Photo: Pauline Priano
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas Elliott Patterson, one of 3 children, was the youngest of 2 surviving brothers. His father Wellwood Patterson was born March 4th 1871 at Lochrutton, Kirkcudbright, Scotland and had moved to the north east of England by 1891 along with his elder brother William and his wife Elizabeth. In 1893 he was married in the district of Bellingham, Northumberland, to Jane Elliot born in 1869 at Falstone, a village 8 miles from the Scottish border. They settled at Falstone where their sons were born, James Douglas Patterson, July 8th 1895 and Thomas Elliott during the 3rd quarter (Jul/Aug/Sep) 1897. In 1901 they were living in the village of Netherton Colliery, at 252, Yard Row, as Wellwood supported his family employed as a coal hewer, ten years later they had moved into 3 rooms at Blucher Colliery Road, Walbottle, Newburn, Northumberland. James (15) had joined his father at the colliery working below ground as a driver. Thomas (13) attended school.
In 1914 when war was declared with Germany Thomas was 17 years of age, the following year, despite still being too young to enlist, he presented himself at Newburn recruitment office and must have lied about his age. He was assigned to the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, a service battalion, formed in Omagh, Northern Ireland, which had departed to France as part of the 109th Brigade, 36th (Ulster) Division.
As Private 18959, Thomas Elliott departed for the Western Front as of January 1916, joining the 11th Battalion in the field. British Forces were congregating and training for the forthcoming Battles of the Somme, due to commence June 29h 1916 the opening battle was postponed until July 1st. The 36th (Ulster) Division, July 1st 1916, following a bombardment by the artillery, quickly took the German line but due to poor communication when the rest of the division attacked under creep bombardment, artillery fired in front or over the men, the men would have been under attack, not by the Germans but by their own artillery. They took the Schwaben Redoubt and were so successful that they reached the German second line, however, by nightfall they had been pushed back.
Private 18959 Thomas Elliott Patterson Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers initially reported as missing, after extensive enquiries as to his whereabouts, he was struck off and presumed to have died on or since July 1st 1916. His sacrifice is recorded as one of 72,337 names inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, Thiepval, France, commemorating British and South African forces who were killed on the Somme before March 20th 1918 and who have no known grave. Private Patterson was 18 years of age and single.
His father received all monies owed to him from the Army and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Although his brother was eligible to serve no records have been found. In 1939 he was living with his wife, Whilhelmina and 2 children, Alice and Josephine, at 2 Blucher Screen Cottage, Newburn, Northumberland, employed as a colliery hewer. James Douglas Patterson died in the district of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland in circa 1984.
1916 proved to be a year of tragedy as the loss of Thomas was closely followed within 5 months by the death of his mother Jane Patterson nee Elliott, incorrectly registered as aged 53 years.
Wellwood Patterson remarried in 1923 to Mary Ann Dawson, district of Castle Ward, Northumberland. In 1939 Wellwood had retired and they were living at 24, Hawthorn Street, Newburn, Northumberland. Wellwood Patterson died in 1940 aged 69 years, registered at Northumberland South (including Newburn and Westerhope).
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Thomas Elliott Patterson is remembered at Whorlton on W53.01
