In Longbenton Cemetery is a family headstone which reads:

In
Loving Memory of
a dear husband and father
Stephen R. Forrest M.M.
died 18th January 1969
aged 70 years
Also
Mary Elizabeth
Forrest
beloved wife and mother
died 17 July 1976
Aged 81 years
and
Reginald J. Forrest
youngest son of the above
died 18 November 1991
aged 58 years

Till we meet again

Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-

Stephen Forrest, one of 6 known children all of whom survived, was the youngest of 4 brothers and 2 sisters. His father James Rendel Forrest was born, May 11th 1862, at Birkenhead, Cheshire, the son James and Elizabeth Forrest, brought to the north east as a child. In 1871 his father was a boot-maker in Elswick, a suburb of Newcastle upon Tyne, before they moved for a while to Gateshead, historically in County Durham, later returning to Newcastle where at the age of 25, James Rendel Forrest was married at All Saints, Newcastle, May 30th 1887 to local girl Ellen Watson. George Watson Forrest, named in honour of her father, was born November 13th 1887, James Jnr in 1890 and by 1891 they were living at 21, Millers Hill, where Samuel was born in 1892, his father was now employed as a dock yard labourer. Their daughters Mary Ann and Francis Watson Forrest were born in 1894 and 1896 respectively and Stephen Ridley Forrest, March 18th 1898. Unfortunately, Ellen Forrest nee Watson died during the 3rd quarter (Jul/Aug/Sep) 1899, leaving her widowed husband with 6 children under the age of 11. James Forrest never remarried and by 1901 had moved with his children to Ford Court, just off Byker Bank, Newcastle, supporting them by working as a labourer on the quayside. Ten years later he had been joined by 21-year-old James Jnr while Mary Ann (17) was employed as a general servant, Frances (15) remained at home, Stephen (13) was a scholar, they now lived in 2 rooms at Salisbury Street, Byker, George and Samuel had both left home.

When war was declared with Germany, August 4th 1914, Stephen was only 16 years of age, too young to serve his Country, however, having witnessed his older brothers enlist, he lied about his age. He presented himself at the recruitment office and was assigned as Private 3332 to the 6th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, a Territorial Force with H.Q. at St. Georges Drill Hall, Northumberland Road, Newcastle upon Tyne. The main body of the battalion departed to France, April 1915, attached to the 149th Brigade, 50th Northumbrian Division, he was not drafted to the front until October 30th 1915, still officially two years under-age for service overseas. Unfortunately, his military record has not been found, he was at some point posted to the 1/7th Battalion with a change of service number to 88933. Both Battalions during 1916 were engaged on the Somme before moving to the Arras sector participating during the Battle of Arras, April 9th-May 16th 1917 until they transferred to the battlefields of the Ypres salient in Belgium, in action during the 2nd Battle of Passchendaele, October 26th-November 10th 1917 where they spent another winter in the mud filled trenches. It was here, December 12th 1917, as announced in the London Gazette, that Private Forrest was awarded the Military Medal, a decoration for bravery in battle on land. Either during the period of the battle or immediately afterwards he was posted to the 11th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, 23rd Division, as Private 265656 and departed November 1917 with his regiment to Italy concentrating between Mantua and Marcaria before taking over the front line at the Montello, December 4th 1917. In 1918 they fought on the Asiago Plateau and at the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, the passage of the Piave and the Monticano. The Italian Armistice was declared at 3pm, November 4th 1918 when the Division was midway between the Rivers Livanza and Meduna, east of Sacile. After moving to billets near Treviso demobilisation began as of January 1919. During his service he rose to the rank of Lance Sergeant. Recipient of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal and Military Medal at the conclusion of hostilities he was only 21 years of age.

Although all the Forrest brothers were eligible for war service only the details of his brothers George and Samuel have been found. They too served with the Northumberland Fusiliers, George survived the conflict, Private Samuel Forrest died of wounds sustained whilst serving in Belgium.

Stephen Forrest after his arrival in England returned to live at 5, Ford Court, Newcastle upon Tyne with his brother George. He was married August 11th 1919 at Newcastle to Mary E. Tulip, where she was born, December 12th 1895 and with whom he had 6 children, Stephen Ridley Forrest Jnr, January 9th 1920-1997, Margaret 1921, Mary Elizabeth Gilbert nee Forrest, December 31st 1924-February 23rd 1999. Ellen 1929, Reginald John, April 7th 1933-November 1991 and June in 1936.

Stephen Ridley Forrest died January 18th 1969 aged 70 years, Mary E. Forrest nee Tulip aged 80 years, July 17th 1976, both registered in the district of Newcastle upon Tyne.

In God’s safe keeping. Rest In peace.

Colin Gilbert has provided the following:

I am one of the sons of his daughter Mary Elizabeth (always known as Polly).

A bit more about my Granda. He re-enlisted in the reserve of the Northumberland Fusiliers while still in Italy in March 1919 and re-enlisted every few years until transferring to the Royal Engineers reserve around 1928 where his docker occupation was utilised. He was in the reserve until being called up for regular service in March 1939 and posted to a dockers battalion of the RE.

He was in France with the BEF as a Sergeant when WWII was declared and evacuated from Brest in a fishing boat during the Dunkirk retreat. After a spell in England he was posted to North Africa and served there till reaching age 45 in 1943 when he was declared too old for foreign service and returned to the Depot in Glasgow as a Sergeant Major. He served till the end of the war before being moved to the reserve. (I think he’d done his bit frankly). He was covered in scars from shrapnel wounds received in WWI so why he wished to stay in the service for 30 years is a tribute to his patriotism and hatred of fascists. He and his brothers George and James used to attend black shirt demonstrations on Newcastle Town Moor which they disrupted by heckling till a fight broke out. Granda was a bit of pugilist and used to win money by fighting the professional boxers on the Town Moor fair boxing booth.

Re his MM. I obtained his war records a couple of years ago (all 35 pages). Luckily, because he was in effect serving continuously his records weren’t sent to the archives and therefore avoided the bombing that destroyed many.

Rather wonderfully, after years of family stories of Granda inventing jokes re his being awarded his MM we found the truth. The re-enlistment papers state his MM was awarded for gallantry at Dumbarton Lakes during the Battle of the Menin Road. The Regimental diaries and Norman Gladden’s excellent autobiography of the Northumberland Fusiliers 10th/11th Battalions  ‘Ypres’ describe the movements in detail. He was a battalion runner and the battalion was in action at Dumbarton lakes on the 20th September 1917.

My Gran was in the WAAC during WWI and after her brother John Tulip was killed in the Battle of Arras in 1918 she deserted and came to console her mother, she never went back and we have a letter from her CO in Ripon in reply to a rather cheeky request for any outstanding pay to be sent. She is told that if she had returned she might have had a claim – HA HA.

My Granda used to joke with us that he was regarded as a war hero while our gran was a deserter.

Here is a photo of Granda around 1928 with the 6th RNF Reserve. He is the Sergeant sitting hands clasped on his knees at the front. Note all the 1st war medal ribbons among the group. Heroes all. I also attach an extract from the London Gazette mentioning one of significant actions the Battalion was engaged in on the Piave which may interest you.

I also attach a photo of his brother Samuel Boustead Forrest who was killed in 1915. He was named after a cousin. Granda was named Ridley after one of his mother’s cousins (Stephen Ridley).

Thank you again for honouring my grandfather.

Stephen Ridley Forrest is remembered at Byker on B95.26