Heslop’s Local Advertiser 12/1917
Tyne Cot Memorial
Tyne Cot Memorial: Pauline Priano
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
John McPeak was born in 1894 at Felling , Gateshead, County Durham, one of 10 known children he was the second born son of 4 and had 5 elder and 1 younger sister. His father Patrick McPeak was born in Ireland in 1854 and married at Gateshead in 1874, (registered as Patrick McPeake), to Alice Donahey native of Felling born in 1857. Working as a chemical labourer he, his wife and children, son James (4) and daughters Mary (5) and Margaret (1) were living at Tyne Street, Felling in 1881. Ten years later now at 12, Brewery Lane the family had grown with the birth of Annie (9) Catherine (6) Alice (3) and new born John. By 1901 living at Walker’s Buildings Patrick still employed as a chemical labourer, his daughter Annie as a store worker, his wife Alice had also given birth to a further 3 children, Patrick (6), Thomas (3) and Rose (7 months).
The 4th quarter (Oct/Nov/Dec) of 1903 dealt a devastating blow to the McPeak family with the death of both Patrick and his wife Alice, this lead to the breakup of the family. Catherine (25) and Alice (22) went to live with their married sister Annie, her husband John Bell and their daughters Annie and Mary at Factory Road, Felling Shore. Although there is no mention of John (18), Patrick (16) or Rose (11) in the census of 1911, Thomas McPeak (13) is listed as resident at St. Peter’s Orphanage, Gainford, Darlington. John’s brother James McPeak died in 1913 aged 36 years.
John McPeak of Tyne Street, Felling Shore, enlisted at Gateshead assigned as Private 25469 to the Durham Light Infantry. After initial training near home Private McPeak was one of over 4,000 recruits that left Newcastle for Bullswater Camp near Pirbright, Surrey, September 16th 1914. Once arrived they were divided into the 12th and 13th Battalions D.L.I. and the 10th and 11th Battalions Northumberland Fusiliers, he was allocated to the 12th Battalion Durham Light infantry. The recruits began their training wearing their own clothes until blue serge uniforms were issued and obsolete rifles. By November the rain had made Bullswater Camp unusable and they were moved to Malplaquet Barrack at Aldershot and later to Ashford in Kent before returning to Bullswater come the spring. February 1915 they were issued with khaki uniforms, leathers and rifles and training began in earnest, by July 1915 it was complete and they were ready to go overseas.
August 24th Private McPeak departed as part of the British Expeditionary Force 12th Battalion D.L.I. attached to the 68th Brigade, 23rd Division, landing in France the following day. Within days they were in the front line trenches but were spared the disastrous Battle of Loos and spent the rest of the 1915 and 1916 in the trenches at Armentieres and Souchez until being moved south to the Somme in June 1916 where they entered the fighting at La Boisselle, July 7th 1916. They spent most of August in reserve at Armentieres before returning to the Somme, where, assisted by a tank the 12th Battalion captured the Tangle, a complex of trenches and machine guns east of Sars. They took some 70 German prisoners but lost over 30 men killed and wounded. After the battle the battalion left the Somme to return to the Ypres salient in Belgium.
June 1917 a series of huge mines were exploded under the German trenches on the Messines Ridge after which the 12th Battalion took part in the advance capturing Impartial Trench for the loss of only 15 men. It was again in action during September at the Battle of Ypres in the fighting on the Menin Road, at the Battle of Polygon Wood and the 1st Battle of Passchendaele a phase of the 3rd Battle of Ypres, July 31st-November 10th 1917.
Private 25469 John McPeak was killed in action October 19th 1917 on the Ypres salient. His sacrifice is recorded as one of almost 35,000 names inscribed on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing, which forms the perimeter wall of Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke, near Ypres in Belgium, commemorating servicemen from Britain and New Zealand who died on the salient as of August 15th 1917 and who have no known grave. He was 24 years old and single.
All monies due to him were divided in equal parts, November 3rd 1920, amongst his siblings Mary O’Reilly, Maggie Cosgrove, Annie Bell, Catherine McPeak, Alice Conway and Patrick McPeak, as the whereabouts of his sister Rose was unknown her share was retained by the War Office. Private McPeak was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Heslop’s Local Advertiser 12/1917 carries a notice which reads:
“Private John McPeak, D.L.I., of Tyne Street, Felling Shore, killed in action, Oct. 19th. aged 24 years.”
John McPeak is remembered at Felling on F32.06 and F32.07
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 289
