Arras Memorial
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
William McGraham Silmeen was born at South Shields in 1893, son of John Silmeen and Jane Finnie both of Scottish decent born 1858 and one of 10 children of whom only 7 survived, 5 sons and 2 daughters. After the birth of his eldest brothers John and Kenneth at Aberdeen his parents moved to England settling at South Shields where he and his remaining siblings were born. His father died in 1898/99 and his mother remarried in 1900 in the district of South Shields to seaman George Moffat originally from Sandness Shetland. In 1911 they were living at 15, Johnson Street, his step-father was employed as a ship’s rigger, Kenneth (20) and Peter (15) were general labourers, he was employed as a driver at the colliery, his sisters Jane (18) and Violet (13) stayed at home.
November 5th 1914, aged 21 years, he enlisted at Newcastle-upon-Tyne assigned, to the newly formed, 22nd (Service) Battalion (3rd. Tyneside Scottish) Northumberland Fusiliers, as Private 22/790. The 3rd Tyneside Scottish moved to Alnwick camp, in the grounds of Alnwick castle in early May 1915. Whilst undergoing training near home in 1915 he married, in the district of Gateshead, Agnes Mary Wilkinson born November 22nd 1890 at Pittington, County Durham. She gave birth to a daughter Jane who died in 1915 not even 1 year old.
The battalion joined 102nd Brigade, 34th Division who were concentrating at Ripon in Yorkshire in mid 1915, and in late August they moved to Salisbury Plain to begin final training. They departed to France in January 1916, at that time his wife was pregnant with their second child Marion who was born Jul/Aug/Sep 1916.
Concentrated at La Crosse, east of St. Omer upon their arrival, they were sent to the Somme where the 1st Tyneside Scottish were in action on July 1st 1916 at the Battle of the Somme attacking just south of the village of La Boisselle, not far from Albert, the 3rd Tyneside Scottish followed the 2nd Tyneside Scottish across 200 yards of No Man's Land, 20 Officers and 628 men of the 3rd Tyneside Scottish were lost. In 1917 they fought in the the First and Second Battles of the Scarpe and the Battle of Arleux during the Arras Offensive.
Having risen through the ranks the now Lance Corporal 22/790 William McGraham Silmeen Northumberland Fusiliers was killed in action June 5th 1917. His sacrifice is recorded as one of more than 35,000 names inscribed on the Arras Memorial to the Missing, Pas de Calais, France which forms the backdrop of Faubourg D’Amiens Cemetery and commemorates servicemen from Britain, South Africa and New Zealand who died in the sector between 1916 and August 7th 1918 and who have no known grave.
His widow Agnes received all monies due to him, a pension for herself and their daughter Marion and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Agnes remarried at Gateshead during the 1st quarter of 1928 Thomas Carrick, Agnes Mary Carrick-Silmeen nee Wilkinson, born November 20th 1890, died in the district of Durham Northern in 1976 aged 86 years. Their daughter Marion married at Lanchester, County Durham in 1935 Henry Gilbert and with whom she had 2 sons, Robert born 1936 and Henry Jnr born 1938. After his death in 1942 she remarried in the district of Durham in 1948 to James Richardson and gave birth to a daughter Maureen in 1949. Marion Richardson-Gilbert nee Silmeen died aged 81 years in the district of County Durham in 1997.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
William McGraham Silmeen is remembered at Heworth on H92.03
