Early Years
Michael Wilson Heaviside was born on 28 October 1880 at Station Lane, Gilesgate in Durham. His father, John Wilson Heaviside was, at that time, a grocer. When Michael was still a boy, the family moved to Kimblesworh, where his father worked as head keeker and Michael went to the local Council school. Later, the family moved to Sacriston, when his father transferred to the local pit.
Following the death of his mother, Annie, Michael enlisted - as 11796 Private Heaviside - in the Royal Army Medical Corps. He served as a stretcher bearer in South Africa during the Boer War and was awarded the Queen’s and King’s South African Medals, before he was invalided home suffering from enteric fever.
After he left the Regular Army, he transferred to the Army Reserve and began work underground at Burnhope Colliery. He met his future wife, Elizabeth, whilst living in Burnhope and they married at Lanchester. About 1913, he took work as a hewer at Oswald pit and the family moved to Craghead, near Stanley.
On 7 September 1914, with the First World War just a month old, 4/9720 Private Michael Heaviside re-enlisted, just one amongst the thousands of miners from County Durham who answered Kitchener’s call. After training, he crossed to France in June 1915 and there settled into the deadly routine of trench warfare on the Western Front.
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