Poppies, Ponteland and Passchendaele: local memories and archives of families of those who served The Fourth Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers served at The Second Battle of Passchendaele in 1917. The majority of the fusiliers killed during the 2nd Passchendaele who are buried at Tyne Cot cemetery in Belgium Rumour has it that Tyne Cot was so named by the men of the 50th Northumbrian Division, who were among the many who fought to capture the complex of bunkers and pill boxes which surrounded the old barn which stood about 50 metres west of the level crossing on the Passchendaele to Brookseinde road.

Poppies, Ponteland and Passchendaele: local memories and archives of families of those who served The names of at least 94 Fusiliers of the Fourth Battalion who died between 20th September 1917- 11th February 1918 are on the memorial are or buried at Tyne Cot. They include men such as Pte Matthew Fraser 200644, who was born in Prudhoe, Northumberland. He enlisted in Hexham, Northumberland and died on 26th October 1916 aged only 19. Pte Thomas Cochrane Reid 201419 also enlisted in Hexham, Northumberland, despite being from Ballyness, Donegal. He also died on 26th October 1916, aged 32.

Poppies, Ponteland and Passchendaele: local memories and archives of families of those who served A visit from the Northumberland Fusiliers Museum, which enabled students from Ponteland High School to handle World War One objects, try on replica uniforms and research archive material first hand in order to gain evidence for our project…….