Hugh [Hughie] Bankhead was born on the 25th March 1896, at 18 Club Row, Pelton Fell, baptised at the Holy Trinity church Pelton on the 26th April 1896, the 2nd eldest boy, of David Bankhead, himself the eldest of seven children, and his 2nd wife Mary Hannah, [born 1869, Thornley, married 18th May 1895 at Pelton], she died in 1907, between January to March. [David's first wife was Eliza Annie born Bishop Auckland 1871, died in Chester-in-Street, January 1894]. David was born 22nd September 1865, Ratcliffe, Northumberland, son of James, born 1843 in Ireland, died 18th January 1882 in Chester-Le-Street, and Jane, born Gosforth 1841, in 1871 were residing at Edmondsley, [she remarried Thomas Kane in 1891 after the death of her 1st husband].

[In the 1861 census, James's father was also a James Bankhead, born 1811, born Ireland, died 14th March 1900, at Morpeth Workhouse, his wife Nancy born Ireland 1823, with children, Margaret born Scotland 1846, Sarah J. born Scotland 1854, Mary Ann, born Morpeth 1858, [married a James McCarthy who died before 1881, then she re-married a William Stewart], and Susan born 1860, died in Alnwick 1864.

David married a third time in 1908, Mary Dawson, [born 8th June 1873, Chester-le-Street].

For Mary Dawson, it was her 2nd marriage, as in 1911 she is residing with her family at 15 Mission Row, Newfield, Pelton with her own children Annie Dixon Dawson and Kate Dixon Dawson.

The other five children were James William, born 5th June 1890, [who married Anna A.D. Griffin on the 11th April 1914], died 10th October 1960, in Chester-le-Street, Mary Jane, born 1898, baptised on the 17th April 1898, [who married William Mills on the 22nd December 1917 at the Holy Trinity Church, Pelton Fell], John H, born 24th January 1900, baptised on the 4th March 1900, died in Durham in March 1951, Eleanor, born 1902, baptised on the 16th February 1902 and David, born 5th August 1904, [in 1939 were residing at 6 Quarry Row, Chester-le-Street, Durham, he married Elizabeth {nee Hodgson} born 23rd December 1905, in 1933, with children, David Bankhead, born 30th April 1935, died 5th July 1986, Jean born 1933, Raymond born and died 1936, Audrey born 1937 and John H. born 1940.

In 1911, they were all residing at 15 Mission Row, Newfield, Pelton Fell.

David Bankhead, Hugh's Father had been residing at Wilson's Buildings and also at Edmondsley from about 1870 until at least 1884.

Hugh Bankhead was a colliery driver.

Hugh enlisted into the Royal Feld Artillery and was trained to be a gunner. Service number 64010, he disembarked for France on the 25th August 1915. He was in 'A' Battery, 102nd Royal Field Artillery Brigade.

The brigade was originally comprised of 'A', 'B', 'C' and 'D' Batteries RFA and the Brigade Ammunition Column. It was placed under command of the 23rd Division. The batteries were all armed with four 18-pounder field guns. The brigade then remained with the division throughout the war.

Between the 15th and 19th May the Brigade Ammunition Column left, being merged into the 23rd Divisional Ammunition Column.

On the 19th May 1916, 'D' Battery left to join 105th Brigade, becoming its 'A' Battery. 'A' (Howitzer) Battery joined from 105th Brigade and became 102nd Brigade’s 'D' (Howitzer) Battery.

On the 3rd September 1916 the field gun batteries were made up to six guns. A section of two from 'A' Battery of 105th Brigade arrived and joined 'A' Battery, and the other section joined 'B' Battery. 'A' section joined 'C' Battery from 'C' Battery of 105h Brigade.

The howitzer battery was also made up to six on the 18th January 1917 by the arrival of a section of two from 'C' (Howitzer) Battery of 104th Brigade.

Source: The Long Long Trail.

Hugh was a signaller for his artillery battery, and as such would often be found in the trenches, the wires were cut so Hugh and another man went out to repair them under heavy fire, as a result the other man was wounded and since died. Hugh successfully repaired the wires and returned to the tranches.

Chester-le-Street Chronicle 18/08/1916.

Gunner Fred Curry, R.F.A. of Newfield, wrote a letter to Mr D. Bankhead, of 15 Mission Row, Newfield, as follows :- Excuse me taking the privilege of writing to you, but I thought it my duty to do so, to inform you that Hughie (Gun Hugh Bankhead R.F.A., his son), has been awarded the Military Medal for gallantry in the field. He is a signaller as you know, and you know they are frequently in the trenches. Well he was with one of our officers and another signaller when the wires were cut. So Hugh and the other fellow had to go out and repair them under heavy shell fire. I am sorry to say the other fellow has since been wounded, and has died as a result. Hughie is a proper hero with the lads of the battery, and he is so modest with it. What a fine fellow he has turned out to be, and son and a comrade to be proud of. No one is more glad than I am, but I don't think Hughie himself thinks much about it. We enlisted together and are still together, and I hope we shall return together. We are having fine weather, just the sort for this 'pushing' business. We have spoken to several German prisoners who say our bombardments are terrible and nothing [sic] can live against them.

The newspaper also states the Gunner Bankhead's father, two brothers, [James and John], two uncles and a brother-in-law are in the army. The Uncles are both prisoners of War.

The Newcastle Daily Chronicle 19/08/1916 reports:

'Medal for Pelton Fell Artilleryman.
Gunner H. Bankhead, R.F.A., of Pelton Fell, has been awarded the Military Medal for bravery in action, he having repaired the telephone wires to his battery from a forward observation post, under heavy shell fire. His comrade was wounded and has since died of his wounds'.

Hugh Bankhead survived the war. In 1919 he is on the Absent Voters list, but by 1920 his name appears as a resident living at 15 Mission Row, Newfield, he continued to reside at 15 Mission Row, Newfield, Pelton Fell, with his parents at least until after the Second World War.

He died on the 7th May 1974. In his will he left £1475. His address at the time of his death was 14 Lawson Close, West Pelton, Stanley, Co Durham.

Hugh [Hughie] Bankhead is not remembered on a North East War Memorial.

Acknowledgments: Denis Pooley