In Klein-Verstraat British Cemetery, West Vlaanderen, Belgium is the Commonwealth War Grave of 20/917 Private Mark Labbertt Pain serving with the 20th Battalion Durham Light Infantry who died 18/03/1917.

Pauline Priano has submitted the following;

Mark Labbertt Pain was one of 6 children.

His father William George Pain was born February 15th 1840 at Chelsea, London, where he was married, May 16th 1868 to Sarah Stoyle Labbett, who originated from Coleridge, Devon, where she was born, February 27th 1847 and brought to London by her parents William Labbett and Mary Ann Stoyle.

William George and Sarah initially settled in London where their daughter Elizabeth Ann was born at Camden Town in 1874 and William George Jnr in 1876 at Kentish Town, in the Borough of Camden. Between 1876 and the birth of Mark Labbett Pain in 1879 they had migrated to Normanby, Yorkshire, where in 1881 they occupied 67, West Street, in what is listed as the, “village,” parish of Normanby. William George supported his family working as a general labourer, Elizabeth (7) was a scholar.

Thomas Ebber Pain was born, May 13th 1882 at Grangetown, as were Herbert in 1885 and Isaac Labbett in 1887. Sarah Stoyle Pain nee Labbett died, November 29th 1887 and by 1891 widower William George and his children had moved to a new home at 10, Laing Street, in the village of Grangetown, where he was employed as a chimney sweep. Elizabeth (17) is listed as the housekeeper, William George Jnr (14) remained at home and with the exception of Isaac (4) the other children were scholars.

Between 1891 and 1901 William George had moved to 106, North Street, in the town of South Bank, living with him were Thomas (18) a coal trimmer and Herbert (16) who was working as a night watchman and 14 year old Isaac remained at home.. Elizabeth Ann was married, the whereabouts of William George Jnr are unknown and  Mark Labbett Pain (21) who was employed as a general labourer at New Docks was a patient at Sunderland Infirmary, New Durham Road.

Their farther William George Pain died in 1907 at Middlesbrough historically in Yorkshire. At that point in time only Isaac was unmarried and was taken in by his sister Elizabeth Ann Bottrill.

Mark Labbett Pain was living in Sunderland with his wife Elizabeth Ann McBeath, whom he had married, August 19th 1905. Elizabeth Ann was a local girl born August 13th 1880, she was the daughter of Hector McBeath born at Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland and Eleanor Ann Heatley a native of Allenheads, Northumberland.

Their son William George was born, May 2nd 1906, Florence May, April 8th 1909, Eleanor, February 22nd 1910. In 1911 they occupied 2 rooms at 182, Mordey Street, Sunderland, supported by Mark who was employed as a bricklayer’s labourer. Their daughter Elsie was born, January 4th 1913 and Elizabeth Ann was in the final stages of her fifth pregnancy when war was declared. John James Frank pain was born October 1st 1914.

As early as 1911 there were already rumblings of a possibility of war with Germany which was declared within hours of Germany, as part of a massive attack on France, invaded Belgium violating Belgian neutrality. After a request to Britain by the Belgians for help, London gave Berlin an ultimatum which expired August 4th 1914 at 11 p.m. London time. When this was ignored, King George V then declared war on Germany that same evening.

Mark Labbett Pain enlisted at Sunderland, November 13th 1915, and posted to the 20th Battalion Durham Light Infantry as Private 917. The new recruits were sent to a tented camp in Wensleydale but as the weather worsened they were moved to Barnard Castle where Private Pain joined his regiment, November 14th 1915. 

Private Pain was posted overseas May 5th 1916 with his regiment as part of the 123rd Brigade, 41st Division which landed at Le Havre, France. The division concentrated between Hazebrouck and Bailleul before moving to the Somme. Their first encounter on the Somme in a major battle was Flers-Courcelette, September 15-22nd, followed by Le Transloy Ridge, October 1st-10th 1916.

In 1917 the 41st Division left France and moved to Belgium. Private 20/917 Mark Labbett Pain died as the result of a cardiac arrest, March 18th 1917, whilst on active service. Amongst the few pages of his military record there is no mention of him being taken for treatment, it may be that his death was immediate.

Private Mark Labbett Pain Durham Light Infantry was taken for burial to Klein-Vierstraat British Cemetery, circa 6 kilometres south east of the town of Ypres, Belgium and is at rest grave  I. D. 5. He was 38 years of age.

His widow Elizabeth Ann received all monies due to her late husband from the Army, his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal, also a pension for herself and their 5 children in the sum of 31 shillings 3 pence, awarded, September 22nd 1917, to be received weekly as of October 15th 1917 and decreased as each child in turn reached the age of 16 years, sent to her at 48, Thompson Street, Sunderland, County Durham.

At the time of her husband’s demise Elizabeth Ann was grieving the loss of her brother Samuel James Alexander McBeath who was killed on the Somme in 1916. Mark Labbett Pain’s youngest brother Isaac Labbett Pain was killed in action in 1918.

In 1921 Elizabeth Ann and her children were living at 47, Thompson Street, the entire family was supported by William George (15) who was employed at Pickersgill Ship Yard as a rivet catcher. 

Elizabeth Ann Pain nee McBeath died in 1939 at Sunderland, County Durham.

Details of Mark and Elizabeth Ann’s children;

William George Pain was married prior to his mother’s demise in 1930 to Sarah E. Lamb who was born at Sunderland in 1904. She was the daughter of William Henry Lamb and Annie Elizabeth Lambert.

William and his wife had 2 children prior to her premature demise in 1938, a son in 1931 and a daughter Dora Lamb Pain, July 19th 1934 who died September 18th 2002.

William George Pain died at Sunderland, Tyne & Wear, in 1980.

Florence May Pain was married twice.

She married her first husband at Sunderland in 1929. Robert Henry Warren was a local man born in 1906 with whom she had a daughter, Florence May Warren, May 14th 1929. who in turn married Derek Stephenson in 1950. Their marriage was short-lived as Derek died in 1976. Florence May Stephenson remarried in 1982 to John W. Stobbart.

Florence May Stobbart-Stephenson nee Warren resident at 1, Beaumaris Gardens, East Herrington, Tyne & Wear, died January 9th 1991

The death of Robert Henry Warren had preceded that of his son-in-law in 1964. 

Florence May Warren nee Pain remarried in 1966 to James W. Badstevener, a native of Sunderland where he was born, January 13th 1905. James was a widower and had a daughter Audrey (Aug 4th 1939-1999) with his first wife Doris.

James W. Badstevener died in 1975, Florence May Badstevener-Warren nee Pain in 1981. Florence May Stobbart-Stephenson nee Pain died ten years after her mother in 1991.

Eleanor Pain; no details available at this time.

Elsie Pain in 1939 was living with her son George William Pain who was born, June 16th 1931, with the McLoughlin family, at 47, Thompson Street, Head of the McLoughlin family was Francis who was born July 17th 1904 and was supporting his 2 younger siblings employed as a builder’s labourer. 

Francis and Elsie were married in 1943 at Sunderland. They had 2 daughters.

John Francis Frank Pain married Catherine Scott at Sunderland in 1946.

In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.

Mark Labbett Pain is remembered at Hendon on H123.02, at Sunderland in S140.048 Part 2 page  39, in the D.L.I. Book of Remembrance page 51 and in the Battalion History page 50.