300231 Cpl. William Alexander Craig British Army 18th Btn. C coy. Durham Light Infantry from:56 Front Street, Tudhoe Colliery (d.27th Jul 1916) Alec Craig served with "C" Coy. 18th Bn. He was 28 years old when he died on the 27th of July 1916 and is buried in St Vaast Post Military Cemetery, beside Pte Percy Cook also of the 18th Btn. who died the same day. Alec was the son of John and Margaret Craig, of 56 Front Street, Tudhoe Colliery, Spennymoor, Co. Durham. His father paid for his headstone to be
engraved with the inscription 'Until the day dawn and the shadows flee away' Additional Information: | Cpl 18/456 William Alexander Craig, 'C' Coy 18/DLI, of Tudhoe, died of wounds on 27th July 1916. On 26th April 1916 he had received a shrapnel wound to his right thigh and was admitted to the 94th Field Ambulance, returning to duty on 2nd May. On 27th July, after a bombardment, the Germans attacked and entered the trenches held by the DLI, they were beaten back with the loss of a number of men killed and wounded, Craig was wounded and died from his wounds.
His platoon sergeant wrote to his father; 'All the lads in our platoon join with me in sympathy for we have lost a staunch pal'.
Craig, born 12th April 1888 at Tudhoe was the son of John & Margaret Craig of 56 Front Street, Tudhoe Colliery. He was employed as a grocers assistant prior to the war and enlisted at Cocken Hall, Fencehouses on 17th September 1914 as Pte 18/456 DLI. On 18th November 1915 he had to produce a copy of his mothers death certificate to the army; his mother had died on 17th November at her home, 56 Front Street; cause of death was chronic Brights disease and anaemia. He was reimbursed the sum of 2/7d for the certificate.
Promoted Cpl on 6th December 1915 and embarked for the Mediterranean, landing in Egypt on 22nd December. On 5th March 1916 the regiment embarked from Egypt and landed in France on 11th March 1916 for service on the Somme.John Grainger
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