres Memorial. He was 23 years of age.
His widow Laura received all monies due to him, a pension of 13 shillings 9 pence as of December 9th 1919 and his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal, sent to her at Mount Pleasant, Lanchester. The marriage of Thomas and Laura was childless.
Laura Wardle married in 1923 at Lanchester, John W. Hunter born in Northumberland, February 18th 1897. They emigrated to America later that year settling in Ohio where John found work as a machinist in a rubber factory. They went on to have 3 sons, Gerald Hunter born Ohio 1924 died July 2nd 2012, Garden City, Horry, South Carolina. Jack Hunter born June 1st 1925, Akron Summit, Ohio, enlisted July 5th 1943 and served during WW2 with the U.S. Navy. Married at Wyandotte, Wayne, Michigan November 12th 1949 to Joyce Mavis Thomas born 1926. He died January 5th 1980 at Raleigh, Wake, North Carolina and interred at Crestwood Memorial Gardens, State Road, Surrey County, North Carolina. George Leslie Hunter born November 17th 1929 in Ohio died March 15th 1995 at Akron, Summit, Ohio, as did his parents, John W. Hunter aged 72 years, February 22 1969, his wife Laura Hunter-Wardle nee Hobbs, December 11th 1969 aged 80 years.
Thomas’s brother George Wardle also served during WW1, his death preceded that of his brother May 5th 1917. His brother William Henry married Ethel Wynn whose half brother Joseph Hope Teasdale died November 7th 1918 while his brother Thomas Teasdalesurvived the conflict.
Joseph Wardle died in 1922 aged 59 years, registered in the district of Lanchester, County Durham, details of Mary Jane Wardle nee Routledge unknown.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Acknowledgements: Ian Murray
Thomas Wardle is remembered at at Lanchester on L62.01 L62.02 and L62.04 and at Malton on M49.01
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 61
