The Nostalgia Column with Margaret Watson

We are also still in the month of Remembrance, and so we publish below the names of 43 men from Dewsbury killed during the month of October 1917.

More than 10,000 Dewsbury men fought in WW1 and more than 1,000 never returned.

But even before the war ended, local people were planning the kind of memorials they wanted to erect in remembrance of the men who never came home.

The small villages were the first to start raising money for their own memorials.

They were not prepared to wait for civic dignitaries to decide what they thought most fitting.

One of the first villages to start making plans for their memorial, was Hanging Heaton, which was then part of the district known as Soothill Upper.

In 1916, the village church of St Paul’s, was gutted by fire after being struck by lightening, but fund raising for its restoration was put on hold in favour of the memorial.

It was erected in the churchyard and unveiled on 4 September 1920 – four years after the disastrous church fire.

Other villages were just as quick off the mark as Hanging Heaton, but it wasn’t until 1924 that Dewsbury’s main memorial – The Cenotaph – was erected in Crow Nest Park.

Below are the names of those men from Dewsbury killed in the month of October 1917.

Grateful thanks to war historians working with Dewsbury Sarifices for providing the names.

Pte John William Marsden, 19 Knowles Hill Road, Dewsbury Moor, York and Lancaster Regiment, killed in Battle of Passchendaele. Commemorated Tyne Cot Memorial.

Pte Joseph Hagar, Middle Road, Westtown, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (K.O.Y.L.I.). Died of wounds in Battle of Passchendaele. Buried in Coxyde Military Cemetery, Belgium.

Sgt Albert Edward Marshall DCM, 34 Pyrah Street, Dewsbury, Royal Field Artillery. Buried in Vlamertinghe New Military Cemetery, Belgium.

Pte William Normally, 6 Manor Road, Westtown, Reserve Battalion K.O.Y.L.I. Died of wounds. Buried in Dewsbury Cemetery.

Gunner Percy Summerscales, The Lodge, Lees House, Dewsbury, Buried Zuydcoote Military Cemetery, France.

Pte Pat Stones, 27 Dale Street, Thornhill Lees, 9th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers. Commemorated Tyne Cot Memorial.

Sgt George Leuty, Hebble Terrace. Thornhill Lees, Royal Garrison Artillery. Buried St Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen.

Ordinary Seaman John Willie Ormsby, 46 High Street, Westtown, serving on minesweeper HMS Begonia.

Lost with all other hands when ship went down. No known grave but the sea. Commemorated on Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Hampshire.

He was the nephew and godson of Sergeant John W Ormsby VC. MM.

Pte Leonard Henry Batley, 18 Leamington Terrace, Savile Town, K.O.Y.L.I. Commemorated Tyne Cot Memorial.

Pte Thomas Bennett, 15 Mill Street West, Savile Town, Coldstream Guards. Commemorated Tyne Cot Memorial.

Pte Stephen Haythorne, 40 Market Place, Dewsbury, York and Lancaster Regiment. Commemorated Tyne Cot Memorial.

2nd Lt David Lawson, The Farm, Boothroyd Lane, York and Lancaster Regiment. Commemorated Tyne Cot Memorial.

Pte Arnold Lightfoot, 104 Warren Street, Savile Town, York and Lancaster Regiment. Buried Tyne Cot Cemetery, Belgium.

Pte Herman Stead, 38 Hollingroyd Road, Dewsbury, York and Lancaster Regiment. Commemorated Tyne Cot Memorial.

Pte Archie Sugden, 9 West Street, Savile Town, Grenadier Guards, Commemorated Tyne Cot Memorial.

Pte Percy Wilfred Giles, 10 Northgate, Dewsbury, 13th Durham Light Infantry. Buried in Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood, Belgium

Fred Mowforth, 34 Chidswell Lane, Dewsbury, Machine Gun Corps. Commemorated Tyne Cot Memorial.

Pte James Schofield, 2 Norton Terrace, Westtown, Yorkshire Regiment. Buried Oxford Road Cemetery near Ypres.

Pte Harry Summerscales,  65 Owl Lane, Shaw Cross, Royal Army Service Corps. Buried in Dozinghem Military Cemetery north west of Poperinge.

Pte Clifford Haley, 65 Sackville Street, Ravensthorpe, K.O.Y.L.I. Commemorated Tyne Cot Memorial.

Lance Cpl Ernest Inman, 7 Charles Street, Leeds Road, Dewsbury, K.O.Y.L.I. Buried in Gwalia Cemetery near Ypres.

Pte Edward Brears, 35 Back Brook Street, Dewsbury, York and Lancaster Regiment. Commemorated Tyne Cot Memorial.

Pte William Haldenby, 109 Sackville Street, Ravensthorpe, Scots Guards. Buried in Bleuet Farm Cemetery near Ypres.

Pte Fred Hey, Queen Street, Ravensthorpe Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment)..Buried Wimereux Communal Cemetery, France.

Pte Arthur Burton, 5 Firth’s Buildings, Leeds Road, Dewsbury, K.O.Y.L.I. Commemorated Tyne Cot Memorial.

Pte William Langley, Savile Terrace, Dewsbury, K.O.Y.L.I. Buried White House Cemetery, St Jean-Les-Ypres.

Pte Wilson Barrett, South Elmwood Street, Flatts, Dewsbury. Durham Light Infantry. Commemorated Tyne Cot Memorial.

Pte Albert Hardy, of Earlsheaton, York and Lancaster Regiment, Commemorated Tyne Cot Memorial.

Pte Friend Whitwam, 11 William Street, Ravensthorpe. Northumberland Fusiliers.Commemorated Tyne Cot Memorial.

Pte Clement Micklethwaite, High Street, Thornhill Edge. K.O.Y.L.I. Buried Nine Elms British Cemetery near Poperinge.

Pte Ben Redfearn (Redfern), 31 Back Tweedale Street, Dewsbury, York and Lancaster Regiment. Commemorated Tyne Cot Memorial.

Pte Charles Lapish, 36 Clarkson Street, Ravensthorpe, K.O.Y.L.I. Commemorated Tyne Cot Memorial.

Pte Harry Stradling, 18 Gladstone Street, Westborough. Royal Army Medical Corps. Buried Cement House Cemetery, Belgium.

Pte Ernest Arthur Whitaker, 3 Wharf Street, Savile Town. Cheshire Regiment . Buried Poelcapelle British Cemetery, Belgium.

Pte Percy Crowther, 142 Sunny Terrace, Thornhill Lees. York and Lancaster Regiment. Buried Bard Cottage Cemetery near Ypres. 

Pte Walter Wilby, 11 Bagshaw Street, Dewsbury. East Yorkshire Regiment. Commemorated Tyne Cot Memorial,

Sapper Wilfred Arthur Hirst, 26 Dearnley Street. Royal Engineers. Died of wounds. Buried St Mary’s Churchyard, Mirfield. 

Pte Albert Hooper, Sharpe Street, Dewsbury. Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Commemorated Tyne Cot Memorial.

Gunner Herbert Leslie Newsome, Chickenley Lane, Dewsbury. Royal Garrison Artillery. Buried Birr Cross Roads Cemetery, Ypres.

Pte Joseph Duncan Reekie, 51 Albion Street, Ravensthorpe – K.O.Y.L.I. Died of wounds. Buried St. Mary’s Churchyard, Mirfield.

Pte Arthur Williamson Tolley, 2 Wellington Place, Eightlands. Lincolnshire Regiment. Buried in Voormezeele Enclosures No’s 1 and 2 near Ypres.

Rifleman Herbert Ingham Armitage, 2 Halliley Street, Dewsbury. City of London Post Office Rifles. Commemorated Tyne Cot Memorial.

Pte Charles Henry Hollingworth, 774 Huddersfield Road,

Ravensthorpe. Yorkshire Regiment. Died of wounds and buried in St Mary’s Churchyard, Mirfield.