Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas Oversby Jnr, one of 8 children of whom only 6 survived was the 2nd born of 3 sons, he had 2 elder and 1 younger sister. His father Thomas Oversby Snr native of West Auckland born 1843 married in the district of Lanchester in 1871 to Elizabeth Heatherington born 1851 at Stone Bridge, both in County Durham. Prior to their marriage Thomas had been employed at Willington as a miner, a boarder at 2 York Street in the home of widow Esther Maddison along with widow Ann Handmarch. He and Elizabeth remained there initially and she gave birth to their daughter Jane Ann in 1873 before transferring to Croxdale Colliery, Sunderland Bridge where Margaret Hannah was born in 1874 as was George William in 1882. Over the next 8 years Elizabeth had a further 3 children, Thomas 1885 at Willington, Ethel 1889 at Boyne and John 1890 place of birth unknown as the family’s entry in the census of 1891 cannot be found. In 1901 they can be found at 307, Brandon Lane, Brandon & Byshottle, Thomas Snr had been joined at the colliery by his elder sons George William (18) and Thomas Jnr (16) below ground as miners. Unfortunately, Thomas Snr. died in 1906 aged 63 years. His widow Elizabeth in 1911 was still at the same address supported by her daughter Ethel (23) a dressmaker working from home and Margaret (21) a draper's assistant. To assist with household expenditures, they had taken in a boarder, musician Martin Stout, 26 years of age and single.
Thomas Oversby Jnr had married in 1909, district of Lanchester to widow Margaret Ann Hall of Hetton-le-Hole, County Durham, born 1889, who had a son from her previous marriage, Frederick John born 1907. Thomas and Margaret Ann had a son of their own, Thomas Jnr in 1910, both boys were born at Hamsteels, County Durham. In the census of 1911 Frederick John is listed under the surname Oversby, the family were living at 13, Oliver Street, Quebec, County Durham.
In 1914 they were still living at Quebec, Thomas enlisted at Chester-le-Street, exact date unknown, and was assigned as Private 11404 to the 4th Battalion Durham Light Infantry which in 1914 was at Barnard Castle. Once mobilised they were sent to the Tyne Defences at Wallsend, later moved to Killingworth and Forest Hall before moving in September 1915 to Seaham Harbour. The battalion also had the commission of training men for the draft to the Western Front and having risen through the ranks to Lance Corporal, Thomas was transferred to an active unit joining the 14th Battalion, attached to the 6th Division, on the Ypres salient in Belgium as of January 1916. Remaining in Belgium until August 1916 the Battalion proceeded to France where in the spring of 1917 they joined the attack at Arras, April 9th-May 16th 1917, on the Lens coalfield capturing Nash Alley before the battalion was forced to retreat with the loss of 250 men.
The now Corporal 10114 Thomas Oversby Durham Light Infantry was reported as missing, his next of kin informed. After extensive investigations as to his whereabouts he was stuck off and declared to have been killed between April 20-22nd 1917 during the Battle of Arras.
His sacrifice is recorded as one of the 20,648 names inscribed on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France which forms the backdrop to Dud Corner British Cemetery, Loos-en-Gohelle, 5 kilometres NW of Lens. The memorial commemorates men who have no known grave who fell in the area from the river Lys and east and west of Grenay from the first day of the Battle of Loos, September 15th 1915 until the end of the war. Thomas was 32 years of age.
His widow Margaret Ann received all monies due to him, a pension for herself and the children and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at their home address.
Margaret Ann may have remarried in 1921 to Andrew Taylor.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Thomas Oversby is remembered at Quebec on Q2.05
He is not remembered in the Durham Light Infantry Book of Remembrance.
