In Newcastle (St. John’s Westgate and Elswick) is the Commonwealth War Grave with a private headstone of M/1752 Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class Thomas Nicholas Whitfield serving on H.M.S. Arethusa with the Royal Navy who died 28/08/1914.
The son of Mrs. M. F. Whitfield, of 20, Sydney Grove, Newcastle upon Tyne.
The headstone reads:
In
Loving Memory of
James C. Whitfield,
died April 9th, 1909, aged 46 years.
also his son
Thomas N. Whitfield, E.R.A.
of H.M.S. Arethusa,
killed in action off Heligoland
August 28th 1914, aged 26 years.
Also his daughter
Dora Whitfield,
died May 16th 1942, aged 48 years.
Also his wife
Mary Frances Whitfield
died July 19th 1948 aged 88 years.
Colin Boyd has provided the following:
Thomas Nicholas was born in Bedlington on January 13th 1888 the son of James C. Whitfield, a grocer’s assistant, and his wife Mary. By 1891 the family were living at 66, Alexander Street, Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne.
By 1901 the family had moved to 67, Gainsboro Grove, Elswick and was now comprised of the parents, two sons and two daughters. James was recorded as a grocer. James died in April 1909 and in 1911 his widow was living at 20, Sidney Grove Benwell.
Thomas enlisted in the Royal Navy on March 19th 1910 and was described as being 5 feet 5 inches tall with dark brown hair, brown eyes and a fresh complexion.
Thomas was killed in action on board HMS Arethusa when she was damaged during the Battle of Heligoland Bight on August 28th 1914.
Illustrated Chronicle 01/09/1914, page 15 carries a brief obituary:
NEWCASTLE NAVAL MAN KILLED
In the naval casualty list appears the name of Engine-room Artificer Thomas Nicholas Whitfield, of H.M.S. Arethusa, a young man well-known in the West End of Newcastle, where he resided with his widowed mother in Sidney Grove. Before joining the Navy, Mr. Whitfield was employed at Messrs. Hawthorn, Leslie, and Company. He was about 26 years of age.
The Newcastle Journal 03/09/1914 reports:-
A NAVAL HERO.
NEWCASTLE VICTIM BURIED AT ELSWICK.
Remarkable scenes were witnessed at Elswick Cemetery, Newcastle, yesterday, on the occasion of the funeral of Thomas Nicholas Whitfield, E.R.A., who was killed in action on H.M. cruiser Arethusa on August 28. Outside the cemetery there was a very large crowd, and the route via Bentinck Road from the residence, 20, Sidney Grove, was thickly lined by people, who expressed respectful sympathy.
Escort, bugle, and gun-carriage parties were provided from the Tyneside R.N.V.R., and C.P.O. Fry was in charge. Under existing conditions, a naval firing party was not available. Upon the gun-carriage the coffin had the Union Jack as pall, and above were three family wreaths.
In a carriage behind were other wreaths, and in other carriages were the family mourners, including the mother and two sisters.
The Lord Mayor attended in state, and he was accompanied at the head of long procession of mourners that followed to the graveside by Alderman J. H. Rodgers The officiating minister was the Rev E. I. Lyndon (Wesleyan). At the graveside the bugles sounded the “Last Post.”
Upon the coffin was the usual simple inscription of the name, the date of death, and the age, 26 years.
Many questions having been put to how young Whitfield, of the engine-room staff of the Arethusa, met his death on deck, we are asked notify that, as the official statement showed, the Arethusa bore the brunt of a vigorous naval action. Whitfield, with other engineers, was called upon to repair some damage caused by shell, and, while engaged, was killed instantaneously by the fragment of another shell.
Thomas Nicholas Whitfield is remembered at Elswick in E35.02, at Newcastle on NUT001, NUT087 and NUT 247 and on our List of Ships’ crews.
