LF1916

News From The Front

Significant Engagements 1916

1916 Grinding Battles of Attrition: Verdun and the Somme

The year 1916 witnessed two of the most notorious battles of attrition in the Great War, resulting in thousands of casualties for both the Allied and German Armies on the Western Front

German Attempt to Break the French Army

BATTLE OF VERDUN

Map of the Verdun Battlefield

The Battle of Verdun (21 February - 18 December 1916) was the longest battle in the First World War, lasting for almost a year. Verdun held a special place in French history, it was the main bastion of French resistance during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870. The German commander on the western front saw that France would defend Verdun at all costs, it was hoped that it would be a place where the French Army could be bled dry. General Petain was quoted as saying "On ne passe pas" or in English "They shall not pass".

Franco-British Offensive on the Somme Front

The first Battle of the Somme in 1916 was as much about relieving the pressure on Verdun as it was about gaining territory. The first day of the advance 1st July 1916 saw the biggest losses in the history of the British Army; 57,470 casualties, including 19,240 fatalities.

Map showing the Somme Battlefields

Battle of the Somme 1916 comprised several phases as:

In Remembrance

The Leadgate men who fell in 1916

GEORGE SMEATON (Cornsey in 1911 then moved to Derwent Cottages) b:1880 d:27/05/1916 12th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry Buried / Commemorated Bois De Noulette British Cemetery Aix Noulete Memorials: Medomsley

THOMAS McGRATH (180 BOTTLE BANK (193 Sunderland Street)) b:1879 d:31/05/1916 6th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment Buried / Commemorated Courcelette British Cemetery Memorials: Durham Road: St Ives: Brooms Calvary

EDWARD H LEE (16 Tindale Street (507 Tin Street)) b:1885 d:06/06/1916 12th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry Buried / Commemorated Arras Memorial Memorials: Durham Road: St Ives: Leadgate Club

ISAAC TINKLER (Lived Front St Leadgate, 10 Percy Terrace (Next to Black Bull)) b:1880 d:07/06/1916 (at home) Tyneside Scottish Memorials: Durham Road: St Ives

JOHN W KIRKPATRICK (3, Watson's Yard, George St., Whitehaven. Moved to Iveston 1911-1914) b:1894 d:09/06/1916 15th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry Buried / Commemorated Dartmoor Cemetery, Becordel Becourt Memorials: Durham Road: Iveston

T. MURPHY (4 Fern Terrace Derwent Cottages) b:1879 d:13/06/1916 15th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry Buried / Commemorated Corbie Communal Cemetery Extension Memorials: Medomsley

HERBERT WARD HAGGERSTON (19 North Cross Street (Lived 308 North Cross Street )) b:1899 d:19/06/1916 1st/4th Battalion Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Buried / Commemorated Aveluy Communal Cemetery Extension Memorials: Batley

PETER CASTLING (1 Nelson Street) b:1881 d:01/07/1916 27th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers Buried / Commemorated Thiepval Memorial Memorials: Burnopfield

FRANCIS LOVE TELFORD (17 West Street) b:1883 d:01/07/1916 15th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry Buried / Commemorated Thiepval Memorial Memorials: Eastbourne Methodist Church Darlington

BERNARD TURNER (24 Church Street) b:1887 d:01/07/1916 15th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry Buried / Commemorated Thiepval Memorial Memorials: Brooms Calvary: Medomsley

HENRY WILSON (25 Valley View (34 Plantation Street)) b:1879 d:01/07/1916 15th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry Buried / Commemorated Thiepval Memorial Memorials: Durham Road: St Ives

BENJAMIN ROBERT WILSON (50 Durham Road) b:1895 d:01/07/1916 15th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry Buried / Commemorated Gordon Dump Cemetery, Ovillers La Boisselle Memorials: Durham Road: St Ives: Leadgate Club

FRANCIS JOSEPH TURNER (175 Bottle Bank) b:1893 d:01/07/1916 27th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers Buried / Commemorated Thiepval Memorial Memorials: Durham Road : St Ives: Brooms Calvary: Leadgate Club

ANDREW ROBSON COULSON (35 Valley View) b:1894 d:01/07/1916 97th Coy Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) Buried / Commemorated Thiepval Memorial Memorials: Belmont

THOMAS DONNELLY (206 Green Street) b:1882 d:04/07/1916 13th (Service) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers Buried / Commemorated Thiepval Memorial Memorials: Durham Road: St Ives: Brooms Calvary

JAMES MILBURN (16 Tindale Street(507 Tin Street)) b:1897 d:04/07/1916 15th(Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry Buried / Commemorated Corbie Communal Cemetery Extension Memorials: Durham Road: St Ives: Leadgate Club

WILLIAM CRISP (Johnsons Cottages Iveston) b:1891 d:08/07/1916 A Company 17th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers Buried / Commemorated London Cemetery and extension Longueval Memorials: St Aidens Blackhill

THOMAS SIDEY (14 PLEASANT VIEW) b:1890 d:08/07/1916 12th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry Buried / Commemorated Thiepval Memorial Memorials: Medomsley

JOHN SCOTT (13 Park Terrace) b:190? d:10/07/1916 13th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry Buried / Commemorated Thiepval Memorial UK Memorials: Durham Road: St Ives

JOHN WILLIAM BARRON (20 Valley View (274 Railway Street)) b:1898 d:17/07/1916 17th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry Buried / Commemorated Leadgate (St. Ives) Churchyard Memorials: Durham Road: St Ives: Leadgate Club

EVAN THOMAS WEBB (6 Garden Place) b:1880 d:22/07/1916 20th Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps Buried / Commemorated Thiepval Memorial Memorials: Methodists

ALBERT DOVER (48 Valley View (13 Railway Cottages/Terrace)) b1893 d:24/07/1916 87th Brigade Royal Field Artillery Buried / Commemorated Quarry Cemetery, Montauban Memorials: Durham Road: St Ives

PATRICK REDDY (37 Valley View (43 Plantation Street)) b:1883 d:27/07/1916 66th Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery Buried / Commemorated La Neuville British Cemetery Corbie Memorials: Durham Road: St Ives: Leadgate Club

JOHN THOMAS PATTERSON (7 Church Street) b:1881 d:03/09/1916 27th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers Buried / Commemorated Thiepval Memorial Memorials: Consett : Mentioned on gravestone in Benfieldside

ADAM FREDERICK BALLENTINE (12 Plantation Street) b:1890 d:03/09/1916 24th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers Buried / Commemorated Serre Road Cemetery No2 Memorials: Durham Road: St Ives

THOMAS LIDDELL (39 North Cross Street (366 North Cross Street)) b:1896 d:03/09/1916 1st/6th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers Buried / Commemorated Thiepval Memorial Memorials: Durham Road: St Ives

NORMAN J. ANDERSON (475 North Cross Street) b:1893 d:17/09/1916 1st/6th Battalion Durham Light Infantry Buried / Commemorated Thiepval Memorial Memorials: Durham Road: St Ives: Leadgate Club: Methodists

ALEXANDER McGREGOR (Durham Road) b:1884 d:15/09/1916 6th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment Buried / Commemorated Lonsdale Cemetery Authuille Memorials: Meadowfield

GEORGE P GARDNER (17 Tindale Street (491 Tin Street)) b:1887 d:01/10/1916 1st/9th BnDurham Light Infantry Buried / Commemorated Thiepval Memorial Memorials: Durham Road: St Ives

EDWARD THOMPSON COULSON (35 Valley View) b:1892 d:05/10/1916 15th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry Buried / Commemorated Heilly Station Cemetery Memorials: Unknown

JACOB CRABB (Durham Road) b:1895 d:10/10/1916 21st Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps Buried / Commemorated Caterpillar Valley Cemetery Longueval Memorials: Cornsay: Quebec

JOSEPH HOWARD (18 Church Street) b:1889 d:05/10/1916 2nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry Buried / Commemorated Etaples Military Cemetery Memorials: Durham Road: St Ives

ANDREW T SNAITH (2 South Cross Street (3 Bantling Castle and 335 South Cross Street)) b:1889 d:07/10/1916 13th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry Buried / Commemorated Thiepval Memorial Memorials: Durham Road: St Ives: Leadgate Club

JOHN WILLIAM ALDERTON (?) b:1888 d:09/10/1916 2nd (Garrison) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers Buried / Commemorated Ahmednagar Government Cemetery (India) Memorials: Unknown

WILLIAM ALBERT BESSFORD b:1892 d:13/10/1916 "A" Company 15th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry Buried / Commemorated Leadgate (St. Ives) Churchyard Memorials: Durham Road

JOHN ELLIOT VIPOND (478 North Cross Street) b:1895 d:14/10/1916 13th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry Buried / Commemorated Dernancourt Communal Cemetery Extension Memorials: Durham Road: St Ives

GEORGE POSTLE (173 Bottle Bank) b:1881 d:04/11/1916 13th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry Buried / Commemorated Railway Dugouts Burial Ground Memorials: Durham Road

RICHARD SHAW (Durham Road?) b:1892 d:13/11/1916 2nd R.M. Battalion Royal Naval Division Royal Marine Light Infantry Buried / Commemorated Thiepval Memorial Memorials: Stanley

STANLEY BROWN (Masons Arms Iveston) b:1883 d:24/11/1916 22nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry. Buried / Commemorated Guards Cemetery, Lesboeufs Memorials: Durham Road: Iveston

THOMAS WILSON (Burn House Iveston) b:1892 d:13/12/1916 11th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry Buried / Commemorated Thiepval Memorial Memorials: Durham Road St Ives: Iveston

FREDERICK HATTAMS (54 Front Street (Lived 81 Front Street 1911 then moved to Lanchester)) b:1886 d:27/12/1916 Army Service Corps Buried / Commemorated Acton Cemetery Memorials: Lanchester

JOHN BRANNIGAN (16 Plantation Street) b:1892 d:27/12/1916 1st/8th Battalion Durham Light Infantry Buried / Commemorated St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen Memorials: Lanchester

Naming Conventions for Units in WW1

Units with a single Battalion number and no suffix would have existed in the Regular Army at the time of the outbreak of the War.

Amalgamated units (mainly Reserve Forces or Territorial Army) would be named for their original units e.g. 1st/6th Battalion. From late 1917 onwards some units were amalgamated in theatre, these amalgamated units would reflect all the units in their titles.

Units raised under Lord Kitchener's New Army were named as Service Battalions often referred to as Pals Battalions due to the fact that they would have been recruited in a small area, even sometimes from a particular trade.

Acknowledgements

Leadgate Community History Club would like to thank Andy Plant for his research in creating the original database.

Copyright Notice

Leadgate Community History Club do not claim any copyright over the photographs on this page. They remain the copyright of the source site and, in some cases, the copyright owners, they are referenced here for educational purposes, and when attributable, proper attribution has been given. Please do not use or reproduce without attribution and/or acknowledgement to the original copyright owner.

Back