​The War Memorial in Rudston
 
 
The War Memorial is by the roadside opposite The Church of All Saints.
 
 
IN
THE GREAT WAR
1914 - 1918
 
THESE MEN BORN IN RUDSTON
 
Sergeant WILLIAM CLAXTON  3rd Coldstream Guards
Sergeant WILLIAM WITTY  R.A.M.C.
Lance Cpl. THOMAS BANNISTER S.B. 5th Yorkshire Regt.
Private EDWIN DEIGHTON  10th East Yorkshire Regt.
Private WILLIAM McLELLAN  2nd Leicestershire Regt.
Private JOSEPH WHITE 6th East Yorkshire Regt.
Driver HARRY DOWSON R.A.S.C.
Private STANLEY BLANCHARD  797th Coy Labour Corps
WILLIAM PRIDE  Munition Worker
 
AND THOSE WHO DWELT THERE
 
Gunner GEORGE BROWN R.F. Artillery
Private FREDERICK TOMLINSON 11th East Yorkshire Regt.
 
GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THE RIGHT.
 
 
Those who Fell in WW1
 
BANNISTER, Thomas
Lance Corporal, 5th Battalion, Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment), 150 Brigade, 50th Division. Army no 240093.
He died on Thursday 26 April 1917 in hospital from wounds received during the Battle of Arras. He was 29.
He was the son of John George and Sarah Frances Bannister of Rudston.
He is buried in St Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen.
 
BLANCHARD, Stanley
Private, The Cambridgeshire Regiment, Army no 7973. He had transferred to Army no 555030 with 479th Agricultural Company, The Labour Corps.
He died in Grantham on Monday 9 December 1918. There was a military Hospital there with 670 beds. He was 30.
He was the son of William and Lavinia Blanchard, Rudston.
He is buried in the churchyard of All Saints Church, Rudston and his headstone is inscribed Thy Will be Done.
 
BROWN, George William
I am not sure that this is the correct man but he is the most likely fit:
Gunner, D Battery, 5th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Army no 141055.
He was killed in action on Wednesday 4 April 1917. He was 20.
He was the son of John William and Adelaide Brown, Wawne.
He is buried in Écoivres Military Cemetery, Mont St Eloi.
 
 
CLAXTON William                MM
Lance Serjeant, 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards, 1 Guards Brigade, Guards Division. Army no 14034.
He was killed in action on Thursday 13 April 1916. He was 26.
He was the son of Alfred S and Sarah A Claxton, The Bungalow, Rudston.
He is remembered on the Ploegsteert Memorial.
 
DEIGHTON, Edward
Private, 10th (Service) Battalion (1st Hull), The East Yorkshire Regiment, 92 Brigade, 31st Division. Army no 26354.
He was killed in action on Thursday 3 May 1917 at the third Battle of the Scarpe. He was 17.
He is remembered on the Arras Memorial.
This is the only E Deighton listed amongst the Fallen. Edward not Edwin. If you can correct this entry, I would be delighted!
 
DOWSON, Harry
Driver, 2nd Auxillary Horse Transport Company, Army Service Corps. Army no T4/091925.
He died, probably from natural causes, on Monday13 August 1917. He was 43.
He was the husband of Ada Dowson, 9 Nelson Street, Bridlington.
He is buried in Ste Marie Cemetery, Le Havre and his headstone is inscribed Though lost to Sight, in Memory Dear.
 
MacLELLAN, William Henry
Private, 2nd Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment.  Army no 19529.  He was formerly Army no 25380 with The Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.
He was killed in action in Iraq on Monday 23 April 1917. He was 21.
He was the son of David and Sarah Maclellan of Boynton.
He is remembered on the Basra Memorial.
 
PRIDE, William
Munitions Worker but, of course, this was a civilian role and no records appear to be available.
From the registration of birth and deaths and based on the fact that he was born in Rudston according to the War Memorial, William Pride was born early in 1876 and died in the September quarter 1918 age 42 in the Thanet area.
I cannot find reference to a major explosion but it was dangerous work.
He was the son of William and Jane Pride.
There is a Sapper with The Royal Engineers who committed suicide in Kent and is buried in Newark on Trent. That could well be him.
 
TOMLINSON, Frederick
Private, 11th (Service) Battalion (2nd Hull), The East Yorkshire Regiment, 92 Brigade, 31st Division. Army no 38135.
He was killed in action on Monday 25 March 1918 in the fighting at Bapaume. He was 28.
He was the husband of Mary Tomlinson.
He is remembered on the Arras Memorial.
 
WHITE, Joseph Arthur
Private, 6th (Service) Battalion (Pioneers), The East Yorkshire Regiment, 11th Division. Army no 15168.
He was killed in action in Gallipoli during the landing at Suvla on 9 August 1915. He was 23.
He was the son of Margaret White of Rudston.
He is remembered on the Helles Memorial.
 
WITTY, Robert William         Mentioned in Despatches
Sergeant, 12th Field Ambulance, Canadian Army Medical Corps. Army no 4606.
I suspect that he died from his wounds on Tuesday 3 September 1918 as this was a frontline hospital centre. He was 35.
He was the son of Richard G Witty who is known to have lived at Wykeham.
He was born in Rudston and he was a Wesleyan Preacher.
He is buried in Ligny St Flochel British Cemetery, Averdoingt and his headstone is inscribed
At Rest.
 
 
A grave in the Churchyard and not on the Memorial
 
ETHERINGTON, James
Lance Corporal, 3rd Battalion, Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment), Army no 38177.
He drowned at West Hartlepool on Wednesday 15 August 1917 whilst he was on active service. He was 32.
He was the son of Joseph Etherington, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham and the husband of Charlotte A Etherington, Salisbury Terrace, Bridlington.
He is buried in the churchyard of All Saints Church, Rudston and his headstone is inscribed We live in Deeds not years.
 
Those who Fell in WW1 who are not on the War Memorial
 
BELL, John
Private, 1054th Motor Transport Company, Royal Army Service Corps. Army no DM2/201478.
He died on active service on 16 December 1919. He was 34.
He was the son of Eli Bell, Rudston and the husband of Margaret Bell, Skipsea Grange, Hull.
He is remembered on the Basra Memorial.
 
MILNER, George Robert
Private, 5th Battalion, Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment), 150 Brigade, 50th Division. Army no 3514.
He was killed in action on 16 September 1916 at the Battle of Flers Courcelette. He was 29.
He was the son of Annie E Ward (formerly Milner), Heslerton, Malton and James Ward (Stepfather).
He was a resident of Rudston when he enlisted.
He is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.
 
ROWLIN, Sydney
Serjeant, B Company, 2nd Battalion, The Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment), 23 Brigade, 8th Division. Army no 8740.
He was killed in action at Bouchavesnes on Sunday 4 March 1917. He was 26.
He was the son of Baron Rowlin, Eastgate Cottage, Rudston.
He is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.