Ypres Reservoir Cemetery: P. Priano
Ypres Reservoir Cemetery: Pauline Priano
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas Wilson Jnr, one of 8 children, was by 1911 the eldest of 4 surviving children, 2 sons and 2 daughters. His father Thomas Wilson Snr born at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, in 1869, having moved to Sunderland, met and married local girl, Mary Jane Dodds in 1889. Their daughter Isabella born the following year at 11, Maud’s Street, died in infancy, Stanley their eldest son was born in 1896, Thomas 1898, Robert 1899 and Elizabeth in 1901, by which time they had moved to 16, Francis Street, no longer employed as a general labourer Thomas Snr had found more reliable work as a grocer’s assistant. Mary Jane gave birth to a further 2 children, Doris in 1904 and Lilian in 1907, unfortunately she and Thomas also lost a further 3 children, I gender unknown, Elizabeth between 1901 and 1911 and Stanley in 1910 aged 14 years. By 1911 they had moved into 3 rooms at 39, Sandringham Road, Sunderland, Thomas continued to work as an assistant, Thomas Jnr (13) as a grocer’s errand boy, both employed by the Co-operative Society.
In 1914 Thomas was only 16/17 years of age still too young to enlist or to serve overseas. He enlisted at Sunderland when he turned 18 and was firstly assigned as Private 10936 to the Army Cyclist Corps. Having turned 19 years of age during 1917, now eligible for service overseas, either in England or in the field Private Wilson transferred to the 13th Battalion then posted to the 12th Battalion Durham Light Infantry now service number 52729, attached to the 38 Brigade, 23rd Division, joining his regiment on the Belgian salient.
His engagement was short lived as he was killed in action, September 20th 1917, on the first day of the Battle of Menin Road, his body buried on the battlefield by his comrades marked with a cross bearing his military details. Post war during the clearing of the battlefields isolated graves and small concentrations, at the request of the French and Belgian Governments, were brought into larger cemeteries for reburial. Remains found at map reference J. 19. b. 80. 20 without a cross, destroyed during subsequent actions, were identified as that of Private Wilson by means of a disc and brought into Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium for reburial with all honour and reverence by an Army chaplain, June 4th 1921. He is at rest grave IX. D. 8, at the time of his demise in 1917 he was 19 years of age and single.
Nominated as his sole legitimate beneficiary his mother Mary Jane received all monies due to him and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Thomas Wilson is remembered at Roker on R50.02 and at Sunderland in S140.048 part 02
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 255
