Netherthong First World War History Part 1

A Memory of Netherthong.

Netherthong War Memorial
My full history of Netherthong can be seen on http://historyofnetherthong.co.uk

'We shall never forget.'

M. Hirst, who lived at 33 Outlane, compiled a large book full of newspaper cuttings and other ephemera about the young men of the parish who had fought and died in the First World War. This book is kept permanently in the parish church and a lot of the information in this chapter is taken from it. I have also trawled through all the issues of the Holmfirth Express covering the war years.

In the November 7th 1914 issue the Express listed those persons from NT parish who were serving but did add a rider that it might not be complete and it did, in subsequent issues, add further names.

Captain J. Rogers G. Bradley
J.Bray L. Buckley
J. Brook J. Eastwood
Corp. G. Durrant E. Floyd
C. Floyd N. Haigh
N. Fisher J. Hobson
H. Hobson C. Hudson
A. Hollingsworth J. Marsden
G. Kirwin H. McQue
V. McNish T. Newall
V. Mosley H. Robinson
C. Ricketts J. Shaw
J. Rollinson F. Swallow
A.S cholfield W. Shore
R. Sykes Corp. T. Wood
E. Taylor C. Woodhead
W. Webster D. Wilkinson
Lt. K. Sykes

NT Boy Scouts. The following are the names of scouts who were serving - those marked with a * are also listed in the above table.
J. Battye; C. Hudson*; J. Marsden*; F. Swallow*; N. Coldwell; H. Horner; V. Mosley*: Wadworth.
On Nov 21 the Express added the name of T. Buchanan.

The Netherthong war memorial is located in the Town Square. It is there as a lasting reminder of all those Netherthong lads who answered the call to arms and fought and died for their country.

The Unveiling and Dedication of the Memorial was performed on Sunday, November 11th 1923 at 3p.m. in front of a large gathering. A four page booklet giving the Order of Service and details of the Prayers, Lessons, Dedication and hymn was published and I have included it at the end of this chapter. There was an memo attached to the booklet saying that 'Parents or relatives of the fallen are specially invited to take part in the Ceremony and meet near the Memorial at 2.45 p.m.'.

The memorial takes the form of a cross bearing the following inscriptions: '1914-1919. In grateful remembrance of the men from this parish who made the supreme sacrifice in the Great War. The men were very good unto us and we were both not hurt. They were a wall-unto us both by night and day'. (Samuel xxv.15-16).
It is made from Bradford stone and the work was executed by S. England & Son, Holmfirth.

The following names are inscribed on it.

Irvin Barrowclough Hubert Hobson
Lewis Beaumont John Hoyle
George H. Booth George kaye
Clarence Brackenbury Matthew Lockwood
Harold Brackenbury Arthur Quarmby
George Bradley Norman Ricketts
George Bray Ben Roebuck
Walter Bray Brook Sanderson
Leonard Buckley Abel Scholfield
Harry Charlesworth Ben Senior
George Child Clemence Shaw
George Durrant Fred Shaw
Norman Fisher Edward Smith
Cecil P. Floyd Frank Swallow
Robert Frogatt Edgar Taylor
Stanley Gill John Webster
George Gledhill Arthur Whitely
Andrew Greenwood Davis Wilkinson
William Haigh Charlie Woodhead
Luther Hellawell Joseph Worsley
Fred Hill James Walker (S. A. War)


The Netherthong Working Men's Club sponsored a memorial to the fallen in the war which was unveiled and presented by Capt. C. S. Floyd of Rose Leigh in the Church School. The memorial embraced the photographs of the 'lads' from the district who have laid down their lives.
The photographs were of: Privates Woodhead, David Wilkinson, Abel Scholfield, Walter Bray, John Hoyle, Leonard Buckley, Hubert Hobson, Ben Senior, Frank Swallow, Ben Roebuck (Austr), Brook Sanderson (Austr), Harold Brackenbury, Jack Webster, Stanley Gill, Willie Haigh, Norman P. Ricketts and Sergeant Edgar Taylor.
Captain Floyd said about 130 had enlisted, 21 were killed, at least 7 were wounded, 4 had been wounded and taken prisoner and 3 had won decorations, one DCM and two MM.
The memorial was presented to Mr. H. Wilson, the president of the WMC. Mr. Taylor read a report and said that the memorial had been subscribed for entirely by members of the club. The cabinet photographs were enlargements of photographs taken by and sent by the gallant lads while on active duty. They are enclosed in two large fumed oak and gilt frames executed by Messrs. Bamforth & Co. 14 of the lads were native born and received their education in the church school under Mr. Jackson and staff.

The following scouts and ex-scouts of the Netherthong troop served in HM Forces:
J.Battye, N. Coldwell, E. Crookes, C. A. Hudson, R. Horner, J. Marsden, V. Mosley, H. Matthews, G. Hoyle, B. Earnshaw, E. T. Sykes, A. Lockwood, R. Lee, H. Hebblewaite, J. Wadsworth and H. Lawrence.

Lt. H. Matthews was born in Holmfirth but joined the Netherthong Troop in 1910. He was the first scout in the Huddersfield area to obtain a commission in the army and the first to make the supreme sacrifice.

---

---