Murton Cemetery
Tyne Cot Memorial
Tyne Cot Memorial: Pauline Priano
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Jacob Terment Curtis was born at Murton, County Durham in 1892, one of three sons born to coal miner Jacob Curtis Snr. native of Long Benton, Northumberland born 1870 and his wife Jane Short born 1869 at East Murton, County Durham, whom he married in the district of Easington, March 1888. Jacob's mother died when he was aged 6, it was not until June 1906 that his father married Elizabeth Ann Walton of East Murton, with whom he had a further 3 children, a boy, a girl and a deceased infant, gender unknown. In 1911, aged 18, Jacob Jnr. worked as an engine brakeman below ground at the colliery, his father as a stone man, whilst the family were living at 5 Salisbury Place, Murton Colliery having previously lived at 35 Sea View.
Jacob Terment Curtis enlisted along with Lowes N. Rutter at Sunderland, March 13th 1915 and was assigned the consecutive number of Private 723 Durham Light Infantry, 19th Battalion. As part of the first Durham Bantams they assembled in West Hartlepool before moving to Cocken Hall in May, after the 18th Battalion D. L. I. had moved out, headed for France. A month later they moved again to Marsham in North Yorkshire as part of the 106th Brigade, 35th Division. August 2nd 1915 Private Curtis was promoted to the rank of Corporal and once training was completed at Salisbury Plain the 19th Battalion sailed from Southampton, January 31st 1915 and entered the trenches in France at Neuve Chapelle. July 1st 1916 the Division, including the 19th Battalion was moved south to the Somme near Longueval but did little fighting, instead digging trenches, however, the heavy shell fire did cause many casualties. Late August they were moved to the front at Arras. April 21st 1917 he was admitted for one day only to the 10th Battalion Hospital at Etaples, cause unknown and again suffering from Pyrexia (fever), June 5th-13th 1917 returning to his unit just after the conclusion of the Battle of Messines. Following Messines the Battalion was moved to the Ypres salient and participated during the Third Battle of Ypres at Passhendaele, Belgium, July 31st - November 10th 1917.
Corporal 723 Jacob Terment Curtis Durham Light Infantry was killed in action August 23rd 1917 and has no known grave. His sacrifice is recorded panel 128-131 at Tynecot Memorial, Zonnebeke, Belgium, he was 25 years old and single.
His parents received all monies due to him, a pension and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to them at 5 Salisbury Place, Murton Colliery, County Durham.
Jacob’s father died September 14th 1952, aged 82 and is buried at Murton Cemetery, his brothers Thomas and William also died during the fourth quarter of 1952 aged 61 and 53 reciprocally however their deaths are unrelated. His step mother Elizabeth Ann passed away September 4th 1954, aged 79 and is interred along with her husband. His half-sister Jane Ann died aged 76 in 1983, his half-brother Daniel Elliot Curtis in 1998 aged 86.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Jacob T. Curtis is remembered at Dalton le Dale on D39.01 and at Murton on M47.01, M47.02, M47.06, M47.09 and M47.12
Jacob T. Curtis is also remembered in the D.L.I. Book of Remembrance in Durham Cathedral page 222
