- 4th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) during the Great War -
Great War> Allied Army
Site Home
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site you agree to accept cookies.
If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.
Great War Home
Search
Add Stories & Photos
Library
Help & FAQs
Features
Allied Army
Day by Day
RFC & RAF
Prisoners of War
War at Sea
Training for War
The Battles
Those Who Served
Hospitals
Civilian Service
Women at War
The War Effort
Central Powers Army
Central Powers Navy
Imperial Air Service
Library
World War Two
Submissions
Add Stories & Photos
Time Capsule
Information
Help & FAQs
Glossary
Volunteering
News
Events
Contact us
Great War Books
About
4th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards)
4th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) was a territorial unit, they had just departed for their annual summer camp when war broke out and they were at once recalled their home base in Northallerton. They proceeded to France on the 18th April 1915, landing at Boulogne. They arrived in Flanders as the enemy attacked Ypres with poison gas for the first time and went straight into action. They remained in the Ypres sector throughout the Second Battle of Ypres. On the 14th of May 1915 the York & Durham Brigade, Northumbrian Division, of which the 4th Btn were part, was renamed 150th Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division. In 1916 they saw action in the Battle of the Somme and in 1917 took part in the Arras Offensive and the Third Battle of Ypres. In 1918 they again saw action on The Somme, the Lys and the Aisne. The Division was reorganised due to the men suffering exhaustion and heavy casualties and on the 16th of July 1918 the Division was reduced to cadre strength and moved back to take over the Lines of Communication. On the 16th of August 1918 the 1/4th Battalion transferred to 116th Brigade, 39th Division and were engaged in training the newly arrived American 77th Division. They remained a training cadre and were demobilised on the 6th of November 1918.
3rd Aug 1914 4th Yorks break camp. 4th Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) were at Deganwy Camp in Wales for the annual Divisional Training at the beginning of August 1914, with rumours of impending War, the Camp broke up on the 3rd of August and Company returned to its own Headquarters. H Coy had their The Drill Hall at the old Baptist Chapel, 4 Bridge Street, Bedale.http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bandl.danby/003aBn1914.html
5th Aug 1914 4th Yorks mobilise 4th Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment receive the order to mobilise and the Companies to assemble at Northallerton.http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bandl.danby/003aBn1914.html
10th Aug 1914 4th Yorks move to Newcastle After 5 days at Northallerton the territorials of the 4th Yorks move Newcastle upon Tyne.http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bandl.danby/003aBn1914.html
17th Aug 1914 4th Yorks join Brigade 4th Yorks leave Newcastle upon Tyne to join their Brigade at camp in Hummersknott Park, Darlington.http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bandl.danby/003aBn1914.html
14th Sep 1914 4th Yorks join Division 4th Yorks leave Hummersknott Park, Darlington and move to Newcastle to join with the other battalions of the Northumbrian Division for further training.http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bandl.danby/003aBn1914.html
17th Apr 1915 4th Yorks depart for France 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment depart from Newcastle at 9am bound for Folkestone and then France.http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bandl.danby/003aBn1914.html
18th Apr 1915 4th Yorks land in Boulogne 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment land in Boulogne at about 2 am, and make camp on nearby hills. They broke camp at 10pm and marched to Desveen where they entrained for Cassel, the Officers riding in first class carriages, the NCOs and men in cattle wagons.http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bandl.danby/003aBn1914.html
19th of April 1915 Establishing HQs
22nd of April 1915 Germans Attack
22nd of April 1915 At Readiness Level
22nd of April 1915 Standing by
23rd of April 1915 Under attack
23rd of April 1915 Troop concentrations
23rd of April 1915 Northunberlands Transferred
23rd of April 1915 Moving forward
23rd of April 1915 Urgent Moves
24th of April 1915 Transfer of Infantry
24th of April 1915 Units in position
24th of April 1915 Positions of Northumberland Division
25th of April 1915 Considerable losses
26th of April 1915 Confusion
28th of April 1915 Messages
3rd of May 1915 Divisional Area Allotted
3rd of May 1915 Orders
4th of May 1915 CinC to address troops
4th of May 1915 Yorks & East Yorks re-join
5th of May 1915 HQ Report
18th of May 1915 Letter
20th May 1915 entrenched
20th of May 1915 Troop Distribution
23rd May 1915 in trenches
24th May 1915 entrenched
31st of May 1915 Report
10th Jun 1915 Trench Recce
11th Jun 1915 Recce of Trenches
12th Jun 1915 Reliefs Completed
21st June 1915
1st Aug 1915 Reliefs
26th Aug 1915 Reliefs
5th Sep 1915 Reliefs
12th September 1915 Reliefs
22nd September 1915 Smoke
23rd Sep 1915 Reliefs
24th September 1915 Orders
24th September 1915 Programme
25th September 1915 Wind
25th September 1915
25th September 1915 Patrols
25th September 1915 Orders
26th September 1915 Patrols
1st Oct 1915 Reliefs
12th Oct 1915 Reliefs Complete
16th Oct 1915 The Derby Scheme
17th October 1915 Quiet
18th October 1915 Quiet
20th Oct 1915 Reliefs
26th of October 1915 Moves
28th Oct 1915 Reliefs
1st November 1915 Warnings
2nd November 1915 Ammunition Allotment
2nd Nov 1915 Reliefs
3rd of November 1915
4th November 1915 Reliefs
4th November 1915 Orders
4th November 1915 Training Programme
5th Nov 1915 4th Yorks Relieve 5th Yorks
7th Nov 1915 5th Yorks Relieve 5th DLI
7th November 1915 Orders Issued
7th November 1915 Reliefs
7th Nov 1915 Reliefs
8th November 1915 Orders
10th November 1915 Shelling
11th November 1915 Reliefs
12th November 1915 On the Move
13th November 1915 Training Programme
1st Dec 1915 Derby Scheme Armlets
2nd December 1915 Orders
11th Sep 1915 Last day of Derby Scheme Recruitment
11th December 1915 Orders
13th December 1915 Reliefs
13th December 1915 Orders
13th December 1915 Order
13st December 1915 Orders
13th December 1915 Reliefs
13th December 1915 Orders
15th December 1915 Advance Parties
18th December 1915 On the Move
10th Jan 1916 Group System Reopens
16th January 1916 Visit
16th January 1916 Reorganisation
27th January 1916 Snipers, Sausages and Whizz-bangs
29th of January 1916 Machine Gun Emplacements
29th January 1916 Machine Guns
30th January 1916 Snipers
31st January 1916 Casualties
31st January 1916 Enemy Lines
1st February 1916 Enemy Aircraft
2nd February 1916 Aeroplane Photographs
4th February 1916 Reliefs
4th February 1916 Enemy Guns
4th February 1916 Enemy Artillery
5th February 1916 Shelling
5th February 1916 Shelling
5th February 1916 Snipers
5th February 1916 Uniforms
6th February 1916 Orders
7th February 1916 Shelling
7th February 1916 Artillery Active
9th February 1916 Orders
9th of February 1916 Orders
9th February 1916 Artillery Active
9th February 1916 Call Ups
11th February 1916 Warning
11th February 1916 Enemy Active
12th February 1916 Gas Alert
12th February 1916 Quieter
14th Feb 1916 Enemy Attack
14th February 1916 Bomardment
15th February 1916 Orders
18th of February 1916 Reliefs Complete
21st February 1916 Snow
22nd February 1916 Gas
22nd of February 1916 Machine Guns
23rd February 1916 Warning
24th February 1916 Reliefs
25th February 1916 Dangerous Wind
26th February 1916 Hostile Artillery
28th February 1916 Dummys
28th February 1916 Orders
29th February 1916 Report
29th February 1916 Orders
29th February 1916 Orders
1st March 1916 Orders
1st of March 1916 Bombardment
2nd of March 1916 Bombardment
6th of March 1916 Orders
7th of March 1916 Orders
7th of March 1916 Orders
8th of March 1916 Mining
9th of March 1916 Orders
10th of March 1916 Reliefs Completed
10th of March 1916 Orders
10th of March 1916 Orders
16th of March 1916 Orders
18th of March 1916 Orders
18th Mar 1916 Reliefs Complete
20th of March 1916 Orders
23rd of March 1916 Reliefs
28th of March 1916 Reliefs
28th of March 1916 On the March
28th of March 1916 Orders
31st of March 1916 Orders
1st of April 1916 Moves
1st of April 1916 Orders
23rd of April 1916 Orders
29th of April 1916 Relief Complete
30th of April 1916 Stand To
30th of April 1916 At Rest
1st of May 1916 Orders
14th of May 1916 Training & Sport
18th of May 1916 Orders
20th of May 1916 Orders
24th of May 1916 Orders
25th of May 1916 Orders
27th of May 1916 Reliefs
14th of June 1916 Tinme
14th of June 1916 Orders
27th Jun 1916 On the March
27th of June 1916
1st of August 1916 Gas
2nd of August 1916 Alert
8th of August 1916 Reliefs
1st of September 1916 Locations
1st Sep 1916 Flies
2nd Sep 1916 Wet Day
7th Sep 1916 Conference
11th Sep 1916 Return to Duty
13th of September 1916 Instructions
13th of September 1916 Orders
14th Sep 1916 Stretcher Bearers
15th Sep 1916 In Action
15th Sep 1916 In Action
16th Sep 1916 Large number of Casualties
17th Sep 1916 Stretcher Bearers
21st Sep 1916 Poor Sanitation
24th of September 1916 Reliefs
24th of September 1916 Orders
25th of September 1916 Attacks
27th of September 1916 Instructions
28th of September 1916 Reliefs
28th of September 1916 Attacks Made
29th of September 1916
29th of September 1916 Orders
29th of September 1916 Orders
30th of September 1916 Patrols
30th of September 1916 Barrage
30th of September 1916 Orders Amended
2nd of October 1916 Orders
2nd of October 1916 Reliefs
2nd of October 1916 Orders
3rd of October 1916 Reliefs
3rd of October 1916 Congratulations
4th of October 1916 On the March
6th of October 1916 Training
7th of October 1916 Training
8th of October 1916 Rain
9th of October 1916 Working Parties
12th of October 1916 Training
14th of October 1916 Training and Working Parties
15th of October 1916 Exercise
19th of October 1916 Orders
20th of October 1916 Working Parties
22nd of October 1916 Situation
22nd of October 1916 Orders
22nd of October 1916 Signals
23rd of October 1916 Orders
23rd of October 1916
24th of October 1916 Reliefs
25th of October 1916 Situation
25th of October 1916 Instructions
25th of October 1916 Information Required
26th of October 1916 Orders
26th of October 1916 Orders
28th of October 1916 Orders
28th of October 1916 Appendix
28th of October 1916 Orders
30th of October 1916 Orders
31st of October 1916 Orders
31st of October 1916 Orders
1st of November 1916 Thick Mud
2nd of November 1916 Orders
2nd of November 1916 Instructions
2nd of November 1916 Orders
2nd of November 1916 Shelling
3rd of November 1916 Orders
3rd of November 1916 Reliefs
3rd of November 1916 Orders
4th of November 1916 Secret
6th of November 1916 Orders
30th of November 1916
7th of December 1916
1st of January 1917
9th of February 1917 Orders
11th of February 1917
13th of February 1917
21st of April 1917
23rd of April 1917
25th Jul 1917 Raid
26th of July 1917
11th Aug 1917 Reliefs
2nd of September 1917 Intelligence
3rd of September 1917 Intelligence
3rd of September 1917 Intelligence
4th of September 1917 Intelligence
5th of September 1917 Intelligence
6th of September 1917 Intelligence
7th of September 1917 Intelligence
8th of September 1917 Intelligence
9th of September 1917 Intelligence
9th of September 1917 Intelligence
10th of September 1917 Intelligence
11th of September 1917 Intelligence
12th of September 1917 Intelligence
13th of September 1917 Intelligence
14th of September 1917 Intelligence
15th of September 1917 Intelligence
16th of September 1917 Intelligence
16th of September 1917 Intelligence
17th of September 1917 Intelligence
18th of September 1917 Intelligence
19th of September 1917 Intelligence
20th of September 1917 Intelligence
21st of September 1917 Intelligence
22nd of September 1917 Intelligence
22nd of September 1917 Intelligence
23rd of September 1917 Intelligence
24th of September 1917 Intelligence
26th of September 1917 Intelligence
27th of September 1917 Intelligence
28th of September 1917 Intelligence
28th of September 1917 Intelligence
29th Sep 1917 Reliefs
29th of September 1917 Intelligence
30th of September 1917 Intelligence
1st of October 1917 Intelligence
4th of October 1917 Intelligence
12th of October 1917 Orders
12th of October 1917 Orders
17th of October 1917 Orders
27th of October 1917 Intelligence
28th of October 1917 Intelligence
29th of October 1917 Intelligence
30th of October 1917 Intelligence
31st of October 1917 Intelligence
8th of November 1917 Orders
13th of November 1917 Dispositions
13th of December 1917 Move
18th of December 1917 Intelligence
19th of December 1917 Intelligence
19th of December 1917 Intelligence
20th of December 1917 Intelligence
21st of December 1917
21st of December 1917 Intelligence
22nd of December 1917 Intelligence
23rd of December 1917 Intelligence
24th of December 1917 Intelligence
25th of December 1917 Intelligence
25th of December 1917 Intelligence
26th of December 1917
26th of December 1917 Intelligence
24th of January 1918
31st of January 1918 Amendment
3rd of February 1918 Orders
10th of February 1918 Orders
11th of February 1918
27th of February 1918 Orders
19th Jun 1918 From the Line
22nd Mar 1918 Fighting Withdrawal
23rd Mar 1918 Fighting Withdrawal
25th Mar 1918 Holding the Line
26th Mar 1918 Withdrawal
27th Mar 1918 Under Fire
28th Mar 1918 Confusion
29th Mar 1918 Orders
30th Mar 1918 Orders
31st Mar 1918 Attack
9th Apr 1918 Into the Line
9th Apr 1918 Attacks
10th Apr 1918 In Action
11th Apr 1918 In Action
13th Apr 1918 On the Move
13th of April 1918 Report
1st May 1918 Field Day
14th May 1918 Relief
14th of May 1918 Enemy Aircraft
21st May 1918 Reliefs Completed
21st of May 1918 Reliefs
22nd of May 1918 Quiet
23rd of May 1918 Awards
27th May 1918 In Action
28th May 1918 Hard Fighting
1st of June 1918
2nd of June 1918
3rd of June 1918
5th Jun 1918 Into the Line
5th of June 1918
23rd Jun 1918 On the Move
11th Jul 1918 InspectionIf you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
Want to know more about 4th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards)?
There are:5578 items tagged 4th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
Those known to have served with
4th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards)
during the Great War 1914-1918.
- Allenby P. W.. Pte. (d.6th Oct 1916)
- Ball Andrew. Pte. (d.1st Oct 1918)
- Buckle William. Pte. (d.7th June 1917)
- Caldecoat Percy. Pte. (d.13th Oct 1918)
- Craggs Albert. Pte. (d.17th March 1915)
- Doyle John James. Pte. (d.23rd Mar 1918)
- Duckett Sydney Alfred. Pte. (d.7th Aug 1916)
- Dunn Oliver Edward. Pte. (d.23rd April 1917)
- Edwards Thomas William. Pte.
- Excelby Albert Hugill. Pte
- Freemantle William Raylton. Pte. (d.20th Sept 1914)
- Hirsch VC MID. David Philip. Cpt. (d.23rd April 1917)
- Hodgson James Richard. Pte. (d.15th Sep 1916)
- Holmes William. Pte.
- Johnson Henry. Pte (d.17th Sep 1916)
- Jowett Francis Meshack. Pte. (d.28th Oct 1918)
- Jowett Francis Meshack. Pte. (d.28th Oct 1918)
- Kimmer Francis John. (d.6 Nov 1918)
- Kimmer Francis John. Pte. (d.6th Nov 1918)
- Pearson Ernest. Pte. (d.15th September 1915)
- Plews Edward. Pte.
- Pratt Harry. Pte.
- Pryke DCM Samuel. Cpl.
- Raine William E.. L/Cpl. (d.23rd April 1917)
- Riley Lancelot. Pte. (d.7th Nov 1917)
- Sampson George. Pte. (d.30th Oct 1914)
- Slack C. M.. Capt.
- Strong William. Pte. (d.26 Jun 1917)
- Thomas James Henry. Pte. (d.11th September 1915)
- Tweddle Stephen. Pte. (d.12th Nov 1916)
- Webb MID. Herbert Edward. 2nd Lt.
All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List
Records of 4th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) from other sources.
The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.
- 1st of September 2024 marks 25 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time.
Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the Great War? Our Library contains many many diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text.
Looking for help with Family History Research?Please see Family History FAQ's
Please note: We are unable to provide individual research.
Can you help?
The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors.If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web.
If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.
Announcements
- 19th Nov 2024
Please note we currently have a massive backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 264989 your submission is still in the queue, please do not resubmit.
Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to the Great War. If you have any unwanted photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted.
World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great battalion regiment artillery
Did you know? We also have a section on World War Two. and a Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.
Cpt. David Philip Hirsch VC MID. 4th Btn. Yorkshire Regiment (d.23rd April 1917)Philip Hirsch was killed in action on the 23rd of April 1917, aged 20. Commemorated on Bay 5 on the Arras Memorial in the Faubourg-d'Amiens Cemetery, Arras, France, he was the son of Harry and Edith Hirsch, of Weetwood Grove, Leeds.An extract from The London Gazette, dated 14th June, 1917, records the following:- "For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty in attack. Having arrived at the first objective, Capt. Hirsch, although already twice wounded, returned over fire-swept slopes to satisfy himself that the defensive flank was being established. Machine gun fire was so intense that it was necessary for him to be continuously up and down the line encouraging his men to dig and hold the position. He continued to encourage his men by standing on the parapet and steadying them in the face of machine gun fire and counter-attack until he was killed. His conduct throughout was a magnificent example of the greatest devotion to duty."
s flynn
Pte. Thomas William Edwards 4th Btn. Yorkshire RegimentBilly Edwards was my grandfather who died in 1948 well before I was born. He embarked to France in 1916 and his service record also notes that he served in Italy. He appears to have received a gun shot wound soon after arriving in France and was shelled in 1917, both instances ending up with stays in field hospitals. In the spring offensive by Germany in 1918 he captured on 27th May and was taken to the Worms POW camp.Adrian Edwards
Pte. James Henry Thomas 4th Btn. Yorkshire Regiment (d.11th September 1915)James Thomas served with the 4th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment in WW1. He died 11th of September 1915 and is buried at Brotton Church Cemetery in Yorkshire.
Pte. Ernest Pearson 4th Btn. Y Coy. Yorkshire Regiment (d.15th September 1915)Ernest Pearson is my 2nd cousin (3x removed) who is commemorated on both the Great Ayton War Memorial and the Ploegsteert Memorial in Belgium. I think he enlisted in Stokesley, in 1912 or 1913, he was the son of Paul Pearson and the late Jane (nee Dixon) of Great Ayton.Michelle Wolfenden
Pte. Francis John Kimmer 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment (d.6th Nov 1918)Jack Kimmer joined up into The Royal Berkshire Regiment shortly after turning 18 in 1917. His father, Thomas Kimmer, was employed as the coachman on a farm in Aston Tirrold in Berkshire.He later transferred into the 4th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment. He was fighting with his battalion on 27th of May 1918 near Aisne in France when he, plus a number of other men were taken prisoner. He was taken back to Germany and imprisoned in one of the POW camps near Kassel. As there were a number of camps there, I do not know which one he was in. Neither do the International Red Cross records confirm which one. He became ill with dysentery and was taken into the military hospital in Kassel where he died on 6th of November 1918, just 5 short days before the end of the war. He is buried in Niederzwehren Cemetry. The Red Cross POW records state his death and that he was a soldier in the infantry and was removed to the military hospital at the command of the Kommandant of the prisoner of war camp. It also records his death on 6th Nov 1918 and the cause of death as Ruhr, which is Dysentery.
Judy Barradell-Smith
Francis John "Jack" Kimmer 1st/4th Btn. Yorkshire Regiment (d.6 Nov 1918)Francis Jack Kimmer, known as "Jack", was born in Hound Green in Hampshire in 1899. The son of Thomas Kimmer and his wife Louisa. By 1911 the family had moved to Aston Tirrold in Berkshire (now in Oxfordshire) where his father Thomas was the coachman for the Cross family who lived in The Manor, Aston Tirrold. The Kimmer family lived in the Coach House behind the Manor. Jack went to the local school there.Jack joined up when he turned 18 in 1917. He initially joined up into the Berkshire Regiment (service number 71348). He was later transferred into the 1st/4th Yorkshire Regiment (service number 35576). In May 1918 he was fighting with his Regiment near Aisne is France and was captured by the Germans on 27th May 1918 along with several others. He was taken back to Germany and imprisoned in one of the many POW camps near Kassel, Germany. Here he remained right through 1918. He contracted dysentery in what were described as pretty brutal and barbaric conditions inside these camps. It is not known precisely which camp he was in.
He was moved to a hospital unit near Niederzwehen where he died on 6 November 1918, just 5 days before the end of the war. He is buried in Niederzwehren Cemetery, Kassel. He was 19. His parents later moved to Silchester Hall Lodge, Mortimer Berks. His tomb inscription reads very simply RIP.
Judy Barradell-Smith
Pte. Albert Craggs 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment (d.17th March 1915)Albert Craggs died age 17. He is buried in Mickley (St. John) Churchyard, the cause of his death is unknown.Keith Craggs
Pte. Stephen Tweddle 4th Btn. Yorkshire Regiment (d.12th Nov 1916)Stephen Tweddle served with the 4th Yorkshire Regiment, I was given this information by my great uncle before he died. His name is on the memorial plaques outside Albert Park in Middlesbrough. Tweddle is my mothers side of the family.
Cpl. Samuel Pryke DCM 4th Battalion Yorkshire RegimentMy grandfather, Samuel Pryke, was awarded the DCM but refused to go to London to be awarded it. He settled for Middlesbrough Town Hall but would not have any fuss nor would he discuss it. He was gassed with mustard gas.Evie Beattie
Pte. Harry Pratt 4th Btn. Green HowardsMy grandfather, Harry Pratt, enlisted with his friends in Northallerton, Yorkshire when war broke out on his birthday 4th August 1914. He was a Private in the 4th Battalion Green Howards and was trained and posted to France. He subsequently ended up on the Somme. He was lucky he survived but many of his friends didn't. He told me that he and his friends were sent 'over the top' and there was a lot of shooting, he saw his friends go down one by one and then he felt what was like a 'punch in the face', he was injured (end of his nose shot off) but he "was lucky, many of his friends weren't", my grandfather's words.It took him a long time to talk about the war, but when he did he remembered a lot of the good times of laughing and joking, trying to keep jolly and blotting out what was happening around him. He was close to tears telling me. He was sent back to the front after being patched up, only to join people he didn't know, when he looked around his friends had gone. After a while he began to smile and remembered what he and his friends had got up to...before the guns went off. He said he was relieved to get home when the war finished and he was glad he did because he married my grandmother - his grin turned into a big beaming smile at this point. I gave him a big hug. My granddad.
Sue Wilkinson
Pte Albert Hugill Excelby 5th Btn. Border RegimentAlbert Hugill Exelby, was one of four sons of George Exelby and Elizabeth Hurworth who served in the Great War: William (b 26/3/1894), George junior (31/3/1895), Joseph (20/4/1896) and Albert (22/5/1897). They also had two daughters, Mary (b 16/4/1899) and Jane (b 26/3/1901Albert joined the Territorials on 1st April, 1914 giving his age as 17 years, though he was only 16. His medical examination records him as 5 foot 10 and a half with a 36" chest, good physical development and good vision. He spent two years in the 4th Yorkshire (Reserve) Battalion, before being transferred to the 3rd Border Regiment on 4th July, 1916, and was sent to France on 12th July. Two days later he was transferred to the 5th Battalion. On 19th September 1916, Albert received a gunshot wound to his left arm and was sent back to England, Albert was for a time a patient in the VAD hospital in Stokesley Manor House. He returned to his unit in France in December and was wounded on three further occasions, April 1917, October 1917 and May, 1918. He was officially demobed in February 1919, aged 21 and received an enhancement of 20% to his pension due to disability caused by a gunshot wound to the left thigh giving him a pension of 8 shillings and threepence per week.
Albert married Eliza Hindmarsh, nee Green in August 1922. Eliza had two daughters from a previous marriage and she and Albert had two more: Beatrice in 1923 and Margaret in 1929. Albert Exelby died in Middlesbrough in 1950.
Angela
Capt. C. M. Slack 4th Btn. Yorkshire RgtCaptain Slack was a prisoner in Koln POW Camp.
Pte. William Buckle 4th Btn. Yorkshire Regiment (d.7th June 1917)William Buckle was educatedat Ayresome School, Parliament Road, Middlesbrough and Middlesbrough High School In 1911 he became a Clerkat Salt Union Ltd and later at Messrs B Samuelson and Co Ltd. At Northallerton on the 1st of September 1914 he attested and joined the 4th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment (Territorial Force) for one Years Embodied Service at Home as Private Number 1999. He is described as being 21 years old, 5’ 9â€, with black hair, grey eyes, fair complexion. On the 8th of September 1914 he signed Territorial Force agreement to serve overseas in event of National Emergency In Autumn 1914 the Northumbrian Division forms and his battalion trains in Newcastle area. In January 1915 the 4 Battalion are in the Cramlington area. On the 16th of Apr 1915 the Northumbrian Division (including 4 Ballation Green Howards) are ordered to the Continent. The following day the 4 Battalion Yorkshire Regiment take the 9am train from Newcastle to Folkestone and embarked for Boulogne At 2am on the 18th they arrived in Boulogne and the next day arrived at Cassel by train and marched to Godwaersvelde and were billeted. On the 22nd they embussed to Vlamertinge. At 5pm the German Gas attack begins in the 2nd Battle of Ypres and the following day the battalion are in on the West of the Yser Canal. On the 24th of April 1915 they are shelled and suffer their first casualties). At mid day they are ordered to cross Canal (under fire) and concentrate at Wieltje. They dug in outside Potijze Chateau but then were ordered to attack through Fortuin to St Julien. They took up positions 700m south of St Julien but were ordered to retire to Potijze (Wieltje Ridge) at about 10pm. Heavy rifle and MG fire resulted in 12 killed and 82 wounded. On the 25th of April they are in trenches near the Chateau all day and retired after dark to C Camp (N of Vlamertinge), west of Canal. On the 28th they occupied trenches astride the Fortuin Road where they were again shelled. They were first gassed on the 1st of May as they repulsed attacks (34 killed and 84 wounded.) On the 3rd of May 1915 they returned to C Camp. he next day they were shelled all day and after dark marched back to Steenvorde to billets. At 3pm on the 9th they were bussed to Brandhoek and lined Reserve Trenches. On the 13th of May the Battalion is in dugouts North of Vlamertinge. and at 3am on the 14th moved to the Lille Gate area of Ypres. At 8pm on the 15th of May they marched along railway to Railway Wood, North of Menin Road. 21 were wounded over next few days and on the 21st of May 1915 they were relieved after dark and moved to Camp A south of Vlamertinge. After dark on the 23rd they moved to trenches astride Menin Road at Hooge. and at 2am the next morning were subjected to a gas attack during Battle of Bellewaarde and a day of fighting. 32 were killed and 171 were listed as wounded or missing. They were relieved after dark to hutments in rear.On the 25th of May Pte Buckle was treated at No 5 Field Ambulance for gunshot wounds to right hip and right chest/shoulder. The following day he was treated at No 1 British Red Cross Hospital in Le Touquet and on the 28th was transferred to Military Hospital at Fort Pitt, Chatham. On the 6th of June Pte. Buckle was transferred to Lees Court Military Hospital at Faversham for 2 months.
Mark Tovey
2nd Lt. Herbert Edward Webb MID. 4th Battalion Yorkshire RegimentMy paternal grandfather, Herbert Webb was a Colour Sargeant in the 1st Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment who was seconded to the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers on the 2 May 1916 He was seconded to improve the discipline of the 5th Battalion, until the 30 October 1917 when he was transferred back to the 4th Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment as a Second Lieutenant. He was promoted to this rank on the 14th of October 1917. He was mentioned in dispatches for something before he was transferred back to the Yorkshire Regiment, though I do not know what it was for - Schappe-Balie 26th of October 1917?James Webb
Pte. Percy Caldecoat 4th Btn. Yorkshire Regiment (d.13th Oct 1918)Percy Caldecoat died 13th October 1918. His name is inscribed on a screen wall in the Worms (Hochheim Hill) Cemetery in Germany.s flynn
Pte. William Raylton Freemantle 4th Btn Yorkshire Regiment (d.20th Sept 1914)Private William Raylton Freemantle died on Sunday the 20th September 1914 at Greenbank Hospital, Darlington. He had committed suicide by shooting himself whilst temporarily insane. This can mean one of two reasons; either he deserted or just could not face the war. I truly would like to know the truth on either case as William was my Great Uncle and as I am compiling my Freemantle Family Tree I do need to enter all the correct facts for future generations.Ann Thirsk
Pte. William Holmes 4th Battalion Yorkshire RegimentFrom a direct discussion with Wiiliam Holmes.Billy was involved in the retreat through St Quentin in March 1918. He was a pacifist and elected to be part of a two man Lewis gun team so that he could be responsible for transporting ammunition and thereby avoid pulling a trigger. Billy and his mate were covering the retreat on one side of a street whilst troops retreated. They were separated from their group and eventually escaped through a network of trenches. Billy's mate stood on Billy's shoulders to get out of a trench (they were both about 5 foot 3 inches tall) he climbed out and told Billy to escape as their were enemy about and that was the last that Billy saw of his mate.
Billy was eventually hit by shrapnel from a shell and was picked up by the enemy. He as standing in a line with others and ordered to empty pockets and hand over any weapons, tools etc. He thought he was going to be shot as he could not hand over his issue pocket knife. He eventually convinced an officer that his belt clip was broken and the knife must have been lost. Billy stood in a queue to have his wounds attended to, he witnessed the patient in front having a large raggy piece of shrapnel removed from his thigh. The German surgeon decided that instead of pulling the shrapnel back through the entry wound that he would remove it on the other side of the leg, without anesthetic.
Billy was reported missing in action 23rd March 1918. He was marched to a camp in Germany where he was put to work in a coal mine surviving on a diet of 1 bowl of watery soup and a hunk of black bread per day. Whilst working at the mine, the above ground belts were worked by German peasant women picking stones from the coal. The women wrongly thought that the POW's received Red Cross parcels regularly and the POW's were often stripped naked by the women searching them for chocolate. He was eventually repatriated and had one weeks leave before being sent to Dublin where he lived under canvas for a year during the troubles.
Alan Ramsey
Pte. Francis Meshack Jowett 1/4th Btn. Yorkshire Regiment (d.28th Oct 1918)Francis Jowett died as a Prisoner of War on 28th of October 1918 and is buried in the Berlin South Western Cemetery in Germany.s flynn
Pte. Edward Plews 4th Btn. Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards)Edward Plews served with the 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment during WW1. His medal card records the award of the 1915 Star, War and Victory Medals.Edward Plews
Pte. Francis Meshack Jowett 1/4th Btn. Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) (d.28th Oct 1918)Francis Meshack Jowett served with the 1/4th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) during WW1 and died as a Prisoner of War on the 28th October 1918. He is buried in the Berlin South-Western Cemetery in Germany, He lived on Mosley Street, Burnley, LancashireS Flynn
Recomended Reading.
Available at discounted prices.
Links
Suggest a link
The free section of The Wartime Memories Project is run by volunteers. This website is paid for out of our own pockets, library subscriptions and from donations made by visitors. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources and we currently have a huge backlog of submissions. If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small
to help with the costs of keeping the site running.
Copyright MCMXCIX - MMXXIV - All Rights Reserved - We do not permit the use of any content from this website for the training of LLMs or for use in Generative AI, it also may not be scraped for the purpose of creating other websites. |