Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Bertie Harper was born in 1894 at West Cornforth, County Durham, one of 12 children of whom only 10 survived, he was the youngest of 5 sons and had 4 elder and 1 younger sister. His father John Harper born 1843 at Tividale, Staffordshire married in 1870 in the district of County Durham to Elizabeth Lewis born 1851 at Wolverhampton, Staffordshire. They settled at Morrison’s Row, Cornforth, County Durham where he was employed as a bricklayer, in 1891 their eldest son William worked as a blacksmith. Having moved to 44, Lowson Street, Whitton, Carlton Iron Works, John Harper and son Henry (22) worked as bricklayers, Joseph (20) as a general labourer and John (15) was employed as a coke oven labourer at the works, Bertie was 10 years old and a scholar.
John Harper died in 1901 aged 58 years, his widow Elizabeth remained in the house they had shared together. Her 2 unmarried sons John Jnr (23), and Bertie (17) supported her, their sister Lily (14) and nephew Fred Harper 10 months of age. John was now a regulator at the Iron Works and had been joined by Bertie who along with their boarder Alf Foster (25) was a general labourer employed by them also.
On the outbreak of war Bertie Harper enlisted at Stockton, assigned as Private 3872 to the Durham Light Infantry and transferred to the 1st/5th, a Territorial Force battalion with HQ at Stockton. The main body of the Regiment departed for the Western Front April 18th 1915, after training at Ravensworth and Gateshead Private Harper departed with his Battalion to France as of January 1916 joining his Regiment in the trenches of the Ypres salient as part of the 150th Brigade, 50th Northumberland Division.
Private Harper was wounded in the field and evacuated back through the lines by the Field Ambulance to the village of Bailleul, an important railhead, air depot and hospital centre of the 2nd, 3rd, 8th, 11th, 53rd, 1st Canadian and 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Stations for treatment. Private 3872 Bertie Harper Durham Light Infantry succumbed to wounds received on active service April 25th 1916 at the 2nd Casualty Clearing Station and was interred at Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord, France, grave II. D. 159. He was 23 years old and single.
Having nominated his mother as sole beneficiary she received all monies due to him, a pension and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 44, Lowson Street, Carlton Iron Works, County Durham. She commissioned at a cost of 5 shillings and 9 pence an additional inscription to be added to his military headstone, it reads, “Thy Will Be Done’.
Elizabeth Harper nee Lewis died at Stockton, County Durham in 1931 aged 80 years.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Bertie Harper is remembered at Stillington on S137.01 and S137.02 and at Stockton on S138.35
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 97
