Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Abbeville Communal Cemetery | ||
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.123 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 12D GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
Son of William and Rachel Graham. Of Clara Vale, Ryton-on-Tyne Co. Durham. Grocer & Traveller, Wallsend and Newcastle 1909-1914.Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 16/Northumberland Fusiliers |
16th (Service) Battalion (Newcastle) Formed at Newcastle in September 1914 by the Newcastle & Gateshead Chamber of Commerce. June 1915 : attached to 96th Brigade, 32nd Division. Landed at Boulogne 22 November 1915. February 1918 : disbanded in Belgium. |
| Action : The Battles of the Somme 1916 |
The Battle of the Somme 1st July - 18th November 1916 is inevitably characterised by the appalling casualties (60,000) on the first day, July 1st 1916. Having failed to break through the German lines in force, and also failed to maximise opportunities where success was achieved, the battle became a series of attritional assaults on well defended defence in depth. The battle continued officially until 18th November 1916 costing almost 500,000 British casualties. German casualties were about the same, and French about 200,000. The Somme could not be counted a success in terms of ground gained or the cost, but it had a strategic impact as it marked the start of the decline of the German Army. Never again would it be as effective whilst the British Army, learning from its experience eventually grew stronger to become a war winning army. The German High Command recognised that it could never again fight another Somme, a view that advanced the decision to invoke unrestricted submarine warfare in an attempt to starve Britain of food and material, and in doing so accelerated the United States declaration of war thus guaranteeing the eventual outcome. 287 Brethren were killed on the Somme in 1916.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Wallsend No. 2703 E.C. | Northumberland |
| Joined : | Blagdon No. 659 E.C. | Northumberland |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
16th December 1909 | 20th January 1910 | 30th December 1910 |
Initiated into Wallsend Lodge No. 2703 at Wallsend in 1909. He was raised in L2723. Joined Blagdon Lodge from Wallsend 21st October 1914.
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley