HEROES OF THE GREAT FIGHT
L-R: Pte Laurie Berwick, Australian Force, formerly of Windhill, Killed in Action; Sgt Harry Sharpe, Saltaire, Killed in Action; Pte Alfred W Brown, Eccleshill, wounded; Gunner Willia Taylor, Windhill, died.
L-R: Pte Joe Badland, Mechanical Transport, holder of Royal Humane Society's Bronze Medal for bravery in saving life; Pte John Badland, West Riding Regt, Killed in Action; Pte Clarence Badland, RAMC, wounded on the Somme, now in Mesopotamia; Gunner Abram Badland, RFA, now 'somewhere in France..'
SONS OF MR HERBERT BADLAND, OLD GLEN HOUSE, SHIPLEY GLEN
Pte Harry Cariss of 22 Airedale View, Leeds Road, Eccleshill, has received his discharge from the army after two years' service.. He was in an accident in a transport in Egypt. The discharged soldier has already obtained employment at Messrs A & S Henry and Co, Bradford. His brother, Pte Horace Cariss, has been wounded in the arm and has also had trench fever. Having recovered from both, he is now fighting with his regiment in France.
One brother discharged, the other fights on
Killed with the Canadians
Pte Robert Coulton, who was in the Canadian Mounted Rifles, has been killed in action. He was 23 years of age and the eldest son of Mr James Coulton, Shipley Fields Farm, Shipley
Lieut Ernest Crowther of Blakehill Cottage, who was recently awarded the Military Cross, has been wounded and is a prisoner of war in Germany. Lieut Crowther, who is 22 years of age, has had a distinguished career. He joined the Green Howards as a private in September 1914 and soon earned promotion. He won the DCM in January 1916.
Medal hero now a POW
A pitiful souvenir
Gunner Gordon Jennings of Baildon Green tells in a letter home to his mother how a tank caught fire while in action. 'We went over at dawn. Our tank was leading and going in fine style through shrapnel, bullets, shells and every other kind of lead. 'I cannot go into every detail about the battle but I should say it is the greatest victory the British have ever had. 'I'm sending you a souvenir, a ring which I got from a German prisoner. You must always keep it for the circumstances under which I came in possession of it were pitiful. 'I am keeping well and ready to go in again.'
Mr Pearson Kirk (pictured), the son of Mr J J Kirk, Shell Lane Farm, Calverley, has been promoted to Second Lieutenant. He joined the army just over a year ago and has won his promotion by sheer merit. After a few weeks' training, he obtained his first stripe and not long afterwards was made sergeant. From July 1916 until December he acted as instructor at Ripon and was then recommended for a commission. He studied at Litchfield Military School and was recently gazetted to a West Riding Regt. Sec-Lieut Kirk served his apprenticeship as a printer at the offices of the Fanciers' Newspaper and General Printing and Publishing Co, Ltd, Idle and subsequently worked on the farm with his father for about two years. For some time he acted as local correspondent for the Express and proved himself a very smart news gatherer. Mr Herbert Thorpe, a former employee of Smith & Hutton's, Tunwell Mills, Eccleshill, has now received the rank of Sgt Major in the East Lancashire Regt. Though at present stationed at Bangalore, India, he fought at the Dardanelles and has also served in Mesopotomia. He is now engaged in training recruits and he says "they are as smart a set of recruits as I have seen for some time and they are eager to train." Sgt Willie Longbottom, son of Mr and Mrs Daniel Longbottom, of 39 Stone Hall Road, Eccleshill, has been made Quarter-Master Sgt. He is attached to a Canadian Regt.
Promotions for three local men
Pte Chas Durham, RAMC, of Shipley, has been wounded in the foot and arm with shrapnel and is now in hospital in Devonport. He was a member of the Shipley St John Ambulance Corps and as a private in the home hospital section he volunteered his services at the outbreak of war, embarking for the Continent on November 10th, 1914. He was granted leave during June 1915 and again this year, only returning on April 8th. He was on field duty both in the battle of the Somme and in the battle of the Ancre and it was in the latter that he received his wounds.
Ambulance man wounded
Pte Harry W Hutton has been killed in action. He resided at Church View, Idle. He entered the army in August of last year as a Derby recruit and the regiment of his choice was the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. When a lad he was a member of the Springfield Cricket Club to which he rendered good service. He was 29 years of age and leaves a widow and two children. His brother, Pte Sam Hutton, is in the West Yorkshire Regt.
KOYLI recruit killed in action
Mrs Thornton of Avondale Grove, Shipley, has three sons who are serving with the forces. Pte Harold Thornton, West Yorks Regt, joined up in June of last year and went to France in September and he was wounded in the recent heavy fighting. George and Frank, who for a number years have been in British East Africa with their father - Mr Eddie Thornton, formerly of Thackley – have been granted commissions. Native language The former, who in civil life was an electrician, has been made a lieutenant, whilst Frank has been made a second lieutenant in the Mounted African Rifles.
He speaks the language of the natives fluently and that was one of the reasons why he was gazetted to a regiment of natives. Before the war he was on a Government coffee plantation. On the outbreak of hostilities Mr Eddie Thornton shouldered the rifle and did what he could until the military preparations were complete.
Brothers doing their bit in Africa
Casualty lists of local men continue to grow
Pte John Joyce, (left) Manchester Regt, of 28 New Street, Idle, has been killed in action. He donned khaki about six months ago and it is about two months since he went to France. He was a native of Greengates and before joining the forces was in the employ of Harper & Sons,
Ravenscliffe Mills, Calverley. He married a daughter of Mr Albert Pawson and leaves a widow and a daughter in infancy. Pte Fred Robinson, 21, Duke of Wellington's Own, of 3 Fryston Street, Hunslet, and formerly of Hargreaves Square, Shipley, has fallen in the fray. He had been in the army since the outbreak of war. He is the son of Mr and Mrs Thomas Robinson and the nephew of Mrs Thorpe of 76 Briggate, Windhill. Pte Douglas Rennie (Jack) has been killed in action. He had previously
been reported missing. He was the youngest son of the late Mr W M Rennie of Eccleshill and Mrs Rennie, the Chalet, Undercliffe. Pte Jimmy Tidmarsh of Booth Street, Idle, has been seriously wounded and is in hospital in France. It has been found necessary to amputate his right leg and left foot. His brother, Sgt Tidmarsh, was recently awarded a Certificate of Merit for coolness and bravery during an important action. Private Albert Mouncey of 12 Mount Street, Eccleshill, has been wounded in the right leg and is at base hospital in France. He was previously wounded in the side on July 13th after four months fighting. He is in the Second West Yorks. Pte Norman Long, (right) youngest son of Mr and Mrs W Long of 1 Oak Place, Tong Park, has been wounded. Pte Long, who is in the Scottish Rifles, is now in the general hospital at Rouen. Pte Ernest Pedley, Duke of Wellington's Own Regt, whose wife and child live at 46 Hampton Place, Idle, has been wounded in the leg and is in hospital at Birmingham. After a few months' training he went to the Continent last November. Formerly he worked at Ravenscliffe Mills, Calverley. Pte J W Close, of the Cameroon Highlanders, who resides at 17 Fletton Terrace, Eccleshill, has been seriously wounded in the head by gunshot and is now at a base hospital. He has been in France eleven months and was formerly employed by James Harper and Sons, Greengates.
Pte Charles Raistrick, youngest son of the late Mr Nathan Raistrick, of Idle, has this week been paying a visit to his native town and was given a hearty welcome by his many friends. Pte Raistrick is in England with the Australian Expeditionary Force. It is seven years since he left England for the Antipodes and when the war broke out he had built up a good business in Queensland. When in training in Australia, he was promoted to sergeant but sacrificed his stripes on joining the British Imperial Army. Canadian Expeditionary Force Previous to coming to this country he fought in German East Africa. He is of the opinion that the people of Germany will themselves end the war by a revolution. Another well-known native of Idle who has been visiting his former home this week is Sgt George Battle, who is a member of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Sgt Battle is the eldest son of Mr Mark Battle, who now lives in Cleckheaton. A younger brother, Walter, is also in the forces and his friends will be sorry to hear that he is not enjoying good health. He is in hospital in Canada.
Emigres return to visit old haunts