Killed
Report of death of Joseph Thompson Maddison
Mr. Joseph Maddison, rate collector, of Frosterley, has received news officially that his son, Pte. Joseph Thompson Maddison, of the Machine Gun Corps., has been killed in action in France. The deceased was only 22 years of age and joined the Army in December 1916. He was a young man full of promise, and previous to enlistment, was employed in Middlesbrough Co-operative Stores, where he was well spoken of as a trustworthy and reliable assistant. As a youth he served his apprenticeship in Frosterley Stores. A letter had been received from his officer, who says:- “It was only yesterday that I returned from leave and heard that your son, Thompson, had made the great sacrifice, and I hasten to offer to you and all his family the sincerest and deepest sympathy of all the officers and men of the company. He was highly popular with everybody, respected by all, and most reliable in all he undertook. No doubt you know he had been my batman from the time he joined the company until a few weeks ago, when he returned to duty in his section so that he might gain promotion before applying for his commission. I therefore came into very close contact with him, and I cannot speak too highly of his work. We were more friends than anything else. We had been in a good many tight corners together. He must, I think, have been killed whilst asleep, as a shell landed on top of his dug-out, smashing it, and when found his eyes were closed quite naturally, and he looked absolutely peaceful. It will cheer you, I hope, to know this.”
Date: 17-Oct-1918
Author: Bishop Auckland Chronicle
Reference: D/WP 4/42 Microfilm Ref: M61/43
Where to find this: Durham County Records Office
Contributed by Fiona Johnson - Durham
