Hooge Crater Cemetery: Pauline Priano
Hooge Crater Cemetery: Pauline Priano
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas William Ward was the only son of Thomas William Ward Snr born 1863 at Penshaw, County Durham. Thomas Snr spent his entire life in service, at the age of 18 he was employed at Scruton Hall, Hambleton, North Yorkshire, the home of George Elliot, M.P. for Ripon, his wife and 3 children. They employed 20 people to run the household, a housekeeper, 2 laundry maids, 2 house maids, a kitchen maid, 2 scullery maids, 2 ladies maids, footman, house carpenter, waiter, butler, 2 nurse maids, a gardener and 3 grooms, of which Thomas was one. He married at St. Thomas, Stockton-on-Tees, May 27th 1893, to Julia Ann Clemant born 1863 at Thornbury, Gloucestershire. Their daughter Matilda May was born, May 6th 1895 and Thomas William 1897, at Ripon. Employed as a coachman/domestic in 1901 Thomas William Snr was employed at Red House, Palace Road, Ripon, they occupied The Lodge, they had returned to the north east by 1911. The family occupied 3 rooms at 6, Penshaw Place, Shiney Row, Fence Houses, County Durham. Matilda May (15) was an apprentice dressmaker, Thomas William Jnr (14) an apprentice boot maker, their father was still in service as a coachman, Julia Ann a housewife.
When war was declared with Germany Thomas William Ward was only 17 years of age, too young to enlist, he did so in 1915 at Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham. He was assigned as Private 202623 to the 5th Battalion Durham Light Infantry. Once he turned 19 years of age he was eligible to serve overseas and departed for the front as of January 1916 joining his regiment in the field in Belgium as part of the 150th Brigade, 50th Division. September 1916 they were moved south to the Somme where they suffered heavy losses at Prue Trench and High Wood. Posted to the 15th Battalion, 63rd Brigade, 21st Division he moved with his regiment to the Arras sector in action on the opening day of the offensive, April 9th 1917 sustaining heavy losses which limited their advance and the attempt to capture the German front line. By May 6th the division was holding part of the Hindenburg Line and remained in the sector until they returned to Belgium participating during the Battle of Passchendaele which raged from July 31st-November 6th 1917 on the Ypres salient.
Private 202623 Thomas William Ward Durham Light Infantry was reported as missing and is presumed to have been killed in action October 4th 1917 during the Battle of Broodseinde.
Private Ward was buried on the battlefield by his comrades his grave marked with a cross bearing his military details. After the declaration of the Armistice, November 11th 1918, at the request of the French and Belgian Governments small concentrations of graves were brought into larger cemeteries as well as the clearing of the battlefields. At map reference J. 15. b. 4. 7. remains were found without a cross bearing details of recognition. Once exhumed by means of the numeral on the uniform, a photo and pocket book they were identified as those of Private Ward. May 10th 1919, he, as well as Private 19430 H. Jones, R. W. Fusiliers found at the same map reference and 3 identified British soldiers found at various locations, were brought into Hooge Crater Cemetery, Zillebeke, near Ypres, Belgium, for re-burial with military honours by an Army chaplain. Private Ward is at rest grave IX. A. 12, at the time of his demise in 1917 he was 20 years of age and single.
His father received all monies due to him, the personal items retrieved from his remains and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to his home at 2, Clark’s Buildings, Shiney Row, Philadelphia, Fence Houses, County Durham. Thomas William Snr commissioned at a cost of 13 shillings 1 pence an additional inscription to be added to his son’s military headstone, it reads, “In God’s Keeping We Leave Our Loved One Safely Sleeping.”
Thomas William Ward Snr died aged 60 years in 1934, his widow Julia Ann Ward nee Clemant in 1937 aged 76 years, both registered in the district of Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham. In 1939 Matilda May Ward, single, was still living at 2, Clark’s Court, a dressmaker for her own account, she died aged 60 years in 1956 registered at Durham Eastern.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Thomas William Ward is remembered at Shiney Row on S124.01 and S124.08
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 270
