THREE SOUTH BANK BROTHERS KILLED IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR
ARRAS, FRANCE
WILLIAM, HENRY & JAMES MATES
My Great Grandfather & Two Great Great Uncles
By Craig Hornby
Thanks to the late Margaret Shotton (my mother's cousin) for research.
WILLIAM MATES
My Great Grandfather aka my mothers’ mother’s father. Born South Bank, Middlesbrough, 1880.
Acting Corporal in the 1st Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment. He was Killed at the 1st Battle of the Scarpe, Arras, France on the 9th April 1917. He was 37.
HMS FORMIDABLE (more)
HENRY MATES
My Great Great Uncle, brother of William.
Born Stockton 1883.
Lived at 20 Beecham Street, South Bank.
A stoker in the Royal Navy Reserve, he was one of 546
killed when HMS Formidable (above) was sunk in The Channel by U-Boat SM U-24 (below) whilst ferrying troops to France on 1st January 1915. He was 31.
GERMAN U-BOAT SM-24 (more)
JAMES MATES
My Great Great Uncle, brother of William.
Born 12 Princess Street, South Bank 1891.
Lived and worked in a poulterer’s shop in South Bank.
Private in the 18th Battalion
23rd Light Trench Mortar Battery Unit,
Durham Light Infantry.
Died from wounds in France
on 7th October 1918.
Age 27.
Descendants of William Mates
Left to Right:
Kath McLay – Granddaughter
Margaret Shotton – Granddaughter
Pauline Hornby – Granddaughter & Craig’s mam
Craig Hornby – Great grandson
Marjorie Bruen – Granddaughter
John Giles – Grandson
(plus Joe Mclay husband of Kath Mclay).
at
The Cenotaph, South Bank
November 2014.
