18th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry
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18th Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry was raised in Durham on 10 September 1914 as a "Pals" battalion.
The first casualty of enemy action on British soil during the Great War 1914-1918 was Private Theophilus Jones aged 29 who was killed on the 16th December 1914 at Heugh Battery, Hartlepool when a German naval taskforce bombarded the town, he was one of six men of the Battalion to die in the bombardment, with a further eleven being wounded.
In May 1915 the 18th DLI was attached to 93rd Brigade, 31st Division and set sail for Egypt in December 1915 to defend the Suez Canal. The division was transferred to France in March 1916 for teh preparation for the Battle of the Somme in July 1916.
The 31st Division took over the front line opposite the village of Serre, the northern most point of the Somme line. On the morning of the 1st of July, D Company of the 18th DLI were in the first wave of the attack and were situated to the southern edge of the village of Serre, with the 15th and 16th West Yorks, they suffered heavy losses but a few men of D Company managed to reach their objective, Pennant Copse. The other companies of 18th DLI were in the second wave with the 18th West Yorks but made now headway and were held in reserve.
The 18th DLI would later see action in The Battle of the Ancre and in 1917 the Operations on the Ancre before moving north to Arras for The Third Battle of the Scarpe and The Capture of Oppy Wood. In 1918 they saw action in The Battle of St Quentin, The Battle of Bapaume, The First Battle of Arras, they moved north to Flanders and took part in The Battle of Estaires, The Battle of Hazebrouck, The Defence of Nieppe Forest and The attack at La Becque during the Battles of the Lys. During the Advance in Flanders they were involved in The capture of Vieux Berquin, and The action of Tieghem. They crossed the River Scheldt on the 9th of November and at the Armistice the forward units had reached Everbecque and the River Dender. They moved back to the Arques-Blendecques area and demobilisation began.
Can you add to this factual information? Do you know the whereabouts of this unit on a particular day? Which battles they took part in? Or any other interesting snipts? |
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May 2013 Please note we currently have a backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site.
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Those known to have served with 18th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry during the Great War 1914-1918.
Select a story link or scroll down to browse those stories hosted on this site.
The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add,, or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please get in touch.
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615 Pte. G. J. Wandless 18th Btn. Durham Light Infantry Pte Wandless was wounded during the Bombardment whilst serving at Heugh Battery on the 16th of December 1914. |
613 L/Cpl. Henry Arthur Scott Durham Light Infantry Lance Corporal Scott was one of those wounded at Heugh Battery during the Bombardment on the 16th December 1914. |
612 Pte. Thomas Rutherford 18th Btn. Durham Light Infantry Pte Rutherford was wounded on the 16th of December 1914 whilst serving at the Heugh Battery during the Bombardment. |
611 Pte. Walter Rogers 18th Btn. Durham Light Infantry (d.16th Dec 1914) Pte Rogers was killed during the Bombardment of the Hartlepools whilst serving at Heugh Battery on the 16th of December 1914. He was 25 years old. |
609 Lt. G. K. Raine 18th Btn. Durham Light Infantry (d.2nd Jul 1916) Lt Raine was killed on the 2nd of July 1916 he was 19 years old. |
608 Pte. G. H. Powell 18th Btn. Durham Light Infantry Pte Powell was one of 11 soldiers of the 18th DLI wounded on the 16th December 1914 whilst serving at Heugh Battery during the Bombardment. |
610 Pte. L. H. Robinson 18th Btn. Durham Light Infantry Pte Robinson was wounded during the Bombardment of the Hartlepools on the 16th of December 1914 whilst serving at Heugh Battery. |
606 Pte. Thomas Minks 18th Btn. Durham Light Infantry (d.16th Dec 1914) Pte Minks died of wounds sustained during the bombardment of the Hartlepools on the 16th December 1914, he was 25 years old. |
605 Pte. J. W. Lewis 18th Btn. Durham Light Infantry Pte Lewis was wounded on the 16th December 1914, during the Bombardment of the Hartlepools whilst serving at Heugh Battery |
604 Pte. D. Lamb 18th Btn. Durham Light Infantry Pte Lamb was wounded whilst serving at Heugh Battery during the Bombardment of the Hartlepools on the 16th December 1914. |
603 Pte. Leslie Dobson Turner 18th Btn. Durham Light Infantry (d.16th Dec 1914) Pte Turner was 24 years old, he died of wounds having been struck by the first shell of the Bombardment of the Hartlepools on the 16th of December 1914. A plaque marks the spot where then men were manning a machine gun.
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602 Pte. Alex Ollife Liddle 18th Btn. Durham Light Infantry (d.16th Dec 1914) Pte Liddle was 25 years old, he died of wounds having been struck by the first shell of the Bombardment of the Hartlepools on the 16th of December 1914. A plaque marks the spot where then men were manning a machine gun.
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601 Pte. Theophilus Jones 18th Btn. Durham Light Infantry (d.16th Dec 1914) Pte Jones is believed to be the first soldier killed in action on British soil during the Great War. He was 29 years old and was killed instantly by the first shell of the Bombardment of the Hartlepools on the 16th of December 1914. The rest of the gun crew Cpl Alex Liddle, Lance Cpl Charles Clarke and Private Les Turner, died of wounds soon afterwards. A plaque marks the point close to the gates of Heugh Battery where they were manning a machine gun. |
597 Pte. Robert Garrett 18th Btn. Durham Light Infantry Pte Garrett was one of those wounded during the Bombardment of the Hartlepools on the 16th of December 1914 whilst he was serving at Heugh Battery. |
596 Pte. T. W. Dees 18th Btn. Durham Light Infantry Pte Dees was wounded during the Bombardment of Hartlepool on the 16th of December 1914, he was serving the the 18th Btn, DLI at the Heugh Battery. |
594 Act L/Cpl Charles Stephen Clarke 18th Btn. Durham Light Infantry (d.16th Dec 1914) Acting Lance Corporal Charles Stephen Clarke served at the Heugh Battery in Hartlepool and was killed during the bombardment on the 16th of December 1914 aged 25. |
593 Pte. R. B. Brown 18th Btn. Durham Light Infantry Pte. R Brown served at the Heugh Battery in Hartlepool and was wounded buring the bombardment on the 16th of December 1914. |
205029 Pte. Charles Thomas Goforth 18th Btn. Durham Light Infantry (d.28th Mar 1918) My grandmother was Charles Goforth's younger sister and she never got over losing "Tommy" and she always wanted to visit his grave. He has, like so many of that conflict no known grave and I am going to visit the area shortly and pay my respects at the Arras memorial.
I have detailed maps of the places where the battalion fought during the 1918 German offensive and I hope to try and re trace the steps he and his comrades took all those years ago. |
206456 Sjt. William Dickinson MM & Bar. 18th Btn Durham Light Infantry My father William Dickinson couldn't get into the army fast enough in the summer of 1914 as he thought the war would be over by Christmas an didn't want to miss out. He went to Egypt then back for the Somme on July 1st 1916 where he was awarded his first military medal. He was awarded a bar to his MM. in April 1918 and was sent home for officer training by May/June and transferred to the RAF. He was demobbed from the RAF after training to be a pilot. He died in 1968 in Darlington. |
207550 Pte. Alfred Dunn 18th Battalion Durham Light Infantry (d.19th July 1918) Alfred Dunn was born on 16th December 1899, became an apprentice brass finisher after leaving school and joined 18th Battalion DLI on 1st February 1918. After training, he left for France in June 1918 and was killed on 19th July 1918. In a letter to his mother, Rebecca Dunn of Stephen Street, West Hartlepool, an officer wrote: "A machine gun was harassing the advance, and his officer and he charged it together, when he fell in the bravest way a man could to assist and save his comrades. It was impossible to recover his body in the face of the strong enemy opposition." The officer also remarks that he was a capable Lewis gunner.
He is remembered with honour at the Ploegsteert Memorial. My father was his nephew and named after him; I also have his name and my son too. |
207569 Pte. Sydney Crawford Booth 18th Btn. Durham Light Infantry My father, Sydney Booth enlisted in 1914 and trained at Cochen Hall. He sailed for Egypt 1915 and the ship was fired on. Torpedoes were seen to pass missing their target.My father was at the Battle of the Somme, July 1st 1916. He never forgot his experiences and often told me of them. Men lying wounded who could not be helped because of enemy fire. In March 1917, near Arras, he was severely wounded with a shell splinter in his side. He told me he was saved by an American doctor who decided he would operate, as my father had been left as not treatable due to the number of causalities. I still have the shell splinter wrapped in bandage also a bullet which hit his rifle. |
Recomended Reading.Available at discounted prices.
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Dawn Raid: Bombardment of the Hartlepools J M Ward
An excellent account of the naval bombardment on the 16th of December 1914.
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Guns of the Northeast: Coastal Defences from the Tyne to the Humber Joe Foster
A detailed study of the coastal defences of North East England, including accounts of the bombardment of the East coast in 1914, with many excellent photgraphs and diagrams.
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Bombardment: The Day the East Coast Bled Mark Marsay
A well researched book with many personal accounts of the events of the 16th of December 1914
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Durham Pals: 18th, 19th, 20th and 22nd Battalions of the Durham Light Infantry in the Great War John Sheen
The Durham Pals were the volunteer Geordie battalions of the Durham Light Infantry raised in the north-east in the Great War. The 18th Durhams had the proud distinction of being the first unit of Kitchener's New Armies to come under enemy fire before even leaving Blighty when German ships shelled Hartlepool in December 1914. The 19th were raised as Bantams ( men blow the minimum height requirement) ; the 20th (Wearside) hailed from Sunderland; while the 22nd was the last raised - and fought through the hard battles of 1918. After their baptism of fire while training in Hartlepool, the 18th were seriously blooded on July 1st 1916 as the battle of the Somme opened, when they fought in support of the Leeds and Bradford Pals. After fighting in the successful Messines offensive in June 1917 the 20th were sent to the Italian front; while the 19th distinguished themselves in Flanders during the final Allied advance of 1918. This book pay tribute to them all.
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