The 5th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry
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The 5th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry was a territorial battalion. In August 1914 when war broke out, they were at Stockton-on-Tees with the York & Durham Brigade, Northumbrian Division. They moved to the Hartlepools on the 10th of August, then to Ravensworth Park and were in Newcastle by October. They proceeded to France, Landing at Boulogne on the 18th of April 1915 and joined 150th Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division. They saw action in the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915, on the Somme in 1916 and at Arras and Passchendaele in 1917. On the 12th of February 1918 they transferred to 151st Brigade in same Division and were in action on The Somme and in the Battles of the Lys. In July the battalion was reduced to cadre strength and transferred to Lines of Communication, and on the 16th of August 1918 the 5th DLI transferred to 117th Brigade in 39th Division. They were disbanded in France on the 9th of November 1918.
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Dec 2011 Please note we currently have a large 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 The 5th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry during The Great War
Select a story link or scroll down to browse those stories hosted on this site.
- Pte. William Archbold 5th Btn. (d.26 Apr 1915)
- Private Robert Atton 1/5th Battalion (d.18th Sept 1916) Read his Story.
- Pte. A. W. Attridge
- Pte. William Bartle Baines 5th Btn. Read his Story.
- Pte. Henry Stanley Stainton Bragg 1/5th Btn. (d.17th June 1918) Read his Story.
- 2nd Lt. J. C. D. Brown 5th Btn.
- Pte. M. L. Brown 5th Btn.
- Pte. Edward Cross 5th Battalion (d.12th Oct 1915) Read his Story.
- Pte. Daniel Daley 5th Btn. (d.5th Aug 1915)
- Pte. Robert Henry Dixon 5th Btn.
- L/Cpl. William J. Dobson 5th Btn. (d.15th Sep 1916)
- Pte. John Fairburn (d.15th Sep 1916)
- Pte. A. W. Guterman 5th Btn.
- L/Cpl. William Joseph Hayes 5th Btn. (d.15th Dec 1917)
- Capt. Jacob Andrew Norman Hessler 5th Battalion. (d.27th May 1918) Read his Story.
- 2nd Lt. C. L. G. Hill 5th Btn.
- Pte. George Edward Jackson 5th Battalion Read his Story.
- Willie Lonsdale 1/5th Battalion (d.29th Mar 1918)
- 2nd Lt. John Norman Luke 5th Btn.
- Capt. W. Marley 5th Btn.
- Pte. George Nutbrown 5th Btn. (d.16th Sep 1916)
- Pte. James Parker 1/5th Btn.
- Pte. Ernest S. Peirson 5th Btn. (d.15 Apr 1918)
- Pte. Bernard Penman 1st/5th Btn. (d.22nd May 1915) Read his Story.
- Pte. Thomas Penman 1/5th Btn. (d.24th May 1915) Read his Story.
- Private Joseph Edwin Preston 5th Btn. (d.21st Nov 1918)
- Pte. Bertram Ramsden 5th Btn.
- Pte. S Robson 1/5th Btn. (d.2nd Nov 1917)
- RSM. Arthur William Thew DCM, MSM. 5th Battalion Read his Story.
- C. S. Vane-Tempest 5th Btn.
- Pte. James Wallis 5th Btn. (d.17th Aug 1915)
- Pte. R. S. Walton 5th Btn.
- J. W. Watling 5th Btn. (d.3rd Mar 1919)
- Sjt. George Ernest White 5th Btn. (d.25 May 1915)
- Pte. Charles W. Whitfield 5th Btn. (d.24th May 1915)
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Pte. William Bartle Baines 5th Btn. Durham Light Infantry My Grandfather, William Bartle Baines served with the 5th Battalion of the DLI. I dont know much about the rest of the men in the picture I am trying to find out more about the 5th battalion.
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Private Robert Atton 1/5th Battalion Durham Light Infantry (d.18th Sept 1916) Robert Atton was my Great Uncle,he died at the Battle of the Somme and his name is on the Thiepval Memorial. He was the son of Dick and Emma Atton who moved to Burton-on-Trent from Hallaton in Leicestershire around 1870.He was one of 7 children and born in 1883.As far as I know he never married. I am still working on his family tree and hopefully may update his life story at a later date |
RSM. Arthur William Thew DCM, MSM. 5th Battalion Durham Light Infantry R.S.M. Thew was my grandfather. He was born in Elvet, Durham in 1877 and was educated at the Bluecoats School. After a few years as a clerk at the pits, probably elvet pit, he enlisted with the DLI in 1896.
He served with the 1st battalion in South Africa during the Boer War.
He was transferred to India in 1902 where he stayed until 1907.
He returned to the UK in 1907 and married Durham girl Mary Elizabeth Wandless. He then joined the regiment in Cork, Ireland. He also spent some time in Colchester and Newcastle. In 1915 he went with the 1/5 battalion to France. He was returned to Stockton in 1917 [age 40] to help with recruitment and training. He died in 1943, 3 months before I was born.
His SA medals which included bars for Tugela Heights /Laings Nek and the WW1 medals were donated to the DLI museum. These medals were lost to the family for many years until in the late eighties on a chance visit to the old family home in Durham Road, Stockton, my mother and I met the current occupant, a WW2 DLI veteran, who had the medals, he promised the to us and several days later they arrived in the post. |
Pte. George Edward Jackson 5th Battalion Durham Light Infantry George Jackson, enlisted 25th September 1914, and arrived in France on the 1st May 1915. he was wounded on the 11th of March 1916 and discharged as no longer fit for service on 10th October 1916. |
Pte. Edward Cross 5th Battalion Durham Light Infantry (d.12th Oct 1915) Edward Cross was my great uncle. He was born in Kings Sutton, Northampton in about 1892. His parents moved to Beaconsfield Street, Norton, Stockton-on-Tees (the house is still there) about 1899. His younger brother was also killed in the Great War, his name being George Oliver Cross of the 10th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Both names are inscribed on the War Memorial at Norton Church. Both buried in Northern France. |
Capt. Jacob Andrew Norman Hessler 5th Battalion. Durham Light Infantry (d.27th May 1918) Jacob Andrew Norman Hessler was one of two brothers, both were Captains in the 5th Battalion D.L.I. His brother was called Jacob Kruse Muller Hessler (Jackie) he was K.I.A. on 23/3/18. I am having trouble finding any records other than medal rolls. Their father was the Vice Consul to Norway at West Hartlepool. |
Pte. Thomas Penman 1/5th Btn. Durham Light Infantry (d.24th May 1915) Thomas Penman joined up along with with older brother Bernard. They went to France with the Durhams on the 18th April 1915. Around the 19th of May they reached dugouts on the boundaries of Sanctuary Wood, Hooge. Bernard was killed on the 22nd May 1915 and Thomas on the 24th May 1915. |
Pte. Henry Stanley Stainton Bragg 1/5th Btn. Durham Light Infantry (d.17th June 1918) Henry is my great uncle & 19yrs old when he was killed. He is buried in Perreuse Chateau Franco British National Cemetery, France.
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Pte. Bernard Penman 1st/5th Btn. Durham Light Infantry (d.22nd May 1915) Benny Penman joined up along with with younger brother Thomas. They went to France with the Durhams on the 18th April 1915. Around the 19th of May they reached dugouts on the boundaries of Sanctuary Wood, Hooge. Bernard was killed on the 22nd May 1915. Thomas was killed on the 24th May 1915. |
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