Thornaby Methodist Church on Mandale Road was the second largest chapel in the Stockton Methodist Church Circuit, seating 800 people. Thirty-one men associated with this chapel were killed during the 1914- 1918 war. Lance-Corporal Lumsden died on the final day of the war. Further details of some of these men may be found on the 1245 Sunflowers website.
Pte. N. Anderson 3/1 Essex Yeomanry
Sgt. R Blake [1/5th Bn.] Durham Light Infantry
Carpenter’s Crew T.T. Bainbridge Royal Navy
Pte. J.T. Bradley 1/5th Bn. Durham Light Infantry
Sgt. W. Bradley 5th Bn. Durham Light Infantry
[Sgt.] A. Brogden [12th Bn, Yorkshire Regt.]
Pte. N. Brown 10th Hussars
Pte. R. Brown Machine Gun Corps
Pte. Roy Brown 22nd Drms
Pte. T.R. Donnison 2nd Bn Yorkshire Regt.
Pte. R. Franks Machine Gun Corps
Company Sgt. Major J. Harrison 2nd Bn. Yorkshire Regt.
[Pte.] W. Heal [18th Bn King’s (Liverpool Regt.]
Pte. M. Huitson [2nd Bn.] Durham Light Infantry
2nd Lieut. W. Hunter Royal Naval Division
Sgt. L Jones. Northumberland Fusiliers
Gunner A. Leeson Royal Field Artillery
L/Cpl. W.T. Lumsden [1/5th Bn.] Durham Light Infantry
Pte. G. Marshall 5th Bn. Durham Light Infantry
Pte. H. Mustard [1/5th Bn.] Durham Light Infantry
Sgt. W. McCulloch [16th Bn.] King’s Royal Rifle Corps
Pte. N. Raper [7th Bn.} Yorkshire Regt.
[Sgt.] H.H. Reed [Machine Gun Corps]
Pte. J.R. Sharp [8th Bn.] Yorkshire Regt.
[L/Sgt.] Reg Simpson [13th Bn.] Rifle Brigade
[Pte.] Ray Simpson [6th Bn] Yorkshire Regt.
Cpl. W. Tanfield 10th Bn. Yorkshire Regt.
Pte. R. Thompson Grenadier Guards
[Pte.] J.G. Wales [9th Bn.] Yorkshire Regt.
Pte. C. Wood 8th Bn. Leicestershire Regt
S. Wood Royal Engineers
Information source derived from information provided by Philip Thornborow, the Methodist Church website. Courtesy of Bob Wilson.
Picture Stockton Archive 
The Dibbles Bridge memorial service was held there and broadcast live on old Radio Cleveland at the time, very impressive building inside.
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August 4th 2014 marked the 100th anniversary of Britain joining World War One. 1,245 war dead came from Stockton on Tees; their names are listed in the town’s Book of Remembrance. From April 2014, Sunflowers were planted by the people of Stockton, each flower bearing the name of a member of Stockton’s community who went to war and never came home. At the start of August, just as the flowers were coming into bloom and reaching their full potential they were cut down and taken to the town’s Parish Gardens where a Garden of Memory was created. Events are held each year from 2nd-5th August to remember the 1,245 Stockton World War 1 war dead.
•100 years after Britain – and Stockton – joined the war, we will remember them not as soldiers but as the ordinary people of Stockton, who paid an extraordinary price for their town and their country. As well as remembering, researching and reflecting on the lives of the 1,245 and others who gave their lives through conflict, many are using this time as an opportunity to bring their communities closer together – a lasting legacy inspired by loss – but which helps those around us have a more positive future. Each year we come together as a nation to remember our brothers and sisters who did not come home, an act of remembrance and a retrospective look at how Stockton pays its respects in the years to come. The local Stockton-based group called 1245 sunflowers www-site is worth a visit to see what they have arranged this year. Bob Wilson. Five Lamps.
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Hi Bob,
I recently looked at one of your posts regarding HMS Hurworth. I can see that you have extensive knowledge about this ship. I’ve recently worked on a project re Hurworth and my father’s service on Hurworth during WW2 in the Royal Navy and wondered if we could chat further re this? If you could send me an email this would be great? Regards Peter Smith
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I remember this very large austere looking monolith on Mandale Road, it loomed tall over the road running by like a foreboding eye, particularly to this then small boy. I’m sure that it was beautiful inside, not that I ever went in. It appeared to be made of a very dark brown and black stone, that to my mind always seemed in need of a good clean. Like everything gone, it was taken for granted, certainly by me anyway, it was always ‘just there’ standing ‘forever more’. Who knew that something so steadfast and solid would now be purely a memory, demolished in the name of progress… that A66 raises it’s ugly head again.
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