Photo: Brian Chandler
In Newcastle (St. John Westgate & Elswick) Cemetery is a family headstone which reads:
In
loving memory of
Thomas William
the dearly beloved husband of
Margaret Gillinder
who died 25th July 1930,
aged 66 years,
“sleep on beloved”
also
James Brown Gillinder, Lce Cpl 19th N.F.
son of the above
killed in action 1st June 1918,
“at rest”,
and of Margaret
the beloved wife of the above
Thomas William Gillinder
who died 19th March 1940,
aged 75 years
“until the daybreak and the shadows flee away”
and of Patricia Mavis Croft
grand-daughter and dear child of
John and Margaret Croft
who died 24th December 1932
aged 10 months.
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
James Brown Fawcett Gillinder, one of 7 children of whom only 4 survived, was the youngest of 3 brothers and had an elder sister. His parents Thomas William Gillinder Snr of Percy Main and Margaret Brown native of North Shield, born in circa 1864 and 1865 respectively in Northumberland, were married in the district of Tynemouth in 1886. Thomas William Jnr was born in 1886, George 1889, Margaret Fawcett 1894 and James Brown Fawcett 1895. In 1901 the family was living at 26, Clara Street, Benwell, where Thomas William was employed as an ordnance filler and Thomas Jnr (14) as a grocer’s errand boy. By 1911 they had moved into 8 rooms at 150, Northbourne Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, Thomas William was now a foreman engineer at the ordnance works, which I believe to be Armstrong-Whitworth, HQ of the biggest munitions company in the run-up and during WW1. His sons Thomas William (24) and George (22) worked as electrical engineers, James (15) a butcher’s errand boy, Margaret 17 remained at home with their mother.
Upon the outbreak of war the Army created new battalions, James was one of the first to enlist at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, assigned to the 19th (Service) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, a Pals battalion, formed November 16th 1914, posted as Private 478. After initial training close to home, they became a Pioneer Battalion, February 8th 1915, joining the 105th Brigade, 35th Division in July at Masham, North Yorkshire then moved to Salisbury Plain in August for final training. They were ordered to Egypt in late 1915, but the order was cancelled and they proceeded to France landing at Le Havre, January 29th 1916, concentrating east of St Omer. They were in action as infantry during the Battles of the Somme at Bazentin Ridge, Arrow Head Copse, Maltz Horn Farm and Falfemont Farm, during the Battle of Guillemont, September 3rd-6th 1916, however, the 19th Battalion remained on the Somme but did not participate in any other major battles. The 35th Division was transferred to the Arras sector, September 1st 1916, joined by the artillery and the pioneers, September 6th. Although this was to be a period of rest after the encounters on the Somme they were still patrolling no-mans-land, trench raiding and using trench mortars against the German line, who in return did the same, giving the pioneers continuous work, despite being repaired, as the winter weather worsened this became increasingly difficult.
During 1917 they were on the Hindenburg Line, the pioneers were put to work salvaging and repairing roads and rail communications in the zone, until being transferred in May to Epethy and moved by train in the middle of October, north to the Ypres salient remaining near Poperinge for the rest of the year.
January 8th 1918 the 35th Division returned to action on the salient until they were rushed back to the Somme, March 23rd 1918, when the Germans attacked again on that front and remained there until November 1918.
Having risen through the ranks the now, Lance Corporal 478 James Brown Fawcett Gillinder Northumberland Fusiliers was killed in action, June 1st 1918 on the Somme. His sacrifice is recorded as one of 14,702 names inscribed on the Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France, which forms the boundary wall of Pozieres British Cemetery and commemorates men of the British and South African forces who died on the Somme, March 21st-August 7th 1918, who have no known grave. Private Gillinder was 23 years of age and single.
Thomas William received all monies due to his son from the Army and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal, sent to him at 150, Northbourne Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland. James’ brother George Gillinder also served during WW1 with the Army Service Corps in Egypt, he survived the conflict.
Thomas William Gillinder died in the district of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, July 25th 1930 aged 66 years, Margaret Gillinder nee Brown, March 19th 1940 aged 75 years.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Acknowledgements: Ron Carson
James Gillinder is remembered at Benwell on B86.10 and in the Battalion History page 192, where his name is spelled "Gillender".
