Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Simpson Dunn born and baptised at Wingate, County Durham, November 28th 1886, was the only surviving of 10 children born to Ralph Dunn native of Shadford born 1863 and his wife Isabella Robinson born 1868 at Coxhoe, both in County Durham where they were married in 1884 in the district of Easington. His father was a coal miner, in 1881 they were living at 55, Rodridge Street, Hutton Henry, living with them was his brother William Dunn, his wife Isabella, son Simpson and daughter Lydia. Ten years later they had moved to Anderson Buildings, Hetton-le-Hole, William and his family had moved on and to subsidise the family income they had taken in 2 lodgers, 20-year-old John H. Kyle and 18 year old Thomas Robinson both employed as coal miners. Thomas’s sister Christine (16) worked for the Dunn family as a domestic servant. By 1911 Ralph and Isabella had taken into their home at 1, New Pilgrim Street, Murton Colliery, their niece Beatrice Laws (17), her brother Abraham (9) and nephew Abraham Clish (13).
During the 1st quarter (Jan/Feb/Mar) 1911 in the district of Lanchester, Simpson Dunn married Esther Stebbings born 1888 at Waldridge Fell, County Durham. Their son John Stebbings Dunn was born January 15th 1912, daughter Isabella in 1913.
Simpson Dunn enlisted in July 1915 initially assigned as Private 825 to the 20th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, he departed for France in May 1916, later transferred to the 18th Battalion which had returned from Egypt in March 1916 arriving on the Western Front for the preparations of the Battles of the Somme. At the time of his demise he was serving as Private 63807 5th Battalion King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry a Territorial Force which had been in France since 1915. As his military record no longer exists, one of the 70% destroyed during the blitz of WW2 it is impossible to know when these transfers took place and his exact movements.
February 2nd 1918 the 5th Battalion KOYLI transferred to the 187th Brigade, 62nd Division and absorbed the 2/5th Battalion. They were in action during the Battle of Bapaume, Battle of Arras, Battle of Tardenois, Battle of the Scarpe, Battle of the Drocourt-Queant Line and September 12th at the Battle of Havrincourt.
During the day’s battle the Hindenburg Line was pierced for the first time. Battle concluded Private 63807 Simpson Dunn was reported as missing, after intensive investigations as to his whereabouts he was eventually struck off and is considered to have been killed in action September 12th 1918. His sacrifice is recorded as one of the 9,847 names inscribed on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, France, which forms the backdrop of the Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery, commemorating those who fell in the period August 8th 1918 to the date of the Armistice in the Advance to Victory in Picardy and Artois, between the Somme and Loos, who have no known grave. He was 32 years of age.
His widow Esther of Front Street, Esh Village, County Durham, received all monies due to him, his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal, also a pension for herself and their children until she remarried in 1922 in the district of Lanchester to Thomas F. Golightly. She and Thomas had 6 children together, Jane Ann 1923, Thomas 1925, George 1927, Norman 1931, Raymond 1933 and Florence 1934.
Esther Golightly-Dunn nee Stebbings died in 1940 aged 52 years registered in the district of Durham Central.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Simpson Dunn is remembered at Malton on M49.01 at Esh on E75.01 and at Lanchester on L62.01
