Grimsby Telegraph First World War Centenary Commemorative Supplement

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GTE-E01-S3-JULY 29, 2014

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Full record of Grimsby’s War Work T

ODAY Grimsby, with all other cities, towns and villages of Britain, is celebrating the advent of a victorious peace, and the measure of the rejoicing is, to some extent, governed by the measure of our effort to win that peace. A history of Grimsby’s effort in the war would occupy many volumes, but it can only be summarised in a few lines.

Grimsby provided about 8,000 men for the various military and naval units.

These, for the most part, joined the 10th and 11th Lincolns – Battalions specially raised by Grimsby in reply to Lord Kitchener’s appeal – the 1/5th, 2/5th and 3/5th Lincolns, the 1st North Midland Brigade Royal Field Artillery, and the Lincolnshire Yeomanry.

When the seas were strewn with mines and submarines threatened our mercantile marine, Grimsby provided 433 trawlers, with 5,875 fishermen to man them, and the men who had all their lives followed a peaceful calling chanced the hazard among the mines, or turned their little vessels into fighting units.

Altogether a total of 14,000 men went into the various services. The English Army at Agincourt was but about 15,000, and considerably less at Crecy and Poitiers. Even in Cromwell’s stirring days Parliament decided that the total standing army of the country should not exceed 21,000, yet in this war Grimsby alone raised 14,000 for the fighting forces.

What was left of the fishing fleet “carried on” amid the dangers of the North Sea, and in this dangerous

A little booklet was compiled in 1919 by Grimsby’s Town Clerk. It was a uniquely informative source about Grimsby’s part in the war effort. In the summer of 1919, Grimsby was recovering from the First World War. Men and women were returning to their old jobs. Some were returning to unemployment. The town council’s agenda now included the presentation of medals to returning heroes. For those who had not returned memorials were being dedicated. In the town hall an exhibition of captured equipment and war mementos was held. This record of the town’s work paid tribute to all who had made the victory possible. As never before the entire population had been mobilised for what was to pass into history as the “Great War”. Out of the realisation of this enormity grew memorials like this. Our thanks to North East Lincolnshire Council for allowing us to reproduce this record. endeavour to maintain the food supply, 156 trawlers were lost or captured, some 545 lives were lost, leaving 255 widows and 531 orphans. In addition there are 696 widows and 785 orphans of Grimsby fishermen who have lost their lives in the minesweepers and other naval service.

The women of Grimsby gave themselves to the work of the Red Cross, many serving in the VAD in the two local hospitals, others providing the sinews of hospital work.

Under Lady Bennett, a Hospital Supply Depot was formed which sent hundreds of thousands of articles out to hospitals at home and abroad. The women ran hostels and service clubs, worked in connection with the Emergency Corps and provided comforts for the troops.

A Government shell factory was

AMMUNITIONS: This photograph shows staff of the Grimsby National Shell Factory in Victoria Street, Grimsby. It was taken in December 1918.

established here, and turned out 324,859 shells, the women and girls playing a big part in the work, whilst a private company also turned out munitions.

The War Saving’s Committee helped to raise nearly seven million sterling for the purpose of carrying on the war.

Something like over 1,000 men joined the Special Police, and several thousand the VTC, known as the 3rd Battalion Lincolnshire Volunteer Regiment.

The Mayor’s Relief Committee raised something like £15,000 for helping families affected by the war.

The war work included the organisation of the food and coal supply, the watching of the coast by scouts, the defence of the town against air raids, the entertainment of soldiers and of the wounded, flag days for many war charities etc.

THE CHUMS

and successful termination of the present struggle will not be appealed But no! The brave die never; to in vain.

Being deathless they but change their Every able-bodied man has a duty to Country’s arms for more – perform, and I ask every man in this Their country’s heart. town, able to bear arms, to come forward to help his country in the In the early inexperienced days, amid hour of its need. the jostle of events, the coming and JH Tate, Mayor, chairman of the going of troops, the organisation of war Recruiting Committee. workers and relief committees, there At once men sprang from office stools, appeared on the walls of Grimsby the from bank and counting house, from following poster: school and workshop, to defend our To the men of Grimsby: Lord country.

Kitchener has asked for 100,000 men The Training Corps at the Municipal for the Army, and a new Battalion of College formed the nucleus around the famous Lincolnshire Regiment is which others gathered. to be raised as part of this number.

It was on September 9 the Mayor, These men are wanted immediately Alderman JH Tate, JP, received the to defend our country. telegram asking him to raise a battalion, I am sure that the men of Grimsby and before the day closed 300 men had who are so vitally interested in a quick been enrolled.

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Commemorating Grimsby’s role in war

On July 28, 1914, the First World War – a global war that centred in Europe – began, lasting until November 11, 1918. Britain entered the war on August 4, 1914, after declaring war on Germany. During those four years, three months and one week, more than 9 million combatants were killed. Many, many Grimsby men were among the casualties, not least as members of The Chums, the 10th Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment, the heroism of which is being recorded with the republication of Grimsby’s Own – The Story Of The Chums – in the Grimsby Telegraph. It was one of the deadliest conflicts in history, and this year we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of the Great War. This special souvenir supplement – including a replica Grimsby Telegraph from August 1914 – is just a snapshot of the role that Grimsby and its people played in the First World War, including a Roll of Honour, but includes stories that, even over the past 100 years, have rarely been told. With thanks to Peter Chapman and Linda Roberts

Two months later, on the day Ald Tate retired from the mayoral office, the battalion, officially known as the 10th Lincolns, but dear to our memory as “The Chums” was at full strength, with four companies of 250 men each.

Colonel the Hon George E Heneage was the first commander; the officers under him were practically all of them men well-known in the town.

Uniformed in blue, billeted in the town, and training on the college playfield, they were a familiar feature as daily they marched through the streets, and were idolised here.

They represented the young manhood of the town, which had sacrificed hopes and ambitions at the call of the country.

The were pre-eminently men of peace, who but a month or two earlier had thought it impossible ever to wear a soldier’s tunic.

It was a great cause and sheer patriotism that had suddenly changed the whole course of their lives.

Major WA Vignoles, the borough

electrical engineer, became the first adjutant, succeeded later by Major GL Bennett, and Major T Maudsley Howkins, the first quartermaster.

The Recruiting Committee built a camp at Brocklesby, and here the battalion took up their quarters until June of 1915.

By the invitation of the mayor, Mr JW Eason JP, they paid a visit to Grimsby, and the town greeted the men – now looking a magnificent body in their khaki – lustily and bade them good luck.

Their next camp was at Studley Royal, Ripon, and having been officially taken over by the War Office, they were brigaded in the 101st Brigade of the 34th Dividion, Major Gen Ingouville Williams CB, being the GOC of the Division.

The next move was to Perham Down, on Salisbury Plain, under canvas, later moving into huts near Warminster.

At this period the “Chums” were getting impatient at the length of their

training, and those at home wondered why the government did not launch these men at the enemy.

The momentous day came on January 5, 1916. The Chums crossed the Channel and after a short period in the trenches at Armentieres the battalion moved south to the Somme area, where three weeks were spent in the strenuous work in the trenches in preparation for the great offensive.

At 7am on the morning of July 1, 1916, the young officers of the battalion sprang on to the parapet, and the next instant a large portion of the unit was pouring over the top, eager to come to grips with the Bosch.

La Boiselle, battered and ruined, lay to their left; in front the ground was pock-marked with craters, the result of a week of gunfire, during which the men had crouched in the trenches, almost stunned by the inferno of artillery, lacking proper meals because the commissariat found it impossible to bring meals through the barrage, and

cursing the methods which had made war so horrible.

When the moment came to attack there was no need to urge them, for every breast burned with the desire to come to grips with the foe, and fight the matter out.

So they swarmed up over the top, and across No Man’s Land, only to discover that in warfare things do no always work with clock-like accuracy.

The barrage on the enemy’s trenches lifted too early, and hereabouts “Jerry” had been anticipating the attack for weeks, and preparing against it with an unlimited supply of machine guns, so that before the Chums were far advanced there came a scythe of lead which mowed them down with merciless slaughter.

We are apt to look back with pity, almost with terror, on the day, and yet it was then that Grimsby lived its noblest, for despite the fact that officers were falling, that huge gaps were torn in the ranks, the Chums kept their faces

towards their objective, and never a word has come of any man flinching.

Of that magnificent body, only two officers came back unwounded, and only about 100 men, leaving some 400 or 500 dead and wounded behind.

Yet one of the officers, Lieut Hendin, with four men, reached the enemy’s trenches, and went through to the third line, and hung on there for four days, collecting scattered parties and consolidating his defence.

All touch was lost with the rear, the lieutenant and men were counted among the casualties, but to the surprise of the headquarters he returned, and was later awarded the Military Cross.

He was killed leading another attack in 1917.

Among the casualties that day were Lieut RP Eason, Sec Lieut L Cummins (Acting Adjutant, killed); Sec Lieut J Shankster, killed; Sec Lieut W Swift, killed; Lieut Col (the Major) Vignoles, wounded; Capt CH Bellamy, seriously Continued on page 4

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wounded (the latter died from his wounds), and Lieut R Coote Green, wounded.

The remnant of the battalion was withdrawn, and reinforced before again being thrown into the battle about the end of July, or the beginning of August.

After this they went back to Armentieres, and after a spell in Flanders, in reserve, they were dispatched to Arras.

Here they took part in the great attack on Vimy Ridge on April 9, 1917, with the 34th Division on the right the Highland division, and in that magnificent fight they reached their objective without any great sacrifice.

It was on this occasion that Lt Col Kennington, then a Major, distinguished himself and won the MC. In the last stage of the attack the Battalion advanced 1,600 yards with practically no support, with their flanks “in the air”, led by Col Kennington.

For five days they held the position, five terrible days of snow and sleet, with the cold so bitter that 50 men were taken from the trenches suffering from exposure and exhaustion. Finally they were relieved and brought back to refit and recruit.

Their next move was about April 25, but we should add that during the period of which we have been speaking, Col Cordeaux and Lt Col GWB Clark had been in turn in command, and now Lt Col Vignoles succeeded to that position.

It was under Lt Col Vignoles that the Chums moved into the line again on April 25, 1917, and joined in the attack on the chemical works at Roeux on April 28. For the second time in history they were met with a hail of machine gun bullets, all the officers but two being hit, and the casualties numbering about 450.

Whilst thus terribly depleted they were counter attacked, but the remnant stood up to this, repulsed the enemy and brought back some prisoners.

Two days later they were relieved and came back to rest, and to learn that their commander, Lt Col Vignoles, had earned the Distinguished Service Order.

Next we find the Chums at Hargicourt, just south of Cambrai, where they put up one of their best “stunts,” holding the enemy to the trenches whilst the great battles of Flanders were fought, preventing reinforcements being sent northwards.

The 34th Division carried out their mission here without any supports.

On August 28, they captured the sugar factory fairly easily, but were heavily shelled for three days, and had a number of casualties to report.

AT PASSCHENDAELE Most horrible of all the battles on the Western front was the attack on the Passchendaele Ridge in the latter part of 1917, horrible because of the mud and slime through which British soldiers struggled foot by foot. Here again we find the Chums attacking at Langemarck, where Major Emerson led them and won his MC. Then back to Arras sector to hold trenches through the winter and to wonder what “Jerry” was preparing for the spring, now that Russia was out of

Grimsby’s role in Great War the war. After a month’s rest they were in reserve to the 34th Division, on the memorable March 21, 1918, at another famous battlefield – Bullecourt – where for a while the enemy were held up.

Colonel Clark, who had returned to the command the previous July – Colonel Vignoles had been given command of a Battalion of the Northumberlands – had been succeeded

by Colonel Blockley about February, and under him the unit gave a good account of itself at Bullecourt.

Once again they went to Armentieres, where the British losses had been heavy, and here they were holding the front line trench when the Portuguese were attacked on April 9, and the line breached.

Very quickly the Chums were engaged, and for ten days they fought a retiring action, coming to rest at Mont Noir, near Bailleul with the enemy definitely stopped.

The people of Grimsby will remember that about that time the great salient at Ypres was given up and there was a fear that more ground would be lost, thus bringing the enemy dangerously near the Channel Ports, and placing the Northern extremity of the Allied line in a very awkward predicament.

But the line held, despite the heavy attacks, and the Germans transferred their attention to the Rheims sector.

For a time the Chums were in reserve behind Ypres, and finally came the order that the Battalion was not to be built up to strength again, that recruits were not available, and so in the days when the Allies set their teeth in the German line, and then drove the enemy back, and still further back, winning glorious victory after glorious victory, the Chums were reduced to a cadre, and employed in training the Americans, who had come across to help in the final coup do grace.

Their history terminated on June 10, with the arrival home in Grimsby of their colours, which now hang in the Parish Church, a patch of crimson to remind us of their gallantry.

This summary would not be complete without mention of the reserve Battalion, the 11th Lincolns, which was formed, and which included a Fish Dock Platoon.

They trained first at Brocklesby, and afterwards in the Newcastle district, and the Mayor that raised the Chums, still hoping to do more for his country, left home and business to become their quartermaster.

FIFTH LINCOLNSHIRE REGIMENT Many of Grimsby’s best and bravest sons served with the 5th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, and evidence of their gallantry and devotion to duty is to be found in the official dispatches sent home by the Field Marshall from time to time.

The “Glorious Fifths” were organised in April 1908, on the introduction of the

Territorial system, and were presented with their colours by King Edward VII at Windsor in 1909.

When the world was startled by the news of the declaration of war the Battalion was in Camp at Bridlington, and on August 4, they were recalled to Grimsby, and orders for mobilisation were issued the following day.

For ten days the Battalion remained in Grimsby, being billeted in South Parade and Garden Street Schools, the Doughty Road Drill Hall, at the Docks and at Waltham. In the early hours of the morning of August 14 they left for their first station at Belper in Derbyshire, subsequently moving to Luton, where they were in training until October.

The training was completed at Stanstead in Essex, and on February 27, 1915, the Battalion left for France, under the command of Colonel TE Sandall, forming part of the 46th Division.

This was the first complete Territorial Division to enter upon actual service, a division complete in personnel, equipment and armament.

The Fifth Lincolns’ first experience of actual war was in March 1915, when they entered the trenches at Ploegsteert and Kemmel, and June of the same year saw them in the thick of the fighting in the historic Ypres salient.

In October the battalion moved to the Hullock sector and won golden opinions for their workin the attack on the Hohenzollern Redoubt on the memorable 13th October.

The casualty list revealed the price they paid in this attack, for only one officer, and 128 warrant officers, non-commissioned officers and men came through unscathed, out of the 850 that went “over the top”.

Colonel Sandall was wounded in this battle. But the stronghold was wrested from the enemy and held until the Division was relieved by the Guards on the following day. While the Battalion was in the Neuve Chapelle sector it received orders to proceed to Egypt, having been reinforced in the meantime by drafts of officers and men from

England.

Only part of the Division arrived in Egypt, however, the order being cancelled before the remainder had left France.

The “Fifths” arrived in the land of Pyramids only to be recalled a month or two later. Within a short time of their return, we find them at work on Vimy Ridge.

In April 1916, they moved into the Bionvilliers sector, and on July 1 they took part in the attack on Gommecourt Wood, where the battalion again suffered very heavily.

After the July offensive the Lincolns remained in the same sector for some months, and we next find them back in the region of Lens and Loos, where they played a conspicuous part in all the attacks on that front during the summer and autumn of 1917.

When the German offensive opened in the spring of 1918 the battalion were in the trenches in the neighbourhood of Hulloch and Hill 70, where it fought gallantly to stem the tide of the oncoming German hordes.

When Foch determined upon his final blow the Fifths were in the Lys salient, and Grimsby heard with pride the story of the wonderful attack on the St Quentin Canal and on Ascension Valley, in the course of which the 46th Division (of which the Lincolns formed a part) especially distinguished itself in the crossing of the canal.

The canal was thought to be invulnerable, but men swam it or got across on rafts, and the 46th Division created a record for the number of prisoners taken.

As the result of this movement thousands of prisoners and many guns fell into our hands.

From the commencement of the attack at St Quentin, it was, as all the world knows, one continuous victorious advance for our troops, the local battalion fighting with distinction at Ramicourt, Fresney le Grand, Audingy les Fromes, Sambre Canal and Avesnes, finally halting, after the signing of the

Armistice in November 1918, at Boosiers.

It will be recalled that the cadre of the battalion arrived back in Grimsby on Sunday, July 5, when the colours were deposited in the Grimsby Parish Church.

ROYAL FIELD ARTILLERY Grimsby has every reason to be proud of the part played in the Great War by the 1st North Midland Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery, the headquarters of which have been in Grimsby for many years. A large number of local men served with the Brigade in France, and quite a number of Grimsby’s best sons fell while serving the guns of the Brigade.

On the day War was declared – the unforgettable August 4, 1914, the Brigade was mobilised and went into training at Luton, and afterwards at Stanstead, the latter, a village on the borders of Hertfordshire and Essex, not unknown to the men who joined the 5th Lincolnshire Regiment, for it was here that part of their training took place.

In March 1915, the Brigade crossed the Channel, under the command of Colonel J Tonge, CMG, who for several years prior to the war had been a popular artillery officer.

With the gigantic German army rapidly pressing forward, it was not long before serious work was found for the Brigade, which was one of the first Territorial units with the British Army to enter the arena of war, and their guns were brought into action very shortly after their arrival on foreign soil. Their first big engagement was on Hill 60, a name familiar to all who followed the struggle in France in its early stage, for their are few places that have figured more frequently in the official communiques at the time than did Hill 60, which was an important strategical point.

GLORIOUS FIFTHS: Men of the 1/5th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment training in Bridlington just before their mobilisation 1914.

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north. Then came a charge, for after all this fighting in the desert and amid the strange scenery of Palestine, the Yeomanry were ordered to France, became machine gunners with transport, and saw something of the big push which sent the Germans flying back to Mons and led to the Armistice.

VERY “SPECIAL” WORK

LINCOLNSHIRE YEOMANRY: A relaxed group of soldiers at a camp in 1914.

Then came the battle of Ypres and Loos, in both of which the Brigade took part with considerable credit to themselves, particular at the capture of that German stronghold, the Hohenzollern Redoubt.

At Ypres the Brigade was heavily shelled by the enemy and there were many casualties, among the local officers who lost their lives during the encounter being Lt WG Marshall and Capt RBT Cliff.

Early in 1916, the 1st North Midland Brigade relived our French ally at the Vimy Ridge, and played a prominent part in the first battle of the Somme, and subsequently harassed the enemy during his retreat on the Somme in 1917.

After leaving the Somme sector the Brigade moved to the Lens front, and was present at the fight for Hill 70.

Fate decreed that Col Tonge should not live to see the gallant part that his Brigade played in this historic event, for he was killed while reconnoitring shortly before the action.

A glowing tribute was paid to Col Tonge in a letter home from a fellow officer announcing his death.

“Without exception,” wrote the officer, “he was the bravest man I know. He had a heart as big as himself and no thought of fear in his composition anywhere.”

Col Tonge was virtually a Grimbarian, for he came here from Hull at a very tender age, and after leaving school entered the legal profession.

He joined the 1st Lincolnshire Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers) in February 1886, and when the Territorial scheme came into force he decided to carry on, eventually succeeding to the command on the retirement of Col Grange.

Col Younger, an officer of the Regular Army, was gazetted to the command of the Brigade in succession of Col Tonge, and was in charge when the enemy made a determined thrust on the Lens front.

From here the Brigade moved north, and we next find them in the thick of the fighting around Bethune, a town that suffered much from the long range shells of the enemy.

Right through the critical days of the

spring of 1918, the 1st North Midland fought gallantly to stem the tide of the oncoming German hordes, and when Foch struck it came into action again and again, finally taking part in the glorious epic at the Canal du Nord, when the 46th Division crossed the canal and struck a mortal blow at the enemy flank.

Incomplete as it is this brief history of the unit serves to show that the Brigade bore its full share of the fighting on the Western front, and the many honours that have fallen to officers and men provide further proof that the Brigade worthily upheld the best traditions of the British Army.

LINCOLNSHIRE YEOMANRY Of all our local forces the least has been heard during the war of the Lincolnshire Yeomanry, the D Squadron of which, under the command of Major Roland Sleight, had headquarters at Grimsby; yet they had a stirring history.

Mobilised on the outbreak of war with other territorial units, they were first utilised in the defence of th East Coast, but in August of 1915 were equipped for Gallipoli as infantry.

This order was countermanded , and later they embarked in the SS Mercian for Salonica as infantry. All went well with the transport until nine hours from Gibraltar, when she was attacked by submarine – the first case, we believe, of a transport being attacked.

The story of the incident in the Mediterranean Sea is fairly well-known in Grimsby. The Mercian had no guns and some of the troops, under Major JW Wintringham, MC, brought up their machine guns, but were outranged. Still the men made a fight for it.

The captain handled his vessel with skill. Private Thompson, a Lincolnshire man, taking the wheel under his direction, and men of the Yeomanry going down in the stokehold and keeping up steam after the crew had left the vessel.

The vessel was hit several times, and the casualties numbered about a hundred, Capt Lord Kesteven being

There were some of us who deprecated the work of the “Specials”, with their mandatory “put that light out”, but today everybody agrees that the darkness saved Grimsby.

Over 1,000 Grimsby men have been in the Special Police, the force at its strongest being 770.

It was formed under Major Bennett in the early days of the war, Captain Warner succeeded to the post of Chief Special Constable, and when the latter took up military duties, Mr Calvin Wright became the Chief and has occupied that positin up to the present.

Both Mr Wright and Mrs Peet, among the killed, but the Mercian eventually got clear and made for Oran, superintendent of the signal section, have been awarded the MBE. in Algeria, where the French treated Much of the work of the Specials lay them very kindly. in ordinary street duty, their presence Lord Kesteven and about 30 NCOs enabling the Chief Constable, Mr John and men who were killed were buried at sea or at Oran, and five days later the Stirling, to release 46 men for the army, but on 57 occasions air raid action has troops again set sail, calling at Malta, been taken. and then proceeding to Alexandria.

Whilst in camp there news was received of the Senassi rising, and the reigment was dispatched to Favoum, where they remained as a garrison, patrolling the province and the surrounding desert until December.

On Tuesday, August 4, 1914, the In the summer of 1916 the Yeomanry fishing craft of this country pulled up crossed the Suez Canal, and, as part of their nets and hurried to port, ears the Anzac Mounted Division, they took stretched to catch the first sounds of a part in the first and second battles of naval battle. It was a widespread belief, Gaza. nay, a part of our national gospel, that if In 1917 they patrolled the desert England went to war the guns of our between Gaza and Beersheba, having fleet would instantly thunder forth; but several brushes with the enemy patrols. though the guns of the fleet were not They also assisted the Engineers in heard, though no great naval action preparing maps for General Allenby’s cleared the seas, the home-coming advance on Jerusalem. It was their trawlers found light cruisers, fortune in November of 1917 to take submarines and treacherous mines part in the great cavalry sweep under urging them on at top speed, so that the direction of General Allenby, which quickly the fish dock was clogged with led to the capture of Jerusalem, and vessels. several times they charged with the The first thought was to provide the sword, a weapon that was practically fishermen with employment and the unknown in the fighting in Europe.

Mayor and Town Clerk proceeded to The Division was finally stopped in London with that object, but suddenly the encircling movement north of the representatives of the Admiralty Jerusalem by a couple of picked enemy appeared in Grimsby, and it was divisions at Beitur-el-Tahta, and it was discovered that the scheme of utilising in this battle that the Yeomanry the trawler as a minesweeper was not Mounted Division held up a very strong merely theory but very practical work. counter attack and suffered many Today the world knows, on the casualties, including Major Wright and highest naval authority, that the Lieut C Wright, both of Willingham. trawlers and the fishermen made the Before this there had been many sea possible for the Navy. exciting incidents, for instance after the The fishing craft were the advanced capture of Beersheba there was fear of guard and without these sturdy, fearless an enemy outflanking movement dogs of the sea the Navy could not have succeeding, and the machine guns were achieved the work it did. ordered to protect the flank. In going Within a few hours of war breaking out to the flank they anticipated shell out a number of trawlers were actually fire, but to their surprise were caught by engaged in sweeping mines from the heavy rifle fire and suffered several seas. casualties. It was here that Major Only a few men had been trained in Wintringham won his MC. the work, but when it was found that After the capture of the Jerusalem the the enemy had prepared mines and Division was rested, but subsequently submarines to defeat the British Navy took part in the operations in the Jordan nearly all the vessels that could be got Valley, and the brilliant movements were required. It was the British fishing carried out by General Allenby further fleet against German cunning.

THE FISHERMEN IN WAR

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More and more vessels were taken as the time went on, for their work was not confined to the North Sea. When HMS Queen Elizabeth and other vessels of the Navy went out to the Dardanelles the trawlers went with them, and it was always the largest and best trawlers that were commandeered.

Over 430 vessels in all were supplied

by Grimsby, and it is but fair to state that the fishermen went quite readily and the owners of the vessels were pleased to play their part.

Of the 430 on service some 60 vessels were lost together with 519 men, leaving 313 widows and 480 orphans.

As 156 vessels were lost whilst fishing, with 553 men, leaving 225 widows and 679 orphans, the total loss in this connection is: 216 vessels, 1,072 men, and there were left to mourn their loss, 538 widows and 1,159 orphans.

This is not the full total for between 1,000 to 2,000 fishermen belonged to the Naval Reserve and were called up, or enlisted when the navy called for volunteers, and some of these failed to return.

Altogether 5,875 men joined the Navy or the Auxiliary Services – minesweepers, patrols etc.

Meanwhile the greater part of the fishing grounds were closed, and in the restricted area vessels ventured forth to help the food supply of the nation. The danger of the work was proved by the terrible losses that followed.

For a time every week, almost every day, brought the news of vessels cruelly sunk by submarines, or sent to the bottom by an explosive mine.

Still the fishermen were not cowed, all they complained about was that the country did not arm them so that they might put up some sort of a fight.

Once or twice stories were heard of another character, of “trawlers” that had guns, and of submarines that, refusing to waste torpedoes on such small craft, came boldly up with bombs and suddenly found themselves shelled and wounded mortally.

From April, 1917, to June 23, 1919, the whole of the fishing vessels were placed under the control of the Admiralty.

Captain Massy Dawson, DSO, was for the greater part of the time in charge, and latterly Captain Pollen.

A Port Committee was appointed, consisting of Lieut-Commander W Grant, OBE (the Port of Fishery Captain), Messrs TW Baskcomb, A Bannister, G Moody, JD Marsden, WF Goodwin, RW Roberts and HL Taylor, Mr H Croft Baker being appointed to the Committee on the death of Alderman Roberts, Mr JJ Sutton, MBE, was the Secretary, and later owing to the vast amount of control that lay in his hands, he was given a Naval rank.

The fishing vessels were now placed in sections, two vessels of each section being fitted with wireless and armed with guns.

AN EPIC OF THE SEAS It was during the period of section trawling that the country was thrilled with a story that proved that the fishermen of today are still the same old fighters as followed Drake and Hawkins.

A section of six trawlers was Continued on page 6

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proceeding to Iceland, and when off Faroe a large submarine, heavily armed, appeared on the surface and commenced to fire. Instantly the armed trawlers got to work. This was the day they had lived for, but to their disgust their guns were outranged. Their shells fell short, and the submarine, from a safe distance, continued to send one vessel after another to the bottom.

Still the trawlers fought on, with their colours flying. The armed trawlers were the Pretoria and the Stoic. Captain Newman was the skipper of the Pretoria and he refused to lower his flag. A shot carried away one of his legs, still he refused to admit defeat. His wounds must have been terrible, yet the flag was kept flying, and as the vessel sank he ordered the crew to throw him overboard.

The men would have gone straight to death itself at his command, but not one stirred to obey such a command, and although every ship went down it is marvellous to relate that every man was saved, how, it is impossible to say, for fishermen do not write stories of their heroism, and Newman himself is well again, though minus his leg.

The Naval authorities are somewhat chary in giving information, but the fishermen say that an armed trawler appeared just after the last of the section had sunk, and the submarine, believing this to be another of the section, opened fire. Instantly the trawler replied.

She had just as large guns as the submarine, and the British aim was so good that the fourth shot went straight through the conning tower and sent the Germans to the bottom. If this story is true – and there is good reason for believing it – the fishermen were avenged.

These six vessels, and one other, the Mayfly, sunk in the North Sea, were the only ones lost by enemy action since section fishing became the rule.

There are many other stories of heroism telling how trawlers have fought. There are stories of armed trawlers running against big odds in the fight against the Turks, and there is a story, which will never be fully told, of how fishermen, day after day, in fair weather or in fine, kept their eyes tightly fixed on the Eastern horizon, watching amid the billowy solitudes, guarding this old land of ours against the danger that threatened in the night.

Still today thousands of fishermen are engaged in the dangerous work of clearing the seas of mines.

One other thing we must say regarding the fishermen. The Admiralty saw the possibility of a certain event – it is perhaps better not to say what – and there arose the question: To whom could be entrusted a very important and hazardous task, one that might bring men up against fearful odds. The authorities decided to ask the fishermen if they would volunteer: mind you, not minesweepers and patrol men already trained, but fishermen.

The question was put to them. How did they reply? Every man volunteered at once and made light of the danger.

Should the need arise they were ready.

In addition to what has been stated the fishing industry has organised itself on a war footing, both the fish and fishing have been controlled. We have

So much given by so few ... always existed between the employees and the management. All united in a continued effort to increase more and more the output of shells, and when the labours finally ceased with the termination of hostilities, it was stated that the Grimsby factory was one of the most efficient in the kingdom.

crutches were made, some 90 pairs. One sad item is 46 shrouds.

The total value is placed at £8,519 16s 8d and yet the total receipts were only £6,216 3s 6d and of this sum £1,500, the balance left in hand when the work closed, was given to local and war charities.

A good deal of help was received from auxiliaries in the villages, and in this way the depot was able to send parcels to 115 hospitals, casualty clearing stations etc – even to Salonica.

Our prisoners in Germany were helped, the refugees in Serbia, and the French, Belgian and Italian Red Cross.

No War work struck the local Lady Bennett was the president and imagination with such force as that of Mrs R Atkinson the vice-president, Mrs the Grimsby War Hospital Supply H Gee the honorary treasurer, Miss Ida Depot.

Rushworth the assistant treasurer, Mrs Here ladies were giving up their time, John Kennington the honorary secretary day after day, month after month, year and Miss Dorothy Bellamy the assistant after year, for the sake of the wounded; secretary, whilst the committee was were plying their needles to make formed of the following ladies: bandages and swabs, and all kinds of Mesdames Hughes, Griffith, LK dressings and comforts for the broken Osmond, WS Watkinson, G Falconer, soldiers and sailors.

AE Capes, Stookes, JT Woods, Sam Was it any wonder that when Lady At the suggestion of the Town Clerk, Smethurst, HL Taylor, Woodger, A Bennett, their leader, appealed to the Mr John W Jackson, the government Falconer, Fletcher, Kirby, Malcolm town to provide the material there was Brown, GW White, AR Watkinson, were asked to allow Grimsby to establish a shell factory, the object being instant and magnanimous response?

Wesley Cooke, Tidman, West and Gisby, And the ladies were business like. to help the nation and to provide and Mr AR Watkinson.

They allowed no expenses. The cleaning against unemployment.

Over 300 depot workers qualified for of the rooms, their own tea etc, they New fish curing premises in Victoria the VW Badge given by the War Office.

Street, were rented from Sir Alec Black, paid for themselves; they carefully and under the chairmanship of the then watched the markets so that materials could be bought at their cheapest, and Mayor, Coun JW Eason, JP, a Board of they enlisted kind helpers for carting Management was formed, which included Mr TW Baskcomb, Coun WH their bales.

In addition to sending its quota of Somewhere today there is a wonderful men to swell the ranks of the Army and Thickett, JP, Coun JS Doig, Mr EJ pigeon hole of letters from doctors, Baskcomb and Mr JW Jackson (town Navy, the Premier Fishing Port well some of them Grimsby doctors, which clerk), the last named also acting as maintained its position on the are full of almost tearful thankfulness to battlefront of War Savings, and large honorary secretary. these ladies for the parcels they Eventually Coun Eason resigned the sums of money went from Grimsby to constantly sent out. chairmanship on account of other war help finance the war.

There was one period, last March, work, and he was succeeded by Mr TW How much money was invested in the when the Allies had to retreat, leaving Baskcomb, Coun Thickett being various War Loans it is difficult to hospitals and stores behind, when appointed vice-chairman. approximate, but up to the end of The Board purchased the whole of the hundreds of thousands of dressings hostilities it was estimated that nearly were required at once to make up for machinery on behalf of the Ministry, £6,000,000 of Government stock was the losses, and to deal with the sudden held in the town. £1,590,939 was and work on the shells commenced in November 1915. The first consignment increase of patients in the hospital subscribed to the 1917 Loans; there were of shells was dispatched on February 10, wards. more conversions amounting to Did these ladies, who had been 1916. The factory was kept at work day £491,497; war savings certificates to the working for two-and-a-half years, and night, and at one time there were value of over £350,000 were purchased, murmur? Not a bit of it. Their reply was and £3,508,756 was subscribed to 616 employees, of whom 480 were “We will work every day and on females. Work ceased at the factory in National War Bonds, Sundays.”

December 1918, and by that time the In addition Sir Alec Black lent the In the final report just issued there output of six-inch high-explosive shells Government sums amounting to occurs the following lines: “Strenuous had reached a total of 309,074 and of £150,000 free of interest, and others lent 4.5-inch 15,785, a total of 324,859 shells. work it was sometimes, but the thought money on the same terms totalling over of taking a timely share in the sacrifices £11,000.

The total value of shells was our dear ones were making ‘over there’ £1,091,757, the total cost of them Taking 79,000 as the population, £887,267, which meant that the country made the work a triumph.

Grimsby therefore contributed at the After all, why be surprised at the had saved over £200,000. rate of 14/- per head per week during keenness to help, when it is realised that the 68 weeks ending January 18, at It may be of interest to know that many workers were the mothers, wives, which date the issue of National War £203,810 was spent in the town in sisters of our glorious Lincolns and wages and bonus, £18,797 in material Bonds was withdrawn. other heroes who gave their ‘all’.” and work executed locally, £10,573 in To the £6,000,000 already mentioned Surely the women of Grimsby have electricity, £2,219 on gas, and £2,603 on has to be added another £500,000, which built up a noble and glorious history. rent, rates and water, making a total of represents roughly Grimsby’s The Depot was opened on October 25, subscriptions to the recent issue of something like a quarter of a million 1915, at Welholme House, and since pounds spent locally, the beneficial Funding Loan and Victory Bonds. then 198,064 articles have been made effect of which, during the trying and sent away. Everything was period, cannot easily be estimated.

Notwithstanding that the factory was included, from a bandage to pyjama suits (1,118 suits were sent away). carried on on strict business lines, and No sooner had War been declared With the help of a few gentlemen, and that the vexed question of dilution had than the Mayor and the Town Clerk to be negotiated, the best of terms the boys at the Technical School,

had Mr HE Knott as the first Local Fish controller.

As vessels were commandeered or lost, all kinds of boats were pressed into service; so long as it would swim the men were ready, and not a single case is reported of a man refusing to go to sea because of the mines.

A Fish Docks Recruiting Committee, with Mr A Bannister as chairman and Mr JJ Sutton as secretary, raised over 300 men for a Fish Dock Company of the 11th Reserve Battalion of the Lincolns.

A Fish Dock Advisory Committee took the onus of Tribunal work, and weeded out men from the trade for the Army, and fishing engineers and other side workers in the industry have helped the country in Naval repairs, making munitions, and in other ways.

GRIMSBY WAR HOSPITAL SUPPLY DEPOT

NATIONAL SHELL FACTORY

THE SINEWS OF WAR

MAYOR’S RELIEF FUND

turned their thoughts to those who were bound to suffer.

There was every appearance that the trade of the port would be entirely suspended; ordinary sailings of merchant vessels were prohibited, no vessels could arrive with timber, thus closing the timber yards and saw mills; building was promptly discontinued, and with the fishing vessels making all speed for home and laying up in dock, the outlook was black.

So the Mayor’s Relief Fund was opened. At first the idea was to help with food and money, but before the war ended this war charity, so magnificently managed, had grown and added so many branches of work that even members of the committee were not fully acquainted with all its ramifications.

It is impossible to do more here than glance at some of the figures, from which some conception of the magnitude of the work may be gleaned, merely adding that the total cost of administering the work was but £230.

The total amount raised was £16,227 12s 2d and at a recent meeting it was reported that £12,745 7s 10d had been expended in relief.

The balance has been placed in the hands of trustees, who will deal with cases that still need help.

The Minesweepers Fund, for which Mr Tom Sutcliffe worked so hard, was incorporated, and the money collected administered with the Mayor’s Fund.

A total of 4,276 families applied, and 3,287 families were relieved, after full enquiries had been made.

In one week 102 families (soldiers, sailors, dependents, fishermen’s widows, old age pensioners) received grocery, coal or bread tickets, 86 women were helped at the Welfare Centres with milk for nursing mothers and babies, or nourishment for expectant mothers.

The number of grocery and milk tickets issued was 23,638.

No less than 22,811cwts of coal were supplied by Messrs E Bannister & Co Ltd (who treated the Committee very generously), the amount expended being £1,255 10s 10d.

The gifts from the Dominions included: 5,620 stones of flour; 4,998lb of tinned meats; 5,318lb of frozen meat; 3,857 stones of potatoes; 2,560lb of cheese; 4,800lb of tinned salmon; 840lb of sugar; 720lb of paisley corn flour; 587 tins of condensed milk.

The Co-operative Society baked up the Colonial flour and afterwards supplied bread at wholesale price. Some 118,356lb of bread were given to applicants.

The Grimsby Meat Syndicate took over a large portion of the meat received from the Dominions, and supplied its equivalent as required.

The Grimsby Boot Repairers’ Association, having promised to repair 40 pairs of boots per week free of charge, an appeal was issued by the Mayor for old boots.

Later arrangements were made with Mr GS Watkinson for the distribution of boots, whilst finally Messrs Stead And

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WAR PENSIONS

ROYAL VISIT: The visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Grimsby on July 22, 1912.

Simpson Ltd agreed to supply boots at a special discount.

Hundreds of pairs of boots were distributed at a cost of £964 12s 4d.

Under the Mayoress’ sub-committee, dinners and infants food were provided through the Infant Welfare Centres to expectant and nursing mothers.

Some 747 mothers received dinners and 508 infants’ food.

There were 59,917 dinners provided at a cost of £1,679 11s 2d, and the total expended on infants in food was £1,500 8s 0d.

Help was rendered to the dependants of fishermen lost by enemy action; causes where the separation allowance was insufficient were helped; grants were made to old age pensioners up to the time the Government increased the pension to meet the increased cost of living; temporary assistance was granted to men and women working away from home, and much other help rendered.

PRISONERS OF WAR Men from Grimsby would be among the first British prisoners of war to be interned in Germany, for when war was declared on August 4, 1914, several vessels registered at the port were in harbour in Germany.

These vessels, including several of the Great Central Railway fleet, were seized and their crews interned.

Some time necessarily elapsed before news of these men reached England, but as soon as it became known that they had been interned the Grimsby Interned Prisoners’ Relief Fund dispatched parcels which reached Germany in December of 1914.

At the same time a fund was set up by the Great Central Railway Co to help

their men in Germany, and, under the guidance of Captain Joules (who acted as secretary) this fund sent out parcels to German prison camps, and when the war was over their employees returned to Grimsby to find all their wages awaiting them.

It was early in 1917 that the Government established a Prisoners Of War Committee, whose duty it was to care for all British prisoners in enemy countries. The soldier prisoners were dealt with by the various regimental societies.

The Lincolnshire Regiment Prisoners Of War Fund was administered in Lincoln by Major de Buisson, who received valuable assistance in Grimsby from Mrs Sutcliffe and Major Crosby.

After the German offensive in March, 1918, it was found that the Lincolnshire Regiment Fund was by no means adequate for dealing with many local prisoners, and Grimsby decided to take unto itself the duty of caring for its own sons in the Lincolnshire Regiment who were captives in enemy hands.

A local branch of the Regimental Prisoners Of War Society was established with official assent, the Mayor of Grimsby, Alderman F Moss, being president, the Deputy Mayor, Coun Jos Barker, the honorary treasurer, and Mr HW Sheckell, the honorary secretary.

Within a very short time £6,000 was raised of which £4,000 was still unexpended when hostilities ceased and the prisoners began to return. This balance was distributed among repatriated prisoners of war on their return to Grimsby, each of the 400 men receiving £10.

The Returned Prisoners Relief Fund, of which Lady Doughty was president, adopted a similar course, presenting the married men with £10, and the single

men with £5 on their repatriation, and this after sending nearly 20,000 parcels into Germany, involving a sum of nearly £6,000.

THE RED TRIANGLE The Grimsby YMCA in the very earliest days of the war set to work to entertain the soldiers billeted in this district.

They invited men to the YMCA Rooms, built YMCA Huts at Riby and other camps, provided hundreds of Concert Parties and looked after men in various ways.

On February 20, 1917, they took over a Temperance Hotel – the Imperial we believe – in Cleethorpe Road and converted it into a Hostel for soldiers and sailors.

The organising of this Hostel was the last stunt of the secretary, Mr Lloyd, before joining up.

Since the day of opening, the Hostel was never closed, day or night, until the end of the war, and although it is not open now in the mornings, it is still catering in the afternoon, evening and night, every day of the week, for service men. It is almost impossible to convey any idea of the vast amount of work that has been done at the Hostel. On many days over a thousand visits have been made to it.

Here was a club where letters could be written, a temperance bar, and beds, and each Christmas Day everything was free, even the beds. Mrs Franklin was the first honorary superintendent and she was followed by Mrs Gyde, who still fills the position, Mrs Franklin remaining the honorary superintendent.

So popular did the Hostel become that within a few months the adjoining premises had to be taken, and just

before the armistice the rooms over Hepworths’ at the corner of Freeman Street and Strand Street, were also added, which brought the total of beds up to 158. Up to the present no fewer than 84,576 men have been provided with beds.

About 140 voluntary workers have been employed, taking duty in relays, and working in three-hour shifts. The work is still continued although now there is a shortage of helpers.

FISHERMEN PRISONERS The Grimsby branch of the Royal National Mission To Deep Sea Fishermen, under the direction of Miss Newnham, has made the care of the fishermen prisoners its particular war work.

From November 1914 to November 1918, some 33,909 food parcels were sent out to the fishermen prisoners, and 1,697 parcels of boots and clothing, without which the men would have fared badly in starving Germany.

In addition to this, war widows and wives were helped, some £1,049 17s 6d being spent in this relief work, a large proportion of the money coming from the South Adelaide Fund.

To help wives and widows knitting work was also provided, Mrs HL Taylor and Mrs J Smith helping greatly in the organisation of this work.

It was started in December 1914, and continued until May 14 last.

The total garments knitted were: 7,255 pairs of sea boot stocking, 605 pairs of socks, 33 jerseys and 36 pairs of Meltor twine gloves, for which £948 5s 11d was paid in wages.

War unfortunately means disabilities, and therefore pensions. In the early days, much was done in Grimsby by the Soldiers’ And Sailors’ Association, and Mr CR Stephen and his staff worked splendidly.

Later a department of pensions was established, and this has been carried on in Grimsby under the Town Clerk, Mr Costello, taking charge.

The cases dealt with are discharged soldiers and sailors, and the dependants of soldiers and sailors are given rent allowances and other help.

The committee also works in conjunction with the local Labour Advisory Committee in finding suitable employment for discharged men.

The latest figures of the committee, brought up to the end of June, show the following: Number of cases on the register, 3,860; Total amount received from Ministry and Soldiers’ And Sailors’ Families Association, £32,949 5s 4d; Total distributed, £31,230 18s 11d; Recoverable advances, £2,217 17s 2d; Number of discharged men notified to Committee, 1,874. 1,359 men have obtained permanent and two temporary employment, 198 have left the town or cannot be traced, 82 are living on pensions, health insurance or other benefit and are unable to work, 15 have rejoined the services, 47 have died, 64 are receiving hospital treatment, eight are in the asylum, two are blind of which one is working as a boot repairer, seven are receiving training and 38 are unemployed.

WOMEN’S EMERGENCY CORPS In the first week of the war Mrs Sutcliffe, Mrs A Mountain and Miss LE Bennett issued an appeal to women of Grimsby to form a League Of Help, the object of which was to do any work required by the Navy, Military, Medical or Red Cross.

A great meeting was held at which the women showed a magnificent spirit.

They were prepared to do anything, even to wash, mend and scrub, as Mrs Sutcliffe said.

Once a start was made it was discovered that the work would be restricted to certain objects and the movement became known as the Women’s Emergency Corps, the reason being that it found its chief work emergency work – the providing of service men with the things that the Government could not provide.

Mrs Sutcliffe was elected as the president, Mrs Mountain and Miss Sarah Bennett as honorary secretaries and Mrs WH Wintringham as honorary treasurer.

Many hundreds of ladies, of all classes of society, were drawn to the movement, which spread rapidly, and the women’s political committees forgot their political differences and joined hands in the work.

The chief work of the Emergency Corps was the completing of the kit bags for local soldiers, during the early period of the war, when the authorities were completely unable to meet the Continued on page 8

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Tuesday, July 29, 2014

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A fine gentleman, though I was his prisoner On August 7, 1914, Skipper William Charles Smith was in command of the Grimsby trawler Tubal Cain, off Iceland, when she was sunk by the armed German liner, Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, and made history as being the first war loss Grimsby suffered. It was another 20 years, on August 7, 1934, before Skipper Smith told the remarkable story. Here it is:

O

N August 7, we were off the north coast of Iceland and were much surprised to see a huge three-funnelled liner coming towards us. She had to come in close because of the icefields.

As she neared us we saw guns on board her. She was flying the German flag. She stopped us and sent a boat to us.

An officer who spoke perfect English came on board, told me that we were at war, and that our ship would be sunk. He allowed us plenty of time to get our things together and asked us to take some fish with us. We took six halibut and were transferred to the armed liner and sent below.

Then we heard the guns start firing. I heard afterwards that the Tubal Cain was used as a target and that 37 shots were fired, 34 hits being registered.

We were well treated on board. I was given a first class cabin and I dined with the junior officers. Tubal Cain was the first ship they sank, but as they went southward they met and sank Continued from page 6

situation. Afterwards comforts were sent to individual cases at home and abroad. Altogether 9,317 gifts were distributed.

Later the Corps looked after the wounded here, providing concerts in the summer in the Abbey grounds, and in the hospitals in the winter.

HMS HIGHFLYER: Disabled the German liner Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse in 1914.

THE TUBAL CAIN: Sunk off Iceland by a German linker, the trawler was the first war loss Grimsby suffered. two cargo ships. One had 30,000 carcasses of mutton on board. All the crews were taken off before the ships were sunk.

Next we met a mail steamer with 900 passengers on board. After destroying her wireless sets the Germans let her go. Then a passenger ship with 1,800 passengers on board was encountered. This also was released. The passengers of both ships cheered the German ship as she left.

The German commander told me in conversation on one occasion that he had guns and ammunition concealed on board before the war, and had actually been in dock in London with them on board. He promised to write to me if he survived, and he kept his word.

and other work.

When the conditional clause was added to exemptions by the Tribunals, the VTC now officially recognised as the 3rd Volunteer Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, grew to its greatest strength, and the unit was armed and well drilled.

A Cadet Battalion was formed under Cadet Captain AJ Elmes, and other volunteer forces were the RAMC (No 2 Field Ambulance) under Lieut J Williamson, the Lincolnshire Royal Engineers (signal company) under Captain M Jennison, the Lincolnshire Army Service Corps, Motor Transport, the local company of which was under Lieut LK Osmond.

Eventually we arrived in a bay on the west coast of Africa and stayed there eight days. Then three big ships, all manned by Germans, came in, carrying over 6,000 tons of coal and provisions for a month for us.

Only 100 tons of coal had been got on board the Kaiser Wilhelm when HMS Highflyer came in sight. She gave the Germans 20 minutes to go out and fight. We prisoners were transferred to one of the colliers, and the Kaiser Wilhelm went out.

I saw the opening stages of the action, but not the end, for the ship I was on sailed, and made away for Las Palmas.

It is my belief that the Germans sank their ship themselves, for I know that she was mined ready

hospitality, and the Belgians will ever remember their exile as a difficult period relieved and made pleasant by the kindness of Grimsby and Lincolnshire people.

The whole of the refugees were sent home early this year and had a good send off.

for sinking. At Las Palmas I wired to the owners of Tubal Cain, Messrs Rushworth’s and received a reply in three hours. Next day we were on our way back to England, and in London we were met

by Mr Westoby.

The trip had lasted eight weeks and we had all been given up for lost.

Months later I received a letter from the German commander. He told me he had swum ashore after his ship sank, and had worked his passage back to Germany as a stoker in a neutral ship.

He was a fine gentleman and though I was his prisoner I received nothing but kindness and courtesy from him. I shall never forget either him or August 7, 1914.

MISCELLANEOUS EFFORT

In a small brochure of this character it is only possible to hint at a great deal of the work.

Some mention should be made of the RAMC, under Lieut-Colonel Pockett, of whom we have heard very little during the war; of the St John Ambulance men who have put in duty away with the Curiously enough Grimsby has not forces and at St Aidan’s Hospital; of the A Volunteer Training Battalion was played a big part in Red Cross work at Boy Scouts, who watched the coasts and formed early in the war, and such was home. rendered other help. the enthusiasm that over 1,000 joined, The War Office opened a Military The Mayors of Grimsby have had officers were appointed and uniforms Hospital in Brighowgate in March, 1916, much work to do. It fell to Councillor bought. and it has only recently been closed.

JW Eason to secure the darkening of the The War Office poured a good deal of It had accommodation for 120 men, town, which has safeguarded us from cold water on the scheme, although the and a large number of patients passed danger in the air. country at that time had about a million through it.

Councillor Barker and Alderman TC men in training as a last line of home Major CB Turner, Major A Westlake, Moss had to negotiate a number of defence, with the result that movement Grimsby, and this part of Lincolnshire, Captain A Miller, all of the RAMC, and fishery questions, and to approach languished. has done remarkable work in caring for Dr Grierson, were the medical staff. various Government Departments on Mr A Sutcliffe, as the commandant, A number of local ladies gave their the Belgian refugees, of which some 210 the question of coal, food and shipping. did much to popularise the movement services as VAD nurses. A number of came to this district, and 70 remained A local Food Office, under the in Grimsby, and after he joined up Grimsby ladies also worked at the St here during the greater part of the direction of the Town Clerk, has become Major Lawler took command.

Aidan’s VAD Hospital, where 966 period of the war. one of the features of local government, Among the work carried out was the patients were received, but this work MR GS Watkinson, Mrs and Mrs T Mrs Holmes having done a remarkable training of men who would later have properly belongs to Cleethorpes.

Wintringham and others, did a great work in this connection, and a Coal to join the regular or territorial forces, In the early days of the war the work amongst them, many were found Control Office under Mr HG Whyatt the protection of the town on the Grimsby ladies equipped the Harold has organised the local coal supply. occasion of air raids, the guarding for a work, children were born, and there Street School as a hospital, but by order Many men have set themselves, period of the shell factory, until the duty were three deaths. it was dismantled. through the Allotment movement, the The inhabitants showed true was taken over by the Special Police,

THE VOLUNTEERS

BELGIAN REFUGEES

RED CROSS

task of helping the food supply, and with the great generosity of Sir Alec Black – what a boon he has been to the town and the country during the war – and the help of the teachers, the school children have cultivated two large fields.

Innumerable flag days have kept the ladies busy, and let it be remembered here that Grimsby held the first flag day in England – Union Jack Day. Many clubs for the servicemen have been opened – the Fisherlads’ Institute, the Union Jack Club in Flottergate, and the one at the corner of Victoria Street and Cleethorpe Road are notable ones.

The BWTA played an important part in this work.

The Labour Exchange, under Mr Rose, has played its part in securing men and women for war work at Immingham and elsewhere, helped by a local committee, under Mr CF Carter, and the Grimsby Post Office has added to its multiplicity of labours during the war.

There are probably other things which we have forgotten, but we have said enough to show that Grimsby played its part in the war, and the visit of The Royal Highnesses, King George and Queen Mary, was an acknowledgement of this.

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HOMEWARD BOUND: CSM Bill Brown, third from left, stands by the body of the Unknown Warrior in France. Field Marshal Foch is on the right.

Grimsby guardian of the ‘unknown soldier’ On Armistice Day November 11, 1920, the body of an unknown British or Commonwealth soldier was drawn through the streets of London on a gun carriage. He was encased in an elaborate, iron-bound coffin. The cortege paused at the Cenotaph in Whitehall where King George V laid a wreath on the coffin and, after the 11am two-minute silence, moved on past thousands of silent people, to Westminster Abbey where, amid massive pomp, the coffin was buried. The tomb, upon which no one ever treads, is known as that of The Unknown Warrior. Many of you will have seen it. But few of you will know that a Grimsby man was among its guardians and pall bearers on its slow, sad and momentous journey from the battlefields of France and Flanders.

T

HE life of Company Sergeant Major William (Bill) Brown has been researched in depth and in detail by Terry Munson of Glebe Road, Scartho, and it is largely to him that we – and Grimsby – can now know of his exceptional contribution to the history of the “war to end wars”.

Yet, despite enquiries, some details remain “on the stocks” for CSM Bill Brown did not soldier in the British Army but with the Canadian Contingent, specifically the Royal Newfoundland Regiment.

Nor did he die in England but in France and amid his fallen comrades on the 1914-18 War. Bill Brown was born William Arthur Brown in Grimsby on March 5, 1896 , the son of cabinetmaker Arthur Brown (b 1874) and Annie (born in Hull in 1875). His grandparents William and Hannah Brown were Fulstow people.

Bill, whose parents lived at 49 Durban Road, emigrated in 1914 to Winnipeg, Canada, and signed up for the war giving his trade as “chauffeur”.

He won his first stripe in a year, became Corporal in 1916 and, by 1919, was a Company Sergeant Major.

But during his service he met a chaplain, Father Thomas Nangle, and was probably his driver.

Nangle had a gruesome task, digging up, identifying and reburying Newfoundland’s dead in France, Belgium and Turkey. And Bill Brown assisted him.

Meanwhile, a British padre, the Rev David Railton, had, even in 1916, the idea that the unidentified dead (of which there were thousands) should be commemorated after the war’s end.

And so it was that in 1920, six bodies of wholly unidentified soldiers were selected from the Aisne, Somme, Arras and Ypres battlefields.

The six were brought to St Pol chapel where a brigadier general (L J Wyatt), allegedly blindfolded, selected one. The other five were taken for reburial.

The chosen soldier, in his coffin, was taken by the destroyer HMS Verdun, to Dover where it received a 19-gun salute.

It rested overnight at Victoria Station and was there collected by the final pall bearers, five admirals, four field marshals and two generals.

But on its initial journeys in France where Marshal Foch gave the valedictory salute, Grimsby’s Bill Brown was among the eight bearers.

After the war Bill Brown, unable to come to terms with peace-time, returned to France and, with the Commonwealth War Graves’ Commission was put in charge of the Beaumont Hamel cemetery.

And there he stayed until the outbreak of war in 1939 when he fled to Britain.

He had married in France and returned in 1945 to resume his work, often unpaid, as curator of the Newfoundland Memorial Park. And there he died in 1954.

He’s buried there, his headstone alone in the Auchonvillers Communal Cemetery and not far from the war cemetery he cared for.

With thanks to Terry Munson.

A wooden mock-up of Grimsby’s cenotaph

A

By PETER CHAPMAN

CENOTAPH – which is itself a Greek word - is a monument to the dead who are buried elsewhere. There is no body beneath it.

Grimsby’s civic authorities decided on a Cenotaph rather than any other sort of municipal memorial, and the cost of it - it is built from blocks of Carrara marble - was defrayed by public subscription.

It was to bear only the words ”In Memory of Those Who Died”. The dates on either side of it were added much later - and others after 1945.

The council had toyed with the idea of placing it in the People’sPark, a gift to the town some years before from the Heneages of Hainton.

But in 1918 Lord Heneage, a man instrumental in the raising of the Chums Battalion of the Lincolns, was not keen on this idea and gave a piece of land between Fryston and Nuns’ Corners on which to erect it.

It was unveiled on December 18, 1921, by the Deputy Mayor Alderman F Thornton and, in 1928, the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) made it his first port of call on his visit to Grimsby, and stood in silence on its step.

Before it was erected, however, a wooden mock-up - to show local people what it would like - was put up in the Park and photographs of it exist, like this one above.

Many years ago I came across another photograph of the Cenotaph taken, apparently, near sandhills. But even now there has been no satisfactory explanation for it.

Perhaps the real one was erected in a practice-run.

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ZEPPELIN OVER CLEETHORPES: The Zeppelin raid on Cleethorpes Baptist Church, on April 1, 1916, in which members of the Manchester Regiment were killed.

Church took a direct hit

by German Zeppelin

L

ED by a band, they marched along Alexandra Road to their temporary billets.

They were mainly young men between 18 and 22 years of age, from the 3rd Battalion Manchester Regiment, who were staying at the Cleethorpes Baptist Church for an overnight stay before returning back to barracks, and for some, it was their first glimpse of a beach and the sea.

But, as the men unpacked kit bags, five German Zeppelins headed across the North Sea from their Nordholz base to attack London and East Anglia.

Due to engine problems, Zeppelin L22, commanded by Kapitanleutnant Martin Dietrich, aborted his intended attack on London, setting a new course for Grimsby docks.

Shortly before 1am on Saturday, April 1, 1916, the 518ft airship crossed the coast.

In the changing moonlight, Dietrich mistakenly believed the target below was Grimsby and released a stick of 25lb bombs which landed in a field

behind Hey Street and then headed out to sea.

He was obviously concerned to safely return his troubled “Q” class craft, yet at the same time report a completed mission over an enemy target.

Searchlights from the Taylors Avenue battery locked on to L22 and the anti-aircraft gun at Waltham Wireless Station opened up, whereupon, Dietrich turned his huge airship around and at 2,000 feet, closed in for a second attack.

One of the three bombs scored a direct hit on the church hall.

It exploded violently, spreading death and injury among the sleeping soldiers; victims of the destructive blast and debris from the roof and walls which caved in on them.

Eddie Foulkes, 22, described a terrible scorching force seize his body and deposit it semi-conscious some yards away.

Covered in rubble, befuddled, his mind screamed for intelligence.

Slowly senses returned, dispelling the fog-like eclipsing thoughts only to

present dark forebodings as to what was happening around him.

Pushing away the lumber covering his body, he slouched to his feet. Out of the darkness which concealed decapitated bodies and human flesh strewn about, men screamed and pleaded for help.

The acrid smell of explosive hung dismally in the air.

Miraculously, Eddie emerged from the carnage with nothing more than a few cuts and bruises.

Later he served in France and for bravery King George V decorated him with the Distinguished Conduct Medal and the Military Medal.

Of the 84 men, 27 died instantly and 53 were injured. A further five died from their injuries, including Company Sergeant Major Holland.

Only four were unscathed, rescued from a small cellar which they had sneaked into for a game of cards.

Dietrich’s second bomb fell in Sea View Street, the blast shattering shop windows, the most damaged being Burton’s, the gents outfitters.

The third destroyed the council office at the corner of Cambridge Street and, to the relief of some residents, all rates records.

Barbara Egan, formerly of 4, Oxford Street, and recalled as a six-year-old standing on the doorstep watching the Zeppelin pass over her house.

Because of reporting restrictions, the Grimsby Daily Telegraph and the Grimsby News did not mention the incident.

However, The Times reported: “Most of the casualties occurred in a village of no military significance,” going on to describe how two Zeppelins had flown over the village and dropped eight bombs into an empty field.

According to the report, ground defences forced one Zeppelin to flee, but the other dropped two bombs on a Baptist chapel killing 30 people, then two more bombs destroying a row of houses and a large building, concluding: “Considering the small provision of a village for dealing with such a calamity, the conduct of the villagers was

admirable, and even heroic ... most of the houses, indeed, were for the moment deserted by their tenants, who sought comfort, if not always safety, in company.”

Afterwards, in fear, some Cleethorpes residents evacuated to the country.

Covenham and Louth proved popular choices.

Following the raid on Cleethorpes, one man resolved to be well prepared for any further assault.

Joseph Forrester, eventually Alderman of the Lincolnshire County Council and proprietor of the locally famous firm of Forrester’s Ferric Foods, was an Alexandra Road, Cleethorpes, chemist.

To protect his family and his staff he had a purpose-built Zeppelin shelter built at the rear of his premises and it may be seen to this day at the back of Yarra Road, the only one of its sort in all England.

Others, in anticipation of future raids, covered the dining room table with a mattress to create a shelter.

Rumours of spies at work in

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HOURS EARLIER: Postcard showing members of 5373 D Company, 3rd Manchester Regiment, who were billeted at Cleethorpes Baptist Chapel on Alexandra Road. The chapel was bombed by a Zeppelin only hours after the regiment had been billeted there. The card was written by Private Joe Deakin and posted from Cleethorpes.

ARMED: The Zeppelin that bombed Cleethorpes Baptist Chapel in 1916. This particular Zeppelin, L22, was heavily armed against incoming attack – on the top can be seen a 20mm cannon on the fabric envelope. This gun was considered very powerful for the First World War and a revolutionary idea for airship protection.

Cleethorpes was widespread.

Imaginations stretched from the arrest of a man impersonating an army officer and said to have flashed a torch into the sky while near the church hall, to naming a Kingsway cafe owner and the local postmaster as responsible because of their German origin.

It was alleged the postmaster guided the Zeppelin to its target with a light placed in the fan vent on the roof of his Yarra Road PostOoffice, next door to the church hall.

Subsequent inquiries failed to uncover anyone in the Cleethorpes area of German origin but the theory of a light at the post office persisted and before the end of the war the two men in question had left the town.

On the morning of Tuesday, April 4, the funeral cortege for the 29 men proceeded slowly from St Aidan’s Church, along Grimsby Road, to the cemetery where the soldiers are buried in a communal grave.

People lined the route. Shops closed.

Tramcars and all forms of transport came to a standstill.

Only silence prevailed, punctuated by the sound of tolling bells. And sobs.

Until the 1950s, the Mayor and people of Cleethorpes joined with the Lord Mayor Manchester, representatives of the Manchester Regiment and survivors of the ordeal for an annual wreath laying

memorial service at the graveside.

As relatives and survivors died off, the services

ceased.

In 1986, a 70th anniversary service was arranged in the cemetery when three survivors, including Eddie Foulkes, and all over 90 years of age were present.

Nowadays, you can still see features in Cleethorpes Baptist Church relating to that raid.

The two young lieutenants who deliberately went down in sinking submarine – to find out how she could be saved

I

CE-COLD bravery is one of the essentials in the make-up of a sailor who goes to war in a submarine. But there must be few stories of courage which can rival an incident which happened in the Humber during the First World War. Alone among the great powers of 1914, Britain did not fear submarines. Experience, which began in 1904, had laid the basis for a sound confidence in the men who were to man them in the underwater hunt which lasted for four stormy years.

The Royal Navy had its own submarine branch, and its value in harassing the enemy and in protecting convoys was fully appreciated.

Highly-trained crews manned the vessels which pioneered under-sea warfare from the North East coast bases.

Consequently, accidents in submarines were few.

But accidents did happen nevertheless. One befell the submarine C-12 as she made her way down the Humber under the command of Lieut John Manly. She was off on a North Sea patrol.

A strong ebb tide was running as the C-12 came abreast of the bleak Immingham skyline broken by the dark shapes of the coal hoists.

Suddenly, without warning, the main motors failed. Before the anchors could be dropped, the treacherous current seized the little craft, swung her mercilessly, and hurled her against the bows of some destroyers moored alongside the port’s Eastern Jetty.

The C-12 was badly holed and immediately began to sink.

Most of the crew including the first lieutenant were below, but the cool Lieut Manley was on the conning tower. He at once ordered all hands on deck.

The rungs of companion ways

11

rattled with the sound of disciplined feet running towards the deck.

Below, First Lieut Michael Sullivan, after sending everyone up to safety, attempted to discover the extent of the damage.

With incredible nerve, he went round carefully closing watertight doors until the vessel became silent, settling quickly as the sea poured in.

As the last man scrambled out on the deck to safety, Lieut Manley jumped below to join his first lieutenant.

He closed the hatch after him.

As he reached the foot of the ladder leading into the control room, the C-12 hit the bottom.

The two officers looked at each other for a moment, and then began their examination. Nothing could be done without the help of a salvage vessel, they decided.

But, unknown to them, water had reached the batteries and deadly chlorine gas was filling the control room.

Realising this, the two men re-entered the conning tower and, closing the lower hatch, flooded the tower itself.

When pressure inside and outside was equal, they opened the upper hatch, and calmly swam to the surface.

The submarine was eventually lifted and was not too damaged to sail again.

An interesting postscript in the repairing of the vessel was also enacted at Immingham.

There, a riveter replaced a damaged plate in the submarine’s side, but drove the rivets through from the inside.

Fearing that the projecting bolt ends might catch on the dock gates and tear the side open afresh, the C-12 was towed out to nearby mudflats where the plate was removed, and correctly riveted from the outside.

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Town’s outpouring of grief for submariner G

RIMSBY today honoured the brave dead. It paid a glowing tribute to the memory of Herbert Staples, the 27-year-old hero of submarine E13, who upholding the finest traditions of the British Navy, stood with his companions with folded arms, smilingly awaiting his death which was murderously meted out by the Huns when the Britishers were stranded and helpless in neutral waters, and in conditions which from all civilised nations would have ensured respect and freedom from molestation.

Grimsby sorrows with his parents, his brothers and his sisters to whom he was very dear, in the sad loss which has thus broken in upon the family.

But Grimsby rejoices that the town could produce a hero who could thus face death so calmly, who could perform a hazardous task for his country.

And when the body was landed at the port this afternoon, and carried through the streets to its last resting place, the public showed, as we think it has never shown before, the depth of its sorrow, its respect, and its admiration for its hero.

Perhaps, too, there was many a grim, silent resolve to be avenged for what, after all, was the result of one of the blackest crimes that an unscrupulous nation could commit.

The impressive scenes along the route of the funeral procession were such that should live long in the memory of the thousands of people who witnessed them.

The submarine E13 (Lt Cmdr Geoffrey Layton) ran aground on August 17, 1915, in Danish waters. On the 19th, the Germans fired on her. Fifteen crew members were killed but 23 survived. Among the dead was Herbert Staples, who was born and brought up in Grimsby, where the family were well-known and respected. His body was brought back to Grimsby and the town honoured his passing. This is the report from the Grimsby Telegraph of August 28, 1915: The body was due to arrive at Grimsby Docks at 2pm and, as the hour struck, the steam tender Marple, which brought it from Hull, where it had been disembarked from the Danish funeral ship Vidar – swung between the Royal Dock Piers and came to her berth at the western stone slipway.

The coffin, covered with the Union Jack, rested on a raised platform on the fore deck, which had been beautifully decorated for its reception.

Huge palms, evergreens, flowering plants etc transformed the surroundings and, with huge candles standing in their brass sticks on either side, and with a few select wreaths – the tributes from friends and societies in Hull – the body lay in state awaiting its final disposition.

Ashore, the escorts of bluejackets, with the firing party, had been drawn up alongside the slipway and, as the coffin was raised from the Marple’s decks by the petty officers who acted as bearers, and was borne up the steps to the

Off to the Western Front

pure white lilies, delicate ferns and a few sprigs of laurel, with an autograph card bearing the following inscription: “Marlborough House. In memory of the brave bluejackets who gave up their lives for King and country – From Alexandra.”

Among the other beautiful tributes was one of laurel wreaths and one bunch of flowers from the members of the Hull Exchange, “To those that go down to the sea in ships.”

The members of the family attending included Mr and Mrs Staples, father and mother of the deceased; Mrs quayside, the escort stood at attention Webster, Mr Geo Staples, Miss Nancy and the sailors by the gun carriage Staples, Mr John Staples, Mr Geo awaited it bareheaded.

Staples (Louth), Mr E Webster, Mr Geo The deceased’s last voyage by water Cresswell, Mrs G Staples, Mrs Harry was over; his body was reverently Staples, Mrs John Staples, Mr and Mrs placed on the gun carriage, arms were Cresswell (Louth). reversed, and, the escort leading, the As the procession was leaving the procession into town commenced. dock area, it was met by a large body of The family mourners had driven bluejackets drawn up on the roadside, down near to the landing stage, and together with the bands of the 3rd were preceded by an open carriage Battalion Lincs Regiment, officers and containing many wonderfully beautiful petty officers from the ships of HM wreaths.

Navy.

Some were made up of our national At slow march, and with the bands colours – red, white and blue – others playing, the procession entered the had bows of the tri-coloured ribbon, one town by way of the Royal Hotel, where or two were simple and particularly it was joined by his Worship the Mayor effective, but there was one which stood and the Town Clerk. out above all others, for the name it Heads were bared, uniformed men bore was “Alexandra,” The Queen stood at the salute, and over the dense Mother, showing her love for the sailors, crowds on Cleethorpe Road and and illustrating the particular bond Freeman Street there was a silence which linked the scene of this crime which told deeply of the public respect. with her native Denmark, sent a wreath All traffic stopped while the cortege passed by, flags everywhere in the town of white carnations, white asters, large

at half-mast, and thus the young victim of German barbarity was conveyed.

The route was via Cleethorpe Road, Freeman Street, Hainton Avenue, Welholme Road (past the deceased’s own home), to Bargate and Scartho Road.

At 5.30 on Friday evening, the Vidar with the 14 dead lying in state in their flag and flower bedecked cabin chapel, passed Grimsby on the way to Hull.

She was accompanied by an escort of two destroyers, one of which led the way along the river while the other followed in the steamer’s wake.

The leading destroyer had her big Naval Ensign on the main, both at half-mast, while the following destroyer also had her Naval Ensign lowered.

As the ships passed the craft in the Humber, flags were dipped by every skipper or commander; it was the seaman’s way of paying his tribute to the noble dead, and as the three ships slowly steamed on this the last stage of their journey, the impressiveness of the scene increased with each mile, until on reaching the port of Hull, huge crowds gave a silent greeting to the funeral ship as she came to her berth at the western end of the riverside quay.

Captain Fleming, the King’s Harbourmaster on the Humber Defences, boarded the Vidar at the entrance to the river and accompanied the vessel to Hull to take part in the ceremony there today.

This photograph was sent in by Noreen Rhodes, of Ulceby, whose late father, John Rowbottom, is in the second row from the front, fifth from right. He was born in 1874 and brought up in Waddingham in Lincolnshire. Written underneath the picture is: Right section, 'B' Echelon, 59th Division, Ammun. Col., March 1917. The 59th Division was a Territorial second-line division that came into existence in January 1915. In April 1916, following the Easter Uprising, the division was sent to Ireland to Dublin the first TF division to serve in Ireland. After suppressing the trouble in Dublin, the 59th was sent to the Curragh where it engaged in war training for the rest of the year returning to England in January 1917. In the following March the division crossed to France and served thereafter on the Western Front, at Third Ypres Cambrai at St Quentin and Bapaume in the German offensive of March 1918, and at Baileul and Kemmel Ridge during the German offensive on the Lys in April 1918. In early May the division was reduced to training cadre status, losing its infantry battalions and other units, but the following month it was reconstituted with Category B men from Garrison Guard battalions. After a period of training the division went back into the line at the end of July and took part in the operations east of Amiens in August and in the final advance in Artois and Flanders.

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procession: The Chief Controller of Grimsby, John Stirling, left, leads the funeral parade at the Riby Square end of Freeman Street for Herbert Staples, who served an apprenticeship as an engineer with the Great Central Engineering and Ship Repairing Company.

German-born but adopted Grimsby as his home town When war was declared on Germany on August 4, 1914, there were outbursts of hate across the British Isles for people with German names indeed for all things German. Grimsby had its share of foreign sounding surnames. But they were, almost to a man, those of Russian Jewish emigres.

But one man, who was certainly German born and who had worn his Iron Cross with pride (and without displeasure from anyone) on many occasions, was not spared indignity. He died six months after the declaration of war, it was said, of a broken heart, writes Peter Chapman.

W

ILLIAM Hitzen was the German Consul in Grimsby.

Born in 1849, he had come to the town in 1877, adopted England as his own and Grimsby as his hometown, married an English girl, was in business as a coal exporter and, in 1899, became Worshipful Master of the Smyth Lodge of Freemasons.

Immersing himself in the borough’s life he was elected to the council (Humber Ward) and was a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Humber Conservancy Board.

His son, Edo John Hitzen, became an officer in the 5th Lincolns, Territorial Army.

William Hitzen had served with the 75th Infantry Regiment, German Army, in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, a row of medals headed by the Iron Cross (awarded for the battle of Le Mans) testifying to the 23 battles in which he had fought. The medals were often worn at civic functions.

He and his wife lived at Scartho House, Scartho, and, from there in 1908 his daughter Elsie Alida Hitzen was married at St Giles’ Church, Scartho, to Walter Richie Brown, second son of the well-known local solicitor William Waudby Brown of Cleethorpes.

Two years later William Hitzen’s wife opened the new Scartho Village School

of which her husband was chairman of the managers. It was Scartho’s first school.

Soon afterwards the Hitzens moved to Welholme Road, to a house overlooking People’s Park, a house called Hawarden.

Within a day or two of August 4, 1914, red paint was thrown at the front door.

Hitzen, now 66, became ill. A short stay in Bournemouth did nothing to help and he returned home to die on in January 1915.

In a brief obituary in the Grimsby Telegraph there was no mention whatsoever of his being the German Consul.

LEFT: William Hitzen and his son, above, EJ Hitzen.

The indignity, post mortem, He does not appear on the group continued. photograph of officers of the battalion.

His son, Capt E J Hitzen, despite his We might console ourselves that this service in the TA did not accompany the was Grimsby’s only ‘failure’ of decent 5th Lincolns to France but was sent behaviour. instead to Ireland during the mid-war But even now there is no excuse for it. troubles.

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Disbanded in 1918, but not

Future Earl was killed in action

T

HE man who would have been the 5th Earl of Yarborough, Charles Sackville, Lord Worsley, pictured, was killed in action at Zandvoorde, Belgium, on October 30, 1914. He was 27.

Born in 1877 and married to the Hon Alexandra Vivian in January 1911, he was serving as a Lieutenant in the Royal Horse Guards, the regiment in which his grandfather, Lord Conyers, had served many years previously.

Nicknamed Otto (after a famous Edwardian jockey) he was a one-time ADC to General (later Field Marshal Lord) Sir Douglas Haig and became the Royal Horse Guards’ machine gun officer.

Following his death – and uniquely locally – memorial services were held on the same day (January 22, 1915) and, generally at the same time, in the parish churches in Grimsby, Keelby, Broughton, Kirmington, Claxby, Horkstow, Swallow, Wootton, Melton Ross and Cabourne (and separately at Limber).

Lord Worsley’s sword had been returned from Zandvoorde to Lady Worlsey and was laid on the altar at the services in Grimsby, Brocklesby and Limber.

It now hangs in Brocklesby Church.

Great efforts were made to locate and verify the place where Lord Worsley had been buried.

Relics of the original wooden cross were found and they too are also at Brocklesby.

When the war was over his body was exhumed and reburied at Ypres beneath a headstone.

It is probably salutary to recall that between August 23 and December 31, 1914, 60 members of British aristocratic families were killed in action, many of them – like Lord Worsley – heirs to peerages.

It is also appropriate to remember that in no instance whatsoever were the bodies of those killed ‘repatriated’ – brought home – for burial in Britain.

Lord Worsley, like all those who gave their lives in action, lies yet in a foreign field.

In 1914, the British Army had 31 cavalry regiments, the Indian Army 39. There were many more regiments in Australia and New Zealand. And in addition to this host there was the Yeomanry.

Almost every county had a yeomanry regiment. Lincolnshire was no exception.

Its regiment was the last to be raised (1901) and was to be the shortest lived. They were disbanded in 1918 never to be raised again.

The First World War coincided with the twilight of the horse as a means of transport and as a military requirement. Science, largely in the shape of the internal combustion engine did for the horse. And on the battlefield another science – largely the machine gun – proved its obsolescence. France and Flanders, after a month or two of fluidity, gave no opportunity for horsed cavalry.

But we must remind ourselves that the 1914-18 War was not confined to France. And the Middle East, notably Mesopotamia and Palestine, provided ideal terrain and conditions for the swansong of the sword and lance. And it was to Palestine that the Lincolnshire yeomen were despatched to contribute to Britain’s last great cavalry campaign.

It wasn’t the last cavalry war of all time for that glorious honour belongs to the Russo-Polish War of 1920 when the heirs of Poniatowski trounced the Bolsheviks at the very gates of Warsaw.

But this is no concern of ours. We are off to Palestine ...

THE LAST: Sid Casswell, of The Lincolnshire Yeomanry Regiment, who died aged 102.

I

T WAS to be en route for this distant land that the yeomen were first to encounter their enemy – and that from a submarine. It was to be an epic.

They had sailed away in October 1915 on a one-time merchant ship, the Mercian, a ‘fruit’ boat converted to a troopship, men and horses and skippered by Capt C J Walker of the Leyland Line.

But in the Mediterranean a German spotted them and opened fire.

The Mercian was festooned with the men’s clothing, drying out. The drama began.

John Wintringham, the machine gun officer, was hit and wounded and knocked out.

Men helped him to the stern where the Maxim machine gun had been rigged, and opened fire.

In the panic some of then ship’s crew had taken to the lifeboat. But the captain stayed put ... aided by Trooper Edwin Thompson from Horncastle, who told him: ”You just tell me when you want it pulling to the right and I’ll pull it to the right and if you want it pulling to the left, I’ll pull it to the left.”

These words became lore in the yeomanry history.

The Mercian zig-zagged. Thompson got the DCM. Men and horses died that day, the dead buried at sea and the battered Mercian sailed on to Oran.

After brief campaigning against the Senussi, the Lincolnshire Yeomanry went to Palestine.

Palestine was awful. Palestine meant boredom, intense heat, bitter cold, dementia, flies, lack of cover ... and shortage of water.

Add to this Turkish enemy bolstered by the Germans.

The cavalryman, of course, has a duty not only to himself but to his mount and the British and Anzac and Indian regiments were all extremely solicitous for theirs, none more so than the Lincolns.

As the Palestine campaign came to its triumphant conclusion so the yeomen were sent to France, joined with the East Riding Yeomanry and became the 102nd Battalion, Machine Gun Corps and ended their days in the trenches in Flanders and without their horses.

Before they left Palestine, a token number of spurs and accoutrements were buried in the desert.

“Stranger, pause and shed a tear, a regiment’s heart lies buried here.

“The Ordnance gave, the Ordnance hath taken away.”

It was a sad memorial to sterling work.

Sent home they were disbanded at Harrowby, near Grantham.

Their Old Comrades banded together as Old Comrades always will.

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Grimsby before last cavalry campaign The Town players signed up

COMRADE: Jack Craske, Lincolnshire Yeomanry, and inset. He died in 1983.

F

OR a time the least popular man in Grimsby and Cleethorpes was the MP’s son, Arthur Tickler.

One of TG Tickler’s seven sons, Arthur was commissioned into the Cheshire Regiment and returned to his home town on a recruiting drive.

On stage at the Palace Theatre in Victoria Street, he appealed to the house for recruits for the 17th (Footballer’s) Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment.

The following day he went to Blundell Park, did the same and, as a consequence, five signed up then and there and two more followed soon after.

Grimsby Town F C – thanks to the persuasive Lieut Tickler – was now without Chalmers, Kenny, Wheelhouse, Gregson, McKenna and Summers and had to rely for the remainder of the war on so-called ‘guest players’, many of them volunteers from the 3rd Manchester Regiment stationed in Cleethorpes.

There was to be more bad news.

Harry Springthorpe, also a Town stalwart, was killed in action on the troopship Mercian in 1915 while serving with the Lincolnshire Yeomanry.

In April, 1916, Percy Summers was badly wounded by a hand grenade.

Ralph Thompson, a Town winger, was killed on the first day of the Somme – July 1, 1916 – serving with the Grimsby Chums.

And on Septeember 18 that year, Sid Wheelhouse, who had joined the 17th Footballers’ Battalion, the Middlesex Regiment, was killed in action.

When the war was over, several returned to Blundell Park including Percy Summers, recovered from his wounds.

But of Paddy McKenna there was no sight.

He’d deserted long before and had fled to his native Ireland.

BADGE: Lincolnshire Yeomanry badge.

Colonel Wintringham became the County President and the Grimsby Old Comrades’club was in Dial Square.

Among those who served were Harold Hollingsworth, well known on the Pontoon as Consolidated’s head salesman, and Henry Lowish of Barnetby Manor whose father had been a member of Lord Yarborough’s Light Horse Regiment back in the 1880s.

And there was Tom Frith, father to Freddie Frith, and Arthur Drewry CBE, who became chairman of the Football Association.

Years after the war, the yeomanry old comrades joined forces with the veterans of the Imperial Camel Corps and shared newsletters.

One such enthusiast, ex-Yeomanry, was Sgt Jack Craske, a retired tailor who lived in Mill View, Waltham. He died in 1983.

Colonel Wintringham CBE MC DL died, much mourned, in 1980 as the ranks of the yeomen thinned.

And finally, in 2000 and aged 102, the last of them all, Sidney Casswell, died at his home in Tetney.

A chapter not only of our county’s past but of military history itself came to an end.

Poignant poem, A Single Poppy

T

PALESTINE: Tombstone of a regiment.

HE poem, A Single Poppy, on the last page and back cover of this supplement, was written by the late Mrs Gladys Tabois, of Grimsby.

She was an extraordinary embellishment to our town.

The wife of the late Dr FW Tabois – of the Drs Chisholm and Tabois partnership of many years ago – she was London-born, high church, a professional dancer in her day, and later in life taught dancing.

She was a brilliant pianist – a talent inherited by her son Peter – and was closely involved with the local Operatic Society.

Perhaps most of all she was a poet and, in 1959, published a book of her work.

Of her poems none is so appropriate than that which appears on our final page.

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Tuesday, July 29, 2014

ROYAL AIR FORCE BALCH, Percy Frederick, Lieut; BARNARD, Albert, 2nd Lieut; BROADHEAD, Frank, Flight Cadet; FISHER, Oscar, Flight Cadet; GUY, George Ely, Private; LINCOLN, Robert, Sergeant Pilot; MOULD, Wilfrid, 2nd Air Mechanic; PORKESS, Walter Anderson, Lieut; SCHOFIELD, Frank, 1st Private.

NAVY ABRAMS, John, WO; ADAMS, Harry Ernest, PO; ADAMS, John Thomas, Rating; ALBERY, Joseph, PO; ANDERSON, George Patrick, Rating; ARCHER, Thomas H, Rating; ASHMORE, George Thomas, Rating; AUGUSTUS, EF, Rating; BAKER, William Walter James, Rating; BALCHWIN, Frederick, Rating; BALDERSON, Joseph Edwin, Rating RN; BALDWIN, Frederick, Rating; BARGEWELL, Ernest, Rating; BARRON, William, Rating; BASKCOMB, Harry Oxley, PO; BASS, Thomas David, Rating; BEASLEY, Alfred, Rating RN; BECKETT, Frederick Richard, WO; BEEDHAM, William Henry, Rating; BELL, Robert Foster, Rating; BENTLY, Joseph Henry, Rating; BERRY, James, PO; BILLS, Harold, Rating; BIRKWOOD, Charles Alfred, Rating; BLACKBURN, Ernest Alfred, Rating; BLACKWELL, Thomas, Rating; BLAKE, Reuben John, Rating; BOAG, Hugh, PO, RN; BORLEIN, John, PO; BORMAN, Harry, Engineer PO; BORMAN, Jack, Rating; BOYCE, John Rating; BRADBURY, Charles Thomas Bakes, Rating; BRIGGS, Oscar Charles, PO; BRISTOW, Samuel Thomas, PO; BROCKLESBY, F, Rating; BROWN, Ernest Ainsworth, Rating; BROWN, WE, Rating; BURGESS, B, Rating; BRYAN, David, PO; BRYANT, Tom, PO; BYATT, Alfred Henry, PO; CAPES, Ernest, Rating; CAREY, Ambrose William, Rating; CHARLTON, Robert, Lieut RN; CHILD, Cornelius Robert, Rating; CLARK, GJ, Private, RMLI; CLARK, Herbert, Engineer PO; CLARK, Herbert, Rating; CLARK, John, PO; CLARK, William, Rating; CLIFTON, Thomas, Rating; CODD, Harry Carr, Rating RN; CODD, HH, Private, RMLI; CONDOR, Harry, WO; CONNELL, James Richard, Chief Engineer, PO; COOKE, Thomas, Chief Engineer, PO; COX, Harry, Rating; CROMER, Ernest, Rating; CROUCHER, George Beaver, Lieut Commander, RN; CURPHEY, Charles, Rating; DARWOOD, Ernest William, PO; DAWN, John Herbert, Rating; DENNY, George, Rating; DONALDSON, Charles, Rating; DRAPER, Charles James, Rating; EAST, Arthur Henry, Rating; EDLAND, George William, Rating; ELLIOTT, William, WO; ELLISS, Arthur, Rating; ELSTON, Charles Henry, Rating; ENGLEFIELD, Percy Kirby, Rating; EWART, George Edward Pelham, Rating RN; FARR, George Robert, PO; FINCH, Walter John, Rating; FINCH, William, Rating; FLANNERY, Thomas Patrick, Rating; FLEET, Herbert Percy, PO (WS); FLEMING, John H, Rating; FOX, Fred Marshall, Rating; FRANCIS, Henry, Rating; FULTHORPE, Joseph, WO; GAFFNEY, Dominick, Rating; ; GALE, Mathew, 2nd Engineer, PO; GILES, William Alfred, Rating; GRAY, Leonard, Rating; GRAY, William, Rating; GREW, Albert Edward, Rating; GRIFFIN, William, Chief Engineer, PO; GROVES, John, Rating; GUILD, Robert William, WO; HACK, John Charles, Rating; HAGUE, William, Rating; HAMILTON, James Henry Hercules Fryman, Rating; HAMMOND, George Thomas, Rating; HANN, Charles, Rating; HARGRAVES, William, 2nd Engineer, PO; HARPHAM, William, Rating; HARRIS, Edward William, Rating; HARRISON, Harold, WO; HARTLEY, Henry, PO; HEARNE, Arthur Harrison, Rating; HENDERSON, Arthur John, Chief Engineer, PO; HIGGINS, James William, Rating; HILLARY, Benjamin, Rating, RN; HODGMAN, William Henry, WO; HOLLAND, John, Rating; HOLLINGSWORTH, Arthur, Rating; HOLMES, George, Rating; HOLMES, John Thomas, Rating; HOOTON, Walter, Rating, RN; HORN, Percy Arnold, Rating; HORN, WC, Rating; HORNSHAW, James Frederick, Rating; HORSLEY, James, Rating; HUBBARD, Henry Irison, Rating; HUDSON, Albert, Rating; HULL, Edward, Rating; HUTTON, WR, Rating; HUTTON, William Robert, PO, RN; INGRAM, Benjamin Samuel, Rating; IVELL, Edwin LJ, Rating; IVES, Aaron, Rating; IVES, Herbert, Rating; IZZARD, Henry Walter, Rating; JACK, William, Rating; JACKSON, Allan, Rating; JACKSON, Walter, Rating, RN; JACOBS, George Richard, Rating; JAMES, CE, Rating (1st Class Stoker); JEPSON, Carl Frederick, Rating; JOHNSON, Samuel, Rating; JOHNSON, James Ernest, Rating; JONES, Thomas, Rating; JONES, William, PO, RN; JONES, William, Rating; KAVANAGH, Jack, 1st Engineer, PO; KETTLE, Albert George, Rating; KIMBER, Francis Herbert Edward, Rating; KING, Ernest Seymour, Chief Engineer, PO; KNIGHT, AJ, Rating; KRETCHMAR, Carl William, PO; LADDS, Leonard, Rating; LAVER, George, WO; LEWIS, George, Rating; LILY, Arthur, WO; LINGARD, Harry William, Rating; LOCKWOOD, Harry, Rating; LOTT, John Henry, Rating; McKENZIE, William, PO, RN; McLAUGHLIN, Charles, Rating; McLAUGHLIN, Gilbert, Rating; McLAUGHLIN, James, Rating; MARSHALL, Frederick, Rating; MASON, Thomas, Chief Engineer, PO; MARTIN, Daniel Christopher, Rating; MAY, John, Rating; MELLINS, Henry, Rating; METCALF, George, Rating, RN; METCALF, George, Rating; MONEY, David, Rating; MOORE, Herbert, Rating; MUDD, Thomas, Chief Engineer, PO; MUSSELL, Edward Wharf, Rating; NEWBY, Charles Christopher, Rating; NORRIS, Richard, Rating; NORTON, Frederick, Rating; OLSSON, Victor, Rating; OSBORNE, Francis William, Rating; OVERTON, Arthur James, Rating; PALMER, M, Rating; PARKER, Sydney, Chief Engineer, PO; PARSONS, W, Rating; PASK, Reginald George, Rating; PEACOCK, George William, Rating; PEARCE, Harry William, WO; PEARCE, William Henry, Rating; PETERSON, JH, Rating; PLASKETT, RJ, Rating; PLUMTREE, JH, Rating; PORTER, George Robert, WO; PRIEST, Ernest, Rating; PRIEST, Thomas, PO; RAINEY, James Aloysius, Rating; RANDS, George, Rating, RN; RAPER, William Thomas, Rating, RN; RAYTON, Wilfred Oliver, Rating; REDDING, Herbert, Rating; RICHARDSON, Thomas Henry, Rating; RICHES, John Edward, Rating; RIDGWAY, William, Rating; RIGGALL, Edward Gordon, Flight Lieutenant, RN; ROBINSON, George Charles, Rating, RN; ROBINSON, HS, Rating; ; ROLLEY, Henry James, Private RMLI; ROURKE, Michael, Rating; SALT, Thomas Edward, Chief Engineer, PO; SANDERSON, Benjamin, Rating; SANDFORD, Joseph Herbert, WO; SCOTT, Joseph Edward, Rating; SETTERS, William Francis, Rating, RN; SHARPE, Robert, Rating; SHAW, Harry, Rating; SHEARSMITH, Frederick, Rating; SHEARSMITH, Thomas Herbert, Rating; SHEPHERD, Edward, Rating; SHORTLAND, John, Rating; SIMPSON, Charles Edward, Rating; SLEETH, John Francis, Rating; SMITH, Albert Sidney, Rating; SMITH, Alfred William, PO; SMITH, John, Rating; SMITH, James William, Rating; SMITH, Joseph, Chief Engineer, PO; SMITH, William, Rating; SNOWDEN, George Isaac, Rating; SPRINGALL, Victor, Rating; STAFFORD, Robert Edward, Rating; STANBRIDGE, Edwin, Rating; STAPLES, RA, Artificer, PO; STATHAM, Louis Forsyth, Rating; STEPHENSON, Albert, Rating; STINSON, James, Rating; STIRLAND, John, Rating; STOCKS, Jack, Rating, RN; STRATFORD, Sidney, PO; STRUTT, Frank, PO; SUMMERS, Harry Foster, Rating; SUTTON, E, Rating; TAYLOR, Alfred, 2nd Engineer, PO; TAYLOR, George, Rating; TEANBY, Tom Derbon, Rating; THORNHAM, Albert William, WO; THORNLEY, Arthur James, Rating; THORNTON, Frank Ernest, WO; THORNTON, James Faulds, Rating; TRUE, Albert, WO; TURNER, Thomas William, Rating; TWYMAN, Frederick Leslie, Rating; VENNEY, John William, Rating; WALKER, Henry Ellis, WO; WALKER, Thomas, Rating; WALTERS, Sydney Arthur, Rating; WARE, Walter, Rating; WARMSLEY, Bryan, Rating; WATCHAM, Cecil James, Rating; WATSON, Elam, Rating, RN; WATSON, James, Rating; WEAVER, John William Thomas, Rating; WEBSTER, Benjamin, Rating; WEST, William Robert, Rating; WESTCOTT, James William, Rating; WHITE, Arthur, Rating; WHITE, Charles Edward, WO; WILEMAN, Edgar, Rating; WILLSON, Charles, Rating; WILSON, James, Rating; WOLFE, John, Rating; WOOLFE, George, Rating; WRAY, Alfred Herbert, Rating; WRIGHT, Alfred John, PO, RN; WRIGHT, Ernest Tomlinson, Rating; YATES, Frank, Rating; YEOMANS, Joseph Robert, Rating.

ARMY ABERNETHIE, William Douglas, LCpl, 10 Lincs; ADDISON, Walter, Private, 5 Lincs; ADLARD, William Blyth, Private, 12 Sherwood Foresters (N and D); AISTHORPE, Mark, Private, 1/5 Lincs; ALCOCK, Charles Christopher, Gunner, RFA; ALDIN, Charles Douglas, Private, 1 late 2/5 Lincs; ALLISON, Alfred Edward, Private, 1/5 Lincs; ALLISON, Wilfred, Private, 16 KOYLI; ANDERSON, David Livingstone, Private, 10 Lincs; ANDERSON, William, Private, Canadian Scottish; ANDERSON, William James Livingstone, junior, Private, 1/5 Lincs; ANDERSON, William John Livingstone, senior, LCpl, 1/5 Lincs; ANDREWS, Ernest W, Private, 1 Lincs; ARCHER, Frederick, Private, RGA; ASKEW, Ernest, LSgt, 6 Lincs; ATKIN, Ernest, Private, 3 Lincs; ATKINSON, Fred, Private, 8 West Yorkshire; AUCKLAND, Percy, Cpl, 2 Lincs; AULT, Rowland, Private, 3 Lincs; BACKWAY, George, LCpl, 10 Lincs; BACON, William Henry, Private, 1 Middlesex; BAKER, Alfred Thomas, Private, 1 East Yorkshire; BAKER, James, Private, 2 Lincs; BAKER, William, Private, 13 Yorkshire; BALDERSTONE, John Henry, Private, Lancashire Fusiliers; BALDOCK, Harry, Private, 7 Lincs; BALDWIN, John, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); BANFATHER, Henry, Private, 8 Lincs; BARBER, Claude Rowell, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); BARBER, Henry Morvinson, Rifleman, KRRC; BARKER, Richard, Private, 2 Royal Warwick; BARKER, William Forsyth, Private, North Staffs; BARNES, Frank Gordon, Private, 1 Gordon Highlanders; BARNEY, James, Private, 1 East Yorkshire; BARRETT, JH, Private, Yorks and Lancs; BARRETT, Thomas Redmond, Private, 1 Sherwood Foresters (N and D); BARTON, John Robert, Private, 2 Lincs; BAUMBER, Frederick Cyril, Pioneer RE; BAUMBER, Reginald R, LCpl, 10 Lincs; BECKETT, William, Private, 1/5 Lincs; BEECHAM, Fred, Gunner, RFA; BEELS, Clifford, Private, 10 Lincs; BELCHER, Roland, Cpl (infantry, unit unnamed); BELL, Edward, Private, RE; BELL, EJ, Sapper, RE; BELL, Frank, Private, 10 Lincs; BELL, GR, Private, 8 Lincs; BELL, George William, Private, 2/5 Lincs; BELL, John Thomas, Gunner, RGA; BELLAMY, Alfred, Private, Lincs; BELLAMY, Charles H, Capt, 10 Lincs; BELLAMY, Fred, Private, 6 Lincs;

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Roll of Honour Reproduced with the kind permission of North East Lincolnshire Council, from a booklet which was compiled in 1919 by Grimsby’s Town Clerk.

A footnote to the roll states in part: The friends of Grimsby men whose names do not appear or are incorrectly stated in the list are kindly requested to send particulars of any such alterations or additions to the Town Clerk, Municipal Buildings, Grimsby.

Abbreviations used in the index: Unless stated, all naval personnel were in the Royal Naval Reserve or RNRT. KORLR – King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment; KOYLI – King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry; KRRC – King’s Royal Rifle Corps; Lincs – Lincolnshire Regiment; MGC – Machine Gun Corps; N and D – Nottinghamshire and Derby Regiment; PO – Petty Officer; RAMC – Royal Army Medical Corps; RAOC – Royal Army Ordnance Corps; RAVC – Royal Army Veterinary Corps; RE – Royal Engineers; RFA – Royal Field Artillery; RGA – Royal Garrison Artillery; RMLI – Royal Marine Light Infantry; RN – Royal Navy; WO – Warrant Officer.

BELLAMY, Henry, Private, 2 Lincs; BENNINGTON, Frank, Private, RFA; BERRY, Charles William, Private, Lancs Fusiliers; BESTWICK, Walter C, Private, 1 Lincs; BETT, John Robert, Gunner, RFA; BEVITT, George, Private, 8 Lincs; BILLINGHAM, John Henry, Acting Sgt, RFA; BILLS, David Hilton, Private, Rifle Brigade; BILTON, William, Private, 5 Lincs; BIRD, Christopher George, Private, 3/5 Lincs; BIRKETT, Charles, Private, 8 Lincs; BISHOP, Joseph, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); BISSICK, James, Private, 4 East Yorkshire; BLAGG, Archibald, Private, 3/5 Lincs; BLANCHARD, Joseph, LCpl, 1 Lincs; BLOOMFIELD, W, Private, Lincs; BLOW, Allan Alfred, LCpl (infantry, unit unnamed); BLOW, Harold Reginald, Private, 2 Sherwood Foresters (N and D); BLOWER, Alfred, Cpl, 10 Lincs; BODSWORTH, George William, Private, KORLR; BONNER, George Ernest, Gunner, RGA; BOOTH, James Ambrose, Private, 11 Cameron Highlanders; BOOTH, James Henry George, Cpl, MGC: BORMAN, Sidney, Private, 1/14 London Scottish; BOSWELL, George Henry, Private 1 Lincs; BOSWELL, Samuel Kirman, Staff Sgt (infantry, unit unnamed); BOTT, Charles Stuart, Lieut, 7 Lincs; BOTT, William Ernest, Capt, 9 Royal Fusiliers; BOTTERIL, Alfred, Private, 1/5 Lincs; BOWLES, John William, Gunner, RFA; BOYCE, James Alfred, Private, Lincs; BRAMFOOT, Clayton, 2nd Lieut, 10 Lincs; BREEZE, Sidney Ritchie Patrick, Pioneer RE: BRIDGELAND, Edward, Private, 1 Grenadier Guards; BRIDGEMAN, Thomas Lawrence, Private, 2/5 Lincs; BRINKLEY, John Robert, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); BRISTOW, Archie Thomas, Private, KORLR; BRISTOW, George, Private, 6 Lincs; BROGDEN, Thomas Ernest, Private, 8 North Staffs; BROMFIELD, Albert Ernest, LCpl, 1 Lincs; BROMLEY, John William, Sgt (infantry, unit unnamed); BROOKER, Charles Henry, Private, 13 East Yorkshire; BROOKES, Alfred, Private, 1 Lincs; BROUGHTON, Colin R, LCpl, 1 Canadian; BROWN, Arthur James, Sgt, 10 Lincs; BROWN, Charles, Private, 5 Lincs; BROWN, Cyril, Private, Canadian Infantry; BROWN, George, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); BROWN, William Robert, Private, 1 Lincs; BROWN, Sidney John William, Private, 1 Lincs; BROWN, William, Private, 2/4 Lincs; BRUMPTON, Frederick, Private, 2 Lincs; BRUNSDEN, James Alfred, Private, 10 Lincs; BRYAN, Harold, LCpl, 1 Lincs; BUCK, Fred H, Private, 10 Lincs; BUDD, Francis John, Private, 8 Lincs; BUDD, James Victor, Private, Tank Corps; BUFFAM, John William, Gunner, RFA; BURGESS, Charles John, Private, 12 Royal Fusiliers; BURLEY, GW, Private, 1/5 Lincs; BURLEY, George William, Private, 1/5 Lincs; BURNLEY, Frederick, Private, 21 Rifle Brigade; BURREL, Henry Edward, Private, 10 Lincs; BURTON, Arthur, Private, RFA; BURTON, George William, Sgt, RGA; BUSH, Clarence, Gunner, RFA; BUSH, James, Rifleman, Rifle Brigade; BUTTERS, Harold, Private, 1 Lincs; BUTTLE, John Edward, Private, 10 Lincs; CALDECOTT, Arthur, Private, 2 Lincs; CALVEN, Charles, Private, 7 Norfolk; CAMMACK, William Stanley, Driver, RFA; CAMMOCK, Harold, Private, 10 Lincs; CAMPLING, John William, Private, 10 Lincs; CARBUTT, Frank, Private, London Socttish; CARDY, Charles William, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); CARLISLE, Allen, Private, 8 Lincs; CARRINGTON, Ernest, Private, 20 London; CARTER, Ernest, LSgt, 10 Lincs; CARTWRIGHT, John William, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); CARTY, Charles, Corporal, RFA; CARTY, James, Sgt, 5 Lincs; CATLEY, Richard William, Private, 11 West Yorkshire; CATLING; Arthur, Private, KORLR; CATTERALL, John, CQMS, 8 Lincs; CAWTHORNE, Wililam, Private, KORLR; CHANTLER, George, Gunner, RGA; CHANTRY, Harold, Gunner, RFA; CHANTRY, Sidney, Private, 2 Sherwood Foresters (N and D); CHAPMAN, Frederick Allanm, Lieut, 13 Manchester; CHAPMAN, Jack, Private, 2 Lincs; CHARLESWORTH, Frederick, Private, 8 Lincs; CHARLTON, Robert, Private, 2/6 South Staffs; CHARLTON, William, LSgt (infantry, unit unnamed); CHASE, Arthur, Private, 6 Middlesex; CHASE, Sidney, Private, Royal Fusiliers; CHASE, William Arthur, Private, 6 Lincs; CHESMAN, John Henry, Private, 2 Lincs; CLARK, Albert, Private, 1 Lincs; CLARK, George Ernest, Private, 1/5 Lincs; CLARK, James Drummond, Private, 10 Lincs; CLARK, Percival, Private, 10 Lincs; CLARK, Rowland, Private, 1/5 Lincs; CLARK, Thomas William, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); CLARKE, Fred, Private, 13 Sherwood Foresters (N and D); CLARKSON, Arthur James, Private, 16 Sherwood Foresters (N and D); CLARKSON, George Ernest, Private, 10 Lincs; CLARKSON, Leonard, Sgt, 1/6 Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment; CLAYPHAM, Joseph, LCpl, 2/5 Lincs; CLAYTON, T, Private, MGC; CLIFTON, Ewart Percival Corporal, 6 Lincs; COATES, Thomas, Sapper, RE; COBLEY, Frank, Private, 10 Lincs; COBLEY, Wilton, Private, 8 Lincs; COCKAYNE, Alfred William, LCpl, MGC; CODDINGTON, John William, Private, 10 Lincs; COGGAN, H, Sergeant, Lincs; COGGON, Albert, Private, 1/5 Lincs; COLBROOK, Benjamin John, Private, 9 West Yorkshire; COLE, Albert Ernest, Gunner (infantry, unit unnamed); COLE, James William, Private, 6 Lincs; COLEMAN, Albert, Private, 4 Dragoon Guards; COLLINS, William Alfred, Private, 10 Essex; CONDOR, Charles Henry, Private, 6 Lincs; CONNAH, James, Private, Lincs; CONNELL, William, LSgt, 1 Lincs; CONRADE, William Bastinns, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); CONRADS, WB, Private, 1 Lincs; CONSTABLE, Henry, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); COOK, Arthur, Private, 10 Lincs; COOK, Frank Private, (infantry, unit unnamed); COOK, John Markham, Private, 10 Lincs; COOK, Robert Leslie, 2nd Lieut, 6 Lincs; COOKE, Fred Allen, Sgt, 2 Lincs; COOPER, Alfred William, Private, 7 London; COOPER, Bertram Roderick, Private, 10 Lincs; COOPER, Charles Henry, Private, 6 Manchester; COOPER, Joseph, Private, 2 South Staffs; COOPER, Robert John, Private, 6 Lincs; COPESTAKE, Henry, MM, Private, 2 Lincs; COULAM, Ernest, Private, 2 Lincs; COULAM, Herbert, Private, 14 Sherwood Foresters (N and D); COULBECK, Thomas Sidney, Private, 10 Lincs; COULSON, Jack Baxter, Lieut, 5 Lincs; COULTFISH, George Samuel, Bombardier, RFA; COUPLAND, Frederick M, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); COWIE, Albert Edward, Corporal, 19 King’s Liverpool; COWLEY, Sidney, Signaller and Gunner, RFA; COX, Alfred Sidney, LCpl, South Staffs; COX, Frank, Sergeant, Lincs; COX, George, Private, 3 Lincs; COX, George, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); CROFT, Charles Edward, Private, 3 and 2 Lincs; CRUTTENDEN, William Newman, Gunner, RGA; CULLUM, Robert Barrett, Private, 10 Lincs, transferred to 1/5 Lincs; CULLUM, Robert James, Private, 2 Lincs; CULLUM, Thomas Edward, Private, Royal Berkshire; CUMMINGS, Leslie, Lieut, 10 Lincs; CURRY, Henry James Richard, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); DABB, Robert, Private, 1 Lincs; DADD, George William, Private, 8 Lincs; DALES, FD, Private, Lincs; DALES, William Frederick, LCpl, 10 and 8 Lincs; DANIEL, Robert William, Private, 7 Lincs; DANN, William Robert, Private, Army Cyclist Corps; DARNELL, Cedric Percy, Private, 6 East Yorkshire; DARNELL, Wilfred Arthur, Private, 9 West Yorkshire; DAULTON, Joseph Lester, Drummer (infantry, unit unnamed); DAVIS, AJ, Private, Lincs; DAVISON, Eric, Private, 10 Lincs; DAVISON, Robert, QMS, 10 Lincs; DAVY, Clifford, Private, 8 North Staffs; DAVY, Harry, Private, 8 North Staffs; DAWKINS, Gregory, Private, 1 Dorset; DAWKINS, William, Private, 7 Norfolk; DAWSON, Walter, Private, 8 Lincs; DAWSON, WM, Private, 4 Lincs; DAY, Frederick, Private, 1 Devonshire; DAYNES, Herbert, Private, 1 East Lancashire; DENNIS, Ernest, Private, 10 Lincs; DENT, William, Private, 13 East Yorkshire; DEVAN, John Henry, Private, Highland Light Infantry; DEWSON, William George, LCpl, 10 Lincs; DEWSON, WG, Private, Lincs; DIXON, F, Private, 1 Lincs; DIXON, Sidney, Private, 10 Lincs; DOBBS, Charles, Sergeant, 5 and 2 Lincs; DOBBS, Charles William, Private, 3/5 Lincs; DOBBS, John William, Private, 6 Loyal North Lancashire; DOBBS, Sydney Skipworth, Private, 2 Lincs; DODDS, James, Private, 1/5 Lincs; DODSWORTH, Frank, Private, 6 Lincs; DOLBY, Harry, Private, 10 Lincs; DONNER,John W, Private, 1 Lincs; DORE, Arthur Sidney, 2nd Lieut (infantry, unit unnamed); DORNAN, Harold Ernest, Rifleman, 1 Queen’s Westminster London Regiment; DOUGHTY, George Harry, 2nd Lieut, 18 Manchester; DOUST, William, Private, MGC; DOYLEY, Fred, Private, MGC Lincs; DRAKES, Frank Herbert, Private, 10 Lincs; DRANT, Uriah, Private, RDC, RAMC; DRAPER, John, Private, 1/5 South Staffs; DRIFFILL, Walter, Private, 10 Lincs; DRIVER, Ernest Henry, Private, 13 Middlesex; DRIVER, Lawrence Mason, Private, 1/5 Lincs; DRURY, Percy, LCpl, 10 Lincs; DRYDEN, Harry, Gunner RGA; DUNNING, Ernest Richard, Private, 6 Leicesters; DUNWELL, Frank, Private, 2 Lincs; DYE, James Robert George, Private, 10 Lincs; EARL, Albert Edward, Acting Cpl, 7 Norfolk; EARLE, William, Private, 2 Lincs; EASON, Raymond Praed, Lieut, 10 Lincs; EASTON, William Herbert, Private, Royal Warwick Regiment; EBBS, George Frederick James, Private, 10 Lincs; EDGERTON, Joseph, Private, 1 Lincs; EDLAND, Arthur Lee, Private, 2 Lincs; EGGLESTON, Archibald, LCpl, 10 Lincs; ELLIOT, Oliver, Private, 1 East Surrey; ELLIOTT, Harry, LCpl, 1/5 Lincs; ELLIOTT, Joseph, Gunner, RFA;

ELLIS, Ernest, Private, RAOC, RAMC; ELLIS, Fred, Private, 11 Lincs; ELLIS, Harry, Private, 1 Lincs; ELLIS, Joseph, Private, 2 Wiltshire; ELMES, Philip Charles, MM, Cpl, 16 KRRC; ELMORE, Frank, LCpl, 15 Sherwood Foresters (N and D); ELSEY, James, Private, 1 Canadian Mounted Rifles; EMERSON, Max William Pailthorpe, 2nd Lieut (infantry, unit unnamed); ENDERBY, Thomas, Private, 11 Lincs; EPTON, Bertie, Private, Leicesters; EYTCHE, William Morris, Private, 7 East Yorkshire; FANN, Fred Manley, Sergeant, 1/5 Lincs; FANSHAWE, Frederick Charles, LCpl, 1 Battalion, KORLR; FANTHORPE, John W, Private, 10 Lincs; FARMERY, Charles Henry, Private, 1/5 Leicesters; FARMERY, Fred, Acting Corporal, RE; FARTHING, Gordon Melville, Private, 4 Durham Light Infantry; FAWCETT, Jack, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); FAWCETT, James Reginald, Private, 13 East Yorkshire; FEENEY, William Henry, Private, 2 Sherwood Foresters (N and D); FENWICK, Ernest, LCpl, 2 Lincs; FENWICK, Fred, Gunner, RFA; FIELD, Albert Edwin, Driver, RFA; FIRMAN, George Henry, Gunner, RFA; FISHER, Oscar Edward, Private, 1 Lincs; FISHER, Timothy Coe, Gunner, RFA; FISHER, William Samuel, Private, 8 Lincs; FLACK, Harman, Private, 8 Lincs; FLEMING, William, Private, 6 Lincs; FLEMMING, R, LCpl, 1 Essex; FLESHBOURNE, George Edwin, Private, 1 Lincs; FLETCHER, Albert Edward, Private, 1/5 Lincs; FLETCHER, Charles, Private, 10 Lincs; FLETCHER, Harry, Private, 2/5 Lincs; FLETCHER, Henry, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); FLETCHER, John Robert, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); FLINT, James, Private, 1/5 West Yorkshire; FLINT, William, Private, 2 Lincs; FORD, Henry, Private, South Staffs; FORRESTER, Robert William, Private, 16 KOYLI; FORSYTH, John James, Private, 8 Lincs; FOSTER, Francis George, Private, MGC; FOSTER, George, Private, 10 Lincs; FOULSTON, John William, RASC; FOWLER, John William, Private, 1 Lincs; FOX, Charles, Private, 10 Lincs; FOX, Frank, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); FOX, Richard, LCpl, 1 and 8 Lincs; FRANKLIN, William Douglas Eason, Private, Northumberland Fusiliers; FRARAY, Frederick Arthur, Private, 2/5 Lincs; FREESTON, Joe, Private, 5 Lincs; FRESHNEY, Alick Edmund, Private, 11 Lincs; FRESHNEY, frank, LCpl, 10 Lincs; FROW, Albert Edward, Private, 2/5 Lincs; FRYMAN, Herbert, Private, 9 Royal Scots; FRYMAN, Joseph Henry, Private, 10 Lincs; FULLER, Reginald Joseph, Sergeant, 2/6 Royal Warwick; FUTTER, A, Private, 1 Essex; GAIT, John Sidney, LCpl, 16 KRRC; GALE, Thomas John, Private, 10 Lincs; GARLICK, Bertie, Private, 2 Lincs; GENNEY, Albert, Private, 2 Lincs; GIBNEY, Joseph, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); GIBSON, Ernest Samuel, Private, 8 Lincs; GILBERT, George, Private, 10 Lincs; GILDCHRIST, Charles T, Sapper, RE; GILES, Wilfred Edward, LCpl, 5 Lincs; GILL, Harry, Private, 5 Lincs; GILLESPIE, John David, Corporal, 2 Lincs; GILMORE, Harry, Private, Loyal North Lancs; GIRDLEY, John William, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); GIRDLEY, Walter, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); GISSING, Edward Quinton, Private, 1/5 Lincs; GOLDBERG, George Henry, Private, 1 KOYLI; GOLDSTONE, Mark, Private, 1 East Yorkshire; GOODFELLOW, John Garrard, Private, 8 Lincs; GOODHAND, John, Corporal, Lincs; GOODRICH, Walter Michael, 2nd Lieut, 8 Manchester; GOODWILL, James, Private, 1/5 Lincs; GOODWIN, Frederick John, Corporal, 2 Lincs; GOODWIN, Wilson, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); GOBUTT, Isaac, 2nd Lieut, 12 West Yorkshire; GORDON, Alexander, LCpl, 7 Lincs; GOTHARD, Thomas Henry Isaac Noble, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); GOULD, Walter, LCpl (infantry, unit unnamed); GOULDING, Arthur, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); GOULDING, Percy, LCpl (infantry, unit unnamed); GRABURN, George Wiliam, Private, 1/5 Lincs; GRAINGER, Ernest John, Gunner, RGA; GRANT, Allan, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); GRANTHAM, Frank, Private, RAMC; GRAVES, AJ, Private, KORLR; GREAVES, Frederick William, Private, MGC; GREEN, Ernest William, Sergeant, 11 Royal Fusiliers; GREEN, William Alfred, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); GREENAWAY, Frederick Charles, LCpl, 10 Lincs; GREENWOOD, Cyril, Private, Royal Inniskillin Fusiliers; GREETHAM, Frank, Gunner, RFA; GRICE, Charles Henry, Corporal, 8 Lincs; GRIMOLDBY, John Henry, LCpl, 6 Lincs; GRIMSTEAD, Arthur, Private, 8 Lincs; HADLEY, Francis William, Private, 1 Royal Warwick; HALL, Alfred Gordon, Private, 10 Lincs; HALL, Arthur Henry, Private, 10 Lincs; HALL, OJ, Private, 1 Lincs; HALL, Oscar James, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); HALL, Thomas, Private, South Staffs; HALL, Walter Sidney, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); HALLIDAY, Joseph Wilkinson, Private, 4 East Yorkshire; HANNAGAN, John, Private, 3 Lincs; HANSLIP, James, Private, 22 Durham Light Infantry; HANSON, Charles William, Private, Northumberland Fusiliers; HANSON, Charles William, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); HANSON, John Edward, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); HARBORD, Norman Henry, Corporal, 7 Lincs; HARMSTON, Joseph Sidney, Bombardier, RFA; HARNESS, JH, Private, 10 Lincs; HARNETT, Joseph Henry, Private, 1/5 Lincs; HARPER, Albert, Private, 6 Lincs; HARPER, Allen, Private, 6 Lincs; HARPER, George William, Private, 9 Lancs Fusiliers; HARPER, John, Private, 10 Lincs; HARRISON, Harold, Private, 13 Sherwood Foresters (N and D); HARRISON, John, Private, 7 Lincs; HARRISON, John William, Lieut, 18 London; HARRISON, Philip James, Private, 16 West Yorkshire; HARRISON, William Edward, Rifleman, 18 KRRC; HARVEY, EJ, Private, RASC; HAWES, Albert Edward, Private, Royal Fusiliers; HAWES, George Alfred, Private, 13 Sherwood Foresters (N and D); HAWES, Harold, Private, 13 Sherwood Foresters (N and D); HAWES, Henry, LCpl (infantry, unit unnamed); HAYDEN, Herbert, Private, 3 Lincs; HEALEY, Albert, Private, 1/6 Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment; HEMPSTOCK, Jess, Private, 10 Lincs; HENDERSON, Alexander, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); HENRIKSEN, Samuel Henry, Private, 1/5 Lincs; HERITAGE, Charles James, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); HERRETT, Walter Fergus, Private, 5 Lincs; HEWITT, Albert, LCpl, 7 Lincs; HEWITT, Henry William, Private, Royal Fusiliers; HEWITT, William Charles Lacey, Private, 8 Somerset Light Infantry; HEYHOE, Herbert, Private, 1/5 Lincs; HICKSON, Ernest, Private, Lincs; HILL, Albert Warner, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); HILL, Richard, Private, Labour Corps, 229 Division Employment Corps; HINDS, James Edward, Private, 1 Lincs; HOCKENEY, Joseph, Private, 1/8 Yorks and Lincs; HOCKLEY, Ernest Percy, Private, 2 Lincs; HOCKNEY, Fred, Private, 8 Gloucester; HODGSON, George, Bombardier (infantry, unit unnamed); HODSON, James Henry, Private, 1/5 Lincs; HOLBERRY, Harry, Russian Medal, Private, 1 Lincs; HOLDEN, John Clifford, Driver, RFA; HOLGETH, Charles, Private, 10 Lincs; HOLLIDAY, Sidney, Private, 1 Lincs; HOLLINGWORTH, George, Private, RFA; HOLMES, Charles Henry, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); HOLMES, Harold, Sergeant (infantry, unit unnamed); HOLT, Albert Victor, Private, 10 Lincs; HONEYBLE, Joseph, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); HOOD, David Edward, LCpl, Lincs; HOOTON, Thomas, Rifleman, 7 KRRC; HORNSHAW, Charles William, Private, The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles); HORNSHAW, JF, Private, Rifle Brigade; HORNSHAW, James Frederick, junior, Private, 2/5 Lincs; HUDSON, Bert Henry, Private, Queen’s Royal West Surreys 10th; HUGHES, John Henry, Private, 2 Lincs; HUNT, John Robert, MM, Private, 1 Lincs; HUNT, Reginald William Walter, Private, 10 Lincs; HURLEY, Arthur, Private, 10 Lincs; HURST, C, Private, North Staffs; HUTCHINSON, Sidney, Private, 1/5 Lincs; HUTTON, Ernest, Corporal, Coldstream Guards; HUTTON, Thomas Henry, Sergeant, 2/5 Lincs; HUXFORD, Harold Samuel, Private, 10 Lincs; HYLDON, Roy Charles, Private, 2/4 Lincs; IRONMONGER, George Henry, Private, Queen’s Royal West Surreys 6th; JACKLIN, Harry, Private, RAMC; JACKSON, Charles William, Private, Royal Fusiliers; JACKSON, George Harold, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); JACKSON, Wilfred, Private, 2/4 Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment; JACOBSEN, Harold, Pioneer Private, 1 Lincs; JACOBSEN, Isaac William, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); JAGGER, John William, (infantry, unit unnamed); JAINES, Alfred William Victor, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); JARMAN, Jacob Charles, Private, 1/4 West Yorkshire; JEFFERIES, Charles Ernest, Private, 1 Lincs; JENKINSON, Sidney, Private, 1/5 Lincs; JENNISEN, D, 2nd Lieut, 13 Manchetser; JOHNSON, Albert Edward, Private, 5 Lincs; JOHNSON, E, Private, 1/5 Lincs; JOHNSON, F, Private, 5 Lincs; JOHNSON, Harold Reginald, Gunner, Tank Corps; JOHNSON, JE, Private, 10 Lincs; JOHNSON, John William, Private, 10 Lincs; JOHNSON, Thomas Morton, Private, 1 Lincs; JOHNSON, Walter, Private, 3 Lincs; JOHNSON, William, Private, 2/5 Lincs; JOHNSON, William Edward, Driver, RFA; JONES, A, Private, 15 London; JONES, Albert Edward, Gunner, RFA; JONES, Arthur Henry, Sergeant, 10 Lincs; JONES, Frank, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); JONES< Sidney Rupert, Private, 2 Lincs; JORDAN, Benjamin, Private, 10 Lincs; JUGGINGS, John, Private, 1/5 Lincs;

GTE-E01-S3

Gunner, RFA; SARGENT, Joseph Henry, Private, 4 Lincs; SAYER, Francis, Private, 8 KELLY, P, Private, Royal Dublin Fusiliers; KELLY, TH, Corporal, 2 Lincs; KELSEY, Arthur, LBombardier, RFA; KENNINGTON, Harry, Lieut, RFA; KENT, David, Sergeant, 1/5 Lincs; Lincs; SCANDLAN, William, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); SCARGILL, George W, KEYWORTH, Jack, lCpl, 7 Lincs; KEYWORTH, William, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); LCpl, 10 Lincs; SCHOFIELD, Harry, Private, KORLR; SEARLE, John Arthur, 2nd Lieut, 1 KEYWORTH, William George, Private, 2 Lincs; KIFF, Herbert, Private, Royal Sussex; Sherwood Foresters (N and D); SECCKER, John, Private, 5 Lincs; SELLARS, AW, KIRK, N, Private, Lincs; KIRK, William, Private, 10 Lincs; KITCHING, Albert, LCpl, 17 Private, Lincs; SELLERS, William Henry Reed, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); Middlesex; KITCHING, George William, Private, 1/5 Lincs; KITCHING, Herbert R, SEMPERS, Robert John, Private, 10 Lincs; SHANKSTER, George, Lieut Royal North Signaller, 15 Durham Light Infantry; KITCHING, S, LCpl, Lincs; LAKE; Frank Herbert, Lancs; SHAW, Wright, Drummer Private (infantry, unit unnamed); SHEARSMITH, Private, 1/5 Lins; LAMMIN, Albert Ernest, Private, 17 Northumberland Fusiliers; Harold, Corporal, 6 Leicesters; SHEPHERD, Ethelbert Valentine, Private (infantry, unit LAMMIN, Sidney Harold, Private, 10 Sherwood Foresters (N and D); LANCKHAM, unnamed); SHEPHERD, George, LCpl, 10 Lincs; SHEPHERD, George, LCpl (infantry, William, Private, 18 KRRC; LANE, Arthur, Rifleman, 21 London; LANGHAM, James unit unnamed); SHERIDAN, Isaac, Sapper, RE; SHERIFF, Percy, LCpl (infantry, unit George, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); LAZENBY, Fred, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); SHERWOOD, Jack, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); SHORT, Samuel unnamed); LAZENBY, William, Sapper, RE; LEAKE, Arthur Cullum, LCpl, 1/5 Lincs; George, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); SIMMONDS, Charlie W, LCpl, 17 Middlesex; LEANEY, George, Private, 10 Lincs; LEE, Frederick, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); SIMPSON, Benjamin, Rifleman, 18 KRRC; SIMPSON, Norman Leslie, Private, 10 Lincs; LEE, John Thomas, Private, Lincs; LEES, Rupert, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); SIMS, Charlie, Private, 8 Lincs; SISSONS, Bertram, LCpl, 2 Lincs; SKIPWORTH, William LEWIS, Ernest Alfred, LCpl, 3/5 Lincs; LIMB, Edward, Private, 1/5 Lincs; LINCOLN, Henry, Private, 6 Lincs; SKOYLES, Joseph Henry, Private, 7 Lincs; SLACK, Harry, Harold, Private, 11 East Yorkshire; LINCOLN, William Cutler, Private, Queen’s Royal Private, 2 Lincs; SLATER, George Edward, Private, 2/5 Lincs; SLATTER, Thomas West Surrey’s 6th; LINGARD, Edward, Private, 2/5 Durham Light Infantry; LINGARD, Charles, Corporal, RFA; SMALL, Thomas Harold, Private, 10 Lincs; SMALLER, James, Robert, Gunner, RGA; LISON, William, Sergeant, 10 Lincs; LITTLE, Charles Edward, Sapper, RE; SMART, Joseph Edwin, Private, 5 Lincs; SMITH, Albert, LCpl, 1/5 Lincs; Private, 10 Lincs; LITTLE, Septimus Grundy, Private, 11 East Yorkshire; LOCK, Frank SMITH, Alfred, Bombardier, RFA; SMITH, Arthur, Private, 7 Lincs; SMITH, Benjamin J, Barnard, Corporal, 1/4 West Yorkshire; LOCK, Richard, Sergeant, 1 Lincs; LONDON, Private, 5 Lincs; SMITH, Charles, Private, 2/5 Gloucester; SMITH, Charles Thomas, William, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); LONG, Ernest Charles, Private, 1 Royal LCpl, 2 Lincs; SMITH, Charles William, Private, 8 Gloucester; SMITH, Fred Arthur, Fusiliers; LONG, Robert, Private, 6 Lincs; LOVE, Samuel, Driver, RFA; LUCAS, William Private (infantry unit unnamed); SMITH, George, Private, 8 North Staffs; SMITH, James Harold, Private, 10 Lincs; LUDDINGTON, Arthur, Private, 2 Lincs; LUMLEY, Arthur Morrison, Gunner RFA; SMITH, Joseph, Private, 10 Lincs; SMITH, PW, LCpl, 1 Lincs; Hugh, Gunner, RGA; McDOWELL, Thomas, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); MACE, SMITH, Robert, Private, 7 Lincs; SMITH, S, Sapper, RE; SMITH, SB, LCpl, 10 Lincs; Ernest William, LCpl, 3 Lincs; McFALL, John Robert, Private, 10 Lincs; McINTOSH, SMITH, William, Private, Lincs; SMITH, William Henry, Private, 1/5 Durham Light Samuel, Private, 2 Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment; McNEE, Herbert, Infantry; SMYTH, George Alfred, Gunner, RFA; SNOWDEN, Charles Piercy, Private, 3 Private, 1 Lincs; MADDISON, CH, Gunner, RFA; MAIDENS, Arthur Meredith, Post Office Worcester; SOWTER, Frederick Reginald, Private, 7 Lincs; SPARLING, Harry Rifles, London Regiment; MALKINSON, H, Private, 1 Lincs; MALTBY, Matthew, Private, Christopher, LCpl, 10/11 Highland Light Infantry; SPARLING, Walter William, Private, 9 1 Lincs; MANN, George William, LCpl, 9 Lancs Fusiliers; MARKHAM, Alfred William, Lincs; SPASHETT, John William, Private, 1/5 Lincs; SPEIGHT, George, Private (infantry, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); MARKHAM, Jack Brewster, LCpl, 1 South Staffs; unit unnamed)SPRING, James, Gunner, MGS; STAMP, George William, Private, 1 Lincs; MARLOR, Henry, Private, 2 Manchester; MARRIOT, Fred Watson, LCpl, 11 Lincs; STAMPE, George Herbert, Major (infantry, unit unnamed); STANLEY, George, Private, 1/ MARRIS, Henry, LCpl, 5 Lincs; MARRIS, William, LCpl, 6 Lincs; MARSHALL, 5 Lincs; STANLEY, Harold, Private, 12 Durham Light Infantry; STANNARD, John Christopher, Private, 10 Lincs; MARSHALL, Ernest Victor, Private, 8 Gloucester; Edward, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); STANTON, Charles Edgoose, Private, 1/8 West MARSHALL, GW, Private, 1/5 Lincs; MARSHALL, John Richard, Gunner, RFA; MARTIN, Yorkshire; STAPLEY, Henry William, Staff Sgt, RAMC: STEAD, Frederick, Drummer Robert Arthur, Gunner, RFA; MARTIN, William George, Private, MGC?, Lincs; Private, 1 Lincs; STEEL, Bernard Clayton, Private, 1 Northumberland Fusiliers; STEELE, MASHFORD, John William, Gunner, RGA; MASON, Harry Andrew, Private (infantry, unit Sidney Herbert, Private, 7 Lincs; STEELEY, George William, Private, 1 Lincs; unnamed); MASON, Stanley Wilfred, Private, 10 Lincs; MAW, Herbert Sydney, 17 Royal STEPHENSON, George, Private, Border Regiment; STEVENS, Charles Henry, MM, Croix Welch Fusiliers; MAY, John, Private, 4 Lincs; MAZINGHAM, Amos, Private, 11 Lincs; De Guerre, Corporal, RAMC; STEWART, John, Sergeant, 3 and 1 Lincs; STIFF, Arthur, MEANWELL, George Foster, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); MEEGHAN, Walter Carnall, Private, Hussars; STINSON, George, Private, 10 Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Corporal, 2/5 Lincs; MEERES, John Augustus, Private, Coldstream Guards; MEREDITH, Regiment; STORE, Leonard, Private, 3/5 Lincs; STORE, Sidney John, East African Ernest, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); METCALFE, Joseph Lawson, Private, 2 Lincs; Supply Corps, (rank not stated); STORR, Alfred, Driver, RFA; STRATTON, Charles MEW, Walter, Private, 8 Gloucester; MICHAEL, Albert Baker, Private, RAVC, RAMC; William, Private, 16 Yorks and Lancs; STREAM, John Harvey, Lieut, 7 Lincs; STREETS, MILAM, Albert, Private, 8 Sherwood Foresters (N and D); MITCHELL, James Henry, William Frederick, Private, 2 Lincs; SUDDEN, RC, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); Private, Durham Light Infantry; MOBBS, George, Private, 1 KOYLI; MOODY, George, SUNLEY, E, Private, 1/5 Lincs; SUNLEY, George Fields, Private, MGC; SWALES, George LCpl, 5 Lincs; MOODY, Henry Fred, 2nd Lieut, 8 Lincs; MOORE, Fred, Private, 9 Lancs Frederick, LCpl, MGC; SWEETMAN, Ernest Herbert, Private, Sherwood Foresters (N and Fusiliers; MOORE, William Hector, Private, 2/6 South Staffs; MORAN, Frederick Charles, D); TAYLOR, Albert Ernest, MM, Corporal, 2 Lincs; TAYLOR, Charles, LCpl, 1 Lincs; Private (infantry, unit unnamed); MORRIS, Andrew, 2nd Lieut, 4 Manchester; MORRIS, TAYLOR, Charles Ernest, Private, Lincs; TAYLOR, Cyril, Private, 1/5 Lincs; TAYLOR, Thomas H, Sergeant, 2 Lincs; MORRIS, William, Private, 2 LIncs; MORRIS, William Frederick Charles, Gunner, RGA; TAYLOR, Herbert Wilfred, Gunner, RFA; TAYLOR, Isaac James, Private, 2/4 Lincs; MOSELEY, Herbert, Private, 6 LIncs; MOSS, Charles Edward, William, Corporal, 2/5 Lincs; TEANBY, Harry, Private, 1 Irish Guards; TEMPLEMAN, Private, 8 Sherwood Foresters (N and D); MULHOLLAND, Willam Francis, RSM Lincs; Francis James, Sergeant (infantry, unit unnamed); TESTER, Charles, Private, 2 Lincs; MUMBY, Edward Ernest, Sapper, RE; MUNDY, Robert Edward, Private, 1/4 Lincs; THOMAS, Arthur Percy, Sergeant, 20 Lancs Fusiliers; THOMPSON, Frederick Henry, MUNSON, Richard, Private, 10 Lincs; MUNSON, Robert, Gunner, RFA; MURPHY, AW, Private, 11 East Yorkshire; THOMPSON, Ralph, Private, 10 Lincs; THORNTON, Charles Private, 10 Lincs; MURPHY, Albert Wiliam, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); MURRAY, Edward, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); TINDALL, Frank, Gunner, RFA; TINDALL, Joseph, Private, 1/4 Lincs; MURRY, Joseph, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); MYERS, Henry, Sergeant, RDC, RAMC; TINSLEY, William, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); Ernest, Private, Labour Corps, Labour Battalion; NAULLS, Charles Barr, Private, 12 TODD, Alfred, Private, 7 Lincs; TOMS, Durham Light Infantry; NAYLOR, Frank, Private, 10 Lincs; NAYLOR, S, Corporal, Lincs; Arthur, Private (infantry, unit NEAL, George Henry, Gunner, RFA; NEAR, Harry, LCpl, 3/5 Lincs; NEEDHAM, Arthur, unnamed); TONGUE, Private, 1 attached 2 Lincs; NEEDHAM, Frank, 2 Royal Warwick; NEEDHAM, John John, Lieut Col, Robert, LCpl, RASC: NEEDHAM, Joseph, Private, 2 Lincs; NEEDLEY, N, LCpl, 17 CMG, RFA; Middlesex; NEILSON, H, Private, 2/4 Lincs; NELSON, George, Private, 2 Suffolk; NELSON, John Charles, Private, 10 Lincs; NELSON, Thomas William, Private, 1/5 Lincs; NEWHAM, Charles Thomas, Private, 16 Northumberland Fusiliers; NEWHAM, Charles Thomas, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); NEWHAM, George W, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); NEWSOME,, Harold, Private, 10 Lincs; NEWSOME, James Thomas, Private, 10 Lincs; NICHOLS, Walter Hawes, RQMS, 10 Lincs; NICHOLSON, Alfred, Private, 6 Lincs; NICKERSON, J, Corporal, Lincs; NILES, Herbert Henry, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); NUTTALL, James, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); O’FLINN, George Robert, Private, 2/5 Lincs; OGDEN, Thomas, Corporal (infantry, unit unnamed); OGLESBY, Ewart Cook, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); OLDROYD, Walter, Corporal, Lincs; OLDROYD, Walter Harold, Sergeant, 10 Lincs; OLSEN, Edgar Christian, Private, 10 Lincs; ONN, John Harold, Sapper, RE; ORFORD, Ernest Victor Molson, 2nd Lieut, 2 Essex; OSBORNE, GN, Sapper, RE; OSBORNE, Robert Arthur, lCpl, 7 Lincs; OSCROFT, William, QMS (infantry, unit unnamed); OXLEY, Cyril, Private, 8 Leicesters; PAGE, George Frederick, Corporal, 3 Gloucester; PARKER, Frederick Odlin, Private, 3 Lincs; PARKINSON, John Henry, Private, 8 Sherwood Foresters (N and D); PARTNER, Charles, BSM, RFA; PARTNER, Charles William, LCpl, 8 Lincs; PATTINSON, Charles Harold, LCpl, 2 Lincs; PAWSON, Thomas, Private, 1 Lincs; PAYNE, James Henry, Private, 10 Lincs; PAYNE, SE, Private, South Staffs; PEARSON, Albert Henry, Private, 10 Lincs; PEARSON, Joe, Private, 8 LIncs; PEARSON, Maurice Towl, Private, 10 Lincs; PEART, William, L Cpl, 10 Lincs; PECKHAM, Frederick John, Private, 5 Lincs; PERRIN, William James, Driver, RFA; PERRY, John, Private, 2 Lincs; PETERS, K, Sapper, RE; PETTMAN, Frank Cleveland, Private, 2 Lincs; PETZEL, George William, Private, 3/5 Lincs; PHILLIPS, Louis Reginald, Private, 12 Royal Sussex; PHILLIPSON, Frederick Kennington, Private, Royal Warwick; PIGGOT, George Robert, Private, 8 Gloucester; PINDAR, John William, Private, 2 Lincs; PISHDOWN, Frank, Private, 1 Lincs; PITT, Frank, Gunner, RFA; PITT, Frank, Signaller, RFA; PLASKITT, Robert James, Private, 12 Royal Sussex; PLOWMAN, John Lambert, MM, Acting Sgt Major, 10 Lincs; PLUMPTREE, Harry, Private, 1 Cheshires; PORTESS, George Henry, Private, RAMC; POSTILL, Ernest, Private, 1 Royal West Kents; POWELL, Charles Cyril, Sapper, RE; POWELL, EA, Signaller, Lincs; POXON, Joe, Private, 2 Lincs; PRATT, C, Private, Australian; PRATT, Sidney Harold, Gunner, RFA; PRATTE, Arthur William Staples, Lieut, 10 Lincs; PRESTWOOD, Walter Marshall, MM, LCpl, Lincs; PRICE, George Phillip, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); PRIKE, Jack, Corporal (infantry, unit unnamed); PRIKE, James, Private, 1/5 Lincs; PRIKE, John, LCpl, 7 Lincs; PROCTOR, Sidney Herbert, LCpl (infantry, unit unnamed); PROCTOR, Thomas, Driver, RFA; PROCTOR, William, Private, 2 Sherwood Foresters (N and D); PULLEN, John, Private, 1/5 Lincs; PURVES, Joseph Slater, LCpl, 2/5 Lincs; RACK, Alfred, Private, 5 Dorset; RAINFORTH, Charles Robert, Private, 1/5 Lincs; RAMSDALE, A, Private, 1 Lincs; RANDS, Robert Tom, Private, Coldstream Guards; RANYARD, Walter Wells, Private, 1/5 Yorks and Lancs; RAWORTH, John William Austin, Private, 5 Durham Light Infantry; READ, William George, Private, 2/5 Lincs; REDFORD, Charles, Private, 7 Lincs; REED, Archibald, Gunner, RFA; REVILL, Percy, LCpl, 1/5 Lincs; REYNOLDS, William Smith, Private, 2 KOYLI; RICE, Edward, Private, 1 Lincs; RICHMOND, Robert, Gunner, RFA; RICKATSON, A, Gunner, RFA; RICKATSON, Arthur Ewart, Gunner, RGA; ROBERTS, Albert Purvis, Private, 1 Buffs East Kent Regiment; ROBERTS, Horace Joseph, LCpl, 4 Lincs; ROBINSON, Arthur, Private, Coldstream Gurards; ROBINSON, Charles Edward, LCpl, 1/5 Lincs; ROBINSON, Frank, Corporal, 17 Lancers; ROBINSON, George, LCpl, 2 Lincs; ROBINSON, George Henry, Private, 2 King Edward’s Horse; ROBINSON, Harry, Private, 10 LIncs; ROBINSON, John Edward, 2nd Lieut, 7 Lincs; ROBINSON, Joseph, Private, 10 Lincs; ROBINSON, Joseph Vincent, Private, Private, 3 Lincs; ROBINSON, Walter, Private, 2 Lincs; ROBINSON, Walter, Private, 2 Lincs; ROBINSON, William Nevison, LCpl, 1/5 Lincs; ROSE, Tom, Bombardier, RFA; ROSS, Arthur, LCpl, 1 Lincs; ROUTLEDGE, John Henry, Private, MGC; ROWLEY, Frederick Henry, Driver, RFA; ROWLEY, George, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); ROWLEY, James Henry Hercules, Private, 2 Royal Warwick; ROWSON, Edward, Private, 2 KOYLI; RUSHBY, Charles William, Private, 10 Lincs; RUSHBY, Sidney Harold, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); RUSHFORTH, Benjamin, junior, Private, 2 Lincs; RUSSELL, Elijah Edward, Private, Lincs; RUSSELL, John Thomas, Private, 10 Lincs; RYDER, Cyril, Private, Lincs; RYDER, Harry George, Driver, RFA; SADLER, James Richard, Private, 2 Lincs; SANDERS, W, Acting Sergeant, RASC; SANDERS, Walter, Sergeant, RAMC; SANDERSON, George William,

GRIMSBY TELEGRAPH Tuesday, July 29, 2014

TOOLEY, HA, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); TOPLISS, George Edman, Private, Lincs; TRAFFORD, Arthur, Private, 10 Lincs; TRAFFORD, Thomas Christian, Corporal, 6 Lincs; TRIPP, George, Private, 1/3 Lincs; TROOP, William, Private, 1/5 Lincs; TURNER, Charles, Private, Border Regiment; TURNER, Edward Francis Howlett, Private, 2 KOYLI; TURNER, Ernest, Private, 10 Lincs; TURNER, George Archibald, Sapper, RE; TURNER, George Harry, LCpl, 10 Lincs; TURNER, Percy, LCpl, 1/5 Lincs; TURNER, Samuel Alfred, Sergeant, RAMC; TYAS, Edward Parker, Private, 1 Lincs; TYE, Alfred Edward, Private, 10 Lincs; UNDERWOOD, Charles, Private, Lincs; UNDERWOOD, Samuel Alfred, Private, Lincs; URQUHART, James Lawrence, Lieut, 7 Northants; USHER, Arthur Edward, Corporal, RE; VESSEY, John William, Private, MGC; VICKERS, JH, Private, West Yorkshire; VICKERS, Thomas Henry, Sergeant, 1/5 Lincs; WAKE, JP, Sergeant, Lincs; WAKELEY, Fred, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); WALKER, AV, Sergeant, 10 Lincs; WALKER, Charles, Private, 3 Lincs; WALKER, Charles William, Corporal, 5 Lincs; WALKER, Edmund, Private, 11 East Yorkshire; WALKER, William, Private, Labour Corps, Labour Battalion; WALKINGTON, William, Private, 2 Lincs; WALLIS, Charles Herbert, Sergeant, 1 Lincs; WALLIS, Charles Walter, Private, 11 Lincs; WALTER, William, Private, 2/5 Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment; WALTERS, Ralph, Corporal, RFA; WALTHAM, Bertie, Private, 1 Lincs; WALTON, Alfred, Private, 1 Northumberland Fusiliers; WALTON, Harry, Gunner, RGA; WALTON, J, QMS, Lincs; WALTON, Thomas Arthr, LCpl, 8 Lincs; WARD, Alfred, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); WARD, George Arthur, Private, 10 Lincs; WARD, George Arthur, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); WARD, John William, Private, 2/22 London; WARDELL, Frederick John, Private, 5 Lincs; WARDELL, Robert Roger, Private, 2 Lincs; WARDLE, George Henry, Private, 1 Lincs; WATKINSON, William Spencer, Private, RASC; WATSON, Archibald, Private, 2 Lincs; WATSON, Frederick, Private, Coldstream Guards; WATSON, John Henry, Private, 1 Lincs; WATSON, William R, Private, 2 Lincs; WATTS, Sidney John, Private, 10 Lincs; WAUDBY, Charles, LCpl, Lincs; WAUGH, Thomas, Private, 16 Cameron Highlanders; WEBB, Fred, Private, 2/5 Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment; WEBB, William Alfred, Sergeant, 10 Lincs; WEBSTER, Ernest, Private, 2 Lincs; WEBSTER, George, Private, 2/4 Lincs; WELHAM, Henry Ben, Private, 6 Lincs; WELLS, Charles Ambrose, Private, 1/5 Lincs; WELLS, George W, Private, 1 Lincs; WELTON, William, Private, 10 Lincs; WESSELDINE, William R, Private, 3 Lincs; WEST, A, Private, 12/13 Northumberland Fusiliers; WEST, Edward, Gunner, RGA; WESTON, Alfred Maden, Private, 17 Sherwood Foresters (N and D); WESTON, George Alfred, Private, 3 Gordon Highlanders; WHERRY, William, LCpl, Trench Mortar Battery, RAMC; WHINNET, Harry, Acting Corporal, Rifle Brigade; WHITBREAD, John George, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); WHITBY, Albert William, Private, 10 Lincs; WHITE, Harold Beacock, Private, 8 Lincs; WHITE, Sydney Crampton, Private, 8 Lincs; WHITE, Sidney Thomas, LCpl, RE; WHITELEY, Frederick Joseph, Platoon Sgt, 7 Rifle Brigade; WHITFIELD, Sydney, Private, 2 Lincs; WILDE, Richard, BQMS, RFA; WILKINS, John Robert, Sergeant, 4 North Staffs; WILKINS, Thomas Arnold, Private, Northumberland Fusiliers; WILKINSON, George Edward,. Private (infantry, unit unnamed); WILKINSON, John Sydney, LCpl, 2 Lincs; WILKINSON, Percy Ambrose, Sapper, RE; WILKINSON, Thomas, LCpl, 1/3 Lincs; WILLERTON, Ernest James, Private, 1/8 London; WILERTON, George Charles, Corporal, 8 Lincs; WILLIAMS, John Thomas, Private, 6 Lincs; WILLIAMS, Richard, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); WILLIAMSON, Herbert Davy, MM, Private, 10 Lincs; WILLIS, Robert, Private, 3 Lincs; WILLIS, Thomas Griffin, Private, 2 Lincs; WILLMAN, David, Private, 2 Lincs; WILLOWS, Thomas Casswell, Trooper, Royal Bucks Husaars; WILMOT, Ben, MC, Captain, 20 Northumberland Fusiliers; WILSON, Allen, Private, 1 Lincs; WILSON, Charles, Private (infantry, unit unnamed); WILSON, Charles Baxter, Sergeant, RASC; WILSON, Harry, Private, 10 Lincs; WILSON, James, Private, Border Regiment; WILSON, Samuel, Private, 1 Lincs; WILSON, Sidney, Captain, Canadian; WILSON, William Edward, Private, 10 Lincs; WINDRIDGE, Frederick, Private, Northumberland Fusiliers; WINFREY, Frederick Edward, Private, 1 Lincs; WINKS, Arthur Johnson, Private, 1 Lincs; WINKS, Frederick, Private, 7 Lincs; WINN, Arthur Ignatius, Private, 2 Royal Warwick, WINTERS, George William, Private, 10 Lincs; WOLFE, John Henry, Private, 1 Lincs; WOOD, John Henry, Private, 8 Lincs; WOODERS, Walter, Private, 10 Lincs; WOODRUFF, John George, Corporal, 8 North Staffs; WORTHINGTON, F, Captain, 10 Lincs; WRAY, Charles Herbert, Private, 2 Lincs; WRAY, George Edward, Private, 10 Lincs; WRIGHT, Arthur Hayward, Private, 10 East Yorkshire; WRIGHT, Edward, Sergeant, 18 KRRC; WRIGHT, Harold, Private, 3 Lincs; WRIGHT, John, LCpl, 2 Loyal North Lancs; WRIGHT, Oscar, Captain, Indian Army; WRIGHT, Sidney Bevers, Company Sergeant Major, Lincs; WRIGHT, Walter, Private, 7 Lincs; WRIGHT, William Arthur, Private, 3 Lincs; WRIGHT, William Henry, Trooper, Lincs Imperial Yeomanry; WRINGE, Alfred Newman, LCpl, 10 Lincs; YOUNG, Charles Joseph, Sapper Private (infantry, unit unnamed); YOUNG, Ernest, Private, 11 East Yorkshire; YOUNG, William, Private, 8 Lincs.

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They were the magnificent men in flying machines

T

BERTRAM WOOD: His war lasted just 12 weeks but in that time he was awarded the MC and Bar.

PHOTOGRAPHIC OBSERVER: Second Lieutenant Worthington, Moore, Porri and Anderson at Brocklesby.

HE 1914-18 war saw the introduction of four ‘new’ forms of warfare in quantity, writes Peter Chapman.

At sea the Dreadnought Class of battleship had revolutionised surface war and beneath the waves the submarine was to pose its own fearful threat.

On land the Tank Corps (previously the heavy section of the Machine Gin Corps) was named in 1917 and became ‘Royal’ in 1923.

But another entirely new form of combat was waged by a very new and generally quite unsophisticated band of enthusiasts – airmen.

This ‘band’ was to achieve – and very speedily indeed – a special sophistication.

The Royal Flying Corps was born in Aldershot on April 13, 1913, heir to the Royal Engineers’ balloon companies and held immense appeal to those who had followed the exploits of Bleriot, Graham-White and many others. And when, in France, the initial fluency had frozen into a trench stalemate, those eager to escape joined the RFC. Grimsby was to play its part ... ● Sergeant Pilot Robert Lincoln, veteran of numerous battles and excursions on the Western Front, died in hospital in Cirencester after the plane he was flying crashed on November 11, 1917. He was 29.

His body was brought back to Grimsby and buried with full military honours in the Lincoln family plot in Doughty Road cemetery, known, even in 1917, as The Old Cemetery.

Six months later his famous father, Bob Lincoln, died after a six-month illness, known to us as a broken heart, and was buried alongside him.

Thus, in microcosm, the toll of the 1914-18 War on Grimsby. It was to be much repeated.

Bob Lincoln (senior) is a name known to many of you yet. His is the two-volume Rise of Grimsby, the Reminiscences of Sport, the George Doughty hagiography. He was a John Bull figure, bluff, hearty, sportsman in excelsis, Tory to the marrow.

He was working on another book at the time of his death. It was to be titled With The Colours - Exit Kaiser Bill.

“I’ve been getting on with it. I was at death’s door. But I didn’t knock.” This was classic Bob Lincoln and Grimsby loved it.

Bob had two sons, the younger, Abe, in the 3rd (the Mayor’s Own) Grimsby Scouts.

The elder, Bob, enlisted in December 1914 in 16 Squadron, RFC and went to France.

“We can see the shells bursting round our aeroplanes, but they can’t hit them,” he wrote in one of many letters home.

After two years he was posted home, had gained his ‘wings’ and was an instructor at Wigton when he was killed. There were many left to grieve. ● Frederick William Riggall bore a surname better known then in the town than now.

He was the Riggall of Dickinson, Riggall and Davy, estate agents, a farmer’s son from Gayton-le-Wold who came to Grimsby after several years in New Zealand.

He started the estate agency, was organist at St James’ Church, a captain in the local Militia (and commanded it), was a parish constable, overseer

of the poor, joined the council, became Mayor in 1905. He had three sons. Jabez was a Sapper, survived the war and emigrated to Alberta. Allan, the youngest, was in business with his father.

But Gordon joined the Naval Air Service, was commissioned, won his ‘wings’ and became a Flight Lieutenant.

On February 16, 1915, he was reported missing somewhere over Ostend. No trace of him was ever found. Alderman Riggall lies in the churchyard at Gayton-le-Wold where the parish porch is a gift from his family.

Flt Lieut Edward Gordon Riggall (1895-1915), once School Captain at Clee Grammar School, lies in a foreign field. ● On the same day that young Bob Lincoln joined the RFC, so did Walter Beales. He was 20.

The eldest of the three sons of WS Beales, he too had been given the same Christian names as his father who was also quite as well known in the town as Bob Lincoln Snr. Ald Walter Beales JP was a Grimsby council stalwart for years, a cabinet maker by trade in which business young Walter had worked.

Young Walter was not only to survive the war but be one of only six members of the RFC to be awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.

Initially he was an observer in Bristol fighters.

And as a member of 48 Squadron became a fighter pilot in the famous Sopwith Camel squadron. By the end of hostilities he had five ‘kills’ to his credit and several more ‘probables’. Early in March 1918 Sgt Pilot Water Beales was awarded the DCM for gallantry.

Returning home from a photographic recce he was attacked by three enemy fighters. Tho’ wounded in the hand he drove off all three in a running fight lasting 10 minutes.

And there were other occasions ... ”often flying at low altitudes, his machine riddled with bullets.

His staunchness and accurate shooting, his keenness and pluck have proved a great incentive to other non-commissioned officers in his squadron.”

Sgt Beales DCM returned to Grimsby, lived for a time in Weelsby Grove and, in 1939, was CO of the Waltham Gliding School and of the Grimsby Air Training Corps. He died in Goxhill in 1962. ● Perhaps the best known of Grimsby’s RFC pilots was Bertram Wood.

About him and his brother Edwin Leonard Wood was a book, Two Soldier Brothers, written by schoolmaster John Bygott – who was more than ably assisted by Dick “Knocker” Johnson, deputy head of Wintringham Grammar School for many years – a book still to be found on Grimsby bookshelves.

Neither of the Wood brothers survived the war.

The older boy, Edwin, was killed, a subaltern in the Royal Scots Fusiliers. Six weeks later Bert was killed - like young Bob Lincoln – in an accident.

Their father and mother were well known in the town. Bert had gone to France in March 1917 with 29 Squadron, his plane a single-seater Nieuport Scout. This solo fighting appealed to him.

His first fight was on May 4, his last August 9.

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LEFT: Flight Lieutenant Edward Gordon RiggalL, RN. RIGHT: Bob Lincoln’s son, Sergeant Pilot Robert Lincoln, right, with his brother, Abe Lincoln. The picture was taken in 1915.

Robert was killed in 1917 at the age of 29.

In that short space of time he won 36 aerial battles, shot down 17 enemy planes.

In the June he was awarded the Military Cross for his gallantry and in the July was awarded a second - a ‘bar’ - to his MC. Bert Wood’s war lasted just 12 weeks. For here in Blighty, and on a practice flight, he was killed on November 12, 1917. He was 19. Walter Bertram Wood MC and bar, Old Boy of St James’ School, lies yet in Scartho Road cemetery. He was given a military funeral, his coffin on a gun carriage covered with the Union Jack. A firing party of the Manchesters was there. Some of the floral tributes were in the shape of aeroplanes. ● A surname once familiar in Grimsby is that of the Porri family. Louis was the founder of a news agency in Kent Street. He was a journalist and in an age when newspapers did not carry photographs, took them in enormous quantity and sold them, postcard sized.

His name will be familiar for this reason alone to collectors of postcards. His portraits are invaluable and he took photographs of, we can imagine,

GALLANTRY: Sergeant Walter Beales, DCM.

every member of the Grimsby Chums.

Louis’ son, Sidney, followed him into the business and became very well known as the organist at St Peter’s, Cleethorpes.

Sidney’s son was Cyril Porri. Cyril went to Clee Grammar School in 1906 and left for Durham University and then St John’s College, Oxford. He was a very bright boy.

In 1914, he was immediately commissioned into the Grimsby Chums, but transferred to the RFC serving in France as a photographic observer. The Porri ability with the camera continued!

After the Armistice he stayed in the RAF, served in Egypt on the Air Ministry staff and in Iraq in the 1920s. Promoted Squadron Leader, he became Chief Instructor at the School of Photography, Farnborough, and in 1936 became Wing Commander and CO of RAF Farnborough.

He also graduated (MA) in law and became a barrister at the Inner Temple. A bright boy indeed. ● One of the more extraordinary members of the RFC was Tom Stevens. Indeed a more unlikely aviator would be hard to find in Grimsby.

Tom Stevens was the musical director of the Palace Theatre orchestra. Hull-born, he had crossed the river in 1906 to be conductor of the Prince of Wales Theatre orchestra and then became musical director at the Tivoli music hall. When it closed he went to the Palace.

When war broke out – and aged 35 – he joined The Artists’ Rifles OTC but answered a call for volunteers to be trained in aerial gunnery and took a flying course.

“Being in the air,” he wrote to a friend in town, “is very different from conducting an orchestra – but very interesting.”

Tom Stevens survived the war and returned to the baton at the Palace. But in 1925 the poor chap fell ill and died the following year.

His funeral was held at Welholme Congregational Church where members of the orchestras, past and present, from the Prince of Wales Theatre, the Palace and the Tivoli were waiting and his coffin was carried in as they played Abide With Me. He, too, is buried in Scartho Road cemetery. ● Tragic indeed was the fate of Lieutenant John

Harvey Stream. Young Stream – and he was indeed young – was the only son of the headmaster of the Grimsby Municipal College, Mr ES Stream who, by founding the college’s OTC in 1904, had laid the very foundation of what would become known as the Grimsby Chums.

John Stream, his only son, born in 1899, went first to Clee Grammar School and thence to the Municipal College.

In 1915 – and aged only 16 – he was commissioned into the 10th Lincolns and, before he was 17, was transferred to another battalion to see grim fighting at Arras in 1917, becoming “mentioned in despatches”.

Maybe it was, as future remarks will reveal, too dreadful; for that year he transferred to the RFC. His departure was regretted.

His CO wrote to his father in Grimsby: ”I am exceedingly sorry that he has decided to go to the RFC as he showed remarkable courage and ability as an infantry officer.”

Lt John Harvey Stream died a hero. As an observer in a ‘two-seater’ he spotted five German planes attacking a balloon. Despite being outnumbered they shot to the rescue. Both pilot and Stream were killed. It was his first – and only – flight. ● Of course there were many more local men to join the RFC and I would include Capt Frank Evison who transferred to the RAF (the RFC changed its name in 1918) from the 4th Lincolns.

His grandfather Ald F Evison was Mayor of Grimsby in 1902 and his father-in-law, Supt Charles Kelk Blakelock, head of Grimsby’ s 1914-18 War Special Constabulary.

The last man in Grimsby to wear the Royal Flying Corps tie was Percy Leigh.

Many of you will recall him in old age and reluctant retirement in his charming antiques shop in The Granby Mews in the Bull Ring which his son, Robert, took over.

Percy Leigh, born in Grimsby in 1889, joined the Inns of Court Rifles at Lincoln’s Inn, London, and was commissioned from their OTC as a lieutenant into the RFC to spend the entire war in France with the Corps’ balloon sections. He died in Grimsby, aged 84, in 1973.

LIEUTENANT JOHN HARVEY STREAM: Killed on his first flight.

THE FLYING BAND MASTER: Tom Stevens.

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Brocklesby is turned into a hospital MILITARY HOSPITAL: This picture, which was shown to us by Maurice Barrick, shows a hospital ward in the drawing room of Brocklesby Hall during the First World War. Lady Yarborough is on the far right.

Below, an advert from 1915 to recruit soldiers.

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BOUND FOR FRANCE: Members of the 5th Lincolns before going to France in the First World War. Fourth from left in the back row is William “Billy” Chapman, whose parents had Chapman’s Hotel (the Sir Walter Raleigh) in Central Market, Grimsby. Billy was killed in action in 1916.

The badge of honour that proved young men were ‘doing their bit’ T

HE Grimsby and Cleethorpes Volunteer Training Corps is the least known of the district’s several military contributions between 1914 and 1918.

When young, fit men of required age volunteer for service at sea or in the army, gaps are left in the structure of the town.

The Corps, raised, commanded – and paid for! – by Colonel Harry James Crosby, filled these gaps.

It became not only a precursor of the Home Guard of the 1939-45 War, but a training unit for young boys.

Thus those beyond middle-age served here and locally, while boys aged 14 to 18 enrolled to train “for The Colours”.

“In the event of the war being prolonged for a considerable time, most of the cadets will be found in the firing line,” ran the exhortation.

They were!

The mature volunteers, without uniforms or weapons, rolled up in their hundreds and paid a “tanner a time” – sixpence – for the privilege of being drilled at the Doughty Road drill hall which, in turn, had been built at the insistence of Colonel Crosby, who had, apparently, warned of the imminence of war.

The VTC were on duty immediately as guards for important installations including the munitions factory inVictoria Street North and shore-line gun batteries.

After the raids on East Coast towns by German warships – and especially after raids by airships – the VTC manned guns and searchlights, 160 of them, for instance, on the “searchlight barrage”.

Some of the men had previous military experience, a few ex-regular soldiers, a few more time-served veterans of the militia

and the Territorial Army (founded 1907) units.

Most were civilians with a heightened sense of public duty.

At this time of parsimony, few of the men had uniforms. But all were issued with a handsome lapel badge, a useful

token when people were quick to criticise those “not doing their bit”.

The cadet battalion – the Junior Company – was initially drilled in PT by Councillor William Colbrook, proprietor of the Railway Hotel, on Cleethorpe Road, and were eventually – and by Grimsby and Cleethorpes public subscription – given uniforms.

There were other such volunteer units in the county and Grimsby men combined with them as far afield as South Willingham, Gainsborough, Market Rasen, Brigg and Louth.

The contribution, tho’ largely unsung, was important if not spectacular and, the war over, the VTC was disbanded.

But there was to be a very sad echo of its existence in February 1922 when Colonel Crosby, as well known and as highly thought of as any man in Grimsby, shot himself in a public lavatory at the River Head, Grimsby.

He was 57.

No one knew why. But the date coincided with the first anniversary of his only daughter’s death.

Crosby was managing director of Hewitt’s Brewery, of the Palace Theatre and the Globe Cinema.

But for many of the mourners it was for his contribution to military life both between and long before 1914 and 1918 that he was remembered.

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Grimsby says, Thanks ... but no tanks!

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ANY of us yet recall the appeals of the 1939-45 War for funds for Spitfires. And, hopefully, many of you also recall the generosity of not only the town as a whole but of individuals like the late Edwin Bacon of Woodrow, Scartho, who paid for TWO himself – and then turned down a baronetcy!

In the 1914-18 War appeals were not for aeroplanes. They were for the new wonder weapon ... the tank.

Although no one was to know it, July 1918 was but four months away from the end of hostilities.

But that month, and from the 15th to the 22th, Grimsby and Cleethorpes celebrated Tank Week.

And for your donation you received a tank flag to wear on your lapel.

But when the war was over, a committee somewhere or other decided to reward the towns and communities of Britain with a trophy of the war, a reminder of endeavour.

Grimsby people , while happy to have given of their all to the war effort, proved not overkeen to receive gifts of cannons and tanks as reminders.

However, Grimsby received its tank and it was moored in the People’s Park. It didn’t last long.

Grimsby was sick of war and reminders of it were on no one’s agenda.

The People’s Park was, in any event, not seen as a suitable site for this monster and within a short time we had had enough of it.

It was cut up for scrap.

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Hit by shrapnel but a Catholic nurse saved his life

ANCESTOR; Oliver Batchelor, 16, of Immingham, with the framed picture and next of kin memorial medal of Thomas John Gale, a Grimsby Chum, who was his great-great-grandmother’s cousin.

Above, Thomas John Gale.

Here is one reader’s account of his father’s life and role in the Great War. Here is My Father’s First World War Record (King’s Liverpool Regiment), by Mr LA Parker, of Chestnut Road, Waltham.

J

OSEPH Frederick Parker was born in 1890 in Beelsby, from a long line of farm workers.

His parents paid for him to become an apprentice joiner and wheelwright. This trade brought him to Waltham, working for Allisons, who owned the brickyard.

This is how he met my mother.

Her father was the foreman at the brickyard.

They married in 1916, when their first son was born (seven more boys followed and one girl). Dad failed his first medical (squint in left eye) but in 1917 he was passed A1. Mother said they were running short of cannon fodder.

He enlisted in March or May 1917 when mother was pregnant with their second son.

I never heard him talk of his experiences but he did talk to two of my older brothers and this is what he told them.

He was on horse transport in France when a wagon ahead of his, loaded with ammunitions, caught a shell, blowing the driver, horse and wagon to pieces.

Dad was hit by shrapnel and a Catholic nurse saved his life (he was on a war pension of a few shillings a week).

He spent some time convalescing in Eastbourne and was then sent to

Russia in 1918 (Bolshevic revolution).

They were torpedoed on the voyage to Murmansk and a pal saved him as he could not swim.

He was wounded in Russia, discharged 1919-20.

He worked for one or two Grimsby building firms and retired at the age of 65.

He would not travel, but we did persuade him once to visit his daughter who lived in Buckinghamshire.

The Grimsby Telegraph’s knowledgeable Peter Chapman identified his regiment from his cap badge on a photograph I sent him. He also told me that a large percentage of First World War records were destroyed during the Second World War in the London Blitz.

I did go to Liverpool in May 2004 to a “Meet The Experts – King’s Regiment Family History Day” at the Museum Of Liverpool Life.

They found dad’s number but they could not find where and when he was in France and Russia.

I have downloaded his service medals. I suppose the next stop would be Kew, but I am reluctant to go and then find that dad’s records were one of the many that were lost.

Soldier never returned from the trenches A

KEEN young family history enthusiast from Immingham came across a plaque of a distant family member who served during the First World War. Oliver Batchelor, 16, of Sonja Crescent, first saw the plaque of his great-great-grandmother’s cousin Thomas John Gale while sitting in assembly at school.

After catching sight of the plaque – which was displayed at the school – out of the corner of his eye, Oliver recognised the surname from his father’s side of the family.

After doing some extensive research, Oliver found out that Thomas had left Immingham to serve in the trenches in France, yet never came back.

Thomas is also mentioned in St James’ School history book, the same school as Oliver now attends.

He did some research, as he loves family history, and found that his name was Thomas John Gale, and he lived in Hainton Avenue in 1914.

He had just left school before he went off to serve in the trenches.

Not much else is known about Thomas, although Oliver did discover he died at the age of 20 – just six days before the Battle of the Somme.

The plaque, which contains a photograph of Thomas along with a next of kin medal, is now hung up on his wall.

Oliver said: “When I saw the plaque in assembly I knew straight away that it could be him.

“But I didn’t know for sure, so I did some research online and managed to track him down.

“I love family history. I probably know more about Thomas than anyone else in the family.

“It’s my hobby really, I spend most of my spare time doing it.

“I work as a volunteer for Immingham Library, and I’m always walking around local museums and looking at the names on headstones.” ● ON THE WEB: Read all the memories that we have been publishing in the Grimsby Telegraph online at www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/ firstworldwar

Above and beyond call of duty A BREATHER: Submarines in Grimsby Docks, during the First World War, as shown in this postcard from the Roy Sharkey Postcard Collection.

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Just 21 when he was killed on the battlefields T

HE fallout from the horrors of the First World War are felt as deeply today as they were at the time of the devastating losses 100 years ago.

Joan Smith, 83, of Cheshire Walk, on The Willows, Grimsby, is the niece of John Picksley who was killed aged just 21 years on the battlefields of France.

Private Picksley, pictured, served with the 1st/5th Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment and went missing, aged 21, on October 13, 1915, at the Battle of Loos, France.

It was the largest British offensive mounted on the Western Front during the war, and saw the first British use of poison gas.

Joan recalled how John was one of three brothers who went to war from their home in Kirton Lindsey, North Lincolnshire.

John was engaged to be married to local girl Elise White, whose father owned the local grocer shop.

His father Joseph Picksley, a local coffin maker, and Elsie’s father Mr White were friends and were a regular sight sitting on the bench near the church, where John played the organ.

The cenotaph, with his name on it, is on North Cliff Road on the edge of the main village centre.

Joan said: “We should always remember them. It was a great loss. Those lads were cannon fodder. At 19, 20, or 21 years they were of no age.”

With five sons and a daughter, Joseph was devastated by the loss of one of them and Joan said he never got over it.

The children’s names were Harold, John, George, Sydney, Wilfred and Elsie, who was Joan’s mother.

A family portrait was taken with Joseph and his wife Ada and their family. But sadly she never got to see the photograph, as she died from bowel cancer.

Joan said: “When John went off to the war he was like all the others. They thought it was going to be wonderful.

“They came from a village and worked on farms but at that age had never had hardly any life.

Then John came back on leave a totally changed person. He would suffer from boils. He was in a right state.

“His mum tried to build him up but he went back to the front and got blown up.

“I still put a poppy on his photograph on Remembrance Sunday. All of them that were killed are in the cemetery together (in France). You remember them. You don’t forget them.”

Joan married an RAF flight mechanic, Reg Smith. He died nine years ago, aged 82.

They had three children Avril, Tim and Sylvia.

Joan said: “All of them in the forces were comrades They looked after each other. They were all brothers in arms.”

fAMILY PORTRAIT: Private John Picksley with his family shortly before he went off to war. Back row, from left, father Joseph Picksley, brother Harold, John Picksley, brother George and brother Sydney; front, brother Wilfred, sister Elsie and mother Ada.

LASTING TRIBUTE: Private John Picksley, who died at the Battle of Loos, France, is remembered on a war memorial in Kirton Lindsey, where he was born.

Great uncle died 20 days before end of the war

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CURIOUS descendent has been digging to uncover fascinating tales of his great uncle, who died in the final days of the First World War. Alfred Kendall, who lived in Grimsby, fought on the frontline during the conflict but died just 20 days before it ended.

And his great-nephew, Maurice Kendall, also of Grimsby, has spent the past few years finding out as much about him as he can.

Maurice, who lives in Great Coates, even went out to Northern France in 2008 and visited his grave on Armistice Day. He said: “I got in touch with the Laceby History Group and they told me exactly where he is buried.

“So I visited the grave on Armistice Day, which was really moving. To

see all the headstones and all the ages of the young soldiers who died – it was something else.

“My own father died in 2009, and before that I never really asked about my family history, but when that happened it really whet my appetite to find out more.”

Maurice discovered that his great uncle died on October 20, 1918, after wounding his right leg.

According to the 1891 census, Alfred was born in Immingham in March 1887, and at that time had been living with his family at Davy’s Cottages, Littlefield Lane.

In the 1901 census, his address was recorded at Cottagers Plot in Laceby.

Alfred signed up to the local Territorial Army in 1909, and married Ann Marie Howard on September 15, 1913, in Cleethorpes.

At the time of being called up for active service, he was working at Marshall’s Flour Mill in Grimsby.

Not only is Alfred buried in a British cemetery in Awoingt, France, but his name also appears on the Laceby war memorial and at Grimsby Minster.

As well as the usual war medals, Alfred was also given the Territorial Force Medal, of which only 48 were awarded to officers in the Lincolnshire Regiment.

But last year, Maurice received some remarkable news when he found out that someone was in possession of them.

He said: “A medal dealer from Canada, via The Royal Lincolnshire Regiment Association, got in touch with me saying he had my great uncle’s medals, and asked if I

wanted to buy them.

“So I bought them and got them back into the Kendall family.

“And then I started wondering what had happened to Alfred’s wife, when I found out she actually married Alfred’s brother, who had also been widowed – which apparently was quite a common thing back then.

“But the war must have affected so many lives, I can’t comprehend how destructive it must have been to so many families.

“It just shows the futility of war, it’s not something kids should forget about.

“They shouldn’t be taught about the glory of war, but be reminded of what those people sacrificed for them.”

RESEARCHING FATE: Alfred Kendall, a soldier from Grimsby, who served during the First World War and died in 1918, pictured with his wife Ann Marie Howard.

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BROTHERS IN ARMS: Robert and Peter Cowe.

Survived being gassed to be granted the freedom of borough

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FORMER Grimsby man was given the freedom of his home town for his heroism in the First World War. Robert Cowe, who served in the Royal Horse Artillery, was among a group of soldiers made “Freemen of the Borough”, effectively given the freedom of the borough of Berwick-Upon-Tweed, where he originally came from, after returning home.

Robert’s son, who lives in Barton and did not wish to be named, has kept much of his father’s memorabilia from the war to this day, and became a collector of wartime items himself.

He said: “From what I know he was given the freedom of the borough when he returned from the war. I actually got in touch to see if it could be passed on to me but I was told it was not hereditary.

“I know he was called up in early 1917 and some time later he was gassed and went to hospital, but he survived.

“He got away with that one but, because he was in the Royal Horse Artillery, he must have been put right in the line of fire because he became more and more deaf afterwards.

“He used to joke that he liked having a hearing aid because it meant he could switch it off when my mother was getting on at him!

“He was so proud of his Freeman title and he did have a certificate which he framed.”

In the Second World War, Robert, who had one brother, Peter, and two sisters, Phyllis and Elizabeth, joined the Home Guard in Peterborough and became a lieutenant in the Army Cadet Force, for which he received a 20-year service medal.

He also received two war medals which were passed on through his family.

He went on to live in Grimsby in later life before spending his final years in Barton.

Robert’s son said: “I have kept all of the memorabilia as I am a bit of an enthusiast, even though people keep telling me to get rid of it all!”

Robert’s brother-in-law, Abraham Wilkie, also served in the war in the Northumberland Fusiliers Machine Gun Corps.

After surviving the war he became a police constable in Berwick.

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‘JACK OF ALL TRADES’: Charles Carratt, of Holton-le-Clay, who served in the First World War. Inset, the silver crucifix.

Crucifix got him through the war ...

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CURIOUS find by a Holton-le-Clay soldier in the First World War showed just how the smallest things can help people get through the hardest times.

Charles Carratt, who served in the Lincolnshire Regiment and fought at the Battle Of The Somme, was taking shelter in the Albert Cathedral in 1917 when it was heavily bombed, and he was knocked unconscious.

When he awoke he discovered a silver crucifix near to where he was laid, which he carried with him for the rest of the conflict and insisted “got him through the war”.

His grandson, John Major, 71, also of Holton-le-Clay, said: “He believed that carrying this crucifix through the war kept him safe.

“He always said he would go back to that cathedral again and in 2008 I was travelling through France and actually ended up at Albert and I did visit the cathedral.

“As I didn’t know I was going I sadly didn’t have the crucifix with me.”

Despite spending much of the First World War in the trenches, Charles lived to the grand old age of 88, and died in 1972.

He lived much of his life in Pinfold Lane, in Holton-le-Clay, and was described as a “Jack of all trades”, finding work as a village cobbler and a builder.

As well as the crucifix, Charles also brought back a knife, pipe, eye glass, and dog tag from the war, all of which his grandson John still has.

John also discovered a small spade used for digging the trenches after his grandad died, but is unsure whether it belonged to his grandfather or not.

John said of his grandad: “He never talked about the war at all, other than saying ‘Jack’, as he used to call me, ‘it was hell’.

“I always wanted to find out more about him and his experiences. We always got on really well and he would have had some fascinating stories.

“Over the years he had a lot of items from the war and some of them were passed on to me, sadly I am not sure what happened to the rest of them.” ● ON THE WEB: Read more of our First World War coverage on our website, www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/firstworldwar

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The unique carpentry skills left behind by war victim A

GRIMSBY man has been left with a unique keepsake from his uncle who was killed in the bloody “summer offensive” of the First World War. Reginald Bywater was just 18 when he was packed off to Europe to fight for his country, and fell in action just a few months later.

A talented carpenter by trade, Reginald, of Fotherby, was

part-way through carving a wooden fireguard when he left British soil, and sadly never returned to complete it.

The fireguard was bequeathed to his family and now sits proudly in the home of his nephew, Tony Bywater, at his home in Grimsby.

Before the war, Reginald had become an apprentice joiner to Mr Branwick, of Louth, and had two older brothers.

TREASURES: Tony Bywater, of Grimsby, with the half-finished wooden fire screen which was started by his uncle, Reginald Bywater, before going off to war at the age of 18, never to return, and the next of kin memorial plaque bearing Reginald’s name. Picture: Rick Byrne Reginald was killed in action on April 22, 1917, but the actual cause of his death is unknown to this day. He is buried at the Aire Communal Cemetery in Pas De Calais, Northern France.

He proudly served in the 1st Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment.

Tony, who is rightly proud to own the wooden fireguard made by Reginald, said: “We don’t know an awful lot about

my uncle. We know he signed up aged 18, but the circumstances of his death are not known.

“He started to make this fireguard when he was probably only about 15, having left school to become a carpenter.

“It has been passed down to me and it is amazing to think it is more than 100 years old. The skill it must have taken to carve

is unbelievable.

“He must have intended to finish it when he returned from the war, but sadly he never did, and the fact that it is unfinished is quite symbolic.”

As well as the wooden fireguard, Tony has also been left with his uncle’s next of kin memorial plaque, which he also displays proudly.

Memorial plaques were issued after the First World War

to the next-of-kin of all British and Empire service personnel who were killed as a result of the war.

The plaques were made of bronze, and were often known as “Dead Man’s Penny”, because of the similarity in appearance to the then penny coin. Reginald’s brother Harold also fought in the war, and went back to live in Fotherby where his family ran the Fotherby nurseries.

LEST WE FORGET: Taken

by Paul Day, of Yarborough Road, Grimsby.

OFF TO WAR: Reginald Bywater, before going off to war at the age of 18, never to return. Reginald was the uncle of Tony Bywater, of Grimsby.

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‘I parted with my leg at Amiens dressing station’

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EMOIRS of a man from Grimsby who served on the frontline during the First World War reveal some interesting stories.

Harry Victor Thomas, who was born and bred in the area, served in France from 1915 until 1918, when he was sent home after a stray shell left him disabled.

His son, Alan Thomas, who lives in Waltham with his wife Phyllis, has ownership of some of his memoirs.

They were written for Alan’s daughter Jeanette when she was working on a project at school.

Alan said: “Our youngest daughter had a project about the war, which would have been 36 or 37 years ago now.

“My dad didn’t talk about his war experiences much, but he wrote down some notes for her.

“He joined the Territorial Army in 1909, then went to serve on

artillery guns during the war.

“He worked right on the frontline and he did all sorts, he was right in the thick of it.

“He got injured and lost his leg, and he went to Roehampton Hospital to be fitted with an artificial limb.

“He was lucky to be live, but he never grumbled or moaned.”

Harry joined up to the Territorial Army in 1909, five years before the conflict began.

He became a driver in the Grimsby half of the Third Battery 1st North Midland Brigade Royal Field Artillery, part of the 46th Division Territorial Army.

In his memoirs, Harry said: “We assembled in the barracks in Victoria Street. There, we were told we would be mobilising.

“We cheered, but little did we know what fate had in store for us!”

Harry first arrived in France in

March 1915, and was in action near Armenteries.

On April 10, 1918, a stray German shell landed near Harry.

He said: “My right knee was cut in half and a gash just missed my right hip joint and a cut on my left arm caused partial disablement.

“I parted with my leg at Amiens dressing station, and was moved to Rouen.

“Two weeks later I was put on a ship bound for Southampton, before returning home to Grimsby. In February 1919, I went to Roehampton Hospital to be fitted with an artificial limb. I was discharged from the Army on March 22, 1919.”

His time out in France saw him take on a number of different roles, including working as a gunner.

Following the conflict, he didn’t let his injury deter him

27

HARRY VICTOR THOMAS: Injured by a stray German shell.

MEMORIES: Alan Thomas and his wife Phyllis, of Waltham, with a picture of Harry Victor Thomas.

Second World War, Harry still found time to continue his heroic efforts.

An incendiary bomb came through the roof of their home during a bombing raid, and Harry took a bucket and a shovel and managed to carry it out into the garden, before putting the fire out as well.

Alan said: “It took some guts to do that, I don’t think I could “In 1929, he built his own from living a normal life. have done it! house on the corner of Fiveways, Alan added: “Despite his “He probably just wanted to injury, he kept himself busy after with a new cycling shop save the carpet!” underneath. the war. ● ON THE WEB: For more “He was also one of the “He was a joiner by trade. memories from the First World founder members of the After the war he worked in a War – and to share your stories – ex-servicemen branch in workshop, before going on to visit www.grimsbytelegraph. work in the cycling business in a Grimsby.”

Despite not serving during the co.uk/firstworldwar shop on Heneage Road.

INJURED SOLDIERS: Harry Victor Thomas, from Grimsby, marked with a cross, at the Roehampton Hospital after having his leg blown off by a bomb during the First World War.

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Soldier crossed enemy lines twice in one day C

ROSSING enemy lines just once during the First World War and surviving to tell the tale would have been an extraordinary feat, but doing so twice in one day was truly exceptional.

It led to Sue Jackson and Steve Bell’s grandfather, James Bell, who lived near Louth, being awarded the Military Medal for “gallantry and determination in face of the enemy”.

On August 6, 1918, Private Bell was one of three soldiers who infiltrated 800 yards behind the enemy front line in Loisne, France.

They discovered several dug-outs, one of which was occupied by six enemy soldiers, and laid a bomb.

As they withdrew, the trio were spotted by the enemy, who began to advance from nearby.

Shots were flying as Private Bell, noticing the first bomb had not exploded, returned to the dug-out and laid another bomb, which detonated and caused casualties among the opposition.

Sue, 58, who lives in Ulceby, said: “It’s incredible to think that he ran back to the dug-out while he was under fire. He was very young when he joined the Army and he was known in the trenches for playing the mouth organ and the spoons to entertain his fellow soldiers.”

The family didn’t know the full details of Private Bell’s bravery until Sue and Steve’s father’s cousin, Maisie Long, who lives at Waithe, began researching his role in the war.

They contacted Grimsby Telegraph columnist Peter Chapman, who informed them that the tale

BRAVE: James Henry Bell, who was born near Louth, was awarded the Military Medal for infiltrating enemy lines twice during the First World War. of Private Bell’s bravery featured in A History Of The 5th Battalion The Lincolnshire Regiment, published shortly after the war in 1922.

Pte Bell is believed to have been born in Keddington, near Louth, in 1897, and worked as a

farmworker at Keddington Grange before joining the Lincolnshire 5th Regiment in 1915, at the age of 18.

He served at Ypres, Belgium, in May 1915, Hohenzollern Redoubt in October 1915, the Somme in July 1916, Lens in July 1917 and St Quentin’s Canal in September 1918.

After the First World War, he met and married Gertrude Walters and they went to live in Utterby, where they had two sons – Eric, and Sue and Steve’s father, Geoff.

Sue added: “My grandad tried to sign up to fight again during the Second World War but they told him he was too old.

“He joined the Royal Observer Corps instead and was based at Wootton. He always to used to tell a joke about a Major sending a Morse code message that read ‘send 3/4p, we are going to a dance’ when he was supposed to say ‘send reinforcements, we are going to advance’!”

In later life, Mr Bell and his wife worked tirelessly for the British Legion, selling poppies and attending rallies.

One of his proudest moments was being chosen as a standard bearer for Ulceby British Legion at a Royal Albert Hall memorial service.

He passed away in 1965, at the age of 68.

Steve, a construction co-ordinator from Goxhill, added: “I was only four or five when my grandfather passed away, so I remember very little about him.

“It’s been fascinating finding out more about what he did in the war.”

WAR HERO: James Henry Bell and some of his military medals.

The brothers who all came home safely

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FAMILY AT WAR: William, Joseph and Herbert Sylvester, all from Grimsby, who served and survived the First World War.

ANY who went to fight in the Great War never returned.

Yet for three brothers of one Grimsby family, they all returned safely and lived to tell their tale.

Alan Ashton, 71, of Cleethorpes, has spent the past few years searching his family history and has come across a number of surprising finds.

His three great-uncles, William, Herbert and Joseph Sylvester, all served during the First World War – and all survived.

Not much else is known about their experiences, although all three of them lived until the 1960s and 70s.

Alan said: “They all came back, which is quite unusual, especially when you consider they are three brothers.

“I’m not sure when the picture of the three of them was taken, but I know William is wearing his medal which was awarded to him in April 1918, so it must be after that.

“Again, I’m not sure why he received the medal either, but it says it was for acts of gallantry

and devotion to duty under fire or for individual or associated acts of bravery – which is all quite vague.

“Another thing which is quite strange is that none of the three brothers served in the Lincolnshire Regiment, despite all living in Grimsby.

“So I’m a bit flummoxed as to what happened.”

Lance Corporal William Sylvester, who was born in 1887 and passed away in 1971, was a coal merchant who worked with his father George before taking over the business.

He was awarded a military medal, his rank’s equivalent to the military cross.

Alan added: “Uncle Will used to visit grandma’s quite often, every Sunday in fact, so I got to see him a lot.

“But he never talked about the war, not once. I think that was quite typical of those who served in the war.

“I saw the other two brothers occasionally, they were all born in Little Steeping, but the family moved to Grimsby.

“The three of them were part of

a very amenable family, very caring. Grandma was blind and that’s why William visited every weekend.

“He was also the first person in our family to own a car, so he was very proud of that!

“Another upsetting thing is that we don’t know what happened to the medal, so it would be nice to track that down.

“He must have done something quite special or remarkable to get it.”

William served in the Wiltshire Regiment, and Alan found that confirmation of his medal was also published in the London Gazette.

“I’ve spent a lot of time on the family history,” Alan said.

“So I’ve built up a bit of background by looking through the census records.

“I was astounded when I found

the official record of William’s medal, mum had never even seen it.

“I hope to pass it on to our children. It’s important to maintain the family history.”

HISTORY: A document confirming that William Sylvester, of Grimsby, received a war medal in April 1918.

GRIMSBY TELEGRAPH Tuesday, July 29, 2014

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Pair spent 54 years looking for memorial I

T TOOK us 54 years, but we did it – we found him – the words of Patricia Marsault, from Grimsby, who found her uncle’s name on a war memorial in Arras, Northern France.

Charles Henry Burman, as he was known, had been reported missing in the final months of the First World War, yet his family still lived on in hope.

But they were finally able to have closure after an exhausting search, which took Patricia and her brother Trevor Harrison more than five decades to complete.

Patricia said: “His parents died not knowing if he was dead or alive, I can only imagine what that felt like.

“We were brought up with Charlie, we were never allowed to forget him.

“There wasn’t a day that passed when his name wasn’t mentioned, and my grandmother would make me read out the letters every time I went to see her.

“I take a real interest in family history so I decided to leave no stone unturned until I found his grave, his memorial, anything.

“And then on October 14, 2012, I was at a vast cemetery in Arras, virtually in the

By MATT SCRAFTON matthew.scrafton@gsmg.co.uk Twitter: @GTMattScrafton

middle of a city, and there, I found it.

“I found his name and immediately rang back to Trevor, saying ‘I’ve done it, I’ve found him’.

“I just stood there and wept. I couldn’t believe it.”

Like many others at the time, Charlie lied about his age to get into the Army.

Not much else is known about where he served or in what battles he took part, but he almost survived the war, dying on March 21, 1918.

However, he was officially recorded as missing, not dead – and there was no record of his burial.

The story is even more heart-breaking when you hear about some of the letters that were exchanged between Charlie, as he was affectionally known, and his mother.

His mother wrote letters, one of which

was dated in April 1918, a month after his death, pleading for him to write back.

Patricia added: “How terrible is that? She was at her wit’s end and was sitting waiting for the post every day.

“In some of the other letters he also talked about getting soldier’s foot, which is not surprising considering he had his boots on for 16 days straight.

“There wasn’t a family in this land who weren’t affected – they all lost someone.

“Seeing as Charlie was never announced dead, there was no closure for her and she forever lived in hope after that.

“I was born 20 years after his death, but I had to read letters out and was reminded of him on a daily basis.

Trevor said: “One thing that struck home, is that 100 years ago to this day Charlie was a happy, young chap.

“He went to war, just like millions of others, but never came back. ● ON THE WEB: Read more First World War memories at www.grimsby telegraph.co.uk/firstworldwar

IN MEMORY: Patricia Marsault and her brother, Trevor Harrison, of Grimsby, whose uncles, Charles Henry Burman, inset, and John Petzel, both served in the First World War. Picture: Rick Byrne

Escape bid that ended in ‘solitary’ C

SURVIVOR: Herbert Fenwick, seated, who was in Ruhleben prison camp during the First World War.

APTURED Grimsby man Herbert Fenwick was working as a stoker on a ship which was due to return from Germany when war was declared in 1914.

His granddaughter, Yvonne Gilman, 75, of Holton-le-Clay, has photographs of her grandfather taken in the camp at the beginning and end of his captivity.

“He was on one of five ships leaving Germany when he was detained and sent to Ruhleben prison camp,” she said.

“He was just working as a stoker and happened to be in Germany when war was declared. He was just a civilian really, it was quite unlucky.

“But at least he came out of the war alive.”

Unfortunately, Herbert died before Yvonne was born but she still recalls the stories she heard in her childhood.

“As a kid I was told all about how he had tried to escape from the camp and ended up being put in solitary,” she said.

Yvonne also still has a painting of her grandfather.

She added: “It was painted by another prisoner in the camp, they were given paints to use for recreation.” ● ON THE WEB: See your Telegraph daily for more stories from the First World War and also visit www.grimsby telegraph.co.uk/firstworldwar

CAUGHT UP IN WAR: Another picture of Herbert Fenwick, seated, this one is dated towards the end of the war, in 1918.

More online at www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/firstworldwar

Scars of war suffered by a man aged just 21 in the trenches ...

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ASCINATING letters from the frontline written by a soldier from Laceby reveal the true extent of life in the trenches during the First World War. Jack Johnson spent around nine months in the thick of battle in Northern France in 1917, having been posted aged just 21, after originally signing up through the old Army barracks in Victoria Street, Grimsby.

In letters to his mother Violet and sister Annie, Jack revealed how soldiers were “put in action in a sunken road up to the knees in mud and water” and joked that it was “a little parky getting into bed” when recovering in hospital.

In one letter, dated August 1917, Jack said: “People in England cannot ever realise what it is like out here in bad weather.”

Jack was born in December 1895, at Cottagers Plot in Laceby, and attended Laceby Village School and then Barcroft Street School before leaving education, aged 14, to work as a gardener for the Croft Baker family in Cleethorpes.

He signed up for the Army aged 20 and spent time in Ireland during the Easter Uprising before he was sent to fight at the centre of Europe’s global war in France – with the Royal Field Artillery.

Having served for nearly nine months, Jack was wounded by a gun shot on September 20, 1917, and lost his left leg above the knee.

He was discharged from duty on November 9, 1918, and went on to become a gas fitter, having served an apprenticeship

TELEGRAMS: First World War memorabilia sent by Jack Johnson from the trenches during his time fighting for the country.

with the Grimsby Gas Company before the war.

Remarkably, despite losing much of his leg, Jack would cycle with gas meters for miles at a time, often as far as Immingham – and lived until the age of 72.

His daughter Margaret Wheatley, who lives in Yarborough Road, Grimsby, still has the many letters penned by her dad from the frontline.

“When you think about how very little education there was in those days, his writing is remarkable,” she said.

“People of his generation never really talked about their experiences and now I wish I could have that conversation with him, knowing what I do now.

“You can tell from the letters that he always had a sense of humour despite being quite a serious person.

“He lost much of his leg and was also partially deafened from the war, but I can honestly say that his leg never really bothered him, but the hearing did.

“When you think he was only 23 when he came home, having seen what he saw, it is amazing. And then my mum had to stop him from trying to sign up for the Second World War! “He ended up having carrier pigeons that took messages for the RAF in the Second World War. I remember we were the only house in Yarborough Road with a telephone because the RAF used to call us.

“When I

read the letters I am so proud of my dad, it’s very emotional.” ● ON THE WEB: Read more of our First World War coverage on our website, www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/ firstworldwar

JACK JOHNSON: During his time in the Royal Field Artillery. Left, Margaret Wheatley, of Grimsby, looks through First World War memorabilia belonging to her father, Jack Johnson, including his medals, inset above.

Letters sent home 28/8/1917 My dear sister, I received your most welcom e pleased to know that you wer letter quite safely and was pink myself so don’t worry e real well. I am in the about me.

All I want is my discharge but I don’t suppose I shall be as lucky as WB and get it for really think that we shall be a bit yet, although I don’t fighting this coming winter and I can tell you truly tha t I hope not.

People in England cannot eve here in bad weather, we are r realise what it is like out just put in action in a sunken road up to the knees in some wood miles away from mud and water or else in anywhere only perhaps a ruined town or village just nea I am miserable because I am rby, but don’t think that far from being that, we just make the best of it and kee p smiling and hope for better times when it is over.

Fancy Uncle Bill wanting a pub in GY. I wonder wh at is the reason. Perhaps he thin ks that they drink more.

I never hear from Rose Hil l no. hope I have not offended the I don’t know why but I m letter I had from her, she told in any way. The last anything so I wrote back and me to write if I wanted said that anything was very thankful, but there is nothing to offend them in that, do you think so?

Well I hope that you are stil l of money and that you are alright and making heaps quite happy.

Best love to all, I remain your loving brothe r,

Jack

From Hill House Hospital

(Warwick) – 5/12/1917

Dear sister and mother, Just a few lines to let you kno am in the best of health, hop w that I ing that this finds you all the same.

You will think it very unkind writing before this. Well I of me not hav boot quite safely and you wil e got the l pleased to know that it fits be me in fact it could not be better. lovely Well Annie how are things looking at Manchester, not very grand I think, but keep smiling, the should last ten years will be the worst.

I am going on fine myself and soon be out I hope but I am shall afraid it won’t be before Xmas. I sha ll up to see you when I do get soon be out you can bet.

I am getting fresh air treatme they have moved me out into nt now, and I can tell you that it is the tents a bit parky getting in to bed, but it is alright after you get in.

I don’t seem to have much to will close with best love to say so I all, mother and yourself.

Jack

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JULY 29, 2014 GTE-E01-S3 32

A Single Poppy

In sombre depth of silent wood A single poppy grew and stood, Within its flaming petals lay A purple centre tinged with grey.

Full many a scarlet poppy stands In this and many distant lands But this one bloom I seemed to see Some mystic message held for me.

Leaf bud and blossom, each in turn, With seed case like a funeral urn, Lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s endless circle hour by hour Resulting in one perfect flower.

Its flaming beauty caught by breath I looked at life but thought of death.

The present and the past I think, Became connected link by link As I in mediation stood, I thought of Christ on cross of wood.

The poppies red on Flanders field Their annual glorious harvest yield; Remembering them, I think as well Of that secluded silent dell Where in the shadows on its own A single poppy blooms alone.

Photograph by Michelle Hurst.

Poem by Mrs Gladys Tabois â&#x20AC;&#x201C; see page 15