Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Euston Road Cemetery Colincamps | I.B.47 | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.119 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 3C GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Early Life :
School Master (1915)Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 18/Durham Light Infantry |
18th (Service) Battalion (1st County) This and other battalions (below) often known by the name of the Durham Pals. Formed at Cocken Hall in County of Durham on 10 September 1914 by Col. R.Burdon and a committee. Moved in December to Fencehouses, thenback to Cocken Hall in February 1915 and to Fencehouses again in March. May 1915 : moved to Cramlington then Ripon, attached to 93rd Brigade in 31st Division. Went to Fovant in September. 6 December 1915 : sailed from Liverpool for Egypt, arriving Port Said on 21 December. Went on to France, arriving 11 March 1916. |
| 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.
Detail :
Sergeant Richard CORKER was one of the many freemasons who were killed on the first day of the Somme, July 1st 1916. The role of the 18/Durham Light Infantry in the tragic Serre sector where some of the Pals Battalions from Leeds, Sheffield, Barnsley and Accrington were destroyed in an hour, is rightly famous. The 18th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, the Duraham Pals. were part of that morning and
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Marquis of Granby No. 124 E.C. | Durham |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
2nd March 1915 | 6th April 1915 | 1st June 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