Person

Before the war Septimus worked as a rivet catcher (1911 census). In the Tyneside shipyards rivets were heated in furnace near to where the riveting was to take place. The “Cook”, who was in charge of the furnace, would throw the red-hot rivets to the catcher who would be standing near to where the rivets were to be positioned. The rivets were caught in a bucket and then the catcher put them in place. The catcher had to work quickly in often difficult situations. The rivet catcher needed good balance as they would have worked on all areas of the ship, including at height. His name appears on the memorial to men who had worked at Readhead’s Shipyard.

Septimus was given his name as he was the seventh son of Hercules and Mary Mouat. In all, Hercules and Mary had eight sons, all of whom served during the First World War. Mouat’s brother, Andrew, was a seagoing fireman and Thomas fought with the Gordon Highlanders. All of his other brothers: George, Robert, James, Richard and John, all served with the Northumbrian Howitzer Battery of the Royal Field Artillery. All seven of Septimus’s brothers survived the war.

Although Septimus seems to have originally been posted to the Durham Light Infantry he later fought with the 19th Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers. With the Fusiliers he seems to have been involved in the fight for village of Haspres, Nord, France. The village eventually fell on 20 October 1918 with the help of tanks. 49 other men from 19th Lancashire Fusiliers were also killed on 13 October 1918 and are buried in same cemetery.

Link to Tyne and Wear Archives catalogue entry for Readhead and Company archive:
http://www.tyneandweararchives.org.uk/DServe2/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=Show.tcl&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqPos=0&dsqSearch=(RefNo=%27DS.RDD%27)

Flickr album of photos of a 1948 brochure about Readhead’s Shipyard:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/59662214@N06/sets/72157628221752647/

North East War Memorials, Readhead’s Memorial plaque:
http://www.newmp.org.uk/detail.php?contentId=9647

North East War Memorials, Holy Trinity Church, Roll of Honour:
http://www.newmp.org.uk/detail.php?contentId=8955

Civil Parish: South Shields

Birth date: 1896

Death date: 13-Oct-1918

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: 5 Windmill Hill, South Shields (1901 census)
10 Laygate Hill, South Shields (1911 census)

Employment: Rivet catcher (1911 census)

Family: Parents: Hercules Mouat, Mary Mouat
Brothers: James Mouat, Richard Mouat, Andrew Mouat, Thomas Mouat, George Mouat, Robert Mouat, John Mouat(1901 and 1911 censuses)

Military service:

Private
Service number: 36535
19th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers
Formerly 1st/7th Battlion Durham Light Infantry
Service number: 4027

Memorial(s): Haspres Coppice Cemetery, Haspres, France, plot A.26 (CWGC)
Holy Trinity Church, South Shiedls, Roll of Honour
Readhead’s Plaque, Tynedock (relocated to Harton Quays Park, 2014)

Gender: Male

Contributed by Peter Hoy | Durham County Record Office