HMS Fearless WW1
His parents were Wilson and Elizabeth (nee Smart) who had married in 1889. Elizabeth had another son, George Smart, who was born in 1880 prior to her marriage.
Wilson Dunbar died in 1899, when his son Thomas was only 5 years old, and in 1901 widow Elizabeth and her young son were living at 12 Simpson Street, Felling and there are two boarders in the household.
In the 1911 Census, Thomas is living at 27 Worley Terrace, Low Fell, Gateshead with his aunt Mrs. Jane Ray and his mother Elizabeth is now living at The Vicarage, Birtley where she is employed as a house keeper to the Vicar Frederick Dobson Brookes.
It is from this address in Low Fell that Thomas first enlists as a pre-war territorial in the Durham Light Infantry, 1/9th Battalion, on the 16th March 1911, army number 1167. He gave his age as 17 years and 8 months old, measured 5 feet 8 inches tall and was considered of good physical development. At this time Thomas was employed as a miner for the Birtley Iron Company.
Following the declaration of war he was embodied for service on the 5th August 1914 and served with the British Expeditionary Force in France where he arrived on the 20th April 1915 with his battalion, and was promoted to Sergeant on the 18th October 1915 although he had served as acting Sergeant prior to this promotion.
Sergeant Dunbar was discharged on the 28th March 1916 in consequence of the termination of his period of engagement (under paragraph 392 XXI of the King’s Regulations) after a total of 5 years and 13 days service.
On his arrival home, Thomas then joined the Navy in July 1916 under Derby’s Group System and was called up to commence this service on the 23rd December 1916. Able Seaman Dunbar number J64084 was first posted to the shore establishment HMS Victory 1 before he was posted to the scout cruiser HMS Fearless, part of the 12th Submarine Flotilla. He was demobilised from the navy on the 14th March 1919.
Thomas’ mother Elizabeth had remarried in 1914, James Fullerton who lived at 103 Mitchell Street, Birtley, which is the address Thomas returned home to.
Thomas wrote to the Officer in charge of Territorial Records in July 1919 in application for the “time-expired bounty” which was paid to pre-war Territorials who signed up for overseas service and were re-called to the army under the Military Service Act. He was awarded the Victory Medal, the British War Medal and the 1914-15 Star for his services, and worked as a colliery stone mason after the war.
Thomas Dunbar died on the 8th May 1921, at 103 Mitchell Street, Birtley age 27 years and was buried at St. John’s Parish Church, Birtley. Unfortunately later the Churchyard itself was closed, landscaped and taken into the care of the local authority in the late 1960s and most of the headstones were removed and as no records were taken the whereabouts of Thomas’ grave is unknown.
Newcastle Evening Chronicle 1921
DUNBAR – Birtley, 103, Mitchell Street, 8th inst., aged 27 years. Thomas, beloved son of Elizabeth Fullerton and the late Wilson Dunbar, of Windy Nook, late Sergt. of the 1/9th D.L.I. Interment Birtley Churchyard, Wednesday, cortege to leave residence 2.15. All friends and members of the R.A.O.B. kindly invited.
DUNBAR – R.A.O.B. Interment of Brother Thomas Dunbar will take place on Wednesday at 3 p.m. Brethren meet at R.A.O.B. Club, Birtley at 2.15.
Thomas Dunbar is not commemorated by the CWGC. For a soldier to qualify for commemoration by the CWGC, it has to be proven that their death either occurred in-service or was attributable to or aggravated by military service. As it cannot be established with the current information available that his death was undeniably linked to his military service, he does not qualify for commemoration.
Research: Jean Atkinson
Thomas Dunbar is remembered in Birtley on B127.01
