Photo: Pamela Sutherland
William Shaw was born 14th June 1879 at Stanley Terrace, Crook, County Durham, the son of Ann and John Shaw. William had a twin sister, Sarah Ann who died 19th October 1880, an older sister Margaret Simpson from Foundry Cottages, West Cornforth, and an older brother John Thomas living at Arthur Pit Crook in 1918.
15th January 1908, William married Frances Naisbett from 10 Commercial Street, Cornsay Colliery, in the parish church of St John the Baptist, Hamsteels. She was the daughter of Grace and Richard Naisbett.
William’s occupation was described as a platelayer on the railway. After marriage he and Frances lived at2 Flass Cottages, Flass Junction, Esh, for about 6 years, where 3 of their 5 children were born.
The family moved to 7 South Street, Hamsteels Colliery about the time WW1 broke out in 1914.
William enlisted as a volunteer at Consett on 15th December 1915. He underwent a medical, was accepted into the army reserve & sent back to continue civilian life until such time as he should be mobilized. He was recorded as being Private 38711 of the East Yorkshire Regiment. William remained working as a civilian until late 1917 when he received notice posting him to join a draft in France. He crossed the channel on 21st June 1918. On arrival he went to one of the Infantry Base Depots, a hutted camp at Estaples near his point of disembarkation which would have been Boulogne. While waiting for a posting to join a Unit in the field William was transferred to the York & Lancaster Regiment & renumbered as Private 53518. On 27th June he was posted to join 2nd Battalion of his new regiment and would have physically joined it a few days later. On arrival he was allotted to the 8th Platoon in B Company.
On 24th September 1918 he sustained serious & ultimately mortal wounds. The description of these wounds makes it almost certain that he was hit by the explosion of a shell. He was evacuated to 141 Field Ambulance which passed him back via a casualty Clearing Station to British Army No. 11 Stationary Hospital at Rouen, France. William was one of 140 men of the Battalion who were killed, wounded or missing in their attack near the village of Fayet,north west of the town of St Quentin, France. On 3rd October, his leg by now having been amputated, he was judged seriously ill & a wire was sent to inform his next of kin – my grandmother. William died of his wounds the next day 4th October 1918 aged 39 years. He lies in peace in St Sever Cemetery Extension Rouen.
William left a loving wife and 5 children. Sadly 4 weeks after William's death the family lost their 10 month old baby and brother Thomas.
William is listed among those men remembered on a brass plaque memorial in the parish church of St John the Baptist Front Street, Hamsteels, Q2.06not far from his former home at Hamsteels Colliery.
My father John Richard Shaw was William’s eldest son. Thanks to technology of today, the Commonwealth War Grave Commission and the people from Durham County Record Office who helped me identify William from the 1918 absent voters list. September 2007 my husband and I visited William’s resting place at St Sever Cemetery – a most moving visit as sadly by then all of William’s family were deceased.
“ Lest we forget “
Grandaughter, Pamela Sutherland ( nee Shaw ), Nelson, New Zealand