In Railway Dugouts Burial Ground (Transport Farm), Belgium is the Commonwealth War Grave of 8/3473 Serjeant William Henry Stockdale serving with the “C” Company 8th Battalion Durham Light Infantry who died 02/03/1916.
He was born in Keswick, the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Stockdale of Keswick. He was the husband of Edith Stockdale, of 11, Laburnum Avenue, Walkerville, Newcastle upon Tyne.
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
William Henry Stockdale was one of 5 children all of whom survived, offspring of James Stockdale, born July 30th 1858 at Stainmore Westmoreland and Annie Elizabeth Birkett a native of Brighan, Keswick, historically in Cumberland, where she was born, November 7th 1868.
The couple were married by the vicar of St. John’s Church, Keswick, John N. Hoare, November 20th 1886. Their daughter Mary Elizabeth was born in 1889, William Henry, December 10th 1889 at 1, Banks Place, Keswick where his father was employed as a general labourer at the bobbin mill. They remained at Banks Place which was also the birthplace of Walter Laurence, May 19th 1892 and Cecily Ann, January 10th 1899, their youngest child James Leslie was born March 26th 1907.
Since circa 1901 James Stockdale had been working as a granite quarryman and by 1911 the family was living in 4 rooms at 25, St. Herbert’s Street, Keswick. Mary Elizabeth (22) was working from home for her own account as a dressmaker, Laurence (18) was a printer’s apprentice, Cicely (12) was a scholar and James Leslie (4) remained at home with his mother, William Henry had left the family home.
William Henry Stockdale had left Cumberland and moved to County Durham. As a qualified teacher he was employed by the County Council at Chopwell, where he was living as a boarder with grocer William Matthews his wife and 3 children at 14, Frederick Street.
When war with Germany was declared on August 4th 1914, William Henry enlisted at Durham and was assigned as Private 3473 to the 1/8th Battalion Durham Light Infantry of the Territorial Force. The men of the 1st/8th Battalion were posted immediately to the coastal defences at Roker and Whitburn and over the next 9 months also trained for active service overseas. Formed into four companies the new recruits were trained at Boldon, Ravensworth and Newcastle upon Tyne.
Under the command of Lieutenant John Turnbull of Chester le Street, the 1/8th Battalion D.L.I. departed from Newcastle railway station, April 19th 1915, however Private Stockdale was not amongst them.
Aware of his imminent departure overseas May 5th 1915 he was married at The Baptist Church, Heaton Road, Newcastle upon Tyne to Edith Emily Pritchard. Born at Gosforth on the outskirts of Newcastle, June 6th 1891, she was the daughter of draper’s assistant Thomas William Pritchard originally from Lambeth, London and Irish immigrant, Agnes Smith.
Little over a month later having risen to the rank of Sergeant, William Henry Stockdale disembarked in France, July 10th 1915, joining his regiment in the field, The first wave of men had been rushed across France to Belgium and without any nursery training had participated during the Second Battle of Ypres, April 22nd-May 25th 1915 sustaining heavy casualties from gas attacks and shelling during the attack at Gravenstafel Ridge. The battalion as part of the 151st Brigade, 50th Northumbrian Division remained on the Ypres salient until August 1916 at Armentieres and Kemmel.
Sergeant 3473 William Henry Stockdale, “C” Company, 1/8th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, was killed in action March 3rd 1916 by a shell which burst near him and interred at Railway Dugouts Burial Ground (Transport Farm), West Vlaanderen, 2 kilometres south-east of the town of Ypres, Belgium grave II. D. 2. He was 26 years of age.
His widow received all monies due to him from the Army, his awards of the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal also a pension of 11 shillings, awarded September 16th 1916 to be received weekly as of September 18th, sent to her at 21, Warton Terrace, Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne. Their marriage was childless.
Edith Emily was also a teacher, in 1939 she was living at Woodland Gardens, Durham but later moved to 11, Laburnum Avenue, Gosforth. During her lifetime she travelled frequently to the United States and Canada, these trips appear to have been for pleasure and not work related.
Edith Emily Stockdale nee Pritchard never remarried and was still living at the same address in Gosforth at the time of her demise, December 29th 1970, informant Robert William Pritchard, her brother.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
The Lancashire Evening Post 18/03/1916 reports:-
KESWICK SOLDIER KILLED
Information was yesterday received at Keswick of the death of Sergt. William H. Stockdale, 6th Durham Light Infantry. A shell burst near him, killing him almost immediately. Sergt. Stockdale, who was 26 years of age. while at Keswick elementary school won a scholarship which took him to Keswick School, and he later went to Durham University, where he captained the Rugby football team. He held a teaching appointment in a Tyneside school when he enlisted.
William Henry Stockdale is remembered at Blaydon on B111.01, at Durham on D47.17, D47.52, D47.126, D47.127 and D47.141, at Heaton on H91.29 and H91.30, in the D.L.I. Book of Remembrance page 41, in the Battalion History page 262 and on our Lists of Teachers who fell in 1914-18 and Teachers who served in 1914-18.
