Elijah LAUDER Private 3211, Durham Light Infantry. Died 14 th July 1916. Elijah Lauder was born in 1892, the fifth of 16 children, of whom 12 survived, born to Joseph and Margaret Lauder. The family lived in a variety of homes in Beechburn, Low Flat, Middle Row and Thistleflat in Crook. Joseph Lauder was a miner, at one stage a deputy manager, and the male children, when old enough to work, were employed as stone and coal miners, putters or workers at the brickyard. Elijah Lauder enlisted in the Durham Light Infantry early in the war, probably around December 1914. He was sent overseas in January 1916 and, in the week or so prior to his death, the battalion’s war diary describes raiding parties and patrols going out from the trenches. The diary records that at La Clytte on the 10 th July telegrams of congratulations were received from the 2 nd Army 5 th Corps Headquarters and the 50 th Divisional Headquarters upon the capture of a prisoner who was of great value and who was affording information about enemy troops on their front. Sadly the entry for July 14 th 1916 was not so encouraging: “Private Corns, Private Lauder and Private Stokeld of Y Company were killed in OH trenches and Sergeant Watson of Y Company was seriously wounded.” They died as part of raid on a German trench. Private Corns from Bishop Auckland, Private Stokeld from Hartlepool and Private Elijah Lauder from Howden-le-Wear were buried in adjacent graves in Ridge Wood Military Cemetery.

RememberingOur Fallen

Howden-le-Wear History Society