Allendale Cottages Reading Room RoH
Photo: Pauline Priano
Photo: Pauline Priano
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Norman was born in circa 1897, true surname, unknown. He was adopted by Ralph Pickering Golightly and his wife Jane nee Sanderson who by 1901 had had 10 children of their own of whom only 3 survived, aged 4-years he was the youngest of their dependents. The Golightly family in 1901 was living at Peels Cottages, Medomsley, County Durham. Ralph had a business for his own account as a general dealer, his sons John Thomas (21) and Henry (21) were employed as a coal hewers, daughter Isabella Ann (20) assisted her mother in the home. By 1911 they had moved to 99, Allendale Cottages, Medomsley, by which time both John Thomas and Henry had married and left the family home, Isabella Ann was unmarried and continued to help her mother, Norman only 14-years of age was employed at the colliery as a coal miner’s labourer below ground, as was Ralph Golightly.
When war was declared, August 4th 1914, Norman was 18 years of age and one of the first to enlist at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, he was assigned as Private 1246 to the newly formed 16th (Service) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. Raised in Newcastle during September 1914 by the Newcastle and Gateshead Chamber of Commerce as part of the New Armies, it was a Pals Battalion. Initial training took place close to home but having been taken over by the War Office in April 1915 they moved to Catterick joining the 96th Brigade, 32nd Division, then left for Prees Heath, Shropshire in May. The wet conditions at the camp made training difficult, they were transferred to Wensley and Richmond in Yorkshire, using the firing range at Strenshall, then moved to Codford Camp, Salisbury Plain in August for final training. During his period of training his adoptive father Ralph Pickering Golightly died in 1915 aged 63-years.
The main body of the regiment departed with the British Expeditionary Force to France, November 22nd 1915, landing the same day at Boulogne, for service on the Western Front. Private Golightly did not join them until post January 1916. During the Battles of the Somme the 16th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers saw action at the opening Battle of Albert, July 1st-13th, Battle of Bazentin Ridge, July 14th-17th but did not participate in any other major battles until the closing phases at Ancre Heights, October 1st-18th 1916. In 1917 they participated in the Arras sector during the offensive, April 9th-May 16th.
Private Golightly posted from the 16th Battalion to the 11th (Service) Battalion as of May 16th 1917 and whilst the 16th remained in France he proceeded to the battlefields of the Ypres salient in Belgium. The 11th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers engaged the enemy during the Battles of Messines, June 7th-17th 1917 and the Third Battle of Ypres which raged from July 31st-November 10th 1917, participating at the Battle of the Menin Road, Polygon Wood and the First and Second Battles of Passchendaele.
Private 1246 Norman Golightly was killed in action, September 20th 1917, the first day of the Battles of the Menin Road. His sacrifice is recorded as one of 33,783 names of British servicemen inscribed on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing, together with 1,176 names of New Zealanders, which forms the backdrop to Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke, near Ypres, in Belgium, commemorating those who fell on the Ypres salient as of August 15th 1917 who have no known grave.
His adoptive mother Jane Golightly received all monies due to Norman, his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal also a pension, amount unspecified, sent to her at 7, Pleasant View, Medomsley, County Durham, until her demise, February 20th 1923.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Norman Golightly is remembered at Medomsley M36.01 and at Allendale Cottages on M36.04 and M36.05