In Quatre-Vents Military Cemetery, Estree-Cauchy, Pas de Calais, France, is the Commonwealth War Grave of 18/278 Private Thomas Stephenson, serving with the 18th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers who died 17/08/1916.
He was the husband of Mary H. Stephenson, of 5, Fourth Street, Heworth Colliery, County Durham.
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-born at Lintz Colliery, County Durham in 1889
Thomas Stephenson was, one of 11 children of whom only 10 are known by name.
His father Joseph Stephenson was born 1850 at Todd Hills, near Consett and his wife Mary Ann Davison a native of Hetton, near Lanchester born 1855, they were married August 15th 1874 at Durham Registry Office.
Their son John William was born in 1875 at Lintz Colliery, Tanfield near Lanchester where Joseph was employed as a joiner. It was also the birthplace of Mary in 1877, Jane on January 23rd 1878 and Eliza in 1880 while they were living at 6, Lintz Colliery. Margaret and Joseph were born at the colliery in 1883 and on July 1st 1884 before Joseph transferred his family to Team Colliery near Lamesley in County Durham.
George was born at Team Colliery in 1887 and Thomas in 1889 but they moved again and Elizabeth was born at Gateshead in 1892 and Emily at Wardley Colliery in 1896. in 1901 their home was at Second Street, High Haworth were Joseph Stephenson was employed as an enginewright at Heworth Colliery. Joseph Stephenson Jnr was a putter below ground at the colliery, George an apprentice blacksmith, Thomas (11) was still at school. Ten years later the situation for Joseph was unchanged but George was now a qualified blacksmith working at the colliery, Thomas (21) laboured below ground.
Thomas married Mary Hall Winslip in the district of Gateshead in 1913. She was born at Heworth on July 2nd 1892 (C.W.G.C.) or July 8th 1892 (death entry).
Thomas enlisted at Newcastle upon Tyne, October 14th 1914 assigned to the newly formed 18th (Service) Battalion (1st Tyneside Pioneers) Northumberland Fusiliers as Private 278 and began training at Newcastle part of which entailed, after the issue of picks and shovels, marching every day to Benton to dig trenches. The first week was very competitive, the expert miners amongst them managed to dig down 4 feet 6 inches in an hour. After spending time at Rothbury and Cramlington, February 8th 1915 the battalion officially became a Pioneer Battalion and in July joined 34th Division at Kirkby Malzeard. Divisional training continued at Salisbury Plain and Sutton Veny until being taken over by the War Office, November 4th 1915.
December 28th preparations were made for embarkation at Southampton and they departed January 7th arriving at Le Havre, on the 8th. Entrained the Division was sent on to the depot at Etaples and underwent a fortnight of route-marching. Private Stephenson was assigned to B Company, No.5 Platoon as preparations were already underway for the commencement of the Battles of the Somme. The 34th Division departed from St. Omer for the Somme, April 18th 1916.
British attacks planned for June 29th 1916 were delayed by bad weather and did not begin until July 1st 1916. After two huge detonations in the explosive packed tunnels under the German lines at 07.30 a.m. the whistles blew and the men went over the top. The battalion was engaged at the Battle of Albert and Bapaume, capturing La Boisselle on July 4th. B Company on the 4th and 5th were given the task of burying the dead, then moved up to Becourt Wood and marched back on the 6th transferring to the 37th Division. July 11th B and D Companies went into the front line at Bienvillers to find gas cylinders in the trenches ready to be deployed against the Germans which they were when the wind was favourable on the 14th and 15th. Ordered back on the 18th to Verdrei they were lent to the 63rd Division engaged in reopening old trenches destroyed in earlier bombardments, then on to Villers-Au-Bois working mostly at night as the Germans from certain high points on Vimy Ridge could see all they did and they sustained constant bombardment during the day.
Private 278 Thomas Stephenson was killed in action on August 17th 1916 and interred, grave II. A. 10 at Les Quatre-Vents Military Cemetery, Estree-Cauchy, Pas de Calais, France. He was 27 years old.
His widow Mary received all monies due to her late husband from the Army, his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal also a pension of 10 shillings awarded on February 28th 1917 to be received weekly as of March 5th 1917 sent to her at 5, Fourth Street, Heworth Colliery, Gateshead, historically in County Durham. She paid the sum of 15 shillings and 5 pence to add a dedication to his military headstone, it reads, “In The Letters Of Light God Writeth Their Names-Ever Remembered.”
The marriage of Thomas and Mary was childless. In 1921 she was living alone at their home at 4, Fourth Street and employed as a clerk by the Heworth Coal Company but was married in 1921 to James H. Kelly in the district of Gateshead.
Mary hall Kelly-Stephenson nee Winslip died in 1979 her demise registered at Durham North Western.
Thomas’ brother Shoeing Smith 573 George Stephenson, Northumbrian Hussars Yeomanry died in Belgium, November 6th 1914. Awards 1914 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Heslops Local Advertiser 22/09/1916 carries a notice which reads:
Private Thomas Stephenson, N.F., killed in action on August 17th, aged 27 years. Husband of Mary Stephenson and son of Joseph and Mary Stephenson, of Heworth Colliery.
Thomas Stephenson is remembered at Heworth on H92.03, H92.04, H92.07 and in the Battalion History
