Dipton
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A Story for the Dipton Folks, 15 July 2009
Here's a story for the Dipton folks we got in Leadgate conversation today. About a Private H O Taylor, commemorated aas killed in action in 1915, but who's grave is actually in the little churchyard tucked away near the top of the Pike, gravestone stating he died in 1934!
Now Private Taylor was a communist (though later Union Activist) when he was called up to serve with the Tyneside Rifles during WW1. Needless to say, he was not enamoured of the prospect of fighting in the trenches. But off he went anyway. After due training, he arrived at the front and on his way to report, he pased many injured fellow Geordies making their way back to the field hospital. They told him it was pure hell, he took it to heart and, wrapped a bloody bandage around his head, he joined the file of injured soldiers after the last man.
Of course he was rumbled but in the time it took for him to be returned to the line, his Regiment had been rendered non effective as a conbat unit. It was withdrawn from the line and in the subsequent fog of war, he made himself scarce, as did many more.
In his case, he found his way back to Dipton and was sheltered by his wife, living rough in the woods down in the valley. He did not remain in hiding throughout the war but actually re-enlisted in the RN thinking it less appaling and subsequently served aboard HMS Thunderer. This perhaps explains why no white feather and re-acceptance into the community afer the war.
Sometime later, while sitting supping a pint, he was told to get himself down to the church where he would find something interersting and concerning him and this he duly did. Through the vagaries of officialdom, he was listed as one of those killed in action and he is commemorated to this day on the brass plaque at the front of St Johns.
His grandson recalls, for this is who the conversation was with, that his grandfather became a union activist and was so active that in due course he was barred from any soert of meaningful employment and ended up sweeping roads. He died in 1934 and asked to be burried up on the Pike.
As a footnote, not all of these facts are going to be right. But I've agreed to print off a copy of this and pin it on my shed door for correction and publishing later.
Created on 16/08/2007 04:14 PM by dshields
Updated on 15/07/2009 03:40 PM by dshields
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