Hutchinson, Guardsman William, 4451777, 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards.

Died 4/3/43, aged 33. Son of William and Ann Hutchinson, of Thornley, Co Durham, husband of M Hutchinson, of Thornley. Beja War Memorial, Tunisia, 1 O 5.

Originally enlisted Durham Light Infantry. Newspaper item, Newcastle Evening Chronicle, 31/3/43, as reproduced at right, reported killed.

Guardsman Hutchinson’s death was also reported in the Hartlepool Mail of 26/3/42, p 2:

'Killed in North Africa. Mr W Hutchinson, caretaker of the Aged Miners' Single Men's home, Thornley, has been notified that his son, Guardsman William Hutchinson, of the Coldstream Guards, has been killed in North Africa. Guardsman Hurchinson was 32 and was working in London when he was called to the forces as a Territorial. He formerly worked at Wheatley Hill Colliery.'

Guardsman Hutchinson’s grandson, Paul Watson, has kindly supplied the following further details:

William Hutchinson was a putter at Wheatley Hill pit prior to his war service. He married Margaret Ann Brown of Thornley and had four children, Sylvia, Joan, Elsie and Derek.

His home address in the 1930s was 14 York Street, Wheatley Hill. He enlisted into the 5th Battalion DLI, Territorial Army, on the 2/4/1936 at Horden and was discharged 21/6/1938.

He was working in London when he enlisted in the Coldstream Guards on 20/6/1940.

The photograph at right was also supplied by Paul and seems to have been taken on a Carnival Day, sometime in the 1930s. The baby held by William is Paul's mother, Sylvia.