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Ruesnes Communal Cemetery
Ruesnes Communal Cemetery
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Andrew Mortimer was born at Boldon Colliery, County Durham in 1886, the eldest of 8 surviving children, 2 sons, 6 daughters, although his parents had 12 children in all, 3 stillborn and 1 deceased in infancy. His father Alexander (Alec) Mortimer was born in 1851 and mother Susannah (Susan) Adams born 1864, both natives of Heworth, near Gateshead, were married in the district of Chester-le-Street in 1883. Alexander was a horse keeper at the colliery whilst at the age of 15 Andrew was already employed there as a hewer, below ground.
Andrew Mortimer married at St Mary Heworth, November 28th 1908, to Margaret Southern born 1888 at Urpeth, County Durham, who was baptised at Gateshead, February 1st 1888. They moved to 31 Crow Hall Lane. Felling, his wife gave birth to a son, George Henry in late 1910, daughter Edna in 1912 and Robert Southern Mortimer in 1914.
Andrew, one of the first of thousands of men to enlist after the declaration of war was assigned to the newly formed 18th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, raised at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, October 10th 1914, joining his regiment as Private 279 at their barracks at Newcastle. The battalion converted to a Pioneer Battalion, February 8th 1915 and was attached to the 34th Division, June 16th 1915. Their training continued at Ripon and then Salisbury Plain before they departed to France, January 8th 1916 landing at Le Havre.
They took part in the opening Battle of the Somme at La Boisselle, July 1st-13th 1916 but did not participate in any other major offensive until the Battle of Pozieres, July 23rd-September 3rd before transferring to the Arras sector in spring 1917 seeing action at the Battle of Arras, April 9th-May 16th 1917 then transferring to the Ypres salient in Belgium, in action during the Third Battle of Ypres, July 31st-November 10th 1917. Unfortunately, Private Mortimer’s service record no longer exists, however at some point he was transferred as Private 63924 to B Coy, 2nd/4th Battalion, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, one of the Territorial Battalions that had arrived in France, January 15th 1917 attached to the 187th Brigade, 62nd (2nd West Riding) Regiment. In 1918 they were involved in the German offensive during March, in May with the French Army in the Marne offensive and in what is known as The Advance to Victory leading to the Armistice.
Having risen through the ranks Lance Corporal 63924 Andrew Mortimer KOYLI died of wounds, November 4th 1918, during the Battle of Sambre, only one week before hostilities were halted with the signing of the Armistice with Germany. His body was interred at Ruesnes Communal Cemetery, Nord, France, grave I. B. 12. The burials in rows A, B and part of row C, having been made by the 62nd West Riding Division have the headstones shoulder to shoulder which would indicate a trench burial, the majority of these men died November 4th 1918.
His widow received all monies due to him, a pension for herself and their children along with his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal, sent to her at 38, Havelock Street, Felling-on-Tyne. She commissioned at a cost of 1 shilling 9 pence an additional inscription to be added to Andrew’s military headstone, it reads, “At Rest.”
Margaret remarried in the district of Gateshead in 1922 to Joseph Smith born 1870 at Felling with whom she had a daughter Elsie 1924-1997 and 2 sons Norman 1926-1981 and Ronald 1928-2000 all registered under her maiden name of Southern. James Smith died aged 75 years in 1945 in the district of South Shields. Margaret Smith-Mortimer nee Southern at Felling, Gateshead, October 11th 1965 aged 76 years.
Andrew and Margaret’s son George Henry Mortimer married twice and had 3 children, Andrew, Olive and Robert, he died in 1987. Their daughter Edna M Mortimer married twice, firstly to Joseph Bradley in 1931 in the district of Gateshead and in 1939 to John Sproul in the district of Durham. Edna M. Sproul-Bradley nee Mortimer died aged only 34 years in 1946, John Sproul in 1971 aged 63 years, both deaths registered in the district of Durham. Robert Mortimer married but did not have any children, he died in 1978.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Andrew Mortimer is remembered at Heworth on H92.03, H92.04 and H92.07
