Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas Brown Stark born 1899 at Bill Quay, County Durham was the only son of Anthony Atkinson Stark and Mary Eleanor Brown both natives of Pittington, County Durham born in 1870. They also had a daughter Beatrice May born in 1901. The couple were married in the district of Durham in 1895 moving to live next door to Anthony’s parents at 22, Coxon Street, Heworth, near Gateshead. He was employed by the railway as a points shunter, Thomas was only 2 years old. In 1911 they were still at the same address, Thomas was now a scholar aged 12.
Thomas Brown Stark enlisted, exact date unknown, answering Kitchener’s call to arms and was assigned to the newly formed Pals Battalion, 18th Durham Light Infantry as Private 75354. The Battalion had no “home” until Lord Durham offered on loan his house at Cocken Hall, near Durham City where recruits of the D.L.I. from around the country were billeted in the newly built huts and trenches were dug to simulate conditions they could expect once at the front. The first draft from the 18th fully trained was sent at the end of 1915, not to the Western Front but to Egypt with the 31st Division, Private Stark was not amongst them. The Division returned to England in March 1916 and prepared for France as part of the, “Big Push” on the Western Front.
July 1st 1916 at 7.30 am, as part of the 31st Division the 18th D.L.I. attacked the German trenches at Serre at the northern end of the Somme battlefield. Most of the Durhams were in reserve but a half hour later having suffered 2,000 casualties the reservists were ordered forward and remained in the front line under constant shell fire until July 5th. Their presence at the Somme continued until 1917 which saw the beginning of the Arras Offensive participating at the Battles of the Scarpe and the capture of Oppy Wood. The Spring Offensive of 1918 began with the Battle of St. Quentin, followed by the Battle of Bapaume and the First Battle of Arras which began March 28th 1918 and on to the Battle of Estaires and the Battles of Lys, April 7th-29th 1918.
During the Battles of Lys, Private Thomas Brown Stark was reported as missing and later presumed dead. It was not until after Armistice that his grave was found along with 11 others, 6 of whom unknown, buried on the battlefield, his grave marked with a cross and once exhumed his identity was confirmed by means of his pay book. The bodies were brought into Le Grande Beaumart British Cemetery at Steenwerck, north France, and reburied with military honours, September 29th 1919 by the 102nd Labour Corps.
The C.W.G.C have adopted the date of April 12th 1918 as that of the death of Private 75354 Thomas Brown Stark Durham Light Infantry, killed in action and interred at the above-mentioned cemetery, grave I. E. 12.
His father Alexander received all monies due to him, a pension and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal. He also paid 6 shillings and 1 pence for an additional inscription to be added to his son’s military headstone, it reads, “Thine Forever God of Love”.
His father died in early 1940 aged 69, details of mother and sister unknown.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Thomas Brown Stark is remembered at Heworth on H92.03
