George Thwaites (1896 - 1916)
Bishop Auckland miner served with the Durham Light Infantry as a bugler
George Thwaites was born on 9 June 1896 in Middridge and baptised the following month in Shildon. He was the older of two sons born to William and Jane Thwaites who had married around 1894. The couple had a total of seven children but sadly one of their daughters, Annie, did not survive childhood. By 1911, George, at the age of 14, had joined his father working in the colliery as a pony driver.
The following year, on 18 March 1912, George enlisted with the army in Bishop Auckland at which time he was working as a breaker for Bolckow Vaughan and Company. He was only 15 years old at this time and included in his service records is a letter from his father confirming he is willing for George to join the Territorial Army. After being declared fit, he joined the 1/6th Battalion Durham Light Infantry (DLI) with the service number 1507 as a ‘boy’. He was posted to the 2/6th DLI Reserve Battalion on 12 December 1914.
George was stationed at Doncaster in the first few months of 1916, ranked as a bugler. During this time he received two punishments of confinement to barracks for failure to obey an order and neglect of his duty. George arrived in Boulogne on 7 July 1916 and joined the unit in the field on 22 July.
Following less than three months service, George was killed in action on 1 October 1916. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial and remembered on several memorials in his home town of Bishop Auckland. Also remembered on the statue in Bishop Auckland is George’s younger brother James. He died just under six months after George, on 9 April 1917, whilst serving with the Royal Scots Fusiliers.
Civil Parish: Coundon
Birth date: 9-Jun-1896
Death date: 1-Oct-1916
Armed force/civilian: Army
Residence: Middridge Village (1901 Census)
16 Leeholme Road, Coundon (1911 Census, Service Records)
Employment: Pony Driver, Underground (1911 Census)
Miner, Breaker (Service Records, 1912)
Family: Parents: William Thwaites, Jane Thwaites
Siblings: Jane Thwaites, James Thwaites, Annie Thwaites, Margaret Thwaites, Edith Thwaites, William Thwaites
Military service:
1st/6th DLI
Bugler
Service Number 6/1507
Medal(s): British War Medal
Victory Medal
Memorial(s): Thiepval Memorial
DLI Book of Remembrance, Durham Cathedral
Book of Remembrance 1914-18 St Anne’s Church, Bishop Auckland
Statue 1914-18 1939-45 Road Junction, Coundon
Gender: Male
Contributed by jakeyraine, Durham
