A SOLDIER who died in a battle at Flanders, in Belgium, in 1917, was honoured by a large number of his grandchildren and other relatives when they gathered at the weekend.

They paid tribute to Tom Cole at the reunion in Newsham, near Barnard Castle, as they studied his campaign medals, a message sent to his widow by King George V, and moving letters he posted home from the trenches.

All the war relics were later presented to the Green Howards military museum, in Richmond.

His granddaughter, Barbara Matley, who organised the gettogether, said: “We are all proud of him, so we would like his things to be displayed in the museum, rather than hidden away in one of our homes.”

Private Cole, who was born at High Dalton Hall Farm, in Dalton, near Newsham, was 35 when he was killed while serving with the Yorkshire Regiment.

He and his wife, Margaret, who were married at Barningham Parish Church in 1911, had six young children.

He had intended to spend his life as a farmer.

His two campaign medals were handed to the museum in a large oval frame which also held the king’s message and a bronze medallion presented to Mrs Cole after the Second World War to mark his sacrifice.

The royal scroll pointed out that her husband had endured hardship and danger before giving his life so that others could enjoy freedom.

It ended: “Let those who come after see to it that his name be not forgotten.”

In one letter to his wife, dated October 1916, he spoke of being soaked to the skin with no dry clothes to change into, and not having enough food.

He said: “I really think the war cannot last so much longer, the way it is going now.

They are giving the Germans what-oh, and the sooner it is over the better.”

Mrs Matley, who was brought up in Newsham but now lives in Cheshire, has visited his war grave at Dickebusch, in Belgium.

The gathering was held in the Smallways Inn, where several members of the Cole family were landlords in the past.