Wakefield Express – 2nd Sept 1944

Wakefield Express 2 Sept 1944

Dead on the Beach – ~An open verdict was returned at an inquest held this week in Berwick, on the body of Trooper Joseph Gamble, whose home was at Chapel House, Crofton. The deceased disappeared from his unit early in the last month, after visiting the medical officer. The body was found on the beach by a holiday-maker. Deceased was called up in August, 1939, and left England the following year. After serving in Palestine he went through the Syrian campaign, and was with the Eight Army throughout the North African fighting. He was wounded whilst in Tripoli and subsequently he was regraded and sent home to England. The funeral took place at Berwick Cemetery last Monday.

Brothers met in India – Mrs Dickinson, 3 Hambleton Street, Wakefield, has received a letter from her husban Corporal Stanley Dickinson, stating that he has met his younger brother, Signalman Jack Dickinson, in India, and spent a short leave together. Corporal Dicki inson, before the war was employed at the Reaicut Wool Co., and he served two and a half years in the N.F.S. at Horbury. His brother was employed on the railway, and is an old scholar of Thornes House School.

Wounded in France – Mr and Mrs Sherwood, 23, Esther Avenue, Lupset, have received news that their son, Driver R Sherwood, has been wounded in France, and is now in hospital somewhere in England. Prior to joining the Forces he was employed at Messrs, G Brook and Sons brick-works. He was educated at St Austin’s School.

Progressing Favourably – Private R Wormald, K.O.Y.L.I., who was wounded in Normandy on July 27th is reporte to be progressing favourably in a hospital in Birmingham. He is the son of Mr and Mrs L Wormald, 113 Aberford Road, Stanley. He has also served in Norway and Iceland, and before the war he was employed by Sydney Raines Ltd., Wakefeld. His wife is in the W.L.A.

Killed in Action – News has been received by Mr and Mrs F Dobson, 2, Saville Street, Emley, that their son Pte., R E Dobson, has been killed in the Burma fighting. He joined the Forces in September. 1939, and went overseas in December of the same year. He was previously employed at Armitage’s, Shelly.

Additional information :-  

Trooper Joseph Gamble – Joseph Herbert Gamble, was the son of George and Sophia Gamble.  Joseph served in the KOYLI, as Private 410047.  He died aged 30 years on the 24th of August 1944 and rests in Section C A Grave 1349 in Berwick-upon-Tweed Cemetery along 56 other casualties of war.

R E Dobson, was Robet Ebinor Dobson who served as Pte., 4748477 in the York and Lancaster Regiment.  The son of Frederick Ebinor Dobson and his wife Lily.  He was married to Vera and lived in Shelley.  He was killed in action n the 5th of August 1944, aged 26 and rests in Taukkyan War Cemetery, Myanmar (Burma).  The cemetery is approximately 6o minutes drive from the centre of Rangoon. According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission :-

Taukkyan War Cemetery via CWGC

“TAUKKYAN WAR CEMETERY is the largest of the three war cemeteries in Burma (now Myanmar). It was begun in 1951 for the reception of graves from four battlefield cemeteries at Akyab, Mandalay, Meiktila and Sahmaw which were difficult to access and could not be maintained. The last was an original ‘Chindit’ cemetery containing many of those who died in the battle for Myitkyina. The graves have been grouped together at Taukkyan to preserve the individuality of these battlefield cemeteries

The cemetery now contains 6,374 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 867 of them unidentified.
In the 1950s, the graves of 52 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War were brought into the cemetery from the following cemeteries where permanent maintenance was not possible: Henzada (1); Meiktila Cantonment (8); Thayetmyo New (5); Thamakan (4); Mandalay Military (12) and Maymyo Cantonment (22).

Note :- The Wakefield Express includes images of each of the soldiers included

Wakefield Express 24th August 1918

Wakefield Express – 24th August 1918

More extracts from the pages of the Wakefield Express during the Great War.

Pvte. Fred Hopwood, K.O.Y.L.I., Moorland Place, Flockton, has been admitted to hosptal suffering from shell wounds and shell shock. He is nineteen years of age, and before enlisting he worked at Messrs. Stringer and Son’s colliery at Emley Moor.

Private Norman Fenton, Queen’s Westminster Rifle’s, son of Mr. and Mrs. W Fenton, Leeds Road, Tingley, has been gassed, and sent to Gosforth near Newcastle-on-Tyne. Pte. Fenton is barely twenty years of age, was educated at the Morley secondary School, and just previous to enlistment had obtained a clerkship at one of the local banks.

Private A Smith, Highland Light Infantry, son of Mrs. Batty, Carlton Street, Lawfield Lane, Wakefield was admitted to the 1st Australian General Hospital, Rouen on July 31st, suffering from a fractured arm, the result of gun-shot. He enlisted when sixteen years of age, and had been in the army three years.

Private Percy Taylor, Black Watch of Methley, is reported to have been killed in action. He was twenty years of age, and son of Mr and Mrs W G Taylor, of 7 Middle Row, Methley Junction. He enlisted on May 1st 1917 having previously been employed at the Junction Haigh Moor Pit of Messrs. Hy. Briggs and Son, and Co. Ltd. He was wounded in the right hand on August 2nd last year, but was soon able to return to the Front.

Gunner Wilfred Speight of the R.F.A., whose parents live at Reyner’s Yard, Horbury, is now at Springburn Hospital, Glasgow. While on active service in France he accidentally fell over some wire in a shallow trench, and the weight of his body falling on his right arm fractured the bones at the elbow joint. He pluckily stayed on duty, with his arm fractured for two days, and then had to report sick, not being able to carry on longer. He was sent to the rear to a Casualty Clearing Station, and then to a hospital, and was next sent over to hospital in this country. Before enlisting he was employed in the offices of Messrs. Chas. Roberts and Co. Horbury Junction.

Cadet Sydney Hudson, K.O.Y.L.I., son of Mr and Mrs Hudson, Queen Street, Normanton, was killed in action on July 20th, and he leaves a widow and one child. He went to France with the 1st 4th K.O.Y.L.I., and was gassed in the first enemy gas attack. He came home on leave in April, twelve months afterwards, and was wounded in July after returning. He came home to England for his commission and passed his first examination, but in his second he was turned down. He returned to France three weeks after Easter for three months further instruction, but, unfortunately was killed before he was able to gain his commission. He was 23 years of age, and before the war he worked at St. John’s Colliery, Newland.

The above notice for Sydney would have been sad news for his family and friends but, a boon for family historians.

What do we now know about Sydney?  We know his parents address.  We know he was married and had a small child.  We know his regiment, part of his service history and his date of death. We also know by his rank that he was in line for a commission, this is confirmed his death notice. We also know how old he was and where he was employed before he joined the army.  Information that could have taken longer to find and confirm.

Koyli CWGC headstone emblem

A visit to the CWGC website has a Serjeant S Hudson dying on the 20th of July with a service number of 242739, serving in the 5th Btn., KOYLI and resting in Chambrecy British Cemetery  along with over 400 other casualties.  The cemetery is on the outskirts of Riems on the road to Chateau Thierry.

The Registers of Soldiers’ Effects has a Sidney (change of spelling) confirming the CWGC’s information of service number and date of death.  This series of records also includes the amount of money due to his family – his wife, Florence who was sent the sum of £26.  There is a marriage of a Sydney Hudson to Florence Bennett in the Bramley registration district who went on to have a child in the Pontefract area in the summer of 1917 – could this be the couple?

Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914 – 1919 is a fantastic collection of information.  These records were a few year ago only available in a cd format, quite an expensive cd, I might add. This information, now one of the many sources available from Ancestry, gives name, rank regiment, service number, place of birth and enlistment along with date of death and type of casualty. So, Sidney was born in Normanton and enlisted there.  Information that tallies with the birth of a child to him and Florence in the Pontefract area.

The Medal Card for Sydney tells that he enlisted as a Private and entered France in April of 1915 and later attained the rank of Serjeant.  He was eligible for the 1915 Star, along with the British and Victory Medals – Pip, Squeak and Wilfred.

 Florence had a young child to support after Sydney was killed in action. Did she re-marry?  There is an entry on Freebmd for a Florence Hudson marrying a James F Hampshire in the summer of 1927 – was this her? Or is the entry for Florence Hudson and George E Pawson who marrying in the Pontefract region in the winter of 1930 the right entry?  Or, did Florence not marry again…………….Do you know?

Miss Louisa Fennell

Miss Louisa Fennell

Wakefield Art Gallery source unknown

Extracted from the Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 18th April 1936:-

Pictures at Wakefield – Acquisitions of the Art Gallery. Among interesting events at the Wakefield City Art Gallery this year is to be an exhibition of the work of Miss Louisa Fennell, the members of whose family have presented to the gallery nine of the original water colours of Wakefield from which the well-known series of repodictions of views of Wakefield were taken.
Miss Fennell faithfully recorded interestinf views of Wakefield and the fact that the subjects of the scenes have now altered in most caes almost beyond recognition has made the paintings even more valuable from an historic point of view.  With the paintings have also been presented a copy of the artist’s book – “The live of St. Paul in Rome” – and the original sketches for the illustrations.  In addition the family have given three fan designs which are water colours on silk, two executed by Miss Emily E Fennell, and the other one by Miss Louisa Fennell.  The exhibition of Miss Louisa Fennell’s work is to be held in the Gallery in September.
Rece191nt acquisitions by the Gallery are two oil paintings, “Seascape”, by George Chambers, and “Cottage Interior”, by an unknown artist, both presented by Mr A A Haley, and a portrait by a talnted West Riding artist, John A Spancer, purchased by the Corporation from a recent exhibition at the Leeds Art Gallery.  Mr T Burgess of Rotherham, has loaned to the Gallery a painting by Pieter Wouverman, a 1th century Dutch artist, and a younger brother of the famous Philip Wouverman, who was born in Aarlem in 1614.

The article concludes with the following final paragraph:- 
The Wakefeld Art Gallery has come prominently to the fore rcently as a result of the special exhibition of pictures suitable for schools, arranged by the West Riding Education Committee, held there.  it was th first exhibition of its kind to be held in the North of England.  nearly 5,000 people visited the Gallery during the exhibition and inquiries concerning it have been received from all parts of the country, and one from South Africa.

Who was Louisa Fennell.  Louisa had been born in Wakefield in 1847 to William and Mary Fennell.  William worked as a Wine Merchant.  The family of 12, in 1881, lived in Westgate, Wakefield.  By 1901, William is an 83 year old widow, still working as a Wine merchant is  living with four of his spinster daughters at 31-33 Westgate, with two servants. Ten years later in 1911 Louisa was now the head of the household of 33 Westgate, where she lived with two of her sisters and one servant.  Home, 33 Westgate is quite a large house consising of 12 rooms.

Louisa was best known as a painter of landscapes and townscapes in the West Riding of Yorkshire, especially, Wakefield.  She also painted a series of townscapes of the City of York. She exhibited widely in the North of England – in 1884 her paintings were exhibited at the Spring Exhibition in Derby.

Sometime before 1930 Louisa moved to 21 St John’s Square, Wakefield (according to the 1911 census 21 St John’s Square was a 7 roomed dwelling), and it was there in 1939 that her sister, Bertha, was found living with one servant, Ivy Morgan (later to be Armitage) in 1939. Other residents were, a Company Director, Transport Engineer, Teacher, Headmistress, Inspector of Nurses and Midwives, HM Inspector of Schools.  The beautiful three sided square, with St John’s Church at its centre is quite unlike the square today.

Hepworth Gallery ©C Sklinar

Louisa died on the 13th of March 1930 and rests within the small burial ground surrounding St John’s Church. Probate was registered in London the following month and granted to Emily Esther Fennell and Bertha Fennell spinsters and Charles William Fennell engineers.  Effects £1808 10s  6d.

Wakefield City Art Gallery, now having moved to a purpose built building by the River Calder and re-named The Hepworth Gallery (taking its name from another Wakefield artist) has within its collection 17 Wakefield scenes and other works by Louisa.

Shipley Times & Express

Shipley Times & Express

The Letter Home is an extract from the Shpley Times & Express dated 7th June 1944.

via Shipley Times and Express 7 June 1944

The Letter Home
Each lad as he writes to his Mother
Is conjuring up in his mind
All the scenes and sounds of his homeland
And he folk that he’s left far behind

The tinkle of sheep on the hillside
The chime of the village church bells
The tang of the spray off the Solent
The grandeur of Cumberland dells

Some yearn to be tramping the moorland
Some sigh for the Yorkshire dales
The warm sunny slopes of the Mendips
The blue hazy hilltops of Wales

So let’s give Salute to our soldiers
And remember, wherever they roam
That when they’re not fighting, they’re thinking
And dreaming of England and home.

via Shipley Times and Express 7 June 1944

Wakefield Express 6th May 1944

Wakefield Express 6th May 1944

Extracts from the Wakefield Express

Missing  – Mr and Mrs H Walton, of the Gardeners Inn, Baker Lane, Stanley, has received official notification that their son, Donald, is missing as from March 14th, 1944.  He has served abroad for more than four years as L/Cpl in the Q.O.Y.D. (Queen’s Own Yorkshire Dragoons). Prior to joning up he worked at the Yorkshire Copper Works.

Killed In Action – Mr. Wm. Tennant, of 3 Chadwick’s Yard, Kirkgate, Wakefield, has received notification of death of his son, Private Jack Tennant, aged 20, of the York and Lancaster Regt., C.M.F., on March 22nd. A letter received from his captain says he was the first of a carrying party when a shell came over and killed him and three others.  Before joining the army he was employed at R.S. Dyson, Peterson Road.  He served in the North African campaign.

Wakefield Soldier Wins M.M.

Wakefield Soldier Wins M.M.

Military Medal via Wikipedia

Wakefield Express 10th February 1945.
Wakefield Solder wins M.M. – It is announced that the Military Medal has been awarded to L/Cpl Harry Ward, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, of Wakefield, for services in North West Europe.  The citation states: “He has done outstanding work since he came into the line. On one occasion he commanded a stretcher bearer party which brough in a wounded officer and man under fire; he persevered even after he had made two attempts which were not successful and on the third attempt led his party up the road, which was covered by the enemy’s machine-guns and finally crawled back with the wounded men although it necessitated two journeys.  The distance that he had to cover was almost 200 yards on each occasion.  Ob many other occasions this N.C.O. has displayed courage and leadership by leaving his slit trench in the midst of  enemy mortar fire and artillery fire to go to the assistance of wounded men.  His example and constant cheerfulness has been a outstanding example to his comrades.”

The above information tells of how Harry was awarded the Military Medal, but who was he before he went to war?

Victoria Cross Trust

Victoria Cross Trust at Ashworth Barracks

After wanting to visit Ashworth Barracks for quite a while, I finally visited earlier this month armed with a small file with information about one of my two distant family members who had been awarded the Victoria Cross..

Ashworth Barracks

Set within a disused school, the museum is surrounded by houses and feels part of the community. Access is easy. I arrived via the A1, exiting at junction 36 and heading towards Doncaster where there were a few signs pointing the way.

After paying my entrance fee, I was already to go, but it was suggested that if I wait a few minutes I would be on the next guided tour……..am I glad I waited!

Paul, one of the volunteer guides arrived and as I was the only visitor at the time, I had a personal guided tour.

I had mentioned at reception that I had a distant connection to two V.C holders and as my guide and I walked across to the museum entrance, he commented to a couple of men about my connection. One of the men had heard of my recipient – I was surprised as it is hard to find any mention of him in books connected to either the Victoria Cross or Victoria Cross recipients. Could my day get any better………………yes, it could and it did.

The museum depicts the story of the Victoria Cross from its early days to modern times by the use of static displays, individual displays and representation. Paul and the other volunteer guides have a vast knowledge of the recipients, all men, and their deeds. Although women have been eligible to receive the Victoria Cross since 1921 there have been no female recipients since then.

During my visit one of the stories I heard was that  of Stanley Elton Hollis VC, who served in the Green Howards who had the distinction of receiving the only Victoria Cross awarded on D-Day. My father served in the Green Howards and like Stanley landed on Gold Beach.

One of the exhibits is a living room and backyard depicting a house during the time of WW2, with a welcoming fire, chair and outhouse with a bath hanging on the wall. Other exhibits include a mound of army desert boots under a draped Union Flag – the exhibit has no explanation, no photographs, it doesn’t need anything, the boots and the flag say all that needs to be said.

Another section of the museum houses a collection of German militaria. Some may not agree or feel comfortable that German artefacts are kept within the walls of a museum focusing on Commonwealth forces. But, and there is always a but! To have a war or conflict there has to be an enemy. Without the enemy would there be the Victoria Cross? Without the Victoria Cross would there be the Ashworth Museum? There are always two sides – and you can’t have one without the other. Artefacts included in this small section are letters, documentation and militaria.

A guided tour normally take around two hours – I think mine lasted a little longer than that. Did I mind?  No, as I was fortunate enough to hold a medal worn by one of my distant relatives. Paul, my guide was as surprised as I, when we learnt that the medal was part of the museum’s collection. I told you my day could only get better and it certainly did.

Did I have a good visit?      Yes.
Was the entrance fee of £7 worth it?      Yes.
Would I recommend the museum?     Yes.
Will I be going back?      Yes, of course I will.

 

Wakefield Express – Butel Brothers

Wakefield Express – Butel Brothers

Extracted from the Wakefield Express June 1944.

BROTHERS WOUNDED – Cpl. B butel and Pte. J. Butel, Dorsetshire Regiment, sons of Mr P.A. Butel, of la Moye, Jersey, Channel Islands, now living at 16, St John’s North, Wakefield, have been wounded in Normandy.

Butel brothers via Wakefield Express June 1944

Butel brothers via Wakefield Express June 1944

Although not a very good photocopy of the Butel brothers – the image was very dark. You can get an impression of the young men.

What were the Butel brothers doing in Wakefield.

Quite a few people from the Channel Islands came to Wakefield during WW2, leaving their home as the islands had been taken over by the German Army.  Were the brothers part of this migration to safety? Or, had they already left to join the British Army? Does anyone know?

Photographs – Who are You?

Photographs – Who are You?

A while ago I was donating somethings to charity – my chosen charity shop was closed, and as the items I wished to donate were in my car I stopped off at another charities shop to pass on the items. While in the shop one of the staff, I think it was the deputy manager, started talking when he spotted my interest in a framed photograph. It was old, in a wooden frame and was of a couple and looked to be from the first 20 years of the 1900’s. I love old photographs but I wish people would write on the back – passing on the information of who is who. My mum was an example of non-writing on photographs, well, why should she, she knew who the people were.

DSCF6080Anyway, moving on. I walked out of the shop armed with an envelope containing a handful of WW2 photographs and one of a lady who looked to have been captured in time a little earlier. I also had a simple wooden frame securing a grey board, upon the board was a printed military crest. Below the crest was the name, service number and regiment of a man written in what looked like a pencil, with the passing of time had faded and only the faint indentations of the writing implement were visible…………..that is another story!

I was told in the charity shop that they came from a house clearance in the Castleford/Normanton area.

Now is the time to try and link names to a lady and a few soldiers.

Starting with the lady, as you should in polite circles. Her dress looks to be from around the second decade of the 1900’s. Her hair is in a simple off the face style and she has a wistful look that could be tinged with sadness. Her dress or top is buttoned through and finished off with a brooch which looks to be in the form of a bow and a long securing pin. The photograph was taken by Muller Portrait Co., 4 Silver Street, Halifax.

DSCF6092 lady cropped 20170417_102406

The photographs of the soldiers seem to be taken in various places including Talbot Studios (T H Louden) 61 Talbot Road, Blackpool; Swift Studios in either Plymouth of Exeter; Modern Studios, 11 Boar Lane, Leeds; Pictorial Studios, The Esplanade, Redcar; T  E Cox, Ripon and a couple in Bombay that look like pictures taken by fellow soldiers.

A few of the photographs have names on the back, as if sent with a letter, while others are blank.

Who to start off with?  The man at the top.  A soldier with his cap at a jaunty angle and no signes of a regiment apart from a cap badge.  On the reverse are the words ‘Plows Histon 170 Street (?)’.

Eric on the left and Mr Plows on right

Eric on the left and Mr Plows on right

Next is a man who writes on the reverse of his image ‘To Forrie and Harold with love from Eric’. At least we know this young mans name!

Following on is a man serving in the RAF and written on the reverse is ‘Mr Plows’ – could he  be a relative of the soldier at Histon?

Florrie and Harold must have been well known and liked in the area as the photographs from Bombay are for them and they received two photographs within a month.  ‘To Florrie and

Raymond, Bombay 1945

Raymond, Bombay 1945

Raymond, Bombay 1945.

Raymond, Bombay 1945.

Harold from Raymond xxxxxx, Bombay Aug 45′ and then ‘ To Florrie and Harold from Raymond xxxxx Bombay 15th Sept 45’.  What connection had Florrie and Harold to Raymond and our first young man? On close inspection of the coloured photograph, it looks like it is hand coloured as his cap badge on the left clearly shows it should not be red and the pink/red colouring runs in two places onto the white border.

The following pictures have no names or clues except the group image was taken by a photographer from Ripon. Do you know who these men are, if you do, let me know!

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10 WW1 things to do in Northern France and Belgium

10 WW1 things to do in Northern France and Belgium

1 Toc H and the Shot at Dawn Post – Poperinghe

2 Lijssenthoek CWGC Cemetery and Visitor Center

3 The Blochaus de Eperleques

4 Tyne Cot CWGC and Visitor Center

5 Langermark German Cemetery

6 In Flanders Field Museum

7 Vimy Ridge and Visitor Center

8 Le Carriere eWellington

9 Passchendale Museum

10 Victoria Cross: The Heroes’ Trail

Before you visit – check for opening times, entrance charges, facilities and access.

If you are going to look for a specific soldier or place, do a little bit of research before you go, it will be worth the pre-planning.