CLS Chronicle 04/06/1915
Medal Index Card
IRC POW registration card
Newcastle Journal Tuesday 22/06/1915
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas Gibson Stearman was born during the 1st quarter (Jan/Feb/Mar) 1890 at Chester Moor, County Durham, one of 8 known children he was the youngest of 5 sons and had 2 elder and 1 younger sisters. His father Alfred Stearman native of Field Dalling, Norfolk, born in 1851 was in 1871 living along with his elder brother Robert with their uncle and aunt Daniel and Esther Voutt at Stanley Pitt, near Crook, County Durham, where they, their uncle and his 4 sons were employed as coal miners. Alfred was married in 1877 to local girl Jane Gibson born 1854, they settled at Stanley where daughter Elizabeth was born later that year and son William in 1878, Alfred Jnr 1882, Ann 1884, Robert 1887 and Thomas were all born in the district of Chester-le-Street. It was while they were living at Home Houses that Jane Stearman nee Gibson died in 1893, aged only 39-years, leaving Alfred with the responsibility of raising their children ranging between 16 years and 8 months, the youngest Florence died in 1894 not yet 1-year-old. Alfred did not remarry but somehow managed to keep his family together, in 1901 now living at Union Lane, Chester Moor, he was employed as a hewer, Matthew (21) and Alfred (19) worked below ground as putters, Robert (14) as a pony driver, Thomas (11) was a scholar and his sister Elizabeth (24) and Ann (17) attended to domestic duties, at the age of 21 Thomas also worked as a hewer at the colliery.
Upon the outbreak of war he and his elder brother Robert enlisted at Durham, September 16th 1914. Thomas was assigned as Private 2791 and Robert as Private 2793 to the Durham Light Infantry, 8th Battalion, ‘C’ Company. The battalion was a Territorial Force with HQ at Gilesgate, Durham City and once mobilised the main body of men was assigned to the coastal defences at Roker and Whitburn while over the next 9 months the new recruits were trained at Boldon, Ravensworth and Newcastle-upon-Tyne for active service overseas.
Fully trained they departed from Newcastle railway station April 19th 1915 arriving in France and marched to join the 151st Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division in the trenches of the salient in Belgium during the 2nd Battle of Ypres which raged from April 22nd to May 25th 1915.
During the ensuing battle Private 2791 Thomas Gibson Stearman Durham Light Infantry was wounded and captured by the Germans, May 8th 1915. He was taken to the German Feldlazarett 6 (Field Hospital 6) at Oostnieuwkerke on the Belgian salient and from there sent to Germany arriving May 16th at Garnison Lazarett Dortmund, a military hospital for prisoners of war. Upon his arrival it was noted that he had a bullet wound to the skull, no disease was noted, the extremities are described as atoxic, (not toxic), however the medical opinion stated that there was no possibility of him recovering.
Private 2791 Thomas Gibson Stearman died May 25th 1915 during an epileptic fit and was buried at Dortmund in the S. West section of the cemetery, (ref. ERK MRK C.3), cause of death bullet to the skull and meningitis. Word of his demise was communicated by the Germans to the International Committee of the Red Cross, who in turn translated official documents from German into French, January 31st 1915, then sent word to the British Records Office and the official news was passed to his family.
After the Armistice of 1918 the city of Cologne was occupied under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles until January 1926. It was decided in 1922 that the graves of Commonwealth servicemen who had died all over Germany should be brought into 4 permanent cemeteries at Kassel, Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne. Private Stearman’s body was exhumed and brought into Cologne Southern Cemetery, Nordrhein-Westfalen, for reburial with all due reverence and honour by an Army chaplain, grave XV. B. 35., October 8th 1923. At the time of his demise in 1915 he was 25 years old and single.
His father received all monies due to him and his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to him at 37, Union Lane, Chester Moor, County Durham.
Alfred Stearman died December 5th 1929, aged 78 years of age, leaving effects in the sum of 319 pounds 10 shillings 3 pence to his daughter Elizabeth Stearman, spinster and William Stearman, coal miner.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
The Chester-le-Street Chronicle 25/06/1915 reports
Stearman - Died for his country, May 28th 1915, Thomas, dearly beloved son of Alfred and the late Jane Stearman, Union Lane, Chester Moor.
The Chester-le-Street Chronicle 29/11/1918 reports:-
Pte. Robert Stearman, D.L.I., West Yorkshire Regiment, whose home is at 37 Union Lane, Chester Moor, joined H.M. forces in September 1914 and has been through many engagements in which he has experienced some tough work. The War Office has reported him missing but his people have now received word from him that he is a prisoner of war. Pte. Thos. Stearman D.L.I. joined up with his brother but he received mortal wounds and died on 25th May 1915. It appears he was taken a prisoner by the Germans and sent to hospital where he stayed about a month before he succombed to his wounds.
Thomas Gibson Stearman is remembered at Chester Moor on C123.02 and at Chester-le-Street on C105.01, C105.12, C105.15 and C105.40
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 129
