Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Edward Nesbitt Staward was born at Allerton, Yorkshire and baptised there May 27th 1894, the youngest of 5 known children, all sons, born to Henry Staward born 1855 and his wife Ann Morrison born 1854, both natives of Heworth, County Durham. The couple were married at Heworth in 1876, by 1891, already with 3 children they were living at Reay Street, Heworth where Henry worked as a joiner, ten years later they had moved to Ledsham in Yorkshire and he was now an electrician, after returning to the north east unfortunately Henry died, in South Shield in 1899, at only 44 years of age. His widow and sons were taken in by his widowed mother Ann Staward living at 20 York Street, Pelaw-on-Tyne. Edward and his elder brother Arthur, both of whom were single, worked for a brick manufacturer as labourers. The main manufacturer in the Pelaw area was The Pelaw Terra Cotta Works, established in 1895 by Jones and Maxwell, it developed into the largest manufacturer of engineering and facing bricks in the North East.
Edward Nesbitt Staward enlisted at the outbreak of war at Gateshead and was assigned as Private 48033 to the Yorkshire Regiment (Alexandra Princess of Wales Own). No documents exist as regards his service with the 13th Battalion which after its formation in July 1915 as a Bantam Battalion moved to Aldershot under the orders of the 121st Brigade, 40th Division crossing to Le Havre, France between June 2nd to 6th 1916. By June it had concentrated near Lillers and served between June and late October 1916 in the front near Loos. In 1917 they participated during the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line in March, the capture of Fifteen Ravine, Villers Plough, Beauchamp and La Vacquerie April to early May and the Cambrai Operations during the capture of Bourlon Wood in the November. By May 1918 the Battalion was reduced to cadre strength after their participation in the phases of the First Battles of the Somme and the Battles of the Lys and attached for two weeks to the 34th Division and for another two weeks with the 30th Division. It was not until mid-July 1918 that they were once again on active operations.
Private Edward Nesbitt Staward was taken prisoner during the fighting, exact date unknown, sent as a prisoner of war to Worms, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany and died there October 1st 1918. Although the exact cause is unknown it was usually due to mistreatment or disease, often listed by the Germans as having died of wounds. His body was buried by the Germans at Worms (Hochheim Hill) Cemetery in a mass grave. After the Armistice, the majority of war graves across Germany were moved to four permanent cemeteries, however a few graves could not be moved on religious grounds or for other reasons and they remain in their original locations. The resting place of Private Staward is one of these. His name is inscribed, along with others, on a screen wall within Worms Cemetery, which is between Mannheim and Frankfurt in Germany.
Private 48033 Edward Nesbitt Staward Yorkshire Regiment was 24 years old and single. His mother Ann as sole beneficiary received all monies due to him and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest in Peace.
Edward Nesbitt Staward is remembered at Heworth on H92.03
