Tyne Cot Memorial
Tyne Cot Cemetery: P. Priano
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas Heatley Charlton was the youngest of 4 known children, 3 sons and a daughter. His father Joseph was born at Dancing Hall, Whittingham near Alnwick in 1846, his mother Phillis Ann Heatley in 1848 at Bradford, Bamburgh, both in Northumberland, they were married in the district of Alnwick in 1880. Their son Matthew Thomas was born at Middlemoor, North Charlton, in 1881 where Joseph was a shepherd, also living with them was his widowed father Matthew Charlton a farm labourer. Over the next ten years Phillis gave birth to a further 3 children, Susannah in 1884 at West Fallsdon, Embleton, William 1886 and Thomas Heatley in 1888 at Hitchcroft Farm, Shilbottle, where their father was now a farmer, by 1901 he had the help of Matthew (19) and William (15), although not specified Thomas (13) may have attended school, Susannah (17) assisted her mother.
Phillis Ann Charlton nee Heatley died in 1908 aged 60 years, all 3 of his sons now helped Joseph run the farm, Susannah was a dairy worker. Joseph died within 5 years of his wife aged 67 years in 1913, both deaths were registered in the district of Alnwick, Northumberland.
During the 1st quarter (Jan/Feb/Mar) 1914 Thomas was married in the district of Alnwick to Jane Isabella Patterson, known as Isabella, born 1892 at Benton, a suburb of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Their daughter Phyllis was born during the 4th quarter (Oct/Nov/Dec) at Lesbury, near Alnwick, within months of the declaration of war with Germany. Thomas Heatley Charlton enlisted at Alnwick in 1915 assigned as Rifleman 42834 Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire) Regiment and departed for the front as of January 1916 posted to the 1st/8th Battalion joining his regiment in the field attached to the 146th Brigade, 49th (West Riding) Division. They fought on the Somme during the Battle of Albert July 1st-13th 1916, Bazentin Ridge July 14th-17th, Battle of Pozieres July 23rd-September 3rd and the Battle of Flers-Courcelette September 15th-22nd. They transferred from France to Belgium in 1917 seeing action during the Battle of Poelcapelle, October 9th 1917, a final phase of the Third Battle of Ypres.
Rifleman 42834 Thomas Headley Charlton Prince of Wales’s Own West Yorkshire Regiment, after the cessation of battle, was reported as missing, extensive investigations as to his whereabouts took place without success, struck off he was presumed to have died, “on or since October 9th 1917.” His sacrifice is recorded as one of 34,887 names inscribed on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing commemorating men from the British and New Zealand Forces who died as of August 16th 1917 on the Ypres salient and who have no known grave. The memorial forms the backdrop to Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke, near Ypres in Belgium. He was 30 years of age.
His widow received all monies due to him, a pension for herself and their daughter and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Thomas Heatley Charlton is remembered in Shilbottle on S18.01, S18.02, S18.03, S18.09 and S18.10 and in Alnwick on A11.56 page 64
