James COATES Private 19457, East Yorkshire Regiment & Private 197785, 255 th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers. Died 31 st May 1918. James Coates, known by his family as Jimmy, was born in Witton-le-Wear on the 6 th May 1884. His father, William, was a coal miner. Jimmy worked first as a stonemason, but by 1906 he was mining coal. Jimmy married Hannah Mills in 1906, and they lived in Howden-le-Wear after they were married, later moving to North Bitchburn, and then back to Valley Terrace in Howden-le-Wear. Jimmy volunteered to enlist in the army in the East Yorkshire Regiment on the 27 th August 1915, but later transferred to the 255 th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers, where his previous experience as a miner would have proved valuable. At the end of May 1918 the 255 th Tunnelling Company were in Flanders, east of Abeele, now working above ground repairing trenches and wiring, but a shortage of material and supplies was causing delays. During the night of 30 th /31 st May, their camp was shelled and there were a number of casualties, one of whom was Jimmy Coates. He was buried in the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery near Poperinge.

Remembering Our Fallen

Howden-le-Wear History Society

Private Jimmy Coates. Image courtesy of Billy Coates