Person

Herbert was the oldest of the seven children born to paper mill worker James Cawthorn and his wife, Albertha Thubron, who had married in Darlington in the summer of 1890. Baptised in Bishopwearmouth a month after his birth, like all his siblings, he had been born in Pallion, Sunderland.

On 20 April 1912 father James and the three oldest boys Herbert, Ben and John left England for Canada. They sailed on the SS Victorian from Liverpool, Lancashire to Halifax, Nova Scotia and then travelled onwards to Calgary, Alberta and work as miners. They were followed six months later by Albertha, the three girls in the family and youngest son James.

In March 1915 Hebert enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) in Calgary, naming his father James as his next of kin and his occupation as a coal miner. He became private 80167 in the 31st Battalion. He embarked with them for England on 17 May 1915 on RMS Carpathia, with a complement of 36 officers and 1033 other ranks.

His attestation papers rather rudely described Herbert as a man with “nothing distinctive” to identify him. However, they also noted that he had grey eyes, fair hair and was 5 feet 5 1/2 inches tall. His wedding photograph, which is attached to this story, however, seems to show a good-looking young man who looks very pleased to be with the young woman by his side,

After initial training in England, the battalion arrived in Boulogne, France on 19 September 1915 where they fought in France and Belgium as part of the 6th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Division. They were often in the front line of fighting at St Eloi, Ypres, Vimy Ridge, Fresnoy, the Somme, Passchendaele, Amiens, Arras, Drocourt–Quéant , Valenciennes, Mons, and the occupation of the Rhine.

It was during the fighting at Mount Sorrel on 7 June 1916 that Herbert got trapped in barbed wire, getting it wound round his knee. It was three weeks before he was fit enough to rejoin his unit. Each November for three years between 1916 and 1918 Herbert had two weeks leave in the UK. According to the family, Herbert visited Sunderland with a Canadian cousin of the Heron family. The cousin made contact with his British family members and introduced Herbert to his future wife, Sarah. They married on 3 May 1919 and returned to Canada together on the SS Metagama, arriving in August before Herbert’s demobilisation on 19 September 1919. However, Herbert’s wife, Sarah, found it hard to settle in the new country and could not get used to the harsh Canadian winters, so the couple returned to England.

According to the Veterans’ Death Cards, Herbert died in Grindon, Sunderland on 15 January 1926. According to a family source, Herbert Cawthorn died on 15 January 1927 in Grindon Convalescent Home, Silksworth, Sunderland. His death was registered in the District of Houghton-le-Spring on 18 January 1927 by his sister-in-law, Harriet Heron. Sarah remained in Sunderland and died there in 1974.

From Herbert’s great-niece:

You are right about Herbert looking happy. According to my Grandmother Herbert and Sarah were very in love and Herbert would do anything for Sarah. I’ve always thought that his story was sad as although he survived the war he was like many others, in a way another victim of it. He was hospitalised for diphtheria in early 1919 and although he recovered he wasn’t able to undertake very heavy work. He blamed his poor health on having to spend days standing waist deep in water in the trenches. He died of kidney disease at a relatively young age so he and Sarah had very little time together. They had no children and she did not remarry.

Civil Parish: Sunderland

Birth date: 15-Jun-1891

Death date: 15-Jan-1927

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: 26 Brookland Road, Pallion, Sunderland (1901 census)
1403 25th Street, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (1916 census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta)
1725 28th Avenue, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (1921 Canadian census)

Religion: Church of England

Employment: Coal miner (1915 enlistment papers)
Timekeeper (1921 Canadian census)

Family: Parents: James Cawthorn, Albertha Cawthorn nee Thubron
Siblings: Bertha Cawthorn, Benjamin “Ben” Cawthorn, John Thubron Cawthorn, Elizabeth Ellen Cawthorn, Mary Cawthorn, James Cawthorn
Spouse: Sarah Cawthorn nee Heron

Military service:

80167
Private
31st Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force

Medal(s): 1914/15 Star
Victory Medal
British War Medal

Gender: Male

Contributed by Jean Longstaff, Durham | Judith Turner, great-niece