Paid for and erected by public subscription of £250 (£12,000 in todays’ money) The Memorial was unveiled on 13 May 1922 Col Tomlinson, Managing Director of the Carlton Iron Works and dedicated by Bishop Welldon, Dean of Durham. The initial Memorial was inscribed with the names of the 36 local servicemen who did not return, although their names are not listed it also commemorates the 113 who were fortunate to return back to Stillington. Following the Second World War the names of the 7 service personnel from the village that laid down their lives was added.

The Memorial is situated in a small, landscaped, garden on the south side of Messines Lane, Stillington. It takes the form of a Latin Cross with an octagonal cross section, this sits on a moulded collar on top of an octagonal shaft. The shaft stands on a square pedestal which in turn is mounted on a two stepped square base.

The front face is inscribed with:

ERECTED TO THE GRATEFUL MEMORY OF THE MEN OF THIS PARISH WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR. “MAKE THEM TO BE NUMBERED WITH THY SAINTS IN GLORY EVERLASTING”.

The two flanking faces list the 36 servicemen who sadly did not return, whilst the fourth face reads:

AND TO COMMEMORATE THE RETURN OF 113 MEN.

The names of the Second World War fallen are listed at the base of the fourth face.

The Stillington War Memorial is a Grade II Historic England listed building; granted on 7 December 2016.

All of the above information extracted from the Imperial War Museums War Memorial Register and the Historic England Official Listing.

Photograph courtesy of Michael Thompson.

A composite photograph of the three Drinkel brothers. From left to right: Harry, a mechanic in the Royal Flying Corps (he was Mayor of Thornaby in 1951/2), Horace, a gunner in the Royal Garrison Artillery, and Sapper Joe of the Royal Engineers.

Photographs and details courtesy of Denis Rigg.

This photograph shows my Grand-Uncle William Henry (Ernie) McDonnell in a Dunfermline Photographic Studio, before he joined the Light Cruiser H.M.S. Calliope in July 1915.

Ernie born c. May 1897 at 30 Maritime Street in Stockton-on-Tees, was the first son of George and Maria McDonnell. 5′ 4″ William Henry grew up in the old Quayside district of Stockton, living variously at 12 Smithfield, 26 Garden Place, 8 Commercial Street, 10 Tees Street and by 1914 at 3 Paradise Street.

He was a Stoker in the Royal Navy during the Great War; he served from July 1915 aboard HMS Calliope, a modern, oil fired, light cruiser, which was hit by shellfire from German battleships at The Battle of Jutland in May 1916. He was awarded chevrons for his part in the battle and was granted his 1st Good Conduct Badge in July 1918 for 3 years ‘VG’ conduct in service.

Photograph and details courtesy of Anthony Pearson and the McDonnell family of Stockton.

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.

Join us for a commemorative event marking 100 years since the end of The Great War. Local historian Martin Peagam will talk about Stockton in 1918 as four years of conflict came to an end and reflect on the impact the war had on the town.

Friday 9 November, 3.30pm at Stockton Central Library (Jim Cooke Conference Suite). Tickets £2 per person. Book a place on 01642 528079 / reference.library@stockton.gov.uk

This photograph was donated by Lorraine Dayes whose Great Uncle, Henry Doyleson, is in the centre of the three men shown.

A copy of it was addressed, but probably not posted, to ‘Charles Malcolm, No. 77 Mess, HMS Queen Mary, c/o GPO London’, by his sister Mary Malcolm.  The message on the back of the card reads as follows…..

Dear Brother

Just a line to thank you for the PostCard you sent me but at the same time I thought you would have sent me one of your photos.  They have all got one but me so I hope you will send me one.  Mother got your photos Saturday morning.  Mother,  group and also the one of yourself.  Jane Garbutt got one and not Great Aunt (Fanan ?) so do not forget to send me one.  So don’t forget to send one (She repeats herself).

From Your Sister

Give Joe and Jock my best Love Mary

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Charles was one of three Stockton brothers who were all stokers on HMS Queen Mary.  They were the sons of Mary and George Malcolm, 14 Union Street, Stockton-on-Tees. All three were killed at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916 while serving in HMS Queen Mary. They were: – Charles Malcolm, stoker, 2655S, RNR aged 22; John Robert Malcolm, stoker, 1430S, RNR, aged 25; Joseph Malcolm, stoker, 2681T, aged 29. All are commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. John Robert and Joseph were married. John Robert had a son John G. born 1915. Joseph had two daughters, Mary Elizabeth born 1910 and Janet born 1913.

____________________________________________________________________

Henry Doyleson was a Stockton man and a friend of the Malcolm brothers.  He enlisted in the Royal Field Artillery (regt. no. 34819) in the early days of the war.  He became a driver, responsible for driving a team of horses that pulled the big Field guns into and out of battle. His battery landed in France on 8^th September 1915 in time to join the brigade as they prepared for what became known as the Battle of Loos or the Third Battle of Artois. The battle commenced on the 25^th September 1915.  Henry was killed in action on the  26^TH September 1915. He had only been at the front for 18 days before he was killed

Henry is commemorated on the Roll of Honour on plot/panel 3 of the Loos memorial, Pas de Calais.  The memorial commemorates 20,000 men who fell in battle and have no known graves.

This is another photograph of Henry Doyleson.  It was probably taken shortly after he had enlisted and was posted from Salisbury Plain where his battery of the RFA was in training before going overseas.   The message on the back of the photograph has faded over the years but what can be read follows…..

One for Ike  and —-one for yourself.  Write back to the address we are at ——————— Salisbury.  Now firing the big guns for a week and then the  —– starts ——-with.  (Illegible words have been replaced with dashes).

Lorraine, who donated the photographs, would really like to find out more about Henry Doyleson.  He was her Grandfather’s brother but her grandfather changed his name to Dayes.  It is a big family mystery. Lorraine would also love to know who the other men in the photograph are…..  can anyone help?

My grandfather Sydney Slome – 1st on the left, sat down was a soldier in the 5th Durham Light Infantry c1916.

I composed this poem in his memory;

He went to War
A soldier true
For King & Country
That’s all he knew

The Great adventure
He fought hard and long
When day was done
He would recall
The sweat and smell
Under a setting sun

He looked afar
Now all was green
The distant cries had all but gone
Yet in his mind
A soldiers’ song

He went to war

Photograph and detail courtesy of Tony Slome.

Armistice Celebration in Durham Street, Stockton c1918. The corner shop in the background belongs to Holmes Duffin, grocer.