LANGCLIFFE,
YORKSHIRE, VILLAGE MEMORIAL
Compiled and Copyright © Kathryn Croll 2003
additional information Martin Edwards
The
War Memorial stands in the centre of the village. There was a fountain
there in Victorian times of which the base was retained when it was
decided to convert the fountain into a War memorial after the First
World War.
The
design of a fountain surmounted by a stone cross was chosen by the relatives
of those to be commemorated. There was a special ceremony for the Unveiling
and Dedication of the Memorial Cross on Saturday 17th July 1920.
The
inscription reads:
IN
MEMORY OF THE MEN OF LANGCLIFFE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE WAR 1914
- 1919.
The
names of the eleven men who fell during the Great War are carved around
the base of the cross. The names of the four men who died in the Second
World War were not added until 1995. Each year, on Remembrance Sunday,
a special service is held at the War Memorial to remember the men from
the village who gave their lives in both World Wars.
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Photograph
Copyright © Kathryn Croll 2003
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1914-1918
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BENNETT |
Claude
Denman |
Captain,
2nd/6th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment.
He was killed at Lagnicourt in France on 18th July 1917, shot by
an enemy sniper. He was 30 years old. Headmaster of Langcliffe School.
Son of John and Anne Bennett, of The Bungalow, Yarwell, Nassington,
Peterborough. Buried in ACHIET-LE-GRAND COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION,
Pas de Calais, France. Grave I. K. 9.
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ATKINSON |
Victor
Rupert |
Second
Lieutenant, 1st/6th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding)
Regiment. He died on 23rd November 1917 after being badly wounded
following very heavy shelling at Passchendaele. He was 20 years
old. A student. Son of Francis E. and Mary L. Atkinson, of Bowerley,
Settle, Yorks. Buried in AEROPLANE CEMETERY, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen,
Belgium. Grave IV. A. 9.
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MONK |
Thomas |
Lance
Corporal 1967, 1st/6th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding)
Regiment. He was killed as his company was coming into the front
line trenches during the Battle of the Somme on 15th September 1916.
He was aged 29. A quarryman. Born and enlisted Settle, Yorkshire.
Buried in BLIGHTY VALLEY CEMETERY, AUTHUILE WOOD, Somme, France.
Grave I. G. 4.
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VENN |
George
Henry |
Acting
Lance Corporal P/1755, Foot Branch, Corps of Military Police. When
sailing for the Dardenelles, his ship collided with another and
sank. He was drowned on 28th October 1915. He was 26. A policeman.
Born Settle, Yorkshire, enlisted and resident Clitheroe. Commemorated
on HELLES MEMORIAL, Turkey. Panel 200 or 330.
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HARTLEY |
Walter |
Private
265645, 2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment.
He died of wounds near Au-bon-Gite in Belgium as his battalion was
moving to a support area, from the front line. He was 22. He was
in service. Enlisted and resident Settle, Yorkshire. Son of Walter
and Georgina Hartley, of St. John's Row, Langcliffe, Settle, Yorks.
Buried in MENDINGHEM MILITARY CEMETERY, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen,
Belgium. Grave VII. B. 16.
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HIGGINSON |
Joseph |
Private
G/14907, 6th Battalion, Buffs (East Kent) Regiment. He was killed
in action on 19th September 1918 near Arras. He was aged 35. A paper
mill worker. Born and resident Kangcliffe, Settle, Yorkshire, enlisted
Settle, Yorkshire. Son of Joseph and Catherine Higginson, of Langcliffe,
Settle, Yorks. Commemorated on VIS-EN-ARTOIS MEMORIAL, Pas de Calais,
France. Panel 3.
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HILTON |
William |
Private,
1/6th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment. He
was killed whilst carrying ammunition near St Jans Cappel, Passchendaele
on 19th April 1918. A millworker. *** No further information ***
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PERCY |
Thomas
Higson |
Private
1326, 6th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment.
He died during an operation at Bradford Infirmary on 9th March 1915,
whilst on training at Doncaster. He was 21. A quarryman. Enlisted
Settle, Yorkshire. Buried north ogf the church in ST. JOHN CHURCHYARD,
LANGCLIFFE, Yorkshire.
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SMALES |
Albert |
Private
242728, 1/5th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment.
He was lost during a "big push" on the Somme on 3rd September
1916. He was aged 20. A limeworker. Enlisted Skipton, Yorkshire,
resident Settle, Yorkshire. Son of William and Eliza Ann Wood, of
Langcliffe, Settle, Yorks. Commemorated on THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, Somme,
France. Pier and Face 6 A and 6 B.
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THOMPSON |
Robert |
Private
16064, 1st Battalion, King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment). He
was killed in action in Ploegsteert Wood, Belgium on 27th March
1915. He was aged 27; CWGC states 28. A professional soldier. Born
Ulveston, enlisted Keighley. Son of Frank Thompson. Buried in STRAND
MILITARY CEMETERY, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium. Grave X.
F. 10.
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WEST |
John |
Private
2606, 1/6th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment. He was killed
by a rifle bullet in his chest on 16th December 1915 near Talana,
Belgium. He was 23. A paper millworker. Enlisted Settle, Yorkshire.
Son of George and Edith West, Langcliffe, Settle, Yorks. Buried
in TALANA FARM CEMETERY, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave
III. F. 6.
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1939-1945
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HOCKING |
John
Hepton |
Sergeant
4694312, 1/7 Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment. He was killed
at Haalderen, Holland on 4th December 1944. He was 29. A bank clerk.
Born Yorkshire. Son of Alfred Charles and Mary Elizabeth Hocking,
of Langcliffe, Yorkshire. Buried in JONKERBOS WAR CEMETERY, Gelderland,
Netherlands. Grave 11. D. 7.
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BENSON |
Leslie |
Lance
Sergeant 4695227, 2/4th Battalion, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.
He died of wounds at Haifa on 30th April 1944. He was 29. Manager
of the Coop. Born Yorkshire. Son of William and Clara Benson; husband
of Clarice Victoria Benson, of Skipton, Yorkshire. Buried in KHAYAT
BEACH WAR CEMETERY, Israel. Grave D. F. 18.
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WHAITES |
Eric |
Corporal
4614968, 1st Battalion, Gordon Highlanders. He was killed during
the advance through Normandy on 19th August 1944. He was aged 33.
A quarryman. Born Yorkshire. Son of John and Catherine Whaites,
of Settle, Yorkshire. Buried in BANNEVILLE-LA-CAMPAGNE WAR CEMETERY,
Calvados, France. Grave IX. C. 11.
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GREEN |
George
Austin |
Able
Seaman C/JX 641790, H.M.L.S.T. 321, Royal Navy. He was drowned in
Subik Bay, off Manila in the Philippines on 6th April 1946 when
his Landing ship sank. He was 23 although the CWGC state 20. A grocer.
Son of Donald and Alice Green; husband of Barbara Alice Green, of
Stainforth, Yorkshire. Commemorated on CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL, Kent.
Panel 92, 2.
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Sources
Craven Roll of Honour, Craven Herald 1914-1918, Commonwealth War Graves
Commission, Duke of Wellington's Regiment War Diary and Archives, King's
Own Royal Regiment Lancaster, Buffs Museum Canterbury, KOYLI Office Pontefract,
The Gordan Highlanders Museum Aberdeen, Soldiers Died in the great War
CD.
The research was completed as part of a Millennium project which culminated
in a book "Langcliffe - Glimpses of a Dales Village". More information
is available on their village website at www.langcliffe.net.
29
October 2003
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