Thiepval Memorial
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:
David Lemon was the first cousin of my grandmother’s brother-in-law Ernest Beckwith (Northumberland Fusiliers 18/628) and was born in Sunderland in 1890. He was the second son of David Lemon (1861 Wingate - 1922 Ryhope) and Elizabeth Barrass (1868 Shotton - 1953 Bishop Auckland) and one of eight surviving children (one deceased) five boys and three girls.
His father David worked as a hewer at Wingate Grange Colliery and David (jnr) worked above ground at Ryhope Colliery in 1911.
On November 19th 1914 David enlisted in the 7th Home Services, Durham Light Infantry as Private 3100, working his way through the ranks as a Territorial to Corporal by January 18th 1916. He had married Ethel Burnicle in 1913 and had three children. He was transferred on July 16th 1916 and reverted to Private 42728, assigned to the 10th Battalion Durham Light Infantry. That same day David made a will which simply said, “In the event of my death I leave all to my wife and family.” Posted to France via Folkestone, he landed in Boulogne on July 17th 1916 as part of the British Expeditionary Force.
He was killed in action on September 16th 1916 at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette on the Somme. He has no known grave and his name is inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial to the missing, Pier and Face 14A and 15C, Thiepval, France.
His widow Ethel, May 14th 1917, was assigned a pension for herself and the two children of 22s 11d (twenty two shillings and eleven pence), a week. Ethel remarried in 1918 to Joseph McMullen and died in 1970 in Sunderland. Their daughter Mary Jane, born March 15th 1912, married James W. Nixon in 1936 and died 1951 in Sunderland. David, their son, born April 3rd 1914, died 1969 in Sunderland.
I paid my respects to David in July 2014.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
David Lemon is remembered at Ryhope on R52.01 and in Sunderland on S140.048 Part 02 page 26 and S140.048 Part 11 page 243, and at Durham in the DLI Book of Remembrance page 248
