PEDDELTY Maurice

Maurice PEDDELTY 1937 – 1945

14826818 Private M.M. Peddelty, 10th Battalion, the Durham Light Infantry drowned as a result of a training accident 17 January 1945 at Guyzance, Northumberland, aged 18.[1]  He is buried in Evenwood Cemetery and commemorated on Evenwood War Memorial, the Book of Remembrance in the Church of St. Michael and All Angels, Felton, and the 2 Guyzance Memorials, Northumberland.[2]

Family Details

 Maurice Masterman Peddelty was born 1937, the son of George Peddelty and Jane Ann (nee Masterman).  There were 9 children in the family – John George, Annie, Joseph, Herbert, Hannah, Ronald, Emma who died in infancy, Maurice and Jean. The family lived at Copeland Row and George worked as a coal miner [hewer].  Joseph and Herbert were general labourers.[3]

Service Details

The service details of Private Maurice M. Peddelty have not been researched.

 Left to right: 

Alan Richmond; Maurice Peddelty; Russell Brown; “Ammy” Carrick

 14826818 Private M.M. Peddelty was stationed at Felton, Northumberland.  On 17 January 1945, 10 soldiers, 6 serving with the Durham Light Infantry and 4 with the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment when taking part in a military exercise were drowned on the River Coquet, near Guyzance, Northumberland.  The river was in flood and the boat they were in was swept a mile down river and over a weir.  Sergeant Leslie Murray of Hull led the rescue but the efforts of his team were in vain and the soldiers drowned.  The other servicemen who were killed were:

Durham Light Infantry

  • 14817616 Pte. Percy Gibson Clements, 18 of West Hartlepool
  • 14828249 Pte. Edwin King, 18 of Todmorden
  • 14828252 Pte. Kenneth Lee, 18 of Bradford
  • 14826807 Pte Alexander Leighton, 18 of Annfield Plain
  • 14825982 Pte John William Wilson, 18 of Newcastle
  • 14768404 Pte Ronald Herbert Winteringham, 18 of York
  • 14826930 Pte. Alfred Yates, 18 of Dean Bank, Ferryhill

Duke of Wellington’s Regiment

  • 14444809 Lance Corporal Mark Friedleb, 18 of Sheffield
  • 14828171 Pte. Norman Ashton, 18 of Castleford

Burial: Evenwood Cemetery

 Private M.M. Peddelty is buried at row 11 grave 10, Evenwood Cemetery.

The inscription reads:

Ever remembered

By father and mother

Brothers and sisters

At rest

Guyzance Memorials

 15 January 1995:  the Rev. A.A. Clements held a service at the church of St. Michael and All Angels in memory of those men who died and their names were entered into the Book of Remembrance.  It may be at this time, the timber memorial was erected and dedicated.

 

 The original wooden memorial with the River Coquet and the weir behind

 7 June 2004:  Colonel Kit Bartram, President of the Darlington and Aycliffe Branch of the DLI Association unveiled a memorial on the banks of the river Coquet.  Branch secretary, Bernard Seyburn with the assistance of ASDA, Stockton organised the construction and transportation of the memorial stone.  Bugler Lance Corporal Angie Sowerby sounded the “Last Post” at the ceremony.

The Memorial Stone, Guyzance

REFERENCES

[1] Commonwealth War Graves Commission

[2] The Durham Bugle Autumn 2004 & Autumn 2006

[3] 1939 England and Wales Register