Menin Gate Memorial
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Joseph John McGrother was one of 7 known children, 4 sons and 3 daughters. His father Francis (Frank) McGrother was born at Monaghan, Ireland in 1850 and married Mary Croft, native of Bradford, born 1857. Working as a coal miner Frank, Mary and their first son Bernard (9 mths) were living at Wingate, County Durham in 1871, moving during the 1870’s to Spennymoor and on to Thornley by 1880 where Joseph John McGrother was born and baptised as Josephus Joannis McGrother, August 15th 1880, at the church of The Sacred Heart and Martyrs, Thornley into the Roman Catholic faith. Constantly in search of work by 1891 they had moved to 150, John Clay Street, Westoe, South Shields, Frank and his sons Bernard (21) and Frank Jnr (19) all worked a coal miners, Joseph (11) was still a scholar, they also worked at Hetton-le-Hole.
Joseph John McGrother married, August 23rd 1902 at St. Thomas, Easington, Isabella Alexander born 1880, native of Berwick-upon-Tweed and with whom he had a son James Francis born October 7th and an adopted daughter Hilda born December 6th 1909.
His mother Mary died in 1907, only 50 years of age followed by his father aged 62 years, in 1912, both deaths registered in the district of Sunderland. Joseph and his family were living during the early years of their marriage at 62, Prospect Terrace, Scotswood, Newcastle-upon-Tyne however at the time of the outbreak of war in 1914 they were at 83, Waggonway Street, Wardley Colliery, near Gateshead, County Durham.
He left his employment as a miner and aged 34 years and 1 month, enlisted at Felling, September 7th 1914, for a period of 3 years. He was assigned as Private 19306 to the 10th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry declaring he had previously served in the Durham Militia Artillery, this may explain why two days later he was appointed Corporal. August 22nd 1914, the first 500 recruits had left the D.L.I’s Depot in Newcastle for Woking in Surrey, where they were formed into the 10th (Service) Battalion D.L.I. Living in tents, initially without khaki uniforms or modern rifles, the new battalion began to train for war. The battalion was lucky, however, having experienced officers and soldiers join the ranks who had fought during the Boer War with the 1st battalion D.L.I. It was during this training period Corporal McGrother rose through the ranks to Lance Sergeant.
In February 1915, the battalion moved to barracks in Aldershot for final training. May 21st, as part of the 43rd Brigade, 14th (Light) Division, he was part of the draft that sailed for France with the British Expeditionary Force. Three weeks later, the battalion was in the front line south of Ypres, where it suffered its first casualties, before being moved into the Ypres Salient itself. There, at the end of July 1915, the battalion successfully defended smashed trenches south of Hooge still filled with the dead from the previous day. In this fighting, the 10 D.L.I. lost over 170 men killed or wounded.
Lance Sergeant 19306 Joseph John McGrother Durham Light Infantry was killed in action July 25th 1915. His sacrifice is recorded as one of the 54,896 names inscribed on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing, Ypres, Belgium, which commemorates servicemen from the Commonwealth who fought on the Ypres salient up to August 15th 1917 and who have no known grave. He was 34 years old.
His widow Isabella received all monies due to him, all his effects and property as per a will drawn up whilst on active service, a pension of 21 shillings 6 pence as of February 7th 1916 for herself and their two children along with his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal, sent to her at 88 Arnold Street, Boldon Colliery, County Durham, she later moved to 3, Brown’s Buildings, Boldon Colliery as of 1919 where she remarried that same year to Herbert Wood.
Listed as J McGrowther Plaque Heworth St. Mary.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Joseph John McGrother is remembered at Felling on F32.06 as McGrowther at Heworth on H92.03 at Wardley W97.01 and W97.02
