A bit of detective work on a Reyrolle's man with a DFC

Posted by Norman on 30/1/2026, 11:14 am
Edited by board administrator 30/1/2026, 4:23 pm

A tribute in a 1940s Reyrolle’s Company  magazine . Eighty years later in 2025 I thought I’d ask friends of my ‘Hebburn and our Neighbours’ Forum to find who this Reyrolle’s man was, and where he was from?  Here is what was quickly found by Jackie Williams nee Jackson & Margaret McDonald nee Butcher, both Hebburn born ladies. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Noel Douglas Wilkinson’s  parents John & Mary Jane were both born in 1884. Dad was born in Barrow in Furness in the NorthWest & motherMary Jane Bain was born across the country in Hebburn on Tyne. Co Durham. Like lots of men throughout the country seeking work, John would have come to the NorthEast because we had lots of Industry, Shipyards & Coal mines all needing workers. In 1911. John is married & an  ‘engineman’ at a local Colliery. working underground and  living at 23 Coleridge Ave, South Shields. They have 3 children, John age 5  born  North Shields, Oswald age 2 born Tyne Dock & Leo English Wilkinson age 5 months born South Shields. In 1921. John Wilkinson and family are now living at 26 Shortridge St, South Shields and he’s a Colliery Winding engine man at Harton Colliery. His son John works underground as a 12 year old ‘trapper’ boy for ‘Harton coal Co’ at ‘Bents Colliery Westoe and 12yr old Oswald is at school as is 10 year old  Leo. Little Noel is just 2 yrs old. Also living with them is unmarried Darlington born aunty Frances Eleanor Wilkinson age 32 the young sister of their dad & she is a dressmaker at ‘Crofton & Sons’ on King St-Market Place corner in Shields. In 1939, John & Mary are 55 yrs of age  living at ‘6 Souter Point Lighthouse’ next to old Marsden Village &  very close to Whitburn Colliery. Please note some families living at Souter had no involvement with the running of the lighthouse. The building was so large, parts of  it was possibly rented out to create income. Dad, John Wilkinson is only 55 yrs of age but is now incapacitated so no longer working at the Pit. Their children John, Oswald & Leo are in their late 20s & early 30s now so no longer living at home. We know that Leo became  a Chief Petty Officer in the Royal Navy and in  WW2 was awarded the ‘1939-43 ‘Star’ Their fourth child, Noel Douglas Wilkinson the future DFC winner was born in 1918 and was educated at the nearby Marsden School & then Ryhope Secondary school. In 1939,  Noel was 21 years old and still living at home, working  at ‘A Reyrolle  & Co’ in his mam’s home town of Hebburn. This  was also the year World War Two broke out, so Noel joined the Durham Light Infantry  (DLI) to fight for his country. Then for some unknown reason he decided to transfer to the RAF and get his ‘wings’  which he gained in Calgary, Alberta in Canada. In Jan 1942 after other promotion’s Noel became an RAF Flying Officer in  ‘608 North Riding  Squadron’ which moved to Scotland for attacks on the Norwegian coast. Then later that year in October they moved again, this time for some sunshine in Algeria, North Africa flying  Anti -Submarine patrols over the western Mediterranean.Then  later in 1943 they moved to Sicily and then on to Italy where the Squadron remained until disbanding on the 31st July 1944..   In 1944 he wrote to his parents who were now living at number  4 Souter Point Lighthouse to say he has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), the first for his Squadron. He also had a congratulations telegram from Air Chief Marshall  ‘Bomber Harris’. In the  Shields Gazette dated Friday 10 November 1944, page 4, column 4 gives the details No. 172187 R.A.F.V.R. 608 Squadron. In 1963 we find that Noel must have loved training for his RAF Wings in beautiful Canada because he is found living in Canada in ‘The Del’  Capilano, West Vancouver with wife Patricia Mary &  is an Engineer (All thanks to his training in Hebburn  Reyrolle’s ). In 1972 Noel & wife Patricia Mary now live at ‘Cross Creek Rd’ Capilano, West Vancouver. In 2004 Noel’s wife Patricia Mary Wilkinson  sadly dies age 81 In 2011 Noel Douglas Wilkinson dies age 93 in North Vancouver a few thousand miles from South Shields where he was born in 1918. All this was thanks to the many snippets of info amateur genealogists & Board regulars Jackie Williams & Margaret McDonald researched. Norman Dunn May 2025. .