Brenda McMahon has submitted the following:-
William Allen Wesley was the eldest son of William Allen and Martha Hannah Cummings and was born July 1894 at Lumley. The 1911 census shows him living at home as a student with his 7 brothers and sisters at 115 Windsor Avenue Gateshead. His father was a Grain Warehouse Clerk.
William volunteered for war service in December 1914 as a private in the 2nd Battalion London Regiment. He was promoted to lance corporal. He was transferred to the Machine Gun Corps and promoted to 2nd Lieutenant. He was posted to Egypt in August 1915 then later served at Gallipoli.
He was killed in France in April 1918. His parents added “In memory, thought and love, still ours” to his headstone. His parents had by then moved to 13 Evesham Avenue Monkseaton. He left £146 15s 9d to his father.
His brother Marshall Brown Cummings was a well known Councillor in Gosforth in the 1950s – 70s.
William is remembered at Gateshead onG39.003