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The War Memorial in West Tanfield
TIM THE TRANSCRIPTION The Memorial Plaque in the Church of St. Nicholas, West Tanfield is inscribed: To the Glory of God and in Memory of the Men from this Parish, who Sacrificed Their Lives in the Service of Their Country 1914 - 1918. A BINKS W KAYE FRANK BINKS H KNOWLES FRED BINKS C LEEMING W CHILTON W LIVESEY A CRAGGS A NICHOLSON N G CROMPTON H SMITH R ELLWOOD G TAYLOR F WEATHERILL And a separate plaque: 1939-1945 GEORGE ROBERT BOWSER HUBERT FRYER GEORGE RONALD LUMLEY WILLIAM PANTON DFC GORDON WADE NORMAN WADE A plaque In the Memorial Hall TANFIELD MEMORIAL HALL 1958 BUILT AS A THANKOFFERING FOR OUR DELIVERANCE IN TWO WORLD WARS. IN GRATITUDE TO THOSE WHO SERVED, AND IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO FELLL 1914-1918 1939-1945 A BINKS W KAYE GR BOWSER FRANK BINKS H KNOWLES H FRYER FRED BINKS C LEEMING G R LUMLEY W CHILTON W LIVSEY W PANTON C CRAGGS A NICHOLSON G WADE N G CROMPTON H SMITH N WADE R ELLWOOD G TAYLOR F WEATHERILL This Plaque duplicates the information in the Church so I have not repeated it TIM THE Fallen The Fallen from WW1 BINKS, Arthur W MM Private, Royal Army Medical Corps, Army no. Service Number 33642 He died at sea on Tuesday 21 November 1916. He was serving on HM Hospital Ship Britannic. He is buried in Piraeus Naval and Consular Cemetery. He was born in Pickhill, Yorkshire but I have not found any further personal detail Additional information HMHS Britannic, sister ship to the Titanic, sank in the Aegean Sea killing 30 people. More than 1,000 others were rescued. The ship was requisitioned in 1914 by the British government to serve as a hospital ship. The Britannic had already made five voyages returning wounded troops to England. On November 21, the Britannic was on its way to pick up more wounded near the Gulf of Athens, when at 08:00 hours, an explosion rocked the ship. First, Captain Bartlett decided to try to run the Britannic aground on the island of Kea. This might have been successful, but, the ship’s nursing staff had opened the portholes to air the sick wards. Water poured in and the disaster was compounded when some of the crew attempted to launch lifeboats without orders. Since the ship was moving as fast as it could, the lifeboats were sucked into the propellers, killing those on board. Less than 30 minutes later, Bartlett ordered it abandoned. The lifeboats were launched and even though the Britannic sank at 9:07, less than an hour after the explosion, nearly 1,100 people were saved. In fact, most of the 30 people who died were in the prematurely launched lifeboats. The cause of the explosion remains unknown but many believe that the Britannic hit a mine. BINKS, Frank Sapper, 287th Army Troops Company, Royal Engineers. Army no. 183908 He died on Active Service on Wednesday 1 January 1919. He was 39. This was after the war had ended so the cause of death was probably natural causes He was the son of William and Mary Binks, Thornbrough Well, Bedale and the husband of Selina Langden, (formerly Binks), 8 James Street, Westgate, Cleckheaton. He is buried in Mikra British Cemetery, Kalamaria, Greece and his headstone in inscribed “At Rest”. BINKS, Fred Private, 1st Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment, 62 Brigade, 21st Division. Army no. 51422. He had also served as Private, Army no. 56468 with the Lincolnshire Yeomanry. He was killed in action on Monday 27 May 1918 in the 3rd Battle of the Aisne. He was 24. He was the son of William and Mary Binks, Thornbrough Well, Bedale. He is remembered on The Soissons Memorial. CHILTON, Wilfred Private, 1st Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own), 18 Brigade, 6th Division. Army no. 21669 He died from his wounds on Wednesday 23 May 1917. He was 19. He was the son of Mary A. and the late Ralph Chilton, South Milford, Yorkshire. He is buried in Calais Southern Cemetery which was a Hospital Centre. CRAGGS, Albert Private, 2nd/4th Battalion, Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own, (Yorkshire Regiment). Army no. 3496 He died on Active Service on 17 March 1915 before he had been posted overseas. He was 17. He was the son of Edward T and the late Martha A Craggs of Mickley. He is buried in the churchyard of St John’s Church, Mickley. His headstone is inscribed with He answered the call Thy will be done. CROMPTON, Nigel George Mentioned in Despatches Lieutenant, 101st Field Company, Royal Engineers. He was killed in action on Friday 5 November 1915. This was a tunnelling company tasked with laying explosives under the German positions. He was 27. He was the son of Colonel Rookes E B Crompton, CB and E Gertrude Crompton, Azerley Chase, Ripon. He is buried in Erquinghem-Lys Churchyard Extension near the Belgium border in France. ELLWOOD, Thomas Roy Lance Sergeant, 2nd/5th Battalion TF, Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment), 185 Brigade, 62nd Division. Army no. 200970 He was killed in action on Sunday 18 February 1917. He was 21 He was the son of Thomas L and Emily Ellwood, The Grange, Nosterfield, Bedale. He is remembered on The Thiepval Memorial. KAYE, William F Private, 8th Battalion (Leeds Rifles), The East Yorkshire Regiment. Army no. 14401. He was killed in action on Thursday 27 September 1917 in the fighting at Polygon Wood. He was 25. He was the son of Gabriel and the late Elizabeth Kay, West Tanfield. He is remembered on The Tyne Cot Memorial. KNOWLES, Harry Lance Corporal, 11th (Service) Battalion Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment), 69 Brigade, 23rd Division. Army no. 41189 He was killed in action on Tuesday 20 February 1917 near Ypres. He was 31. He was the son of William H. and Sophia Knowles, Ryson. He is buried in Railway Dugouts Burial Ground (Transport Farm), Ypres. Additional information Records vary and show him to be a Private, a Lance Corporal, a Corporal and an Acting Warrant Officer Class 1. He had enlisted in 5th Battalion in 1914. LEEMING, Charles Henry Private, 2nd Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own), 23 Brigade, 8th Division. Army no. 10054. He was killed in action on Tuesday 8 August 1916 on the Somme. He was 23. He is buried in Vermelles British Cemetery near Béthune, France. Additional information In 1911 he was an “inmate” of the Gordon Boys School, Chobham, Surrey which is a military school. I have not identified any family apart from an uncle living near West Tanfield. LIVSEY, Willie Gunner, 19th Brigade Royal Field Artillery. Army no. 80112 He was killed in action on Friday 21 May 1915 in Belgium. He was 20. He was the son of Edward and Alma Livsey, Castle Eden, Co. Durham. He is remembered on The Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres. Additional information He was born in Ripon and lived in West Tanfield. The spelling on the Memorial is Livesey. NICHOLSON, Arthur Private, 1st/4th Battalion, Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own, (Yorkshire Regiment), 150 Brigade, 50th Division. Army no. 3505. He was killed in action on Sunday 17 September 1916 during the battle at Flers Courcelette. He was 19. He was the grandson of John and Isabella Nicholson, Nosterfield Well. He is buried in Adanac Military Cemetery, Miraumont. SMITH, Henry Private, 1st Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment, 62 Brigade, 21st Division. Army no. 51395. He also served as Private, Army no. 3347 with the Lincolnshire Yeomanry. He died on Friday 29 March 1918 from the wounds he received on the Somme. He was 21. He was the son of Henry and Elizabeth Smith, Church Street, West Tanfield. He is buried in Serain Communal Cemetery Extension, France. TAYLOR, George Pioneer, Special Survey Company, Special Brigade, Royal Engineers. Army no. 104085. He died from his wounds on Sunday 29 October 1916, it is probable that he was being treated in a Casualty Clearing Station near Varennes, Albert on the Somme. He was 24 He was the son of William and Mary Jane Taylor, Kirklington. He is buried in Varennes Military Cemetery. His headstone is inscribed with “Thy Will Be Done”. Additional information His unit of the Royal Engineers was a Special Section building and operating Flame Projectors. WETHERILL, Frederick Private, 2nd Battalion Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment), 23 Brigade, 8th Division. Army no. 23314 He was killed in action on Thursday 21 June 1917 near Ypres. He was 29 He was the son of Ann and the late William Wetherill, Thornbrough, Well. He is buried in Menin Road South Military Cemetery, Ypres. His headstone is inscribed “Greater Love hath no Man than this, that a man lay down his Life” Additional information The records spell his name in several ways! The Fallen from WW2 BOWSER, George Robert Lance Corporal, 1st Battalion, Green Howards (Yorkshire Regiment) Army no. 4392623 He died on active service on Tuesday 28 December 1943 fighting on the Gustav Line. He was 24. He was the son of Alfred George S and Mary Bowser of Ripon, He is buried in Sangro River War Cemetery. His headstone is inscribed “Age shall not weary him nor the years condemn. We will remember him always” FRYER, Hubert Sergeant (Bomb Aimer), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. RAFVR no. 1623205. He was under training with 1667 Heavy Conversion Unit. He was killed on active service on Wednesday 5 July 1944. He was 21. He was the son of Doris Harrison, West Tanfield. He is buried in the Churchyard of St. Nicholas Church, West Tanfield and his headstone is inscribed “underneath are the everlasting arms" Additional information Halifax V - DG414 - 1667 took off at 12.50 hours from RAF Sandtoft, Lincolnshire on a dual instruction training exercise. Whilst flying at 200 feet on 3 engines, control was lost and the aircraft crashed at Alkborough, Lincolnshire on the southern bank of the Humber. 6 of the crew died. LUMLEY, George Ronald Driver, 233 Field Company, Royal Engineers. Army no. 1908036 He was killed on active service on Tuesday 13 July 1943 during the invasion of Sicily. This was a unit which specialised in land mine clearance. He was 25. He was the son of Emily Patience Lumley, West Tanfield. He is remembered on The Cassino Memorial. PANTON, William DFC Flying Officer, 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit, Royal Air Force. RAF no 43150. He was killed on active service on Saturday 3 May 1941. He was 27. He is remembered on The Runnymede Memorial. WADE, Gordon Lance Corporal, Mobile Ambulance Company, Royal Army Service Corps. Army no. T/11851316 He died on active service on Saturday 11 July 1942. The cemetery where he is buried was started later in November 1943 so there is no clue as to the circumstances of his death. As a suggestion did he die as a Prisoner of War? He was 28. He was the son of Ernest and Anne Wade, West Tanfield. He is buried in Bari War Cemetery in Italy. His headstone is inscribed “Remembered Always By His Sorrowing Parents, Brother And Sister. West Tanfield, Ripon”. WADE, Norman Private, 2nd Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own). Army no. 4538972 He was killed on active service on Wednesday 31 December 1941. At this time the Italian forces had surrendered but some continued fighting a guerrilla war. He was 21. He was the son of Ernest and Anne Wade, West Tanfield. He is buried in Asmara War Cemetery, Eritrea. |
