Pte 235275 Matthew Caton Airey

• Age: 35
• From: South Bank, Yorks
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 7th May 1918
• Commemorated at: Tyne Cot Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 31-34

Matthew Caton was born at 16 Middlesborough Road, South Bank, Normanby, just outside Middlesbrough on 19th November 1882 to James Airey and his wife ,Mary Ann (née Caton). He was baptised on the 13th December 1882 at Eston Christ Church. His father, James was a Mechanic engine fitter and he and Mary Ann were both born in Kendal, Westmorland, where they were married in the December Quarter of 1869. 

They appear to have moved to Guisboro, near Middlesbrough in September 1874 upon the birth of their fourth child.

They had 8 children 2 boys and 6 girls of which Matthew was the 7th child. 3 older sisters sadly died, Elizabeth aged 1 in 1877, Margaret aged 6 in 1878, Edith aged 1 in 1880.

Matthew was educated at South Bank Wesleyan School, from 9th October, 1890.

The 1891 Census shows the family living at Middlesbro Road, Normanby, Middlesbrough. His father, James, is aged 46, born in 1845 is a fitter and was born in Westmorland, Cumbria. His wife, Mary, is aged 48 and employed as a confectioner and was also born in Westmorland. At the taking of the Census they have five children living with them, William aged 21, born 1870 is a grocer’s assistant, Mary aged 19, born 1872 has no occupation listed and they were both born in Westmorland, Sarah aged 16, born 1875, has no occupation, Matthew aged 8, born 1883 and Annie aged 6, born 1885 are both scholars and they were born in Yorkshire.  

His mother, Mary Ann, died aged 55, on the 01st June 1898.  

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 7, Middlesbro Road, Normanby, Middlesbrough. His father, James, is a widower aged 56, born 1845 is a steam engine fitter. He has his daughter Sarah aged 26 with no occupation listed and Matthew aged 18, a joiner with the local corporation doing house repairs living with him. He also has his daughter Mary now aged 29 and married to Thomas Shingler aged 30, born 1870 and employed as a steelworks steam crane driver and their two children Edith aged 2, born 1899 and James aged 1, born 1900 living at the address, as well as a niece Ethel Airey aged 18, born 1883.

His father remarried in March 1905 to Ruth Coates, they had no children living at 3 Mason Street, Normanby. 

The 1911 Census shows Matthew and his widowed father living at 44 Redcar Road South Bank, Eston, Yorkshire, with his married sister Mary Shingler and her family. The head of the household is, Thomas Shingler, aged 40, a loco engine driver and his wife Mary Susan aged 39 with no occupation listed. They have four children declared in the household; Edith aged 12, and James aged 10,Winifred aged 8, born 1903 and Leonard aged 3, born 1908. Matthew is aged 29 and is now employed as a loco engine fireman and his widowed father is aged 76.   

In 1914 Matthew enlisted in South Bank, Middlesbrough, joining the Yorkshire Regiment as Private 17379. He was later transferred to the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 235275.

The battalion diary records "May 1918 was a noisy month, shell fire was heavy, for our guns were continually harassing the enemy and he replied vigorously!"

It was presumably during this bombardment that Matthew was killed on the 07th May, 1918, his body never found. He was aged 35 though his family headstone claims 36

He is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial Panel 31-34.

Those United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after August 16th 1917 are named on the Tyne Cot Memorial, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war.

The Tyne Cot Memorial now bears the names of almost 35,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Herbert Baker with sculpture by Joseph Armitage and F.V. Blundstone, was unveiled by Sir Gilbert Dyett on 20 June 1927.

The memorial forms the north-eastern boundary of Tyne Cot Cemetery, which was established around a captured German blockhouse or pill-box used as an advanced dressing station.

His death was reported in the Daily Gazette in Middlesborough on the 31st May 1918;

AIREY - Killed in action, May 7th 1918, Pte. Mat Airey of King's Liverpool's, dearly-beloved son of James Airey, South Bank. - Deeply mourned.

He is also commemorated on the family headstone at Normanby and Eston Cemetery, St Helen's Close, Middlesbrough and on the South Bank Memorial in Middlesborough.

We currently have no further information on Matthew Caton Airey, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.