WAINSGATE’S WAR DEAD
See also: They Also Served and Belgian Refugees
Twenty-six men who died while serving in the two World Wars are commemorated in some form at Wainsgate. There is also one (Percy Brown Roe) who survived the war and died in the Oxenhope charabanc disaster in 1920 but whose grave has a CWGC headstone. Twenty-five died during WW 1, and only one (John Crabtree) was killed during WW2.
The three who died in this country (Vernon Harcourt Clay, Wilbert Jackson and Percy Brown Roe) are all buried at Wainsgate. Vernon Clay was seriously wounded in France, brought back to England, and died at Chelsea Hospital. Wilbert Jackson died of pneumonia while undergoing training in London, and is buried with his mother. His headstone also commemorates his brother, Sam who was killed in France in 1916. These three graves are maintained by the Commonwealth War graves Commission, and those of Vernon Clay and Percy Roe have standard CWGC headstones.
All of the others who died in WW1 are interred or commemorated in France or Belgium, apart from Ellis Sutcliffe, who was killed in Mesopotamia (now Iraq) and is commemorated at Basra Memorial, and Albert Barrett Harwood, who was lost at sea, and is commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial in London. John Crabtree was killed in Egypt in 1942, and is interred at El Alamein War Cemetery. Those who are not buried at Wainsgate are commemorated on family headstones in the graveyard, with the exception of Thomas Roger Ashworth, Archibald Sunderland and Ellis Sutcliffe.
Eleven of the men who died in WW1 are commemorated on the Wainsgate War Memorial and photograph, both of which are located inside the chapel and are dedicated to men of Wainsgate Chapel and Sunday School who lost their lives in the ‘Great War 1914-1918’.
Three men (Astin Jarvis, Fred Southwell and Albert Barrett Harwood) are commemorated on the memorial and photograph from Old Town (Wesleyan) Methodist Chapel, Walker Lane, which have both been relocated to Wainsgate following the closure of the Methodist Chapel. These both refer to the ‘Great War 1914-1919’. (The war formally ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28th June 1919 rather than the Armistice of 11th November 1918, and this date is considered by some to be the true date when the war ended. The UK Parliament officially declared the war ended on 31st August 1921).
All of the men who died were serving in the Army, with two exceptions: Wilbert Jackson was with the Royal Marines (Royal Naval Division Medical Unit), and Albert Barrett Harwood was in the Merchant Navy.
Only one of those who died (2nd Lieutenant Vernon Harcourt Clay) was a commissioned officer. He was also the only one who had been decorated, having been awarded the Military Cross (which was only awarded to officers) for ‘conspicuous
gallantry during operations’.
INTERRED AT WAINSGATE
Vernon Harcourt CLAY M.C. Second Lieutenant, 10th Bn. Lancashire Fusiliers. Died 26.10.1916, age 21. Badly wounded in France, died in Chelsea Hospital, London. CWGC headstone, Plot E899. Commemorated on the Hope Chapel war memorial. Awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry in 1916. His father endowed Hebden Bridge Secondary School with a scholarship in his memory.
Wilbert JACKSON. Private, RM Medical Unit, Royal Naval Division, Royal Marines. Died 23.1.1915, age 21. Died of pneumonia at Crystal Palace, London while undergoing training. Commemorated on family headstone, Plot B1177 (which is maintained by the CWGC), together with his brother Sam who was killed in France in 1916.
Percy Brown ROE. Serjeant, Royal Engineers. Died 30.10.1920, age 30. Killed in the Oxenhope charabanc accident. CWGC headstone, Plot C614. Previously served with the Durham Light Infantry before and during WW1. His death was not as a result of his service in WW1, but he was serving in the military at the time of his death (presumably as a Territorial), and therefore entitled to a CWGC memorial.
INTERRED ELSEWHERE AND COMMEMORATED AT WAINSGATE
Louis ARMSTRONG. Private, 19th Bn. Royal Fusiliers. Died 2.1.1916, age 26. Died of wounds, interred at Bethune Town Cemetery, France. Commemorated on family headstone, Plot C594.
Ernest ASHWORTH. Private, 2nd Bn. South Lancashire Regiment. Died 10.4.1918, age 33. Reported missing, commemorated at Ploegsteert Memorial, Belgium. Commemorated on family headstone, Plot F795, and on Wainsgate war memorial.
Thomas Roger ASHWORTH. Private, 2nd Bn. Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment). Died 18.4.1915, age 35. Killed in action, commemorated at Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium, and on Wainsgate war memorial and Heptonstall Wesleyan war memorial. Believed to have been killed at Hill 60, on the same day as James Sowden. Had previously served as a regular soldier in India and in South Africa in the 2nd Boer War.
Vernon ASHWORTH. Rifleman, 18th Bn. King’s Royal Rifle Corps. Died 20.9.1917, age 19. Killed in action, commemorated at Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium. Commemorated on family headstone, Plot C664, and on Wainsgate war memorial. Son of Albert Richard Ashworth and brother of Raymond Ashworth (both choirmasters at Wainsgate).
Willie ASHWORTH. Private, 10th Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales’s Own). Died 13.10.1918, age 22. Died of wounds, interred at Selridge Cemetery, France. Commemorated on family memorial, Plot G684/685, and on Wainsgate war memorial.
John CRABTREE. Trooper, 41st (Oldham) Royal Tank Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps. Died 28.10.1942, age 27. Died of wounds, interred at El Alamein War Cemetery, Egypt. Commemorated on family headstone, Plot E909.
Henry William DEWHIRST. Private, 2nd/4th Bn. Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment). Died 5.3.1917, age 21. Died of wounds, interred at Dernancourt Communal Cemetery Extension, France. Commemorated on family headstone, Plot B321a, and Wadsworth Methodist war memorial.
Frederick DUNKLEY. Gunner, 124th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 10.4.1918, age 37. Died of wounds, interred at Haverskerque Cemetery, France. Commemorated on family memorial, Plot F769.
John Edward GIBSON. Private, 22nd Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps. Died 27.10.1917, age 20. Killed in action, commemorated at Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium. Commemorated on family headstone, Plot B299a, and Hope Chapel war memorial. Killed while bringing in wounded under shellfire at Ypres.
Albert Barrett HARWOOD. Junior Wireless Operator, Mercantile Marine. Died 15.4.1917, age 23. Lost at sea. Commemorated at Tower Hill Memorial for merchant seamen, London. Commemorated on family headstone, Plot J751, and Wadsworth Methodist war memorial. Killed when troopship SS Arcadian was sunk by a U-boat in the Mediterranean.
Fred HARWOOD. Gunner, V.32 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery, Royal Field Artillery. Died 10.7.1917, age 24. Killed in action, interred at Coxyde Military Cemetery, Belgium. Commemorated on family memorial, Plot F761, and Hope Chapel war memorial.
James Hervey HORSFALL. Private, 2nd Bn. Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment). Died 3.5.1917, age 27. Reported missing, commemorated at Arras Memorial, France. Commemorated on family headstone, Plot B1174, and on the Wainsgate war memorial. His obituary records that he was killed in a bombing action in which he showed such bravery as to be recommended for the Military Medal.
Sam JACKSON. Lance Serjeant, 1st/4th Bn. Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment). Died 3.9.1916, age 26. Reported missing, commemorated at Mill Road Cemetery, Thiepval, France. Commemorated on family headstone, Plot B1177, together with his brother Wilbert who died in London in 1915.
Astin JARVIS. Rifleman, 20th Bn. King’s Royal Rifle Corps. Died 10.4.1917, age 25. Died of wounds, interred at Duisans British Cemetery, Etrun, France. Commemorated on family headstone, Plot F825, Wadsworth Methodist war memorial and Hope Chapel war memorial.
Ethelbert REDMAN. Private, 1st/7th Bn. Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment). Died 10.3.1918, age 37. Died of wounds, interred at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium. Commemorated on family headstone, Plot B36a/37a, and on the Wainsgate war memorial.
Fred SOUTHWELL. Private, 9th Bn. Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment). Died 25.8.1918, age 27. Died of wounds, interred at Mill Road Cemetery, Thiepval, France. Commemorated on family headstone, Plot F759, together with his brother Willie who was killed in Belgium in 1917. Commemorated on Wadsworth Methodist war memorial.
Willie SOUTHWELL. Private, 9th Bn. King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. Died 4.10.1917, age 20. Killed in action, commemorated at Bedford House Cemetery, Belgium. Commemorated on family headstone, Plot F759, together with his brother Fred who was killed in France in 1918.
George SOWDEN. Private, 2nd Bn. Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment). Died 10.4.1917, age 39. Died of wounds, interred at Duisans British Cemetery, Etrun, France. Commemorated on family headstone, Plot B25a, together with his brother James who was killed in Belgium in 1915. Commemorated on Wainsgate war memorial.
James SOWDEN. Lance Corporal, 2nd Bn. Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment). Died 18.4.1915, age 33. Killed in action, commemorated at Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium. Commemorated on family headstone, Plot B25a, together with his brother George who was killed in France in 1917. Commemorated on Wainsgate war memorial. Believed to have been killed at Hill 60, on the same day as Thomas Roger Ashworth. Previously served as a regular soldier in India.
Archibald SUNDERLAND. Private, 9th Bn. Lancashire Fusiliers. Died 16.8.1917, age 32. Killed in action, commemorated at Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium, and on Wainsgate war memorial.
Clarence Ingham SUNDERLAND. Rifleman, 18th Bn. King’s Royal Rifle Corps. Died 30.6.1916, age 20. Commemorated at Berks Cemetery Extension, Belgium. Commemorated on family memorial, Plot F772/773, and on Wainsgate war memorial.
Arnold SUTCLIFFE. Private, 2nd/4th Bn. King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. Died 29.9.1918, age 22. Killed in action, interred at Masnieres British Cemetery, Marcoing, France. Commemorated on family headstone, Plot B302a.
Ellis SUTCLIFFE. Private, 6th Bn. The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Died 15.3.1917, age 21. Died of wounds, commemorated at the Basra Memorial, Iraq, and on Wainsgate war memorial.
James Thomas SUTCLIFFE. Private, 20th (Tyneside Scottish) Bn. Northumberland Fusiliers. Died 9.4.1917, age 21. Killed in action, interred at Hervin Farm British Cemetery, St. Laurent-Blangy, France. Commemorated on family headstone, Plot B34a.
OTHERS (NOT COMMEMORATED AT WAINSGATE)
Arthur KITCHEN. Gunner, ‘C’ Battery, 105th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 24.7.1916, age 34. Died of wounds, interred at Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt-I’Abbe, France. Commemorated on the Hope Chapel war memorial. Does not appear on the Wainsgate war memorial, and is not commemorated on a family memorial, but his wife and daughter (Plot E995) and his mother and grandmother (Plot B281a) are all buried at Wainsgate.
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