Stained Glass Window 6 N.F. T.A. 1914-18 St. George Drill Hall

St. George’s Drill Hall, Sandyford Road, corner of College Street, near St Marys Place, Newcastle upon Tyne. Now Demolished. NZ 251648

In the Officers’ Mess.

In St Thomas Church, St Mary’s Place, Newcastle upon Tyne. NZ 249649.

1914-18.

Unveiled Sunday 24th Jan. 1926 by Mrs. Parmeter
dedicated by Col. the Rev. T.E. Crawhall, D.S.O. who was Chaplain to the Unit in France.

Captain and Mrs. T.P. Parmeter

Captain and Mrs. T.P. Parmeter

Major Dennis Hill (former Adjutant)

6th Batt.
Northumberland
Fusiliers T.A.

Screen of stained glass

In the centre is depicted St. George slaying the dragon (Badge of Northumberland Fusiliers) with the motto “Quo Fata Vocant”.

To the left and right are painted rolls of names in the form of a scroll with yellow background, and the names written in black Roman capitals.

The scrolls each are painted over a laurel wreath.

Along the bottom of the window are listed the names of the battles, the lettering again in Roman capitals.

1.  St. George’s Drill Hall was the Headquarters for the 6th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers which was built in 1883. It was originally located at Sandyford Road, St Marys Place, Newcastle upon Tyne. In 1908 they moved to the Riding School, built 1849, at Northumberland Road, which was formerly the home of the Northumberland Hussars, bringing the name of St Georges Drill Hall with them.

2.  The memorial bears names of several Officers who were not from Newcastle.

3.  The premises were moved to St. George’s TA Centre, Sandyford Road. Newcastle upon Tyne.

4.  The names include Captain Norman McLeod Dryden and 2nd Lieutenant Edward Noel Mather. (“Several Shieldsmen fought in the ranks”)

5.  In St. Thomas’s Church, this was placed originally just inside the door so that you passed on either side to enter the church. This was taken down and was in storage pending the proposed creation of a war memorial chapel in the church.

6.  St George’s Drill Hall, (Riding School) is now part of the University. Opposite City Hall. Listed Building Grade II.

7.  “The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers are now part of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers after amalgamating with fusilier regiments from London, Warwickshire and Lancashire.  St. George was the emblem of the Northumberland regiment and his colours, red and white, have been adopted by the new regiment.  A Spokesman for the new Regiment of Fusiliers said: ‘The window has been accepted by the church as a last resting place because the Drill Hall will probably be demolished. It will join the memorial, also of St. George, outside the church to the men who died in the two wars’.”

8. The Memorial is now displayed in St Thomas Church, in a community room on the left of the Church. It has been remounted on a backlit background mounted as 3 separate panels surrounded by metal surrounds. Cost approx £12000. 2024.

9. The 6th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers moved to the Church Street drill hall in Walker (since demolished) in 1920.

10. St Thomas The Martyr’s Church is located on the junction of Barras Bridge and St Mary’s Place in Newcastle.
The present church was built between 1827 and 1830 in Victorian Gothic style by architect John Dobson, who also designed Central Station and many other buildings in the 19th century redevelopment of Newcastle.
The church is dedicated to Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, who was murdered in 1170.
The current church was built on the site of the Mary Magdalen hospital for lepers, by the bridge that spanned Pandon Dene.
It replaced an earlier 13th century chapel dedicated to St Thomas, which had been located at the north east of the old bridge over the River Tyne, near to the present day swing bridge.
St Thomas The Martyr’s Church is a Grade II* listed building on the National Heritage List for England.

St Thomas Church

Photos: R.W. Gould; Janet Brown; James Pasby;

Shields Daily News
25/01/1926 reports unveiling, and comment is made in an editorial in the same edition.

The Journal
25/02/1969 carries the report of the transfer to St. Thomas’s Church quoted in Note 6 above.

St. George’s Gazette
Vol. XLIV (1926) 31st March page 50 reports unveiling;
Vol. XLVIII (1930) makes mention of Captain and Mrs. Parmeter who donated the window.

If you are researching this memorial please contact 2014@newmp.org.uk