The War Memorial in Wensley
The Village War Memorial, Wensley, Which is on top of the hill overlooking the Church between Leyburn and Hawes is inscribed: Ernest Brewer Victor Pearson Gordon Goulton Alf Pearson S Futter Charlie Plews Frank Glew J Rawson Metcalfe Greenwood Charlie Rawson John Humble Walter Richardson Willie Horn Humphrey Richardson Ned Harker Fred Robinson A Hutchinson Simon Spence H Hutchinson James Spence George Lees Edward Spence (killed) Leslie Loftus (Killed) Howland Simpson Frank Mason John Utting Ernest Metcalfe George Willis A Orde Powlett John Walker P Orde Powlett (killed) Walter Walker N Orde Powlett Dixon Walker Robert Pearson George Walker Fred Pearson Willie Walker Edwin Pearson O Cooke Yarborough Fred Pearson Willie Myers John Pearson "The Above mentioned Men of Wensley Township Served in the Great War 1914 - 1918" In the Holy Trinity Church, Wensley is a War Memorial Tablet mounted on a wooden backboard. The Names are in two columns. TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN HALLOWED MEM- ORY OF THE MEN OF THIS PARISH WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1918 Alderson, Joseph Salmon, Alfred Beswick, Henry Scrivener, Harold Scott, Charles Smith, Willie Chilton, James Spence, Edward Deighton, William Teasdale, John Holmes, Frederick Wardman, Thomas Kilding, Alfred Wilkinson, Edward Kilding, Henry Wilson, Harry Powlett, Percy Orde Also in The Church is a brass Memorial Plaque to men who died in the Battle of Jutland TO THE GLORY OF GOD IN MEMORY OF HAROLD WILLIAM SCRIVENER ROBERT HENRY WILSON Most of text is illegible I have combined the three memorials and record them in alphabetical order Those who fell: ALDERSON, Joseph Coxswain, merchant vessel "Irene" (registered in London), Mercantile Marine, sailor number 98150 He was killed on Tuesday 9 November 1915 by the explosion of a mine 1.5 miles South-East of Tongue Light Vessel which was stationed in the Thames Estuary. He was 40 He was the husband of Sarah J Alderson He is remembered on the Tower Hill Memorial BESWICK, Henry Pioneer, G Special Company, Royal Engineers. Army no. 224934 He was killed in action on Thursday 21 March 1918 known as the Kaisers Battle, the British lost 8,000 soldiers and 38,000 were injured or were captured. He was 26 He was the son of Mary Jane and the late John Beswick He is remembered on the Arras Memorial CHILTON, James Private, 16th (Service) Battalion (1st Bradford), The Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire Regiment), 93 Brigade, 31st Division. Army no. 28145. He died from his wounds on Thursday 14 June 1917 probably at the 8th Casualty Clearing Station which was in the village. He was 22. He was the son of James and the late Mary Chilton, Railway Street, Leyburn. He is buried in Duisans British Cemetery, Étrun near Arras. DEIGHTON, William Truefitt Corporal, 3rd Company, 23rd Divisional Train, Army Service Corps, Brigade, Division. Army no. T2/14505 He was killed in action on Friday 21 September 1917 repulsing a German attack on Tower Hamlets Ridge. He was 30 He was the son of Thomas and Jane Ann Deighton, Leyburn He is buried in Reninghelst New Military Cemetery near Poperinge, Belgium. Inscribed on his headstone is “In Loving Memory of Our Dear Brother Not Forgotten” HOLMES, Frederick Private, 1st/7th Battalion (TF), The Lancashire Fusiliers, 125 Brigade, 42nd Division. Army no. 300131. He had previously served as Private, Army no. 205037 with the Northumberland Fusiliers. He was killed in action on Wednesday 21 August, 1918 at the Battle of Albert. He was 29. He was the son of Annie and the late Leonard Holmes, Ivy Cottage, Leyburn and the husband of Mary Holmes, 35 Durban Street, Scarborough. He is buried in Queens Cemetery, Bucquoy KILDING, Alfred Craddock Rifleman, 21st (Service) Battalion (Yeoman Rifles), The King’s Royal Rifle Corps, 124 Brigade, 41st Division. Army no. C/12880 He was killed in action on Sunday 17 September 1916 at the Battle of Flers Courcelette. He was 24. He was the son of James and Mary Kilding He is buried in the Guards' Cemetery, Lesboeufs His Probate records give his address as Preston under Scar, Leyburn and states that he died or between 15 and 17 September 1916 in France KILDING, Henry Private, 9th (Service) Battalion, The Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire Regiment), 32 Brigade, 11th Division. Army no. 36668 He was killed in action on Monday 27 August 1917 in the fighting around St Julien during the Battle for Ypres. He was 31 He was the son of James and Mary Kilding and the husband of Rose Kilding He is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial LOFTUS, Frank Leslie Corporal, 11th (Service) Battalion (2nd Hull), The East Yorkshire Regiment, 92 Brigade, 31st Division. Army no. 17596 He was killed in action on Thursday 3 May 1917 near Ypres. He was 21 He was the son of Francis and Sarah M Loftus. Francis Loftus was the Head Master of Wensley School. He is remembered on The Arras Memorial ORDE-POWLETT, William Percy 2nd Lieutenant, 1st/4th Battalion (TF), Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own, (Yorkshire Regiment) 150 Brigade, 50th Division. He was killed in action on Monday 17 May 1915. He was 21. He was the son of the Hon. William George Algar and Elizabeth Mary Orde-Powlett who became 5th Baron Bolton and Lady Bolton, Bolton Hall, Leyburn He is remembered on The Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres SALMON, Alfred Ward Private, Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own, (Yorkshire Regiment). Army no. 241698. He had previously served as Army no. 4230 in the same Regiment. He was awarded the Silver War Badge and discharged from the Army as being no longer fit to be a soldier on 15 April 1918. He died in Darlington in February 1919 from pneumonia having suffered from Bronchitis and general debility since his discharge (Dr A T Thompson 2 August 1921). He was 36 He was the son of Annie Salmon, Darlington The Commonwealth War Graves Commission does not record his death or burial but I have found a reference to his Burial in Darlington West Cemetery SCOTT, Charles Private, D Company, 9th (Service) Battalion, The King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry), 64 Brigade, 21st Division. Army no. 42194. He also served as Private, Army no. 32/819 with the Northumberland Fusiliers He was killed in action on Thursday 4 October 1917 at the Battle of Broodseinde. He was 23 He was the son of Robert and Mary A Scott, Post Office Yard, Preston-under-Scar, Leyburn He is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial SCRIVENER, Harold William Engine Room Artificer 4th Class, HMS Queen Mary. Royal Navy M/1502 He died on Active Service on Wednesday, 31 May 1916. He was 21 He is remembered on The Portsmouth Naval Memorial He was the son of Frederick and Clara Blanche Scrivener, Bolton Gardens, Wensley Additional information This applies to both Harold Scrivener and Robert H Wilson. Jutland was the largest naval battle of WW1 and the only time that the British and German fleets of 'dreadnought' battleships actually came to blows. It was a confused and bloody action involving 250 ships and around 100,000 men. Initial encounters resulted in the loss of several ships. The Germans damaged Beatty’s flagship, HMS Lion, and sank HMS Indefatigable and HMS Queen Mary, both of which blew up when German shells hit their ammunition magazines. The sinking of the Black Prince has remained a mystery but recently the story that has emerged has been generally accepted. The German battleship Thüringen fixed Black Prince in her searchlights and opened fire. Up to five other German ships, including the battleships Nassau, Ostfriesland, and Friedrich der Grosse, joined in the bombardment, with return fire from Black Prince being ineffective. The ship was hit by at least twelve heavy shells and several smaller ones, sinking within 15 minutes. There were no survivors from her crew, all 857 being killed. But the German Navy remained in port for the rest of the war SMITH, William known as Willie MM Corporal, 13th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery Army no. 45563. He was killed in action on Wednesday 26 September 1917 in the fighting at Polygon Wood. He is buried in The Huts Cemetery. SPENCE, Edward Gunner 20th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Army no. 65594 He was killed in action on Friday 12 April 1918 near Bethune. He was 22 He was the son of Simon and Hannah Spence, Wensley. He is buried in Noeux-Les-Mines Communal Cemetery Extension and his headstone is inscribed “Not gone from Memory or Love but to His Father's Home above” TEASDALE, John William Private, 2nd Battalion, Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own, (Yorkshire Regiment), 21 Brigade, 30th Division. Army no. 23433 or maybe 3/9456 He was killed in action on the Somme on Saturday 8 July 1916. He was 37 He was the son of John and the late Ann Teasdale He is buried in London Cemetery and Extension, Longueval near Albert, France WARDMAN, Thomas Lawson MM Private, 1st/7th Battalion (TF), The Lancashire Fusiliers, 125 Brigade, 42nd Division. Army no. 300157. He had served as Private, Army no. 205033 with The Northumberland Fusiliers He was killed in action on Monday 25 March 1918 in the Battle of Bapaume. He was 20 He was the son of Taylor and Eliza Wardman, Risborough Lane, Leyburn He is remembered on the Arras Memorial WILKINSON, Walter Edward Private, 5th Battalion, The King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry), 187 Brigade, 62nd Division. Army no. 39259. He also served as Private Army no. 82332 with the Training Reserve Battalion He was killed in action on Saturday 20 July 1918. He was 19 He was the son of Walter and Elizabeth Wilkinson, Grove Square, Leyburn He is buried in Courmas British Cemetery and his headstone is inscribed “He fought the Good Fight” WILSON, Henry Robert known as Harry Engine Room Artificer 5th Class, HMS Black Prince. Royal Navy M/3792 He died on Active Service on Wednesday 31 May 1916. Please see the earlier comments for Harold W Scrivener about the Battle of Jutland. He was 19 He was the son of Arthur Henry and Ada Wilson, Haremire, Wensley. He is remembered on The Portsmouth Naval Memorial Those who Served Ernest Brewer S Futter Gordon Goulton Frank Glew Metcalfe Greenwood Ned Harker Willie Horn John Humble A Hutchinson H Hutchinson George Lees Frank Mason Ernest Metcalfe Willie Myers A Orde Powlett N Orde Powlett Alf Pearson Edwin Pearson Fred Pearson Fred Pearson John Pearson Robert Pearson Victor Pearson Charlie Plews J Rawson Charlie Rawson Humphrey Richardson Walter Richardson Alfred Howland Simpson James Spence Simon Spence John Utting George Willis Dixon Walker George Walker John Walker Walter Walker Willie Walker O Cooke Yarborough |