Heslop’s Local Advertiser 15/10/1915
Pieta Military Cemetery
Thomas Tait
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas Tait Jnr was born in 1886, one of 7 known children he was the second born of 3 sons and 4 daughters. His father Thomas Tait Snr born 1855 at Belford, Northumberland married in 1877 Mary Jane Hutchinson at Bishop Auckland where she was born in 1858. The couple moved extensively, their daughter Ellen (1878) and son John William (1884) were born at Shildon, County Durham whilst Thomas was born at Brigham, Cumberland. By 1888 they had settled at Felling where their daughters Elizabeth (1888) Emma (1890) Mary Jane (1890) and son George (1894) were born. Thomas Tait was employed as a foreman mason, he and his family were living at Kenmir Street in 1891, unfortunately he died in 1896 aged only 40 years. His widow Mary Jane transferred to 3, George Street where she was supported by her eldest son John William (17) employed as an apprentice fitter and Thomas (15) a milk seller.
On the outbreak of war Thomas Tait enlisted at Carlisle in 1914 and was assigned as Private 10938 to the Border Regiment. Transferred to the 6th Battalion, part of Kitchener’s First New Army, 33rd Brigade, 11th (Northern) Division he was trained at Belton Park, Gratham then moved to Frensham in April 1915. He departed with the Division from Liverpool bound for Gallipoli disembarking July 18th 1915.
Life in the trenches was in all cases a filthy, unhygienic experience, more so in Gallipoli due to the temperatures as high as 40 degrees and swarms of flies. Private Tait contracted typhoid and was evacuated via Alexandria in Egypt to Malta where the hospital and convalescent depots had been established on the islands of Malta and Gozo in spring 1915 to deal mainly with the sick and wounded of the Gallipoli and Salonika campaigns.
The Register of Soldiers Effects states that he died at sea, September 24th 1915, however, Private 19038 Thomas Tait Border Regiment having died of enteric fever (typhoid fever) was not buried at sea but interred at Pieta Military Cemetery, Malta, grave B. XIV, 2. He was 29 years old and single.
His mother Mary Jane of 24, Balmoral Terrace, Felling, County Durham, received all monies due to him, a pension and his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. She commissioned and personally paid for an additional inscription to be added to his military headstone, it reads, “Ever Remembered”.
Mary Jane Tait died aged 74 years in 1932 at Gateshead, County Durham.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Heslop’s Local Advertiser 15/10/1915 carries a Roll of Honour notice which reads:
“Private Thomas Tait, 6th Border Regiment, died from enteric fever, at Malta, Sept. 24th, aged 29 years. Son of Mary and the late Thomas Tait.”
Thomas Tait is remembered in Windy Nook on W95.01 and W95.02
