Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Allan Hill was born at Great Stainton in 1898, 4th born son of 6 and 1 daughter of Joshua Hill also of Great Stainton born 1665 and his wife Cecily Patterson born 1868 at Bishopton, County Durham. They were married at Stockton, County Durham in 1898 settling at Long Newton near Stockton where Joshua farmed his own land. He died 1899-1900 in his early 30’s, Cecily moved to Sadberge and in order to support her children, the eldest 10, the youngest only 11 months, took in boarders, in 1901 living with them was John Furness (26) and Thomas Harrison (47) both agricultural labourers.
Cecily Hill nee Patterson died in 1905, Joshua’s widowed father William Hill stepped in, taking his grandchildren into his own home. William Hill lived at Long Hill, Stillington where he was a farmer. In 1911 living with him and his children Edward, Fred and Mary Isabella were Charles (16) who along with his grandfather and uncles worked the land while Allan (13) and David (11) were scholars, looking after the household was Mary Briggs (20) their servant.
During WW1 Allan Hill enlisted at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland when he turned 18 in 1916 assigned as Private 75610 to the Durham Light Infantry joining his Regiment at their barracks where he was transferred to the 14th Battalion and on to the 15th Battalion during training. He was drafted to the Western Front in 1917 aged 19 years where after trench familiarisation at the Depot at Etaples he joined the 11th Battalion in the field part of the 20th Division.
November 30th 1917 after the British attack at Cambrai, where they used tanks for the first time, the Germans counter-attacked and at Guillermont the 11th Battalion were part of a desperate attempt to halt the advance after which they returned to the Somme. When the Germans attacked on the Somme. March 21st 1918, the 11th Battalion as part of the 20th Division was in reserve but still suffered over 450 casualties as they fought and fell back.
Private 75610 Allan Hill Durham Light Infantry is presumed to have died during the attack, March 22nd 1918. His sacrifice is recorded as one of the 14.707 names inscribed on the Pozieres Memorial which forms the boundary walls of Pozieres British Cemetery, Somme, France and commemorates servicemen from the United Kingdom and South Africa who died on the Somme battlefield from March 21st 1918 to August 7th 1918 and who have no known grave.
Recipient of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
His brotherRichard also served 1914-18.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Allan Hill is remembered at Stillington on S137.01 and S137.02
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 56
