Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
William Archer, one of 8 children of whom only 5 survived, was by 1900 the eldest of 3 surviving sons and had 2 elder sisters. His father William Frederick Archer born in the district of Sunderland in 1860, married, in the district of Houghton-le-Spring, July 29th 1889, local girl Frances Sanderson, born 1868. Their daughter Lily was born later that year at Herrington as was Hannah in 1891. Frances and her young daughters were living with her parents and younger siblings in April 1891 at 32, Catherine Terrace, West Herrington, while her husband was living in one room at Hodgson’s Yard, Newbottle, employed as a coal miner. Having joined her husband at Newbottle their daughter Ella was born there in late 1891, however, they had returned to New Herrington 3 years later where William Jnr was born in 1894, Elizabeth 1895 and Thomas 1898. William Archer Snr died during the 1st quarter (Jan/Feb/ Mar) 1899, only 39 years of age, son Frederick was born after his father’s death in 1900. In 1901 Frances was living at 20, Stanley Terrace, Shiney Row, living with her was 15 years old nephew Joseph Hardy, a driver below ground at the colliery. His wages were her only means of support for herself, the children and also her widowed father, retired coal miner, William Sanderson, however, by 1911 only William (17) was living at home and supporting his mother, sister Elizabeth (16) and Thomas (13) working as a miner. Prior to enlistment William was employed at the Lady Beatrice New Pit at New Herrington.
Britain declared a state of war with Germany in August 1914, William enlisted at Houghton-le-Spring and was assigned firstly as Private 1567 to the 1/6th Battalion Durham Light Infantry. The battalion was a Territorial Force designated to the Tyne Defences but also trained for service overseas, divided into 4 groups at Boldon, Ravensworth and Newcastle-upon-Tyne as part of the 50th Northumbrian Division. The main body of the Division departed from Newcastle, April 17th 1915, bound for France, William did not join them as he had been posted to the 20th Battalion Durham Light Infantry with a change of service number, 250728. The battalion was moved from Sunderland to Wensley, North Yorkshire for intensive training in August 1915 although they had still not been issued with any equipment. October, with the onset of winter, they were moved into billets at Barnard Castle until moving to Aldershot in January 1916, joining the newly formed 41st Division. They departed for the front in early May 1916 and on the 29th entered the front line trenches for the first time at Armentieres, where they remained for the next 3 months suffering casualties every day. In September they were sent south to the Somme where on September 14th 1916 they fought at Flers and after a week in reserve as of October 1st returned to the front line near Gueudecourt before moving to Belgium. The battalion spent the winter of 1916/17 patrolling no-man’s land, digging and repairing trenches, as not having received replacements for men lost in action of the original 1,000 strong who had arrived at the front in 1916 only 450 had survived. June 7th 1917 after the explosion of huge mines under the German lines at Messines the 20th Battalion attacked and captured Dammstrasse, a strongpoint on the newly formed British front line, July 31st they participated at the attack south of Klein Zillebeke on the opening day of the Third Battle of Ypres, which raged from July 1st-November 10th 1917. At the conclusion of this attack they were sent for a few weeks of rest and retraining before re-joining the division fighting south of the Menin Road, near Ypres.
Private 250728 William Archer was killed in action, August 17th 1917 and interred at Godewaersvelde British Cemetery, near the Belgian border 16 kilometres south-west of Ypres, Belgium, grave I. D. 10. He was 23 years of age and single.
His mother Frances received all monies due to him, a pension and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 20, Stanley Terrace, Shiney Row, County Durham. She commissioned and paid 4 shilling 11 pence for an additional inscription to be added to her son’s military headstone, it reads, “Died For His Country.”
Frances Archer nee Sanderson died in the district of Houghton-le-Spring during the 4th quarter (Oct/Nov/Dec) 1925, aged 57 years.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
William Archer is remembered at Shiney Row on S124.01, S124.03 and S124.08
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 217
