Photo: James Pasby

Royal Victoria Infirmary 29/03/1917 Coroner’s report number 169.

Thomas William Wilkie aged 41 years. Private. Labour Battalion, Lincoln Regiment, NC Barracks. Home address No 45 Elsdon Street, North Shields, died in 1st Northern General Hospital at 8.05am on 29th.

Deceased died from the effects of some irritant [sic] poison probably Carbolic Acid, which he had taken at his residence, No 45 Elsdon Street, North Shields, whilst in a depressed state of mind on Wednesday 28th March 1917.

Shields Daily News 30/03/1917 reports:

North Shields Soldier’s Suicide through Depression.
Last night, Mr Alfred Appleby, Newcastle City Coroner, held an inquest on Thomas William Wilkie (41), a private in a labour unit, who died in the First Northern General Hospital on Thursday. Mary Wilkie, the widow, stated her husband was examined on March 8th for the army, and was put in class C31 as he has a rupture. Her husband was not aware that he had a rupture until the doctor told him. He joined up on March 20th, and came to his home in Elsdon Street, North Shields, when he looked depressed, and said he did not think he could stand the marching.

During the past four months two of their children had died, her husband's brother and two of his brothers in-law had been killed at the front. That together with the knowledge he was ruptured, had depressed her husband. There was a bottle three parts full of carbolic for disinfecting purposes kept in the cupboard.

At 1.30 a.m. on Thursday she awoke and found her husband unconscious. Her daughter who came into the room said there was a smell of carbolic. Assistance was obtained, and afterwards her husband was removed to the Military Hospital at Newcastle. She found the bottle that had contained carbolic among the ashes in the fireplace. The bottle was empty. Dr Harkness said that death was due to the man having swallowed an irritant poison probably carbolic acid. A verdict of "Suicide while in a depressed state of mind" was returned.

He is remembered at Tynemouth on T36.14

The CWGC gives his date of death as 29th April 1917.

The CWGC entry for Private Wilkie