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Light Infantry

Soldier Profiles: Durham Light Infantry

Brown, Andrew Norman

Andrew Brown was born in 1892, son of Joseph Brown of Brown‟s Boathouse – a motor launch and pleasure boat proprietor - on Elvet Bridge, Durham. He had a brother and two sisters.

He was admitted to the Durham Johnston School in 1905 at the age of 12 having previously attended the Boys Model School, Durham. In 1911, he was a boat builder.

Brown served with the 6th Battalion of the DLI. His regiment was sent to France in April 1915 and fought in the Second Battle of Ypres, the Battle of Flers-Courcelette (part of Battle of Somme), the Battle of Arras, the Third Battle of Ypres, the Second Battle of Somme and the Third Battle of Aisne. He held the rank of Lieutenant and was then promoted to Captain.

He was awarded the Military Cross for „conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty.‟ He was the only survivor of the company officers of the battalion and although badly shell-shocked, led his company to their battle position in the front line. When all his company posts had been annihilated, he took charge of another company which he commanded through the remainder of the operations, keeping battalion headquarters fully informed as to their situation‟. This took place in April 1918.

He died on 27th May 1918, aged 26, during the Battle of the Aisne. He has no known grave but is named on the Soisson memorial, which commemorates almost 4,000 officers and men who died during the Battle of the Aisne and the Marne in 1918 and who have no known grave. His name appears on the Durham Johnston School War Memorial.

Duke, John

Born in 1892, John lived in New Herrington, he had 5 brothers and 2 sisters. His father was a Waggonwright.

He was admitted to the Durham Johnston School in 1906 at the age of 14 having previously attended Northern Skelton Colliery School. He was on the school football team.

He was a pupil teacher at age 18, then studied at Bede College – afterwards he became a school teacher at Dubmire County School, Houghton-le-Spring.

John Duke was a Sergeant in the 18th Battalion of the DLI (Regimental Number No 2510). The 18th Battalion was raised in County Durham and Duke did coastal defence at Hartlepool and then trained in UK until Dec 1915. His first “tour” with the 18th Battalion was to Eqypt in Dec 1915. Whilst in Egypt, the Battalion did lots of construction work.

He was sent from Egypt to France in Mar 1916 and fought extensively around Ypres.

Duke was a machine gunner, who was transferred to 93rd Coy, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) Regtl No (22764).

He died on the 1st July 1916, aged 24 - on first day of the First Battle of the Somme. He has no known grave, but is named on Thiepval Memorial, which bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men who died in the Somme sector and have no known grave. His name appears on the Durham Johnston School War Memorial.

Seeber, James Martin

Martin James Seeber was born in 1894 in Coxhoe, County Durham. His father was Frederick Seeber, a pork butcher from German and his mother was Katherine Seeber from Coxhoe. Martin had four sisters and one brother.

When he was sixteen, Martin was a Butcher Apprentice, developing into a pork butcher when the war started. He enlisted on 9 December 1915 in Sunderland. He became a private with regimental number 30104 in the 22nd Battalion DLI. While on training, he showed minor forms of misconduct, as shown on his conduct Sheet. His battalion went to France on 17 June 1916.

On 26 October 1916 his platoon was digging communication trenches when a shell burst among them. Martin and a fellow soldier were wounded and Martin went missing.

A couple of days after, an enquiry was held into the circumstances surrounding his death. They concluded that no evidence could be obtained about what happened after he was wounded. He is named on the Thiepval Memorial.

Martin James Seeber received the Victory Medal and the British War Medal for his services. Although no evidence remains, it is believed his father, who was a German national, was interred as an enemy alien during the war.

Wilson, Hugh Russell

Wilson was born 1878 and his father was a Coke Merchant in Darlington. He had 3 brothers and 2 sisters. The family had 3 servants in 1891.

At age 16, he joined Northumberland Fusiliers and fought in the Boer War. He was a keen horseman.

When his father fell ill, Hugh left the army and returned to Darlington to take over family business. In 1911, he was living in Darlington with a widowed mother, 2 brothers and a sister, though he was married at the time. He ran a coke merchant business and had 2 domestic servants.

He volunteered in Aug 1914 when the war broke out, joining 5th Battalion of the DLI as a Captain.

Wilson did coastal defence at Hartlepool and Redcar, then participated in training camps at Gateshead and Newcastle, being sent to France in April 1915.

He served at Second Battle of Ypres (Battle of St Julien, Battle of Bellewaerde Ridge) and won the Military Cross „For services when I/C „C‟ Coy Second Battle of Ypres April-May 1915.‟

He served in the Kemmel Sector, then took part in Battle of Flers-Courcelette (part of First Battle of Somme). He died on the 11th September 1916, aged 38. He was shot through the heart whilst walking along top of a trench.

Hugh Wilson was buried at Becourt Military Cemetery, Becordel-Becourt, grave plot I.W.8

Young, Thomas

Thomas Young was born on 28 January 1895 in Boldon. His last name at birth was Morrell, but he took on his stepfather‟s name when his mother remarried. He also enlisted under this name, Young. Thomas‟ stepfather was a miner, and he followed in his footsteps. He had 5 (half) brothers and 3 (half) sisters. The family lived in different places, including Ryhope and Willington-on-Tyne.

He joined the 9th Battalion DLI as a Private, and went to Belgium and France as a stretcher-bearer. Between 25 and 31 March 1918 he saved the lives of nine men while under heavy fire. For this he was awarded a Victoria Cross in June 1918. The medal is on display in the medal room.

Thomas Young survived the war. On 30 June 1918 a reception was organised at Saltwell Park, Gateshead, in his honour. He is one of 11 DLI men to have won a Victoria Cross.

After the war, Young got married and went to live in Whickham. He died on 15 October 1966, aged 71.