Weymouth George Wash (1891-1956)
Butterknowle teacher who escaped from prisoner of war camp
Having trained at St Bede teacher training college in Durham, Weymouth George Wash became a teacher in Butterknowle. He left his post as a teacher to join the 8th Battalion Durham Light Infantry (DLI) before being taken as a prisoner of war. He escaped from the prisoner of war camp in December 1917.
Born in Butterknowle on 27 August 1891, Weymouth was the child of Walter and Sarah Wash. Weymouth was the only surviving son born to Walter and Sarah, with four younger sisters. At the time of both the 1901 and 1911 censuses the family were living at Potter’s Cross in Butterknowle.
Sadly Weymouth’s mother Sarah was unwell during his childhood and was admitted to Sedgefield Asylum suffering from mania in May 1903 when Weymouth would have been 12 years old. Following an improvement in Sarah’s health and an application from her husband she was discharged from the asylum in August 1904. Her medical notes record other members of her family also suffered from mental health illnesses and her sister was admitted to the same asylum at some point. Sarah’s health obviously deteriorated again as she was readmitted in 1906. It seems that on this admission her mania symptoms did not improve and she died on 5 October 1918 in the asylum. She is buried in the asylum graveyard.
On the 1911 census Sarah is not recorded as living with the family as she would have been in the asylum at this time. Walter’s niece, Elizabeth Mary, was living with the family, which may have been to help Walter look after the children and house whilst Walter went out to work as a coal miner. Weymouth did not follow in his father’s footsteps to become a miner but instead chose to train as a teacher. He did his training between 1911 and 1913 at St Bede’s College, a teacher training college in Durham. During his time at college Weymouth was a keen sportsman playing in both the tennis and football teams.
Weymouth left his job as a teacher to join the 8th Battalion DLI. Initially, he was a private with the service number 2910 but on the rearrangement of the DLI he was given the new service number 300498. At some point he was promoted to 2nd lieutenant. Weymouth joined troops in France on 20 April 1915, right before the Second Battle of Ypres. It was only six days before Weymouth was taken prisoner. The Germans used poison gas within this battle and Weymouth, although not gassed himself, mentions two other men taken captive with him were suffering from the effects of this gas.
After travelling, Weymouth arrived at Munster II Camp around 30 April. Beginning digging drains, he was then appointed to be first French and, later, French and German interpreter. which meant he no longer needed to do the manual work. Unlike the men doing manual labour, Weymouth was not paid for his work as an interpreter.
Weymouth remained at this camp until he escaped on 14 December 1917. Although there are no details of this escape, Weymouth does mention a previous escape attempt in September 1916 when he was caught only minutes from the frontier.
It seems that Weymouth continued to carry out an interpreter role in the army following his escape. The London Gazette dated 3 July 1918 announces him as becoming a ‘temporary 2nd Lieutenant whilst employed as an interpreter.’
After the war Weymouth was interviewed by the Committee on the Treatment of British Prisoners of War. A detailed account of his experiences can be viewed on The National Archives website. He continued to live with his father Walter in Butterknowle till at least 1926. At some point he became an assistant teacher at Lynesack Church of England School.
Weymouth married Margaret Bland in 1931 in Bellingham, Northumberland. At the time of the 1939 register the couple are living in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. Both are listed as being part of the Air Raid Precautions (ARP); Weymouth in the control room and Margaret involved in first aid. Weymouth died on 6 June 1956 in Cheshire.
In addition to the British War Medal, Victory Medal and 1914-15 Star, Weymouth was awarded the Military Medal which was recorded in the London Gazette on 30 January 1920. Many soldiers who were prisoners of war and either escaped the camps or attempted to escape were given the Military Medal. A general citation for this award was given as “In recognition of gallant conduct and determination displayed in escaping or attempting to escape”.
During the war, Weymouth wrote articles for the Bede Magazine. One of these articles from April 1918 tells of the vital importance of parcels containing supplies from England (see supporting materials, below).
Civil Parish: Lynesack and Softley
Birth date: 27-Aug-1891
Death date: 06-Jun-1956
Armed force/civilian: Army
Residence: Potter’s Cross, Butterknowle (1901 and 1911 Censuses)
6 Potter’s Cross, Butterknowle (1920 – 1926 Electoral Registers, 1918, 1919 Absent Voters List)
Education: St Bede College, Durham 1911-1913
Organisation membership: National Union of Teacher (NUT)
Bede College Tennis Team 1912/13
Bede College Football Team 1912/13
Employment: Teacher
Lynesack CE School
Family: Parents: Walter Wash, Sarah Wash
Siblings: Elizabeth A Wash, Alice Jane Wash, Emma Wash, Esther Wash
Spouse: Margaret Wash nee Bland
Military service:
8th Battalion DLI
2nd Lieutenant
Service Numbers 2910, 300498
Medal(s): British War Medal
Victory Medal
1915 Star
Military Medal
Gender: Male
Contributed by Fiona Johnson
