Ypres Reservoir Cemetery
Ypres Reservoir Cemetery: P. Priano
Ypres Reservoir Cemetery: Pauline Priano
Ypres Reservoir Cemetery
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas Wilson born in the parish of St. Edmund, Gateshead, County Durham was one of 6 children of whom only 5 survived, the eldest of 2 sons he had 1 elder and 2 younger sisters. His father William Alexander Wilson native of Sunderland County Durham married in 1873 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland to Sarah Gordon of Benton, both were born in 1848. The following year they were living at Washington, County Durham where their daughter Francis Ann was born in 1874. Thomas William 1877, Elizabeth 1881, Isabella 1883 and Patrick 1887 was born after they had moved to Gateshead where they lived at 26, Bewick Street, William was employed as a stone mason. By 1891 they had moved to 20, Haydn Street, Francis Ann (17) worked as a glass cutter and Thomas William (13) as an errand boy their younger siblings attended school. Ten years later Thomas was a qualified joiner/carpenter and found work at a paper mill, Patrick at the iron foundry as a pattern maker, William at the age of 60 was still employed by the railway company as a mason, Elizabeth (30) assisted her mother with home duties, Francis Ann had married in 1906 to Alexander Jack and was living at Hebburn, her husband employed at an engineering works.
Thomas Wilson enlisted at Gateshead assigned initially as Sapper 108664 Royal Engineers and later transferred as Private 46703 Leicestershire Regiment later promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal. He landed in France March 1916 having been posted to the 11th (Service) Battalion (Midland Pioneers) Leicestershire Regiment which came under the orders of the 6th Division, April 1st 1916. As a pioneer his main role would have been the digging and maintenance of trenches and communication lines but would also have been called upon to fight if necessary. The 6th Division was a Regular Army division and had been on the Western Front since 1914, Lance Corporal Wilson joined them on the Ypres salient in Belgium where they remained until the end of July 1916 before being withdrawn having suffered 11,000 casualties, September 1916 it joined in the Battles of the Somme attacking at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, followed by the Battle of Morval and Le Transloy before being withdrawn October 20th 1916. During 1917 they participated at the Battle of Hill 70 and the Cambrai operations.
During the winter of 1917 the pioneers returned to Belgium, as of October 1st they worked on the construction of a light railway in the Dickesbusch area where German shelling hindered their work and caused casualties almost on a daily basis, bad weather and snow saw many of the men fall sick. By October 16th they had reached Ypres and it was here that October 23rd 1917 the battalion war dairy reports an instances which I believe relates to Lance Corporal Wilson. A shell dropped amongst a party of D Coy, whilst at work, resulting in the death of 8 men, 1 officer and 10 wounded of whom 4 later died.
Lance Corporal 46703 Thomas Wilson Leicestershire Regiment was killed in action October 23rd 1917 and interred at Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium, grave I. I. 16. He was 40 years old and single.
The money due to him by the Army was divided between his father William Alexander and his sister Isabella. His awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal were sent to his home at 34, Haydn Street, Gateshead, County Durham.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Thomas Wilson is remembered at Gateshead in G39.004 where his serial number 46703 is correct but his regiment is the Royal Engineers
