My Great Uncle William Willis Parkinson was one of the many thousands of young men recruited from the collieries to fight in World War I. As part of the 1st 8th Battallion Durham Light Infantry they landed in France on 20th April 1915 Within a few days they were thrown into action against a heavy German onslaught around St Julien, Ypres. William was killed in action on 26th April 1915.

Jonathan Barnett