Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
William Suddes, one of 6 known children was the 4th born of 5 sons and had 1 elder sister. His father William Suddes was born May 15th 1864 at Edmondsley, County Durham, he married Hannah Isabella Tulip born March 24th 1865, native of Ovingham, Northumberland, at Gateshead, County Durham in 1887. They settled at Lanchester where daughter Annie was born in 1888 and Joseph in 1890 while they were living at Cornsay where William was a loader at the coke ovens. Over the next 10 years they had a further 4 children, James born 1892, George Edward 1895, William 1896 and Thomas May 10th 1899. While they were residing at the New Inn, Hamsteels, where William Snr was the licences victualler their son James aged 8 years died, April 4th 1900 and tragedy struck the family again, May 14th 1902 when Hannah Isabella Suddes nee Tulip died aged only 37 years. She is at rest within Hamsteels, St John the Baptist churchyard. Less than 6 months later William Suddes remarried to Dorothy Ann Murtaugh nee Storey, of Tow Law, County Durham, born January 10th 1864, the widow of Daniel Patrick Murtaugh who had died 3 years earlier. Living at 17, Chapel Street, Quebec, in 1911 William Snr still employed at the coke ovens was assisted by son George (16) employed as a labourer at the colliery in order to support his wife, William Jnr (13) and Thomas (11) to increment the family income they had taken in a lodger, coke filler, George Bird, 44 years of age and single.
When war was declared with Germany, August 4th 1914, William was 18 years of age, choosing to enlist at Bishop Auckland he was assigned as Private 3897 to the Durham Light Infantry and posted to the 6th Battalion. The battalion had been at its summer camp when war was declared, ordered to return immediately they took up their position as part of the Tyne Defences. The main body of men departed for the Western Front, April 17th 1915, William was not amongst them as he was not yet of legal age for overseas service. Once he turned 19 years of age he was drafted to France as of January 1916, joining his regiment as part of the 151st Battalion, 50th Northumbrian Division, of which 6th D.L.I. were part, on the Ypres salient in Belgium. Late August 1916 they were ordered south to the Somme joining the final phases of the Battle of High Wood, suffering many losses at Eaucourt L’Abbaye.
Private 3897 William Suddes was killed in action, September 17th 1916 and interred at Adanac Military Cemetery, Miraumont, Somme, France, grave VII. B. 8. He was 20 years of age and single.
His father received all monies due to him and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Joseph Suddes and Thomas Suddesalso served, however, neither saw overseas service during WW1, George Edward Suddes died of disease during the Gallipoli Campaign 7 months prior to his brother William.
There is a William Suddes Snr listed as incapacitated and living at the Lanchester Public Assist Institution in 1939 and a death entry for the 4th quarter 1939 of a William Suddes aged 76 years, this may well be William’s father.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
William Suddes is remembered at Quebec on Q2.05 and at Esh Laude on E73.01
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 250
