Annitsford

Annitsford is a semi-rural village located in North Tyneside (formerly South East Northumberland), on the border between Tyne and Wear and Northumberland. The main conurbation of the village falls under the jurisdiction of the Borough of North Tyneside in Tyne and Wear. The village is known locally as 'The Ford'. History The name of the village is the modern-day version of Annet's Ford, which was a crossing place over the Seaton Burn which flows eastward through the village. Annitsford borders the villages of Dudley and Fordley, the former taking its name from the son of the mine owner, the latter taking its name from the last part of the village names for Annitsford and Dudley. During the First World War, men from Annitsford primarily enlisted into the 6th Battalion, The Rifles, of the Northumberland Fusiliers; the battalion formed part of the Northumberland Brigade, Northumbria Division. The Battalion saw action at: the Second Battle of Ypres; Battle of the Somme (1916); Battle of Arras (1917); Third Battle of Ypres; First Battle of the Somme (1918); and the Battle of the Lys (1918). Photographs of some of the men have been made available by Newcastle City Library's "Annitsford at War" project, with the original photographs from the Illustrated Chronicle. During the Second World War, some men from Annitsford again enlisted into the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, and saw action during the Nazi blitzkrieg in France and the Low Countries, as well as the miracle of Dunkirk.