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Lest We Forget
British Legion
The Royal British Legion


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.

Photograph Copyright © Kathryn Croll 2003

1914-1918

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 ***

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.

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.

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.

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.

1939-1945

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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