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.