Oakwood Hall - WW1 Auxiliary Hospital, Rotherham

Today Oakwood Hall stands within the grounds of Rotherham District General Hospital. It was originally built in 1856 as a home for James Yates, who was a local stove grate manufacturer. However, by the 1890s the house had passed from the Yates family in to the hands of a solicitor named Colin Mackenzie Smith, who resided at the property with his wife Wilhelmina Ruth Smith and their six live-in servants, which included a cook and footman. The couple also employed a coachman and gardener, both of whom lived in the nearby Oakwood Hall cottages. In 1911 another of the cottages was rented by local photographer, Fred Shaw, who's camera would later go on to capture images of the hall while it was in use as a military hospital. Once war was declared, the sixty-six year old Colin Mackenzie Smith vacated the house and offered it up for use by the war office. Not long after the house was converted into a Class "A" Auxiliary hospital. The facility was equipt with a 100 beds for wounded soldiers to convalesce in.

Oakwood Hall 'New Ward' by photographer Fred Shaw
Postcard from my personal collection

This postcard is just one in a series produced by the previously mentioned Rotherham based photographer, Fred Shaw. Fred's studio was located just a few streets away in the town centre. The top photograph shows injured soldiers convalescing in the hospital's 'new ward', which was located in a glass conservatory attached to the rear of the building. The bottom photograph shows the staff stood on a balcony. If you view the full sized image you will see the faces of soldiers peering out from behind the nurses.

The hospital was mainly staffed by local members of the VAD. Miss Elizabeth Sinclair White was engaged as commandment and Matron. She was assisted in running the hospital by Miss Martha Baker, who undertook the role of quarter master. For the majority of the war the hospital cared for patients without incident, that was until the Summer of 1918, when tragedy struck and a fire broke out at around dinnertime on Saturday 22nd June. It caused £6000 worth of damage, which is the equivalent of just under £300,000 in today's money. 

Staff outside Oakwood Hall Auxilliary Hospital

The blaze was ignited by a spark from the kitchen chimney. At the time, the hospital was caring for 97 patients, 20 of who were incapacitated. Rotherham Corporation Fire Brigade was summoned to tackle the fire. Thankfully all the patients were rescued and there were no fatalities, however fireman Harry Thorpe was seriously injured when a ceiling fell on him as he attempted to dowse the fire with a hose. Another man received cuts from breaking glass. Before the fire took hold, staff and able bodied patients were able to save the furniture. The interior of the hall was completely gutted and no longer habital. The remaining patients were transferred to nearby Moorgate Hospital and the severest cases were sent to Sheffield.

Colin Mackenzie Smith never returned to the house after the war. Instead the hall under went renovations to convert it in to a TB Sanatorium. Oakwood Hall was given grade II status in 1986 and is currently the property of the NHS.

Sources______________________
Barnsley Chronicle - June 29th 1918
1901 & 1911 Census
Historicengland.org.uk - listing for Oakwood Hall
Redcross.org.uk - WW1 Auxiliary Hospitals
Rotherham-images.co.uk/
Whiston-heritage-society.co.uk/

Military Memory, and the Sacred Space

Back in September the Barnsley War Memorial Project had the unique opportunity to take part in a radio interview about the Battle of Passchendaele. The show was originally broadcast at 11am on the 10th November 2017, but it's still available to listen to on iPlayer for the moment.

I must tell you, that as I have Aspergers I find public speaking of any kind extremely difficult. I'd much rather write something for the local newspaper than do a talk. But I felt this was too great an opportunity to promote group to turn down, so I hesitantly agreed to go along with another member of the group to speak with Giles Fraser. It was very hard, but I'm glad I did it if only for the experience. (I'm not sure I could do it again though.)

WW1 Living History Event at Cannon Hall - August 2017

Over the August bank holiday weekend I went to a WW1 living history event which was took place at Cannon Hall (near Barnsley).

It was very interesting to see the men and women walking around dressed in period accurate uniforms. Nurses, soldiers and doctors were all represented, even the children were dressed in Edwardian style clothing. The tents were set out with replica equipment and weaponry for passersby to view. Of course it wasn't really like being at the front; For both obvious and practical reasons there were no trenches, nor was there any real sense of danger or of being at war. It was hard to imagine these men could have been hours away from battle on this polite and bright Bank holiday Sunday.

However, I was able to build up the courage to speak with one of the the re-enactors who as it turned out was very knowledgeable about both the First World War and military equipment. He was more than happy to answer my questions. I think it helped that they not only had an interest in the history of WW1 but also came from a military background.  I imagine that having actual combat experience makes it easier to relate to what the men of WW1 went through, than someone like myself can. The person I spoke to was an ex soldier, named Stuart. We discussed many things including what type of guns my two uncles might have used during their time with the Machine Gun Corps.

One of the high points of the day was being allowed to handle a (deactivated) Enfield rifle. I had never held a gun before. It allowed me, in a very small way, to connect with my ancestors and experience something they had. The gun I held had been modified so it couldn't be discharged, but demonstrations of other Enfield rifles being fired took place throughout the day. I recorded and uploaded one of the displays to YouTube. It can be viewed below.

Interview with Giles Fraser for Radio 4

Several weeks ago the Barnsley War Memorial Project was given the unique opportunity to take part in the recording of a special memorial program about Passchendaele for Radio 4. On Wednesday 27th September myself and two other members of the group went along to All Saints church at Darfield to pre-record a segment for the show, which will be broadcast at 11am on 10th November 2017 to coincide with the centenary of the end of the battle. Presenter Giles Fraser asked us questions about war memorials and about the Barnsley men who fell at Passchendaele. Mike Smith, co-author of Darfield Remembers, was also interviewed and so were the relatives of  several Darfield men who'd been killed during the Third Battle of Ypres.

Barnsley Chronicle 6th October 2017

Although I was apprehensive about taking part in a radio interview, having never done anything like that before, I'm glad I did. It was a great experience. We recorded about 30 minutes worth of material, however we were told only a small amount of it would make it to air. So I have no idea what part of my interview will be featured (if any of it at all.) And to be honest, I can't remember half of what I said anyway, I was so nervous. I do recall speaking about Frank Pettitt's Death Penny, which was rescued from a scrapyard.

The two war memorials to the left inside All Sain'ts Church, Darfield.

It was also my first visit to All Saint's church at Darfield, which I thought to be beautiful and historic piece of architecture. I took a photograph of the impressive marble war memorial for one of my other WW1 blogs, as several Wombwell men are remembered this particular memorial.

Passchendaele Article for the Barnsley Chronicle

Back in July 2017 I had the opportunity to write an article for Pen & Sword books about the Barnsley men who fell during the Third Battle of Ypres (also known as Passchendaele.) I wrote the piece on behalf of  The Barnsley War Memorial Project and it was printed in the Barnsley Chronicle on Friday 4th August 2017 to coincide with the anniversary of battle, which began on the 31st July 1917 and lasted until 10th November 1917.

Barnsley Chronicle 4th August 2017

I chose to write about three men who had died at different points during the offensive. Tom Drudy fell on the first day, his body was claimed by the Belgian mud, consequently he has no grave and is remembered on the Menin Gate instead. Frank Pettitt died of wound received on the 12th October 1917 during the Battle of Passchendaele. Fitter Staff Sergeant Bernard Kilner was killed only six days later on the 18th October 1917, when he was hit by a shell while inspecting the guns. All their stories are told in greater detail on my other WW1 blog.

The Lost Barnsley Radical & Liberal Club Memorial

It was recently discovered that one of  Barnsley's missing war memorials was sold at auction twelve years ago. We learnt from posts made to a First World War forum, that the memorial had been sold by auctioneers CW Harrison on the 10th August 2005 to a Barnsley business man, with an interest in WW1 for safe keeping. After that nothing more was heard about the memorial or it's fate.

Barnsley Chronicle 1st September 2017

I realise at this point you might be wondering why I wanted to know the location of this memorial in particular. Well let me explain; I'm a member of the Barnsley War Memorial Project. The group is currently in the process of creating a Roll of Honour, which will commemorate all the individuals of the Barnsley area who fell during WW1. In order to do this we have been researching and transcribing as many local war memorials as we can find, that way, we hope to include as many of the fallen as possible. So, you can imagine the Bwmp was very keen to view and transcribe this memorial. Our group began making inquiries in to it's whereabouts. We sent emails to the auctioneers and made posts on the forum, all to no avail. So we decided to ask the Barnsley Chronicle if the would run an appeal on our behalf. Fortunately they agreed to to help us, for which we are very grateful. On Friday the newspaper ran the appeal and we waited to see if anyone would contact us.....

Barnsley Chronicle 15th September 2017

We didn't have to wait long, in less than two days the owner got in touch and arranged for three members of the Bwmp to view the memorial. Understandably the current owner wishes to remain anonymous. But we are certain the memorial is in a safe place and are very thankful to this individual for looking after it all these years.

The memorial a very large piece, measuring 7 feet in height. It features ceramic tiles in an oak frame and has the names of 127 men who fought, 8 of whom were killed.

At the base of the memorial is a brass plate that says:
RADICAL & LIBERAL CLUB
This Roll of Honour was unveiled by W Bowring Esq (President) on December 22nd 1919 to commemorate the Honour, Glory and Patriotism of our brave fellow members who answered their Countrys call to arms during the Great War 1914-1920
COMFORT - COMMITTEE
T Pogmore (Chairman), G Bennett, W Copping, F Clarkson, W J Howden, J Law, T Woffenden, C Ibbotson, W J Barham, (Treasurer) H Wainwright (Secretary)

There is a makers stamp on the brass plaque of Robertson and Russell, Sheffield.

WW1 Peace Celebrations in Fox Glen at Stocksbridge - 16th August 1919

Earlier this year I bought a postcard online which showed festivities being held in Fox Glen at Stocksbridge to welcome home the troops and celebrate peace after the end of the First World War.

By Bradbury of Deepcar. Postcard from my personal collection.

These celebrations seemed like they were a significant event in the history of Fox Valley and Stocksbridge. So I hoped details of it would have made it into at least one of the local newspapers. I wasn't disapointed, on a recent trip to Barnsley Archives I managed to find an account of the event, which was printed in a local newspaper the following week:
"Stocksbridge Returned Soldiers and Sailors - A civic reception of soldiers and sailors, who have returned after serving King and Country during the past 5 years was given by the members of the urban district council on Saturday afternoon, when some 300 or 400 sat down to a substantial tea in the British school. The proceedings which followed were of a very inspiring  character. Headed by the Stocksbridge brass band they proceeded to an open air concert and entertainment in Fox Glen, where some thousands of villagers were assembled. Mr. F. Coultas (Chairman) supported by members of the council presided and during an interval Col. C. Hodgkinson V.D took the opportunity, on behalf of the council and citizens, of heartily welcoming the men back to civilian life. He also presented the men who had won distinction in the Great War with their medals, including 2 DCMs and 5 M.Ms as follows: Sergt. G. A Shrute, 4th York and Lancaster, DCM, Drummer Frank Thickett, 4th York and Lancaster, DCM, Cpl. (Act-Sergt.) E.S Askham, 4th York and Lancaster, M.M, Pte. Ernest Hawes, 5th Gloucestershire regiment, M.M, Pte. Osbert Herbert, 6th Northamptonshire Regiment, M.M, Pte. Emmerson Knowles, Army Service Corps., M.M and Gnr. S.H Woodcook 32nd Brigade R.F.A, M.M."

Penistone and Stocksbridge Express 

23rd August 1919

The day after the concert another gathering was held, this time food and entertainment was provided at the British school for the widows and orphans of the men who'd died during the war.

The image at the top of the post shows a lighting caricaturist entertaining the crowd during the event. This postcard is the third in a series by Bradbury of Deepcar depicting the concert which took place at Fox Glen on the 16th August 1919. I have seen a copy of post card number 2, which shows the crowds congregating in Fox Valley (it's available to view on Sheffield City Council's website) So far I have been unable to find a copy of postcard No. 1. But, it would be interesting to see which part of the celebrations it displays.


Sources___________________________________

Penistone and Stocksbridge Express - 23rd August 1919

With thanks to Barnsley Archives.

Wharncliffe War Hospital - Part two

Two patients stand in the hospital grounds on this postcard.

I have just added several more WW1 era postcards of Wharncliffe War Hospital to my collection. I have already written a brief history of the hospital for my blog which can be read here.

When the war was not over by Christmas 1914 as many hoped, the government began to realise that the number of hospital beds they had allocated for the treatment of invalided servicemen would be far from sufficient for the large number of wounded returning home from the battlefield. They knew that they would need to open more facilities dedicated to care of the injured than had previously been anticipated. Many stately homes had already been given over to the war office for this exact purpose. However, they now needed to look at other options for conversion into military hospitals, most asylums were vast and more importantly, already kitted out with medical equipment. In Spring 1915 the war office undertook the decision to convert existing asylums into military hospitals. One such facility to be requisitioned for military use was the South Yorkshire Asylum, which operated as The Wharncliffe war hospital for the duration of the war. The facility started out with 1500 beds, however according to local newspaper reports this rose to over 2000 at the height of the war. The Wharncliffe finally discharging it's last military patient in July 1920. After which it returned to it's previous function and name. The asylum was a large complex of buildings and was practically a village community within itself. Located on the outskirts of Sheffield not far from Hillsborough. Today the clock tower building has been converted into luxury flats, and lies in the center of a modern housing estate.

No.1 Wharncliffe War Hospital, Real Photo By E. Hawlet, Hillsbro.

A group of patients and staff in the hospital grounds by W.R Moore, Photographer, Langsett Road, Sheffield.

The building as it stands today in 2017.

All postcards from my own personal collection.

Albert Edward Shepherd VC

Albert Edward Shepherd VC
Image from Wikipedia

It was announced in the Barnsley Chronicle on the 11th August 2017 that Albert Shepherd, the town's only recipient of the Victoria Cross during WW1, is to have a flagstone memorial displayed outside the Town Hall in his honour. Albert was awarded the Victoria Cross for the many acts of bravery he performed during an offensive at Villers Plouich, France on the 20th November 1917. He disabled a machine gun at pointblank range, which not only saved the lives of several of his comrades on that occasion, but also allowed the company to continue on with their intended mission. Later that same day Albert took charge of the Battalion and led them to their final objective, He did this after all the Officers and NCOs had become incapacitated and could no longer command. In all, 63 men from Albert's company of 97 were either killed or reported missing that day, Albert was one of 34 individuals from his battalion to survive. Even with such a great loss of life, the day was still considered a success, as the mission's objective had been achieved.

The full story of Albert's bravery was printed in The London Gazette on 13th February 1918:

"No. R/15089 Rflmn. Albert Edward Shepherd, K.R.R.C. (Barnsley). For most conspicuous bravery as a company runner. When his company was held up by a machine gun at point blank range he volunteered to rush the gun, and, though ordered not to, rushed forward and threw a Mills bomb, killing two gunners and capturing the gun. The company, on continuing its advance, came under heavy enfilade machine gun fire. When the last officer and the last non-commissioned officer had become casualties, he took command of the company, ordered the men to lie down, and himself went back some seventy yards under severe fire to obtain the help of a tank. He then returned to his company, and finally led them to their last objective. He showed throughout conspicuous determination and resource."

Albert Shepherds grave at Royston
Photograph by Dave Blyth on Find a Grave.

Albert was born at Royston on the 11th January 1897, He was the eldest child and son of Noah and Laura Shepherd. After leaving school he found employment as a pony driver at New Monckton colliery. He would resume working there as a miner after the war.

Albert enlisted with the 12th service Battalion of the King's Royal Rifles on the 18th August 1915. Just over a year into his service, Albert was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal on the 28th August 1916. At the time of the events at Villers Plouich he was a 20 year old Acting Corporal, a position he'd held since the 28th September 1916.

Albert was discharged from the army on the 2nd January 1919. Not long after this he married his first wife, 19 year old Rosezillah Tillman at the church of St. John the Baptist at Royston on 17th February 1919. The couple had two sons and a daughter, but sadly Rosezillah died only six years in to their marriage. A year after her death, on the 6th November 1926, Albert married for a second time to 17 year old Gladys Maud Lees (who gave her age as 18 on the marriage certificate). The couple had one child, a daughter named Mildred, who passed away aged just 5 in 1944.

Albert Shepherd's medals on display at Winchester
Photograph by A. Phillpott

Albert died aged 69 on the 23rd October 1966. He is buried in Royston cemetery alongside his second wife Gladys and their daughter Mildred. Over the years there have been several memorials to Albert in Royston; including a bench and an inscribed archway above the entrance to the churchyard, (this inscription has since been replaced by a plaque on the local war memorial.) The Royston Civic Hall was also recently renamed in his honour. Albert Shepherd's Victoria Cross is currently on display at the Royal Green Jackets Museum at Winchester. On the 20th November 2017 a ceremony will be held outside Barnsley Town Hall, to install his memorial flagstone by the cenotaph.


Many thanks to Albert's granddaughter Beverley for providing me with additional biographical details about him and thanks are also due to the members of the BWMP Facebook page for providing me several of the reference sources that I used to write this blog post.

Sources___________________________________
1901 & 1911 Census, A History of Royston by Howard Jones, Barnsley Chronicle 11th August 2017, Findagrave.org - Albert Shepherd, Medal Index card for A E Shepherd, National Archives, Rgjmuseum.co.uk/, Victoriacross.org.uk, West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935 for Royston, St John the Baptist andWikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Edward_Shepherd

The Unveiling of Sheffield War Memorial - Barker's Pool

The unveiling of Sheffield War Memorial 
Postcard from my personal collection

Sheffield war memorial was unveiled in a public ceremony at Barker's Pool on 28th October 1925 by Sir Charles Harington, a WW1 veteran and General Officer Commanding Northern Command (who also attended the opening of The Menin Gate in 1927.) The memorial was then dedicated by the Bishop of Sheffield, Leonard Hedley Burrows.

The monument's unusual concept was due to architect Charles Denny Carus Wilson who created the memorial along with the combined efforts of  sculptor George Alexander. Many aspects of it's design are unique, this is likely due to several reasons, one of them being the limited ground space available for it's construction, which prevented the building of a more traditional and substantial sandstone cenotaph. Secondly, unlike other architects who were often responsible for multiple war memorials, this was the only one that Carus Wilson contributed to.

In order to settle on a design, a competition was held for Sheffield based artisans to submit ideas to. Carus Wilson's vision was selected out of  34 entries. Although he was born in Kent, at the time of the contest he was head of the School of Architecture at the University of Sheffield. The memorial's design features a 25m flag pole (which is in fact a ship's mast), mounted on a octagonal base which features the likeness of four Tommies. The bronze plinth was sculpted by Glasgow born artist George Alexander, who had ties to Sheffield's metal work industry. The casting was undertaken by Parlanti's bronze foundry in London. The memorial cost a total of £5,345 to erect.

By R Sneath, Paradise Sq. Sheffield,
Postcard from my personal collection

The monument currently stands in a pedestrian area between John Lewis and City hall. Barker's Pool has changed significantly since the memorial's erection, at the time it of it's construction the area on which it sat was a traffic island. This plot of land had been purchased by the council in September 1923, as the intended location for the new City Hall. After much discussion it was decided that the memorial should be situated near the site of the prospected City Hall, to be a companion to it.  In fact it was the City Hall's architect E Vincent Harris, who had judged the war memorial contest. this was done, in part, to insure that the two structures complimented each other and would both fit into the available space.

WW2 Shrapnel damage to the War memorial
and City Hall

Another aspect that makes the memorial unique are the coats of arms which are incorporated into the base, they represent the Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and City of Sheffield . Also rather than featuring the names of the fallen, regimental badges are displayed instead . However, it seems there was never any intention for individual names to be included on the monument, Over 5,000 individuals from Sheffield died in the war and there would simply not be enough room for that amount of names on the memorial, Instead a roll of honor was commissioned, to be housed in the City hall once it was built in 1932.

Sheffield Roll of Honour, held in the City Hall
Photos with thanks to KR.

During The Second World War both the memorial and City Hall received shrapnel damage to their stonework, but remained standing. After WW2 the monument was updated to included a dedication to the conflict. The memorial was given grade II listed status on 28th June 1973. In recent years the monument has undergone extensive restoration work.

The top right image on this blog post is number one in a series of postcards depicting the war memorial. Interestingly the postcard was posted on 6th November 1925, only nine days after the unveiling. The publishers were obviously on the ball when it came to getting their postcards printed. (Sadly the corner was damaged in a clumsy attempt to the remove the stamp at some point in the past.) The second postcardis another from my collection, this time a it's a multi-view postcard, depicting three different angles of the memorial, Two of the photographs show either side of the base as well as full length shot of the unveiling ceremony in centre.

Resources__________________________________________________
Historicengland.org.uk - Listing entry
iwm.org.uk - Sheffield City Hall memorial
Rupert Harris - Conservation Ltd
Wikipedia - Sir Charles Harington Harington

Auxiliary Hospitals and Convalescent Homes in Barnsley

During the First World War there were at least two facilities dedicated solely to the care of wounded soldiers located within the immediate Barnsley area. They were the Lancaster convalescent home and Lundwood hospital.

Map showing roughly where the two hospitals were located
Map from Google.

Lundwood hospital was located just under 3 miles east of the town centre, on Lund Lane. It was designated as a class "A" auxiliary hospital, which meant that it cared for bedridden and incapacitated patients. Lundwood had originally opened in 1900 as an isolation ward for smallpox patients. To help with the war effort 66 beds were made available for the treatment of injured service men. After the war Lundwood returned to it's prior use, until it was taken over by the NHS in 1948, at that point it was re-designated to the care of geriatric patients.The hospital closed it's doors for good in 1977.

Lancaster home to is to the right of the Church.
Postcard from my personal colletion

In late 1914 the vicarage of St. Edward the Confessor at Kingstone was given over to the use of convalescing soldiers and renamed 'The Lancaster Convalescent Home'. The vicarage was located on Race Common Road,  just to the south west of Barnsley town centre. The home was named for it's benefactor Edward George Lancaster, who had funded the building of both the church and vicarage in 1902, he also financed the home's running costs for the duration of the war, mostly at his own expense, however, fund raising events were also held to earn money for day trips and treats such as cigarettes for the men. While we don't know how many beds were available, we do know that 562 men were treated there through out the course of the war, this is thanks to  a memorial in the nearby church. Coincidentally the name Lancaster is associated with with the area for a different reason; The Barnsley pals were made up of the 13th and 14th Battalions of The York and Lancaster regiment. Towards the end of March 1919 the Lancaster home discharged it's final patients. The house was then redecorated and made ready for the arrival of the new vicar.

It seems that a stay at the Lancaster was preferable to a bed at Lundwood, as the person writing this postcard makes clear.

Reverse of the previous postcard

Aug 30 1916.

"This is my new residence; - a nice place, much better than Lundwood. Lovely looking, comfortable beds. Infact an ideal place to all appearances. H"

Sadly we don't know the identity of this man or who he was sending the postcard too. But it's a nice little insight into at least one person experience of  both Lundwood and the Lancaster convalescent home.

The Lancaster convalescent home has already been researched in greater depth by KingstoneHistory on the website St Edwards, Barnsley Remembers and also in the book Kingstone Remembers the Great War 1914 - 1918.

The Great War Memorial, Rotherham

Rotherham War Memorial
Postcard from my personal collection

Rotherham war memorial was unveiled at Clifton Park on Sunday 26th November 1922, in a ceremony attended by General Sir Ivor Maxse KCB CVO DSO, He was a senior British Army officer who had served in the First World War, and at that time held the position of General Officer Commanding-in-Chief for Northern Command.

The monument was designed by local architect Major J E Knight and built by Mr. F. Tory & Sons, along with several other Yorkshire artisans. The memorial stands just inside the park gates, (on the junction of Doncaster Road and Clifton Lane.) The sandstone cenotaph is flanked by a curtain wall to the rear, which bears the names of 1,304 individuals who lost their lives during WW1. The names are inscribed across thirteen bronze panels and are grouped according to the regiment and service in which they served. The centre panel has an inscription which reads:

"1914 Sic virescit industria 1918 

 To commemorate the men of Rotherham

Who during the great war 1914-1918 

Gave the most that love can give 

Life itself 

For God, For King, For Country

And Freedom of the World. "

After the Second World War, the inscription on the main cenotaph was updated to include a dedication to those who died in the conflict, but no individual names were added at that point. It would be almost 70 years before that would occur.  On 19th February 1986 the memorial was given grade II listed status. The inscription on the cenotaph currently reads:

"For

Remembrance

If I should fall think only this of me 

There is some corner of a foreign field 

That is forever England

The World War 1939 - 1945"

In 2015 the names of  a 1,124 individuals who fell in the second world war were added to a separate memorial at the rear of the cenotaph's curtain wall. This memorial was the result of an eight year fundraising campaign undertaken by the Friends of Clifton Park and the Rotherham Advertiser. The group managed to raise £30,000 in donations for the memorial's construction. On Wednesday 16 September 2015 Rev Canon David Bliss led a service of dedication where the new memorial was unveiled to the public.

Peace Celebrations - Masboro, Rotherham

Postcard from my personal collection

This postcard shows peace celebrations taking place in the Masbrough area of Rotherham. A group of children stand in the forefront of the photograph, while the terraced houses in the street behind them are hung with bunting and allied flags. When I look at this photo the first thing that springs to mind is  one single question"How many of those children lost their fathers in the war?" This postcard was originally part of a collection that once belonged to someone who lived on Wortley Road, Rotherham.

Two Munitions Workers Die in 'Raid-Night Tragedy'

Inside the church of St. Andrew the Apostle at  Bolton-upon-Dearne there is the a memorial, which bears the names of two munitions workers, Clara Garbutt and Ella Howitt; Both of  whom sadly died during an air raid one night in April 1918. The two women were employed by John Baker & Co of Kilnhurst, which had operated as a steel works prior to war, but like many other factories of the period, had re-calibrated it's machinery to help with the war effort. By Spring of 1918 their workforce comprised of one hundred and fifty women. The majority of the factory's male employees had either enlisted or been conscripted into the armed forces, In order to fulfill orders and produce the much needed ammunition, women had to fill the vacant positions. It is believed that the factory produce six million shells through out the course of the war.

The Munition Girls, by Alexander Stanhope Forbes, 1918. From a colour transparency in the Science Museum Science Museum Group Collection ©The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

On the night of 12th April 1918 an air raid warning was issued to John Baker & Co. At around 10.30pm the machine shop supervisor David Pilmore watched Ella & Clara leave the works, as the two women left the premises the bright factory lights were turned off, leaving the pair in near darkness. Clara and Ella attempted take their usual route home along the canal towards Swinton Bridge. But the two women were never to make it that far. They were reported missing the following day. The canal was dragged and the bodies were recovered on Sunday morning. Poignantly the women were discovered linking arms, as though they slipped suddenly, with no time to react and save themselves.

The following account is taken from The Mexborough & Swinton Times dated April 20th 1918.

" Mr J. Kenyon Parker held an inquest at Swinton on Tuesday relative to the death of  of Ella Howitt (29), 7 Angel Street Bolton on Dearne, Wife of Pte W. H. Howitt K.O.Y.L.I on active service in France, and Clara Beatrice Garbutt (37) wife of Bernard Garbutt, 16, Angel Street, Bolton-on-Dearne; who were drowned in the canal near the works at which they were employed, on Friday night. They left the works after an air raid warning had been given and were not seen again. They were reported missing the following day,  and as their way home from the works lay by the canal the water was dragged and the bodies of the two women were recovered on Sunday Morning. They were arm in arm and had the appearance of having walked into the canal."

Ella was married to soldier William Henry Howitt who was serving in France at the time of her death. The couple had one daughter named Mabel. Mabel was a month shy of her tenth birthday when her mother died. William survived the war and passed away in 1960 at the age 81. Mabel died in 1985. At the time of her death Clara had been separated from her husband Bernard Garbutt for 12 years. Her body was taken to her sister's house at Swinton shortly after it was discovered. It is not known if she had any children.

St. Andrew's Church Bolton Upon Dearne,

An inquest was held a few days after the incident to establish the cause death. The corner returned "A verdict of accidental death', but advised Baker & Co to make improvements in order to prevent similar accidents from occurring, such as using an alternative evacuation route which did not run by the canal during air raids. The company director, George Baker, also attended the inquest and said "His firm would welcome any suggestion the jury could make for safe guarding their workforce from this danger"

My Baker also took the opportunity to express his "sympathy with the relatives in these cases, and said it seemed terrible that these women who had come forward and worked so splendidly in the hour of the nations need, should have come to such an end"
Mexborough & Swinton Times, 20th April 1918

After the war George Baker commissioned artist Stanhope Forbes to create a painting commemorating the works and it's contribution to the war effort. Each of his employees was giving a framed copy. The piece was entitled 'The Munitions Girls' and looking at the image, it's not difficult to imagine that the two women at the forefront of the painting pushing a trolley of shells could easily be Clara and Ella.

Wombwell Park WW1 Memorial Plaque Unveiling July 2016

The park in Wombwell was created as a memorial garden, dedicated to all the local men who fell in WW1. However there was nothing in the park to signify that was the case, until last year, when the Wombwell branch of the Co-operative Funeral Care funded a commemorative plaque to be mounted on the wall by the park gates. This was done to coincide with the centenary of the Somme. It is believed that around 30 Wombwell men died on the first day of the battle alone.

A ceremony was held to unveil the plaque in July 2016. The event was attended by relatives of the soldiers, the Royal Legion and local school children. The son of a surviving WW1 veteran made an emotional speech and letters written by fallen soldiers to their families were read out. At the end of the ceremony people were invited to place poppy crosses in a flower bed beneath the plaque. It was very touching tribute.

The Friends of Wombwell Park helped to organise the event.

'We are here' outside Barnsley Town Hall

Last year to commemorate the 100th anniversary of  The Battle of The Somme a project named #wearehere set out to create an unforgettable memorial to the those who fell. On the first day alone, 19,240 men were killed. The 1st July 1916 is still considered the bloodiest day in British military history.

Thousands of volunteers dressed as WW1 soldiers appeared unannounced at locations all over the U.K.  Not one of them spoke a word as to their purpose or identity. but instead handed a small card to anyone who approached them.  Each participant represented an individual soldier who was killed on that day one hundred years before.

It was shortly after the Somme remembrance ceremony has finished that the 'soldiers' appeared outside Barnsley town hall, having made their way up Market Hill from the train station. The 'men' sat  on the benches at bottom of the fountains for around 15 minutes before their 'Sergeant' rallied them and they lined up once more and marched back towards the train station.

It was a very poignant tribute, not only to the men who fell at the Somme but to all those who served in WW1. It humanized them and brought to life the thousands of faceless names carved on to Thiepval and other war memorials. These were very real men, the much loved sons and fathers who went off to war and never returned. But always remembered.

It was by sheer luck that I managed to witness this once in a life time event. I had meant to attend the memorial ceremony, but due to my dog's grooming appointment overrunning (of all things) I missed it. I arrived just as everyone was leaving, but decided  to stay and view 'Light Lines', The Barnsley Pals memorial by Musson+Retallick. That way my journey wouldn't have been a total waste of time, just as I was about to leave #Wearehere appeared. I managed to get a few photos. But I didn't approach them as I hadn't heard about the project and mistakenly thought they were part of the ceremony I'd just missed and were waiting for a lift home - (I know, what an idiot!). I'm still kicking myself that I didn't take full advantage of the opportunity but still glad I witnessed it first hand.

Wharncliffe War Hospital - Wadsley, Sheffield

Wharncliffe War Hospital was located at Wadsley near Sheffield, not far from where Hillsborough football stadium stands today. Originally known as the 'South Yorkshire Asylum', when the hospital first opened it's doors in 1872, it's primary function was to care for patients suffering from mental illness.

Exterior view of the hospital by E, Hawley of  Hillsbro'
Postcard from my personal collection

When the asylum was converted into a military hospital in early 1915, all it's former residents were transferred to alternative facilities around the North of England, 1,500 beds were then made available to the war office for the treatment of sick or injured soldiers. Through out the war, the hospital was known as the 'Wharncliffe War Hospital' rather than it's actual name of 'The West Riding Asylum, Wadsley' This was most likely an attempt to distance the hospital and it's patients from it's former purpose and prevent prejudice and stigma against the men convalescing there. Sadly attitudes towards mental health during this period were not as understanding as they are today. The name Wharncliffe is probably a reference to Edward Montagu-Stuart-Wortley-Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Wharncliffe, who chaired the committee which founded the asylum in the 1860s.

In September 1915 King George V visited the hospital during a royal tour of Sheffield. It is estimated that between April 1915 and July 1920 about 35,000 casualties were treated at the hospital.  By using Ancestry.co.uk, we know of at least one young man who sadly died at the hospital, Able Seaman Alfred Walker passed away at 8.30am on 17th July 1918 in Wharncliffe War Hospital Middlewood Rd, Sheffield, from Intestinal Hemorrhage & Heart Failure. Wharncliffe ceased to function as a war hospital in the Summer of 1920, when it was returned to it's prior use as an asylum.

A group of staff and patients pose on a ward
Postcard from my personal collection.

During WW2 the building once again served as a military hospital. In 1948 the hospital became part of the NHS and although it continued to care for psychiatric patients, it no longer used the outdated term 'Asylum' in it's title and became known as the 'Middlewood Hospital' instead. In 1996 the hospital shut it's doors for good and the land was subsequently sold off to developers. Today most of the site has been demolished, however, several of the buildings are still standing due to them holding grade II listed status. The main admin block (the clock tower), and Kingswood ward have been converted in to flats.

View more photographs on my follow up post - Wharncliffe War Hospital - Part 2

Sources______________________________
1914-1918.net/hospitals_uk
Ancestry.co.uk/
Redcross.org.uk/First-World-War/Auxiliary-Hospitals
sheffieldsoldierww1.co.uk/Hospital/
wharncliffewarhospital.co.uk/
wikipedia.org/wiki/Middlewood_Hospital

Hickleton Hall during WW1

Hickleton Hall is located just over 6 miles North West of  Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The hall was built during the 1740s and subsequently purchased by the Wood family in 1828. Shortly after the outbreak of the First World War, Charles Wood, The 2nd Viscount Halifax opened up his home to some of the

Soldiers stood outside Hickleton Hall by photographer P Rogers

Postcard from my personal collection.

many Belgian refugees, who had fled to England after their homeland had been destroyed by German troops: Allowing them to stay in the hall's reading room. Through out the war the house also functioned as an unofficial military hospital for injured soldiers.

I recently bought this postcard of convalescing soldiers stood outside the main entrance to Hickleton Hall. The style of uniforms pictured & crossed flags suggest this could be a mixed group of allied soldiers rather than just British soldiers.

Postcard of Hickleton Hall dated 1918
From my personal collection

Lord Halifax's son, the future 1st Earl of Halifax, Edward Frederick Lindley Wood also played an important role in WW1. During the first part of the war he saw active service as a Captain with the Queen's Own Yorkshire Dragoons, despite rising to the role of  Major, in late 1917 he was relived from duty, in order to take up the post of deputy director in the Ministry of National Service, an unsurprising job offer, considering Edward had always been a keen supporter for the introduction of conscription. Prior to the war he had been elected as Conservative MP for Ripon, a position he held until 1925. In 1904 Edward had inherited Temple Newsam at Leeds, from an aunt, which was also re-purposed as a military hospital for the duration of the war. Edward's wife Dorothy even worked there as a nurse, tending to wounded soldiers.

During in the Second World War, Hickleton Hall was made headquarters of I Corps after the Dunkirk evacuation in May 1940. In 1947 the family relocated to their alternative home at Garrowby, East Yorkshire and leased the hall to St, Hilda's School. From 1961 to 2012 it functioned as a Sue Ryder care home. Hickleton Hall is currently undergoing renovations, you can learn more by visiting this website: Hickletonhall.co.uk/

Information sources:
Doncaster1914-18.org.uk - Hickleton Hall
Wikipedia.org - Edward Wood,1st Earl of Halifax

Bill Hudson: A WW1 Prisoner of War

The following is an interview given to a local newspaper by my great uncle William Hudson, about his experience as a German prisoner of war during 1918. The interview took place in 1942 when he was 55 years old. William, who was better known as Bill or Billy to his family and friends, was serving as a private with the 9th Manchester regiment when he was captured. He was held at Gustrow camp in Mecklinberg, Germany for the last 6 months of the war.

"Mr Hudson [referring to William's older brother,Tom, who had recently passed away] was one of three unmarried brothers who with the means and opportunity for academic advancement, might very well have a squired to professors' chairs. One of them Mr. William Hudson, (55) has mastered three languages in addition to his own - German, French and Spanish - without the assistance of a tutor. The desire to learn foreign languages came to him when he was working as a prisoner behind enemy lines in France in 1918. They had a stream to cross and a big burly German asked "Konnen Sie nicht Schwimmen?" and that did it. Not more than six months later the Armistice came, but in the meantime he had acquired a conversational knowledge of the enemy's lingo. This accomplishment enables him to listen with interest to foreign broadcasts.

Mr Hudson's experiences as a prisoner of war provide a remarkable story which, but for the present conflict might have been considered outdated. Something of the privation he endured maybe gathered from the fact while in enemy custody he was reduced in weight from 12 stones to 7 stones and has never recovered. Actually he has only worked two and a half years since the last war. He said "I was two months and never had a taste of fat. Our fellows were collapsing all round through  sheer exhaustion, due to lack of food. We had one loaf of bread per day for four men and the man who cut it had last pick - so you can guess it was cut correctly."

Remarking that there are good and bad even among Germans, Mr. Hudson said one ran great risks to get him food from a dump. On the other hand another German N.C.O was in the habit of cutting a switch from the hedge and striking them across the face with it, calling them "English pigs." When he asked the guard why this man was so cruel he replied he alleged he had seen his brother shot after putting his hands up to surrender.

Bill's grave in Wombwell cemetery.

Mr. Hudson was not at all reproachful. He said the German soldiers were faring little better and had no food to spare. By way of authentication  he went to a cupboard and pulled out a small loaf of very dark and husky bread. This was his last ration given to him while he was a prisoner . He has kept it 24 years and it still looks eatable!

This is the end of the transcript. The anti - German tone of the article is very apparent, describing them always as 'enemies' and adding an air of disbelief to the tale of the German soldier being shot while surrendering by  using the word 'alleged' This is no doubt because it was written during the second world war.

Prior to the war Bill had been employed as a railway porter, however, after he was discharged from the army he found himself unable to return to full time work due to the physical and psychological trauma he suffered as a prisoner of war. This next bit is the part of Bill's story that I like the most and I think its also says a lot about the type of person he must have been; During the second world war he used to visit a nearby interment camp to converse with the German pows held there. He obviously knew what it was like to be a captive in a foreign country, hundreds of miles from home and loved ones, in a place where you couldn't speak the native tongue . It was very moving to learn that his experience had made him more compassionate and understanding, rather than bitter and hateful. Bill never married or had children, he died at Beckett Hospital on the 15th January 1953 aged 65.

Barnsley WW1 Belgian Refugee Fundraising Badge

Charity badge in aid of the Belgian Refugee Fund
Chronicle article with thanks to the Barnsley Archives

I recently bought a WW1 Belgian refugee fundraising badge from an online seller, mainly because it had 'Mapplewell' embroidered on it, and I hoped it was referring to the village near Barnsley.,which is in my area of interest.

After the 'Rape of Belgium' at the start of WW1, many homeless and destitute Belgians fled to England looking for asylum. In the following months they were redistributed all over England, where local councils formed relief committees to house and care for them.

I had seen many references to Belgian refugees in the local newspaper archives, so I was very optimistic about finding a reference to the sale of these badges. After several days of trawling through The Barnsley Chronicle archives of 1914, I found what I was looking for:

"A successful Appeal was made on Saturday to the people of Barnsley on behalf of the 60 refugees who have been guests of the town for some weeks............ On this occasion the article for sale was a neat badge bearing the British and Belgian Flags & having inscribed on it the words "Barnsley Belgian Refugees Fund."

Barnsley Chronicle 7th November 1914

While this article doesn't mention Mapplewell specifically, I found  many other pieces about fundraising events held in aid of the Belgian refugees through out the Barnsley area, including references to the Mapplewell & Staincross Relief Fund housing a Belgian Family. So I will assume that the pin I bought was originally sold at one of these other benefit events.

I found lots of interesting articles regarding Belgian refugees in Barnsley during my research so I might do some more posts about them.

Teenage Tommies - My family's story

Did anyone see the documentary 'Teenage Tommies' on BBC 2 the other day? It's about the underage lads that enlisted and fought in the Great War.

I'd like to share with you the story of my great grandfather, Arthur Robinson, who was a 'teenage Tommie'. He enlisted underage on 16th October 1917, claiming he was 18 but in fact he had only just turned 17 three days prior to enlisting. This wasn't the first time he'd attempted to join the army, the first two times his dad Enoch, had brought him back home; However, realising that Arthur wasn't going to be deterred, his father let him stay this final time. Interestingly Arthur's favourite older brother Cooper Allen Robinson had been killed in action earlier that same year. On April 14th 1918 Arthur's birth certificate 'turned up' A full six months after he enlisted. (which begs the questions why didn't they just ask for a D.O.B on the enlistment form?) And as described in the BBC2 documentary he wasn't discharged from the army when his real age was discovered, but transferred to a reserve battalion in Ireland where he spent the rest of the war, generally misbehaving and getting himself into trouble until he was finally discharged in 1919.

Luckily my great grandfather's service record still exists, so I will write another post at some point in the future with a more detailed account of his First World War service.

Teenage Tommies is currently available to watch on BBC iPlayer.