WHEN North-East soldier Henry Taylor Clark said goodbye to his infant son before he boarded a troop ship bound for the Mediterranean, he knew it was for the last time.

Pte Clark, back on leave from the front, had spent a few precious days at home in Consett with his only child, William, consoling the boy after the sudden death of his mother.

When the time came to return, he entrusted the care of his son to his sister, Annie Dent, and begged her to raise the boy as his own.

On November 26, 1916, he was killed in action during the bloody Gallipoli landings. He is buried near to where he fell, in the war cemetery at Suvla Bay.

Pte Clark's story will form part of an exhibition revealing tales of wartime tragedy and heroism from County Durham soldiers.

His granddaughter, Audrey Richardson, of Ebchester, said: "He knew in his heart he wasn't coming back from Gallipoli.

"He asked my aunt to take care of the boy and he left. That was the last he saw of his son."

A soldier with the Eighth Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers, he was part of the British Mediterranean Expeditionary Force that fought side by side with the Anzacs against the Ottoman Empire in the First World War.

He had married his sweetheart, Margaret Dimmick, in Consett Parish Church in 1908 and his son, William, was born the year after.

But during his first spell away with the expeditionary force, Margaret fell ill and died, leaving William to cope on his own.

Pte Clark was eventually granted leave and spent a few days with the young boy, before returning to the battle ground that claimed his life.

His deep love for his only child is revealed in his one surviving letter home, possibly the last sent before he died.

In it he writes: "Dear sister, we have not slept nor been under any roof since we landed... we are back in the firing line, in fact, we are hardly any place else as there is no other place to go.

"I expect you will be making a cake for Willie's birthday, so I will slip over and have tea with you all!

"Please tell my little son he will have to wait for his birthday present - I may be able to send it later if we go some place for a rest."

Mrs Richardson dug out the story to tell the 45 children aged seven to 18 who make up the Consett Junior Theatre Workshop.

Earlier this month the group won a grant of £4,999 from the National Lottery Awards for All to help pay for their production of Oh What a Lovely War, running at Consett's Empire Theatre from Monday, June 16, to Wednesday, June 18.

It will also fund an exhibition of this and other wartime tales by the Derwentside Family History Society, to run along side the show.

The society is appealing for any more wartime stories or memorabilia for the exhibition. Anyone interested should contact Michael Curran on (01207) 506566.

For tickets or further details for the performances, contact the theatre box office on (01207) 218171.