Private William Strangheir Noble

Reg No; 20/1531
20th Tyneside Scottish
Northumberland Fusiliers

Died June 5th 1917 Aged 24
Remembered with Honour at the Arras Memorial
St Andrews Church - Dalton le Dale
Murton Cenotaph

Born in 1893, lived with his parents Lowes and Harriet, Sisters, Mary, Sarah, Sophia, Ella, Brothers; John, Apark, Lowes and Mark at ‘Greenhills’ Murton Colliery.

William, at the age of 18yrs worked as a Grocery Apprentice to his father Lowes, at their Greenhill’s Store in Murton Colliery.

The Noble family were members of St Andrews Church Choir for many generations William enlisted at Sunderland in 1914.

The 20th Battalion Tyneside Scottish Royal Northumberland Fusiliers were raised in October 1914 as a pals battalion. They were nicknamed ‘Harder than Hammers’ They were proud to be headed by pipes and drums and entitled Scottish as they were proud of being Northumberland Fusiliers. There were two battalions raised by Newcastle Chamber of Commerce the Tyneside Scottish and the Tyneside Irish. Each battalion had its own tartan and band kilted pipers completely equipped by donations from friends of the regiment

Following initial training in Newcastle they moved to Alnwick in the grounds of the Castle, then proceeded to France in January 1916 and led the attack at La Boiselle.

At 7.28 am on July 1st 1916 two great mines were detonated beneath the German positions, one to the north of the village and one to the south. At 7.30am the whistles sounded and the attack began, 26 officers and 564 men from this battalion lost their lives. In 1917 they fought in the First and Second Battles of the Scarpe and the Battle of Arleux during the Arras Offensive.

Given the death date of William, it can be assumed he was killed at the Battle of Arleux. June 5th 1917.