Brenda McMahon has submitted the following:-
Edward was the son of John and Hannah (nee Shell) Spowart and was born in the Auckland area in 1919. The couple married at Alnwick in 1909. He had a number of brothers and sisters including Alexander, Jane, Margaret and Joyce. The family seems to have moved to Middridge after the 1911 census. John was a coal miner hewer.
In 1939 John and Hannah and one other were living at South Side Middridge, John was an unemployed Stoneman and became an ARP warden in the War. John died in 1941.
Edward enlisted with the Durham Light Infantry and was posted to the theatre of war in North Africa. After being listed on several casualty lists as being missing it was later assumed he had been killed in action between February 27th and March 1st 1943.
Edward Spowart is remembered at Middridge on M51.01 and at Shildon on S122.02
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 8 with his death date being February 27th 1943
