Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Pozieres Memorial | Panel 68-72 | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.132 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 11B GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
Son of William and Elizabeth Purves.Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 1/6 Durham Light Infantry |
1/6th Battalion August 1914 : at Bishop Auckland. Part of DLI Brigade, Northumbrian Division. Moved to Bolden Colliery in early August, then Ravensworth Park. Was at Newcastle by October. 17 April 1915 : landed at Boulogne. 14 May 1915 : became 151st Brigade in 50th (Northumbrian) Division. 3 June 1915 : after taking heavy casualties, 1/6th and 1/8th Bns merged to form 6/8th Bn. Resumed original identity 11 August 1915. 15 July 1918 : reduced to cadre strength and transferred to Lines of Communication. 16 August 1918 : transferred to 117th Brigade in 39th Division. 6 November 1918 : disbanded in France. |
| Action : The First Battles of the Somme 1918 and associated actions |
21 March - 4 July 1918. The Battles of the Somme in 1918 were mostly concerned with stemming the German advance which started in March 1918 and which made considerable gains in the Somme/Arras sector. Utilising surplus troops which had become available following the surrender of Russia after the October Revolution, the Germans gambled on a massive campaign that could win the war in the west before the USA could bring its resources to bear. Initial gains were in places spectacular but eventually dogged resistance coupled with supply problems and sheer exhaustion closed down the battle. Other attacks were launched along the front to probe the Allied defences but the same pattern of initial gains followed by stalemate prevailed. British casualties were almost 345,000.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | St Helen's No. 531 E.C. | Durham |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
1st April 1915 | 3rd June 1915 | 5th August 1915 |
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