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26th (3rd Tyneside Irish) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers
26th (3rd Tyneside Irish) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers was a Pals Battalion, raised at Newcastle in November 1914, by the Lord Mayor and City. After initial training near home
they joined 103rd Brigade, 34th Division at Ripon in June 1915 and after further training they moved to Salisbury Plain in late August for final training. They proceeded to France in January 1916, where the Division concentrated at La Crosse, east of St Omer. They were in action during the Battles of the Somme, including the capture of Scots and Sausage Redoubts, The Battles of Bazentin Ridge and Pozieres Ridge. 103rd Brigade and the Divisional Pioneers also saw action in The Battle of Flers-Courcelette. In 1917 they fought in the The First and Second Battles of the Scarpe and the The Battle of Arleux during the Arras Offensive. In August they were involved in the fighting at Hargicourt and in October they took part in The Third Battles of Ypres at the Broenbeek. In early 1918 the army was reorganised and the 3rd Tyneside Irish were disbanded on the 3rd of February 1918 in France, teh troops transferring to other units.
16th Oct 1915 The Derby Scheme
1st Dec 1915 Derby Scheme Armlets
11th Sep 1915 Last day of Derby Scheme Recruitment
8th Jan 1916 On the Move
9th Jan 1916 On the Move
10th Jan 1916 Group System Reopens
10th Jan 1916 On the Move
12th Jan 1916 Locations
15th Jan 1916 On the Move By the 15th of January 1916 all units of 34th Division had arrive in France and concentrated at La Crosse, east of St Omer.
16th Jan 1916 Organisation
20th Jan 1916 Inspection
21st Jan 1916 Orders
21st Jan 1916 Instruction 
22nd Jan 1916 Orders Issued
23rd Jan 1916 On the Move
23rd Jan 1916 In Reserve
24th Jan 1916 Inspection
26th Jan 1916 On Alert
27th Jan 1916 Emergeny Scheme
28th Jan 1916 Emergeny Scheme
9th February 1916 Call Ups
19th Feb 1916 Move
29th Mar 1916 Stores
28th June Letters Home The raider did not get much rest for on the 27th and 28th the Battalions of 34th Division began to move forward. This in preparation for the opening of the attack.
For the previous four days the British Artillery had been bombarding the German trenches.
Every man in the Brigade was aware that the opening of the offensive was very close.
Before setting off for the front line men wrote what could be their last letters home.
However the date and time of attack was to be delayed by forty eight hours.
Heavy summer rain had fallen on the 26th and 27th there was a great possibility of flooding. On the 28th June the decision was taken to postpone the attack.
The Divisional and Brigade staff Officers had the job of halting and turning around those battalions on their way to the front line.
1st Jul 1916 34th Division in Action
1st Sep 1916 Reliefs
4th Sep 1916 Trench Mortars
17th Sep 1916 Orders
3rd of January 1918 Several Casualties
7th of January 1918 Trench Mortars Active
11th of January 1918 Three Prisoners Taken
15th of January 1918 Trenches Very Bad
19th of January 1918 Warning of Divisional Relief
21st of January 1918 A Surrender
23rd of January 1918 Prisoner Captured
29th of January 1918 Divisional HQ Moves
31st of January 1918 Training
3rd of February 1918 Reinforcements Arrive
7th of February 1918 Rainy Day
28th of February 1918 On the Move
11th of March 1918 A Warning Order
23rd of March 1918 A March and an Extract
4th Apr 1918 Reinforcements
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
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Those known to have served with26th (3rd Tyneside Irish) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers during the Great War 1914-1918. - Booth John. Pte. (d.2nd March 1916)
- Bothamley Ernest. Pte. (d.11th August 1917)
- Bothamley Ernest. Pte. (d.11th August 1917)
- Carr John. Pte. (d.10th April 1917)
- Collins George Henry. Cpl. (d.10th Nov 1916)
- Cunningham Peter. L/Cpl. (d.1st Jul 1916)
- Diamond John.
- Donnelly Nicholas. Pte. (d.9th Apr 1917)
- Doyle Henry . Sgt.
- Gibson Arthur Edward. Pte. (d.24th Nov 1917)
- Gilbert MM William. Sgt.
- Howden Robert. Pte.
- Kirkman William Stanley. Pte (d.29th April 1917)
- Lanahan John. Pte. (d.1st Jul 1916)
- Largue Isaac James. Pte. (d.1st July 1916)
- McDonald Matthew. Pte. (d.1st July 1916)
- Page Ernest. Pte.
- Patrick William Henry. L/Cpl. (d.1st Jul 1916)
- Sayers John Alban. Pte. (d.9th June 1917)
- Shearer Thomas Doig. Pte. (d.1st Jul 1916)
- Sweeney Frank. Pte. (d.1st Oct 1916)
- Tanney Daniel. Pte. (d.1st Jul 1916)
- Tate George Wilson. Pte. (d.1st July 1916)
- Wild MM. Gawin. CQSM.
- Wild DSO. William. CQMS.
All 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 Add a Name to this List
Records of 26th (3rd Tyneside Irish) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers from other sources.
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Pte. John Alban Sayers 26th (3rd Tyneside Irish) Btn. Northumberland Fusiliers (d.9th June 1917) John Sayers served with the 26th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers in WW1. He died 9th of June 1917 aged 19 years and is buried Bailleul Road East Cemetery at St Laurent-Blangy in France. Son of James and Esther Sayers of 17 Princess St., Droylsden, Manchester.
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Pte. Robert Howden 26th (Tyneside Irish) Btn. Northumberland Fusiliers My grandfather, Robert Howden tried to join up when he was too young and my Great grandmother pulled him out.
He eventually joined and served fighting in the Somme and over in the Flanders field.
He was deafened and gassed during the conflict. He told my Aunt that he would not wish upon anybody the sights that he had seen.
His health was never the same when he came home and he did not apply for a war pension because he thought it was his duty to fight for his country.
I wish he had written everything down for us to pass it on. Alas a lot of my family served in WW2 and they too do not talk.
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L/Cpl. William Henry Patrick 26th (3rd Tyneside Irish) Btn. Northumberland Fusiliers (d.1st Jul 1916) Lance Corporal William Patrick died on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. The 26th Tyneside Irish's Battalion were to attack La Boiselle where William was sadly killed. He is commemorated at the Thiepval Memorial.
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Pte. Ernest Page C Coy. 1/1st Btn. Hertfordshire Regiment Ernest Page was a Territorial Force member. He had joined in 1912 in Ware and volunteered for Imperial Service at the very start of the war. He arrived in France in early November 1914 and took part in the Mons Canal, Cuinchy and Loos combats.
When his time as TF came to a close in 1916 the New Conscription Law had been past and he was given the choice of being demobbed, going home and being recalled or staying on and choosing in which unit he would serve. Having taken part in the battles that cost huge numbers of losses, spent 2 winters in wet, cold trenches he decided to join the Artillery.
However, the casualty numbers were so large that experienced men were needed with the newer recruits. And 6 months later he was transferred to an infantry unit with the Northumberland Fusiliers, at first in the 26th Battalion, then in the 23rd Battalion of 34th Division (4th Tyneside Scottish)
He took part in most major battles until 11th of April 1918 when his group was taken prisoner near Armentieres. During the night of the 10th the Germans had managed to cross the River Lys and cause a wedge between 22nd and 23rd Brigades. Ernest's unit was over-run it only had one remaining officer who advised they surrendered to the enemy, in this case a German Cavalry Unit,
You have fought well, lads, and we can now only surrender.
He spent the remainder of the conflict in the Gardelegen Camp. Saxony.
He was awarded the
1914 star, British War Medal and Victory Medal
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Pte. Ernest Bothamley 26th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers (d.11th August 1917) I never met my Grandad Ernest Bothamley, I am researching my family history and I was able to get some information from my cousin. Grandad died in hospital from wounds received in the war and is buried in Sheffield. He was only 35. He earned the British War Medal and the Victory Medal
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Pte. George Wilson Tate 26th (Tyneside Irish) Btn. Northumberland Fusiliers (d.1st July 1916) George Tate served with the 26th (Tyneside Irish) Btn. Northumberland Fusiliers and lost his life on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
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Pte. Ernest Bothamley 26th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers (d.11th August 1917) Ernest Bothamley served with 26th (Tyneside Irish) Btn. Northumberland Fusiliers
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Sgt. Henry Doyle 24th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers Henry Doyle was commisioned into the 26th Battalion
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Sgt. William Gilbert MM 26th Btn. (3rd Tyneside Irish) Northumberland Fusilliers My Gradfather William Gilbert married into an Irish immigrant family in Newcastle and as a consequence when he joined up he chose the Tyneside Irish pals battalion of the Northumberland Fusilliers. He was awarded the Military Medal for action during the Battle of the Somme but I do not know the details of the action for which the MM was awarded.
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John Diamond 26th (Tyneside Irish) Btn. Northumberland Fusiliers My 2x great grandfather John Diamond was born in Tennant Street, Hebburn on 4th March 1883 to an Irish father Andrew Diamond and local girl Sarah Diamond. At the age of 31, he joined the Tyneside Irish Battalion on 26th November 1914. He served as a Lance Corporal in the 26th Northumberland Fusiliers, 3rd Tyneside Irish. He survived the Battle of the Somme and didn't pass away until 4th May 1964 in his hometown of Hebburn, just streets away from where he was born, and is now buried in sadly an unmarked grave in Hebburn Cemetery.
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CQSM. Gawin Wild MM. 26th Btn. Northumberland Fusillers  Gawin Wild was born on the 17th of November 1891 .He enlisted with the Northumberland Fusiliers on the 11th December, 1914 as C.Q.S.M, Regimental No. 26/1310, who were part of the 3rd Tyneside Irish. He was award of the Military Medal for bravery in the field during the Battle of the Somme and for his exploits early on the morning of 1st of July 1916 when he rescued a superior officer. He was wounded in action in July 1916 and taken back to England to Stourbridge Military Hospital for treatment.
Whilst convalescing, C.Q.S.M Gawin Wild wrote a letter to Mary Elizabeth Hunter, the wife of his dear friend Jackie Hunter from his hospital bed telling her of her husband Jackie's death:
"We got to the second line and the Germans gave us lots of machine gun fire and when I was within about 20 yards of a German machine gun. A bullet went through my hip and another through my arm. Jackie dragged me about ten yards to a shell-hole and just as he pushed me into the safety of the hole, he was shot through the head. A shell, bursting overhead lodged a piece of shrapnel in me, but I managed to crawl into a shell- hole. I was there for about sixteen hours and all while a lovely sun was burning down. Poor Jackie and I lay all that long burning day together in that shell-hole. You can imagine my feelings, lying there with one of my best chums was lying there dead an I was unable to do anything".
On his return to duty he was transferred to the Labour Corps as an A/C/Sgt., Regt. No. 476930.
The men of the Labour Corps overseas undertook any labouring task required of them. They built and repaired roads and railways, built defences, laid electricity and telephones cables, moved ammunition and stores and buried the dead. Some Companies were used in Forestry or Quarrying Work or to guard Prisoners of War. Other Companies looked after services in the towns and camps where the front line soldiers went for rest when not at the Front. These Companies were employed in the Divisional Baths, Laundry, de-lousing facility and at the Salvage Dump. They also provided men for guard duties, traffic control and catering duties as well as the Divisional Cinema and Theatre. In France & Belgium the men of the Labour Corps worked unarmed within the range of German guns. A Company would often work for weeks or even months at a time in the most dangerous conditions with only one days rest in every seven.
After the war he married Mathilde Georgette Rambout in 1919. On the 18 February 1925 he was appointed by the as Pro-Council at Dunkirk. After 1WW he was appointed to the Foreign Office as Pro-Council at Dunkirk on the February 18th, 1925 and Acting Vice-Council there in 1925, 1927, 1935 and 1936. He held the rank of Vice-Consul at Bordeaux in June 1940. He was appointed to the post of Vice-Consul at Algiers on the December 5th, 1942 and awarded the M.B.E. in the Kings birthday Honours List of the June 2nd, 1943 and was also presented with his honour by General Charles de Gaulle. After a period of working in the Foreign Office in New York and Nantes he retired on New Years Eve 1953.
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Pte. John Carr 26th Battalion Tyneside Irish Northumberland Fusiliers (d.10th April 1917) John Carr was my great grandfathers brother, He died fighting on the 2nd day of Vimy Ridge and was taken to the 42nd Aubigny clearing station. He is buried in Aubigny Communal Cemetery in Aubigny-en-Artois. He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. I have visited his grave in the Cemetery and was very moved, I do have a photograph taken in the Rue Du Moulin, Aubigny-en-Artois but unfortunately do not know for sure which is John Carr as the photo has been passed down. Such brave men.
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CQMS. William "Big Billy" Wild DSO. 26th Btn. Northumberland Fusillers It was on the 10th Dec 1914 William Wild enlisted as a CQMS. Regt. No. 725 with the 26th Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers.
The 1st-4th Tyneside Irish Battalions were Pals Battalions raised in Newcastle by the Lord Mayor and City on 14 November (1st), 9 November (2nd), 23 November 1914 (3rd) and 5 January 1915 (4th). In March 1915 they moved to Woolsington they formed 103rd (Tyneside Irish) Brigade, 34th Division in June 1915. They were taken over by the War Office on the 27 August 1915, moved to Salisbury Plain at the end of the month for further training before crossing over to France in January 1916.
During the attack on La Boiselle the battalion was under heavy machine gun fire all of the officers of his company were casualties, he took over command of what was left of the three platoons and led them on to complete their objective. He found the Battalion’s Adjutant, who was wounded, took over his papers and keeping in touch with the Battalion, returned to the wounded Adjutant and carried him to safety whilst under fire. On hearing that his brother Gawen had also been wounded, he searched for, found, and carried him under fire to safety. These brave acts resulted in the award of the Distinguished Conduct Medal.
He was also wounded in action and on return to duty he was transferred to the 27th, 26th, Battalion’s and was commissioned in to the Argyle & Southern Highlanders where he served until his discharge in April 1919.
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Pte. Daniel Tanney 26th (Tyneside Irish) Btn. Northumberland Fusiliers (d.1st Jul 1916) Daniel Tanney was a single man in his early 40's who had been born in Pomeroy, Ireland and before joining up had been a coal miner. He was killed on the 1st day of the Battle of the Somme. He left his undrawn Army income of £3 ten shillings and ninepence to be distributed amongst his nieces and nephews including Arthur Tanney who fighting with the Australian army and was killed in France on the 22 August 1918.
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Pte. Matthew McDonald 26th Battalion (Tyneside Irish) Northumberland Fusiliers (d.1st July 1916) Matthew McDonald served with the 26th Battalion (Tyneside Irish) Northumberland Fusiliers. hH was aged 34 when he died on 1st July 1916.
Born in Jarrow, he was the son of Thomas and Margaret McDonald. On the 1911 census, Matthew McDonald age 29 General Labourer in Tyneside Rivet Works is listed as living with his parents Thomas and Margaret McDonald and family at 117 Windsor Avenue, Gateshead. He enlisted in Newcastle.
Matthew is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.
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Pte. John Lanahan 26th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion) Northumberland Fusiliers (d.1st Jul 1916) John Lanahan was born in Jarrow, enlisted Newcastle and is remembered on the
Thiepval Memorial.
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Pte. Frank Sweeney 26th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers (d.1st Oct 1916) Frank Sweeney died aged 32. Born in Jarrow in 1884, he was the son of Edward and Annie Sweeney (nee Kelly). In the 1911 Census Francis Sweeney, age 26, a Boiler Maker's Labourer in the shipyards, is recorded as boarding with the Bell family at 3, Queens Road, Jarrow-on-Tyne. He enlisted in Newcastle
Frank is remembered on the Ploegsteert Memorial and is commemorated on the Triptych in St. Paul's Church Jarrow.
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Pte. Thomas Doig Shearer 26th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers (d.1st Jul 1916) Thomas died aged 36, he had been wounded in the head on 17th of April in France and was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. He was born in Dundee, lived Jarrow and enlisted in Wallsend. He was the husband of Catherine Shearer (nee Hughes) of 65 Tyne Street Jarrow. In the 1911 Census, Thomas Doig Shearer, age 31, is listed as a Shipyard Rivet Heater, living with his wife Catherine Shearer & their 3 children lived at 14, Shakespeare Street Back, Jarrow.
Thomas is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial and is commemorated on the Triptych in St. Paul's Church Jarrow.
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Pte. Nicholas Donnelly 26th (Tyneside Irish) Btn Northumberland Fusiliers (d.9th Apr 1917) Nicholas Donnelly who died aged 19 was born in Jarrow in 1897, the son of James and Susannah Donnelly of 14 Milton Street Jarrow. He enlisted at Jarrow.
Nicholas is buried at Roclincourt Valley Cemetery and is commemorated on the Triptych in St. Paul's Church, Jarrow.
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L/Cpl. Peter Cunningham 26th Btn (Tyneside Irish) Northumberland Fusiliers (d.1st Jul 1916) Peter Cunningham died aged 19 whilst serving with the 26th Btn (Tyneside Irish) Northumberland Fusiliers. He was born in Jarrow, son of John and Margaret Cunningham (nee McGregor). On the 1911 census he is recorded as Peter Cunningham age 14, along with his younger brother Henry Cunningham age 12 at Chadwick Memorial Industrial School at Stanwix near Carlisle. He enlisted in Newcastle.
Peter is buried Serre Road Cemetery No. 2. and is commemorated on the Triptych in St. Paul's Church Jarrow.
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