Hooge Crater Cemetery: Pauline Priano
Hooge Crater Cemetery
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
William Thompson was the only son of William Thompson Snr born 1871 at Moorsley and his wife Alice, possibly surname Peel, born 1873 at Gateshead also in County Durham. William was born in 1894 at Hebburn Colliery as was his sister Anne in 1899 and baptised at St. Oswalds, Hebburn, County Durham, July 4th. The family was living at 7, Frederick Street, Hebburn in 1901, William Snr was employed as a coal miner/deputy overman. Ten years later they can be found at 46, New Fifth Street, Horden, father and son were both employed at the colliery, William Snr as a stone-man William Jnr (16) a rope haulage lad.
By 1915 William had left the family home and was living at 11, James Street, South Shields. After the declaration of war with Germany in August 1914 he enlisted May 31st 1915 at South Shields, was medically examined at Sunderland, June 1st, found to be fit he was assigned as Private 3844 and posted to the 1st/7th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, a training battalion as well as part of the coastal defences. Private Thompson was transferred with a new service number 44449 to the Machine Gun Training Centre stationed at Belton Park, Grantham, Lincolnshire, where he remained from July 25th 1916 until August 19th 1916.
Private Thompson departed with the British Expeditionary Force from Folkestone, August 20th 1916, disembarking at Boulogne, France, he made his way to the Base Depot at Camiers. Posted September 1st 1916 to the 59th Coy, 20th (Light) Division he joined them in the field, September 9th where they participated during the Battle of Transloy, October 1st-November 5th 1916, a phase of the Battles of the Somme. By December 15th he had risen to the rank of unpaid Lance Corporal. Having been admitted to hospital suffering from enteritis, December 18th 1916 he returned to the 59th Coy M.G.C. December 27th until being posted back to the depot at Camiers, February 4th 1817, returning to England February 12th, reason unspecified.
Posted once again to the front he departed July 12th 1917 via Southampton to Le Havre, France, with the B.E.F. was promoted the following day to the full rank of Corporal and joined the 239th Coy Machine Gun Corps in the field July 13th which as of July 17th 1917 was attached to the 47th (2nd London) Division. The division moved from France to Belgium where July 31st-August 2nd 1917 they participated at the Battle of Pilkem Ridge, a phase of the Third Battle of Ypres. Admitted to hospital August 14th to 18th he returned to his unit still on the Ypres salient in Belgium where they were engaged in the front line August 18th-September 2nd and September 8th-17th 1917 during the Third Battle of Ypres.
Corporal 44449 William Thompson was killed in action September 12th 1917, his body buried on the battlefield by his comrades. After the Armistice of November 11th 1918 at the request of the Belgian and French Governments small concentrations were brought into larger cemeteries. During the clearing of the battlefields the remains of Corporal Thompson were found at map reference I. 12. b. 2. 2. and once exhumed brought into Hooge Crater Cemetery, West Vlaanderen for re-burial with all honour and reverence by an Army chaplain, grave III. E. 8. At the time of his demise in 1917 Corporal 44449 William Thompson M.G.C. was 23 years of age and single.
His father of 46, New Fifth Street, Horden, County Durham received all monies due to him, his personal items by February 19th 1918 and awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal during 1922. William Thompson commissioned at a cost of 4 shillings 4 pence an additional inscription to be added to his son’s military headstone, it reads, “Till We Meet Again.”
Details as regards the demise of William and Alice Thompson and his sister Anne, as yet unknown.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
William Thompson is remembered at Horden on H130.05 and H130.08
