Heslop's Local Advertiser 17/03/1916
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
William Elliott Jnr was born at Heworth, Gateshead, County Durham, in 1895, the only son of William Elliott of Pelton Fell, County Durham born 1868 and his wife Isabella McIntyre-Nicholson born 1886, he had an elder sister Margaret Jane Nicholson Elliott born 1894. His parents were married March 30th 1893 at St. Edmund’s, Gateshead. Isabella died at Chester-le-Street in 1897 leaving William with two tiny children to care for. He and the children went to live with his widowed mother Margaret Shields Elliott and brother George Shields Elliott at 12, Syke’s Buildings, Heworth. William and his brother were employed at the colliery, he a driver, his brother as a shifter. Unfortunately, he found himself alone again as his mother died in 1909, he moved into a 4 roomed house at 50, Willington Street, Felling, in 1911, William Jnr now 16 years old had joined his father, a hewer at the colliery, as a pony driver, Margaret looked after their home.
During the 2nd quarter of 1911 William Snr remarried at Gateshead to the widow Mary Ann Clark nee Grundy, whose husband Robert had died in 1910, aged 24 years, whilst she was pregnant, Jessie Clark was born during the 2nd quarter of 1911.
On the outbreak of war William Elliott Jnr was 19 years of age, he enlisted at Felling, Gateshead and was assigned as Private 2043 to the Durham Light Infantry 1st/9th Battalion, raised in September 1914. He joined the battalion at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland at their barracks at Fenham. After initial training at Boldon Colliery and Ravensworth they returned to Newcastle-upon-Tyne in October 1914. Training completed they departed from Newcastle railway station April 19th 1915 bound for France via Folkestone landing at Boulogne April 20th and within days without any nursery training, having moved across France to Belgium, they were in the trenches fighting during the 2nd Battle of Ypres where they suffered heavy casualties from shelling and gas attacks on the Frezenberg and Bellewaarde ridges. They remained on the Ypres salient and in the trenches at Armentieres until August 1916 when they moved south to the battlefields of the Somme.
Private 2043 William Elliott Durham Light Infantry was killed in action February 26th 1916 on the salient and interred at Railway Dugouts Burial Ground (Transport Farm), West Vlaanderen, near Ypres, Belgium, grave II. B. 21. He was 21 years old and single.
As his sole beneficiary his father received all monies due to him along with his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to him at 5, Brandling Place, Felling, Gateshead, County Durham. He commissioned an addition inscription to be added to Private Elliott military headstone at a cost of 4 shillings 11 pence, it reads, “Peace Perfect Peace”.
William’s sister Margaret married at Tynemouth, Northumberland, November 16th 1915 to William Ford and with whom she had a child, Joseph William, born November 16th 1915. He left his employment as a navvy to enlist September 14th 1915 taking the oath at London. He declared he had previously served with the 1st Tyneside Scottish Northumberland Fusiliers, however, he was assigned as Sapper 119484, 8th Battalion Royal Engineers. He departed as part of the British Expeditionary Force to France, September 24th 1915 but returned to England January 6th 1916 and transferred to the 3rd Provisional Company R.E the following day. The 3rd Provisional Company was a depot/holding unit and from there he was discharged March 31st 1916 under King’s Regulations (xxv), ‘his services being no longer required”.
Margaret Jane Nicholson Ford nee Elliott died at Tynemouth in 1964 aged 70 years her son Joseph in 1976 aged 51 years.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
His death was reported in Heslop's Local Advertiser 17/3/1916:
"Private William Elliott, 2043, 9th Durham Light Infantry, killed in France on February 26th, aged 21 years. Son of William and Isabella McIntyre and step-son of Mary Ann Elliott (nee Grundy) of 15 Noble Street, Felling. "
He is remembered at Felling on F32.01 and F32.07
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 37
