In Bailleul Road East Cemetery, France is the Commonwealth War Grave of 23/1560 Serjeant Hugh Laing Ritson serving with the  25th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers who died 09/04/1917.

He was the son of John and Mary Ritson, of 8, Club Row, Pelton Fell, Co. Durham.

William Kirby has submitted the following:-

Hugh Laing, the youngest son of John and Mary Ritson, was born February 12th 1893 at Pelton Fell.

In 1901 the family was living at 2 East View Pelton Fell. Father John was a miner, likewise James (21) and John Young (15), Mary E. (19) an assistant schoolmistress, Joseph (12), and Hugh (8) were at school and Esther (1) was at home.

In 1911 still at 2 East View, Newfield, only James, Hugh and Esther were at home. Hugh at 18 was a Miner Rope End underground. John Young had enlisted and was Gunner with the Royal Garrison Artillery.

Hugh was appointed to Durham County Constabulary on March 16th 1914.

He enlisted at Stanley June 1915 and joined the Northumberland Fusiliers and rose to the rank of Serjeant.

Hugh was killed in action 9th April 1917.

He was a recipient of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

His brother, John Young, having served with the Royal Garrison Artillery as 19171 Gunner Ritson with duties at Hong Kong, Peking and Sierra Leone, left the army after 10 years and 112 days service. He died 17th July 1914 and is buried at Pelton.

Hugh’s father John died in 1928 and his mother Mary in 1930. Both are also buried at Pelton.

Hugh Laing Ritson is remembered at Durham on on D47.150, and D47.174, at Pelton on P26.01 and at Pelton Fell on P27.01