Newcastle Daily Chronicle 10/12/1917
Photo: James Pasby
In Ryton Holy Cross Churchyard is a family headstone which reads:-
In loving memory of
Frank Robert Simpson
Baronet
GB TD Dl
of
Bradley Hall
Hon. Col. 9th Bn. The Durham Light Infantry
born 12th April 1864
died 29th April 1949
and of his wife
Alice Matilda
born 23rd October 1862
Died 19th September 1950
also
In loving memory of
Claude Frank Bell Simpson
Captain
The Durham Light Infantry
Eldest son of the above
died of wounds in France 3rd Dec. 1917
Aged 25 years
The Newcastle Journal 10/12/1917 reports:-
Captain C.F.B. Simpson
News has been received that Captain Claude Frank Bell Simpson, Durham Light Infantry, eldest son of Lieut.-Colonel Frank Simpson and Mrs Simpson, of Hedgefield, Blaydon, died of wounds on December 3. Deceased, who was a grandson of Dr J. Bell Simpson, Bradley Hall, Wylam was 25 years of age. he has been on active service since the outbreak of the war, being an officer in the Durham Light Infantry (Territorials) under his father, who is at present at Salonika. captain Simpson after serving some time in France, was afterwards transferred to the R.F.C. in Egypt but was afterwards gazetted to his old battalion. He was educated at Rugby and Oxford and was intended for the mining profession. At Oxford he was champion at rackets.
Claude Frank Bell Simpson is remembered at Newcastle on NUT009 and at Ryton on R33.01 and R33.02
He is also remembered in the D.L.I. Book of Remembrance page 326
