Mr and Mrs Lodge

Ypres Town Cemetery Extension

Ypres Town Cemetery Extension

Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-

George Alexander Lodge, known as George, one of 8 children of whom only 6 survived, was the 3rd born of 5 sons and 3 daughters. His father William Lodge was born near the banks of the River Tyne at Bottle Bank, Gateshead, July 19th 1864. After the death of his father, his mother remarried, he and his siblings and step siblings were living at Collierley where William was employed as a coal miner, however, he married at Castle Ward, Castle Morpeth, Northumberland, in 1888, Mary Jane Rivett. Born May 10th 1869 at Rochester Row, Westminster, London, she and her parents had migrated to the north east as of 1881.

William and Mary Jane’s son James William was born in the village of Victoria Garesfield, Chopwell, district of Blaydon, County Durham, in 1889, as was their daughter Mary Agnes Matthewson Lodge in 1890. William supported his family employed as a coal miner, in 1891 they occupied 38, Clavering Buildings, Blaydon, however, by the time Edward was born in 1882 they had moved to Dunston, then to Felling where Sarah Hannah and George was born in 1894 and October 31st 1896 respectively, at 12, Davidson Street. Two years later they had transferred to Whickham where George’s brother John Thomas was born in 1898 before the family moved to Walbottle, Northumberland with one-month old Ernest. Unfortunately, Ernest died in 1903 aged 2 years whilst they were living in the district of Sunderland, daughter Ethel May was born in 1904 at Dunston, Gateshead. Fate dealt the family a bitter blow February 16th 1909 when Ernest Lodge, aged 17 years, was one of 168 men killed by an explosion, “firedamp by coal dust, cause of ignition unknown”, at West Stanley Colliery whilst working in the Brockwell seam. He was buried along with many others in trench 2, a mass grave within St. Andrew’s churchyard, Stanley. At the time of his demise the family were living at 10, Ann Street, Stanley, by 1911 they were living at 20, George Street, Langley Park, William was a coal hewer, George (14) a pony driver and they had taken into their home coal miner James Jackson (22) a British national born at Carrington, New South Wales, Australia whose family had returned to England 8 years prior.

When war was declared in 1914 George was 17 almost 18 years of age, however, when he presented himself at the recruitment office, West Hartlepool, September 2nd 1914, he told a lie, declaring he was 18 years 262 days old knowing full well that once they though he was 19 years of age he would be sent to the front. He was attested and assigned as Private 17049 to the Durham Light Infantry joining his regiment in training at a tented camp at Aldershot, where the recruits still awaited khaki uniforms and equipment. By November 1914 they had moved to Whitley for the winter returning to Aldershot in February 1915 for final training. The 10th Battalion attached to the 43rd Brigade, 14th (Light) Division departed with the British Expeditionary Force to France, May 20th 1915 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Hubert Morant and other experienced officers, landing the following day at Boulogne. Three weeks later they had moved to the Ypres salient in Belgium and fought in the front line during the Action of Hooge at the end of July 1915, the first division to be attacked by flamethrowers and although they successfully defended the smashed trenches south of Hooge, still filled with the dead from previous days of action, they lost over 170 men killed or wounded. August 18th 1915 Private Lodge was taken by Field Ambulance to the 14th Dressing Station at Brandhoek suffering from deafness, presumably caused by the constant bombardments to which they were subjected. Having returned to his unit August 21st, the following day he was wounded and again attended the 14th Dressing Station where he remained until the August 29th 1915. The division remained on the Ypres salient until June 1916, returning to France just prior to the commencement of the Battles of the Somme in July 1916.

Private 17049 George (Alexander) Lodge was killed in action September 25th 1915 and buried on the battlefield by his comrades in what is described as, “a small cemetery”, map reference I. 9. c. 6. 3. his grave marked with a cross bearing his name and military details. Post war during the clearing of the battlefields it was decided that those buried in these small concentrations be brought into larger cemeteries. February 19th 1919 his remains were identified by means of a partial damaged cross which marked his grave and his parents received a letter from the 1st Infantry Records Office, York, February 26th 1920 which reads as follows, “Sir, I beg to inform you that it has been necessary to exhume the remains of the late no.17049, Private G. Lodge, 10th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry, for proper burial at The Ypres Town Cemetery Extension, Menin Gate, Ypres. This new grave has been duly marked with a cross bearing all the late soldier’s particulars. The funeral was undertaken with every measure of care and reverence, and the re-interment conducted by an Army Chaplain, I am. Sir, Your obedient servant”. Private Lodge is at rest grave III. F. 13, at the time of his demise in 1915 he was 18 years of age and single, although the Army deemed him to have been 19 years of age. He is buried alongside Private Marchbanks, Private Conroy and close to Private Gibson, all 10th Durham Light Infantry killed between September 25th-29th 1915 and from the north east.

His mother, at the request of George’s father, received all monies due to him and his personal belongings were sent to her at the address of 5, Ninth Street East, Easington Colliery, County Durham also his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal between August 1920 and February 1921.

It should be noted that the census of 1911 lists the wife of William Lodge as Ellen aged 36 years, married 3 years (1908). The Register of Soldiers Effects and the statement of living relatives completed in 1919 rightly lists his mother as Mary Jane Lodge aged 51 years. Either the entry in the census is a transcription error or William and his wife were separated and consequently in order to protect the reputation of his companion they listed themselves as man and wife.

In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.

George Alexander Lodge is remembered at Easington Colliery on E52.01 and E52.03

He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 262

The CWGC entry for Private Lodge