A War Time Christmas

After four months of war the Allies and Axis nations had met at the Marne and undergone a series of battles and manoeuvres which would result in stalemate along the Western Front. Both sides had suffered appalling losses but in December 1914 the fighting would stop briefly for a Christmas Truce. In Goole the storey of the war was passed on in the local newspapers and in this blog the reporting of the war over Christmas during the First World War will be examined.

Upon reading the Goole Times of the period it is noticeable that there are no tabloid headlines and the format of the newspaper continued throughout the war largely as in the pre-war era. It was not until the later war years that the editions became shorter reflecting shortages of paper. In many ways the newspapers represent a normal Christmas period with adverts for Christmas shopping and news from within the town. The main reference to the war can be found in an article on page two which outlines the sermon “Are Angels Still Singing” by Reverend H G smith of the United Methodist Church. The sermon explores the paradox of celebrating Christmas during war time and asks the question of how a can a war between two Christian countries be justified, and indeed the ultimate question of how can the Christian faith be justified in a time of conflict. The lesson of the sermon concludes that Christians should show patience as God’s methods are always slow and that one should believe God still rules. The moral judgement of celebrating Christmas during wartime is not reflected in the paper with a large number of Christmas adverts and a page dedicated to Christmas recipes. A further article refers to how the Goole Volunteers joined the National Volunteers’ Association. An article for Christmas recruitments announced that recruitments will not be sent to depots until after Christmas, unless desired.

Throughout the paper further references are made to Christmas shopping and food recipes. Mixed in amongst these are details of local and national news, details of a Christmas party for War Children and the proposal of a relief fund and memorial. Further war news is detailed in two small articles about the bombardment on the east coast and the death of Captain Hind. Considering the Country was moving towards all out war very little news of the Western Front is reported. However, on the home front Christmas would be as normal with a page of Christmas recipes and those not serving could enjoy a Christmas Day Matinee Show at the Carlton.

As the War progresses the format of the newspaper remains the same. In 1915 amongst the general news and adverts articles appear titled ‘Christmas presents for Soldiers’, ‘Goole Soldiers experience’ and ‘In a Dug Out – Snaith Soldiers Graphic Description’. Details of war causalities and lists of war dead are also reported in the newspaper. Alongside these articles are advertisements for Christmas shopping.

Again, the 1916 Christmas edition of the Goole Times features Christmas adverts and local news with limited details of the war. Although as the war progressed alongside the shipping lists and wanted notices the lists of dead start to appear and pages start to be dedicated to the missing and war dead. The scarcity of food during the war is still not apparent as a page is dedicated to ‘Good Things for the Christmas Table.

Although not known at the time the final Christmas of the War in 1917 showed no change in the approach to newspaper publications. The same Christmas articles feature and news of the home front continue to be prominent. The war does begin to feature more prominently in the newspaper with further articles and details of causalities appearing in the paper. 

As the war ends in 1918 the first peace time Christmas for four years arrives. Despite the end of the war the lists of war causalities and war articles are a still a prominent feature of the newspaper. The newspaper also starts to feature articles and letters suggesting ideas for war memorials. The peace time newspaper features a large number of Christmas adverts and attention turns towards home news and international relations with news of the general election of an article warning about the ‘Growing Bolshevik Terror’.  

Throughout the war the newspaper still featured Christmas adverts and split reporting between war news and local and national news. The format and layout of the paper remained largely unchanged throughout the war, with the main changes been the addition of casualty lists and details of the war dead. Despite the terrors of war the Christmas spirit was evident throughout the War and despite war time restrictions both Soldiers and Citizens continued to celebrate Christmas as best as the war time conditions allowed.

An Element of Luck – Researching Goole Street Shrines

In 2010 I undertook a project to identify soldiers in Goole Museum’s Photographic Collection. The project expanded upon its original objective to create an index of entries in the local Newspaper, the Goole Times, for the First World War. Whilst undertaking this research I came across several articles referring to the erection of Street Shrines (or Street Rolls of Honour) in the town during 1917. I had not heard of the type of memorial before but after a small amount of research I found that during the First World War they were a common form of memorial in several of Britain’s cities. Their erection within a small town such as Goole is rather rare, with few known comparisons.

A search through the local archives and local museum photographic collection resulted in no pictures. Several enquiries were made with Goole’s local historians which resulted in information about shrines erected in the town but not the actual street shrines (our previous research on the St Paul’s Shrines is thanks to this information). I therefore had a challenge to find out what happened to the street shrines.

The obvious solution would be to research using the Goole Times newspaper, which reported minute details of events within the town during the early 20th Century. After several weeks searching the years after the war and anniversary dates only one reference to the shrines was made. In 1919 a report was made to the only act of vandalism made to the shrines when flowers were stolen from one of them.

Several months later luck occurred when one of Goole’s local historians happened to see and copy a postcard of Pasture Road in the 1920s, and with much thanks realised it’s significance. The Post Card shows the only known image of a Goole Street Shrine. Given the size of Goole and the considerable research that has been made by Local Historians it is normally possible to research any topic or know where to find information, or know somebody who remembers an event or a person. After asking several locals I found that people could perhaps remember a shrine or a memorial or had heard of them but did not know when they were removed or any details. Therefore the shrines must have been removed probably before the Second World War.

In Hull much research has been made into Street Shrines and there is some evidence as to when individual shrines were removed. Some were made into permanent memorials and one of these survives in location and a second on an industrial estate. An original shrine survives in location, albeit on a new building and temporary removed for new building works. Many more were removed during slums clearances or were destroyed during the Second World War and many more have been lost through decay or vandalism. In the 1980s two were salvaged before their streets were demolished and are now in Hull Street Life Museum.

The difference between Hull and Goole is that Hull’s shrines were not erected as one but were erected singularly or in areas or by small groups and businesses. Goole’s shrines, with the exception of one, were erected as a result of the Church of England’s Men’s Society. Therefore the shrines had a religious element and the governance of a church authority and were part of a set. Therefore being religious articles it would have been unlikely that they were removed individually or destroyed and were most likely moved elsewhere during the 1920s or 1930s. Unfortunately further research in church and local archives did not provide further evidence of the shrines.

Recently whilst undertaking research on another topic luck struck again. Having spare credits on the Newspaper Archive website I undertook a search for War Shrines using all different tag words but with no results. I then searched for Old Goole and under a misspelt heading was an article referring to the proposed removal of the Goole War Shrines - ‘To Be Removed Failing Maintenance Promises’ in the [Hull] Daily Mail, dated 30^th May 1930. A search in the Goole Times for the corresponding article provides the full details:

Searching through the articles in the following weeks no reply was published regarding the articles and it can only be assumed that the decision was made to remove the street shrines en masse in 1930. No references are made to storing the shrines and it is assumed that all were destroyed. The next stage of the research will be to trace minutes of the meeting and appeal for pictures of 1920s Goole.

An East Coast Raid – The Aftermath

In the group’s last blog an account of the Zeppelin raid was told. In this, over final blog of the series, the aftermath of the raid will be told over the following days and months.  The newspapers of the time gave little detail of the raid and therefore accounts of the raid are limited to the few private accounts of the period available.

By 11.30pm the Zeppelin had finished dropping its bombs over the town but would later head inland to drop bombs on Hotham before heading out to sea at 12.12am. The immediate aftermath turn towards freeing the wounded from wrecked buildings and extinguishing fires caused by the scattering of incendiary bombs. A letter dated the 12^th August details the immediate aftermath of the raid over the following days. By the 11^th the repairs of the bomb damage had begun:

“Mr Walker, Hook Road, was repairing his roof yesterday”

In Aire Street and the surrounding areas all the windows were shattered…

“All are now white boards, nailed up”

The loss of life as a result of the raid would continue to grow in the days after the raid. Two young girls and the visitor to the Ramsay house died in the days after the raid. When considering the extent of the damage to the town and the loss of life some consideration should be given to the fact that not all of the bombs dropped on the town exploded. On the 12^th August 36 unexploded bombs were displayed at the police station.

On the 12^th an inquest was held into the raid and then consideration was given to burying the dead. Mrs Acaster (Mrs Ramsay’s visitor), from London, was buried in her own grave. The remaining victims were buried in a mass grave on the 13th; at the expense of Comptom Rickett.

The next account we have of the raid is taken a year later when the Goole Times reported the poor condition of the grave. Councillor Cluff drew attention to the dilapidated condition of the graves of the victims and asked which authority, the Council or the Joint Burial Board, was responsible for the upkeep of the graves. The cemetery authorities said it was the matter for the Council. In 1915 the Council undertook to defray the expenses of the funeral and the plot of ground was given by the Burial Board. No other obligations were known but it was thought that Burial Board would undertake the work. It was resolved that the Burial Board would take on responsibility for the upkeep of the grave.

As the end of the war came into sight the thoughts of the town people were given to remembering those who had been killed. In December 1918 a War Memorial Committee was established to discuss and decide upon the methods of memorial which would be suitable for the town. From the outset one of the matters raised was that any memorial should make reference to those killed during the Zeppelin Air raid. By January 1919 after a period of public consultation and several committee meetings a list of 13 schemes were considered. One of those which was chosen, as a subsidiary to a larger memorial, if funds were available, was a monument for air victims over the grave in Goole Cemetery.  The funding of the memorial scheme would be by public subscription.It would take two years of funding raising and disputes but in February of 1922 a ceremony to the Civilian casualties of Goole was unveiled. The memorial was supplied from the design of the committee by Mr H.O Tasker, of Goole, who also erected the cenotaph. The memorial was placed in Goole Cemetery over the graves of the 16 persons who lost their lives in the German Zeppelin raid.

            

On the 12^th February an unveiling ceremony took place in the town. The service took place on a Sunday afternoon with a large crowd forming at Goole Cemetery. The ceremony was designed to be of the simplest possible character but impressed and was said to appeal strongly to the many relatives and friends of the deceased, and sympathisers.

A procession to the memorial was formed at the cemetery gates headed by the Vicar of Goole and representatives of the Goole Churches. Then followed a choir selected from the Goole Churches led by Mr Ernest Johnson. Then came the relatives of the deceased, who had positions allocated near the memorial. Following these were the Chairman and members of the Urban District Council. As the procession moved along the cemetery path the choir sang “Rock of Ages”.

On arrival at the memorial Rev F. A. Young (Goole Primitive Methodist) read the lesson from Isaiah IX and XI and a hymn. A prayer by Rev. Father Dekkers and a hymn by the Roman Catholic Choir followed. Praise was given to the memorial committee by Mr R G Bickerton when asking Mrs Needham to unveil the memorial. Mrs Needham unveiled the memorial by releasing the Union Jack and gave a speech which stated that the memorial was a sign of the sincere sympathy of the fellow townspeople of those who were victims of terrible atrocity. Councillor S G Bevan placed a wreath at the foot of the memorial from the members of the Goole Urban Council and Mr R G Bickerton one from the Memorial Committee. These offerings were followed by others from the relatives of the victims. The choir sang the closing hymn – “Peace Perfect Peace”, after which the Bishop Illif pronounced the Benediction.

The impact upon those witness to the horrors of war would last for years to come after peace was declared. The physical legacy of the raid would also leave an impact in the years after the war. Although some account of the number of bombs could be given for those that were dropped on land there was no accounting for the numbers of bombs dropped in the docks. In May 1925 a dredger brought to the surface a German bomb, but thankfully did not detonate.

In Memoriam.

In memory of the citizens of Goole who lost their lives by a German Zeppelin raid on this undefended town on the August 9th, 1915.

“Eternal Rest Give Unto Them O Lord”

“Sarah Acaster, aged 65 years.

Sarah Ann Acaster, aged 34 years.

Kezia Acaster, aged 32 years.

Violet Stainton, aged 18 years.

Hannah Goodall, aged 74 years.

Alice Harrison, aged 6 years.

Florence Harrison, aged 4 years.

Margaret Selina Pratt, aged 9 months.

Agnes Pratt, aged 36 years.

Alice Elizabeth Woodhall, aged 3 years.

Grace Woodhall, aged 31 years.

Mary Carroll, aged 32 years.

James Carroll, aged 26 years.

Alice Carroll, aged 4 years.

Gladys Mary Carroll, aged 3 years.

Alice Smith, aged 17 years.

An East Coast Raid – The Attack

In the group’s previous blog the censored version of the Zeppelin Raid on Goole was explored. In this, our second blog, in the series a real account of the raid will be explored. The following account is based on an official report from the period and a letter written by a Mr West (Shipping Clerk at Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Goole Steam Shipping) to his daughter.

           

At 11.10pm on the 9^th August the Zeppelin was approaching Goole, which was showing lights, and by 11.15, following the river, reached the town. An empty goods train was travelling across Hook Bridge as the Zeppelin approached the town. The Zeppelin dropped three incendiaries just east of the bridge and two fell into the river:

“The Zeps came at 11.15pm Monday. Hook Bridge, got the first. They tried hard for bridge, dropping 3 bombs, but all missed – they are all at the bottom of the Ouse.”

The Zeppelin then flew over the town from East to West, dropping eight H.E bombs and 13 incendiaries on the town and docks. Ten houses were demolished and several other houses were badly damaged by explosion and fire, a dozen persons being buried in the debris.

           

“Many dropped between bridge & Goole, but, striking soft soil, never exploded…”

 “One fell at Jessie’s back, onto the Kelsey’s garden, that didn’t explode, luckily; the next struck a house in Axholme Street, passing thro’ roof, & I can tell you the deep booming roar woke me & our room was one red glare – all Shuffleton seemed to be ablaze. Ma thought it was thunder, & lightning. I kept quite cool and resigned – it was an incendiary bomb, but the fire was put out. The next fell thro roof of Mrs. Acaster, the stone house, next to our butcher’s – four were sat at supper and 3 killed: Mrs. +2 daughters, a visitor escaping. Another fell just opposite this one, the other side of Victoria Street, next to Clarkson’s shop & next to where Mrs. Ellis went to live; it crashed thro roof & was an incendiary, but fire was put out…”

“Then came some demons. One fell in George Street (Back) – 3 houses had wall blown out into the lane…4 killed. Pa, Ma, 2 children – Mr. Gunnee carried girl out, all flesh, of one leg torn away – next he fetched a young baby, but the sight finished hum; he was done…sick…he went away…to vomit… Next fell in Ouse (Back) near T.K. Willson’s baker. Hole in wall, driver horse & cart thro’ – floors are all down in the cellar…”

Goole After the Zeppelin Raid (Yorkshire Waterways Museum - Crabtree Collection (1991.106)

A large shed on the dockside was badly hit and in Aire Street was badly damaged by the blast. 

“Next fell in Ouse (Back) near T.K. Willson’s baker. Hole in wall, driver horse & cart thro’ – floors are all down in the cellar…Next a beast came, for destruction to property, tho not to life, fortunately. It struck the Quay Wall, just opposite Adam Street end. Stone blocks 2 feet thick, were splintered, and the solid masonry under them. Docks hydraulic pipes broken, log wood sent flying, Railway wagons derailed & smashed to pieces – Lowther Hotel hasn’t a window left, all blown out…& so is all Aire Street, Hoppers, Makintosh, Murdock, right to Armitage & Timm’s. Our office end windows broken & so are Brook’s Bank…Next fell on out Hamburg shed; it smouldered some hours and them burst into flame, at 6.00am. Most is destroyed, shed and contents. Another fell near, into a wooden shed, & blew it to pieces, scattering goods, slates & planks in all directions. Next fell on the coal sidings, just off Bridge Street. Could you have seen result, you would know what a crater is; it made one. A loaded coal truck, 14 tons, was shoved off the line, both rails broken thro & bent inward, aye split lenghtwise…An N.E.R. truck knocked into fragments, & one of our butter vans smashed…More fell near Alum Works, where similar craters were made , and minor damage done. We shall never know how many, some are at the bottom of the dock…”

Where the Bombs Fell (Yorkshire Waterways Musem - Crabtree Collection (1993.136.b))

           

An incendiary went through the roof of the Exchange but did no damage. The effect on the town’s people was one of shock and panic:

“I have talked to a man who was in a small boat, at the time, near a coal hoist; he did not know where to turn for safety, they seem everywhere…”

“But you should have seen the fugitives fleeing. Mount Please was swarming; swarming. The Harrison slept on the barge ground, there. See a barefoot woman, only nightdress on, a baby in her arms, & 2 children pulling at her.”

The Zeppelin continued to travel westwards dropping 16 incendiaries, which fell between the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Sidings and the North-Eastern loop line between the docks and the Dutch River Bridge, causing no damage. The Zeppelin would continue to drop bombs throughout Yorkshire believing heading out to sea at 12.12 am.

The panic continued throughout the night and into the following day:

“All flocked out, too, on Tuesday, at dusk, but better prepared. Men & women, bairns & baskets, chairs and stools; aye and even beds were taken out to field and hedge side, road and lane, seeking safety”. 

           

The fires were speedily bought under control but as a result of the raid one man, nine woman and six children were killed. Two women were seriously injured and two men, two women and five children less seriously injured. All were persons in poor circumstances and all the men were civilians. The visitor to Mrs Acaster’s would also later be confirmed dead.

In the final article of the series the aftermath of the raid will be examined. 

References:

Hook, J (1995) This Dead Land: The Zeppelin Raids on Hull and District 1915-1918. J. Hook.

Mr West Letter – Goole Library YW/GOO/942/ 

With thanks to the Yorkshire Waterways for the images. 

An East Coast Raid

Ninety-Seventy years ago a tragic event happened which would lead to the loss of life and serious injury to the people of the town. In August 1915 Goole suffered an aerial attack by a Zeppelin air ship of the German Armed Forces. In a series of three posts the Society will tell the storey of the raid and process of remembering the war dead.

            The first actions of enemy conduct on Britain were throughout late 1914 with Sea Bombardments to Great Yarmouth and the East Coast. In January 1915 the Kaiser approved aerial bombardments by Zeppelin airships. The first aerial raids targeted Norfolk and London. In June 1915 the first air raid on Hull took place causing loss of life and damage to property. The short summer nights saw little enemy action over the next several months but in August 1915 the raids re-commenced with consequences for the town of Goole.

           

            On the 9th August five Zeppelins were launched against Britain. Four of these were targeted against London and the fifth, L-9, was aimed to target Hull. En route to Hull L-9 was attacked by aeroplane and losing orientation flew in direction of Goole.

           

            An official account states that the Zeppelin first made land over the East Coast, at Skipsea, during the night of the 9th August but upon being intercepted by aircraft made out to sea and became lost in fog. Twice the Zeppelin returned over land before being followed out to sea by aeroplanes. An hour later the Zeppelin again flew over land in the vicinity of Hutton-Cranswick and Beverley before reaching the River Humber, at 11.10pm. The airship navigated westwards along river before reaching Goole. The town not previously subject to air raid precautions was showing lights and unprepared for an air raid. At 11.15 the town was bombed.

            The censorships of the period meant that the Goole Times, published three days after the raid, reported the attack under the title an ‘East Coast Raid’. The account reports that another air raid had taken place on the East Coast by an air ship sent by the ‘vile and unscrupulous Huns’. It is reported that little damage was done to property but lists one man, nine women and six children killed and five men, seven women and several children receiving ‘more or less’ serious injuries. In reference to damage it is stated that incendiary bombs caused some fires but these were quickly extinguished. The night of the attack was extremely dark, with thick fog, which rendered night flying very difficult and one of the pilots sent to engage the enemy was killed in a crash landing.

            The Admiralty [the Navy being responsible aerial defence at the time] reported that a squadron of hostile airships visited the East Coast on the night of the attacks causing fires by dropping incendiary bombs but these were quickly extinguished and only immaterial damage was done. One Zeppelin was seriously damaged by the gunfire of the land defences and was reported on Wednesday being towed into Ostend. It was later subject to continued attacks by aircraft from Dunkirk under heavy fire and it is now reported that, after having had her back broken and rear compartments damaged, she was completely destroyed by explosions.

            The report of the air raid does not reference the name of the town attacked and downplays the extent of damage caused to the town, despite being reported in a local newspaper and the true extent of the raid already well known. The politics of war therefore prevented newspapers providing information to help the enemy or damage the moral of the civilian population.

           

An account of the raid will feature in our next blog.

References:

The Goole Times Newspaper

Hook, J (1995) This Dear Land: The Zeppelin Raids on Hull and District 1915-1918. J. Hook.

Trinity Methodist Church War Memorials

War memorials take many different forms ranging from simple shrines to grand epitaphs, and were erected as temporary features or were designed as permanent fixtures. Some were designed to be modern pieces of architecture to fulfil their object of design but others followed traditional practices of memorial. An example of the latter is the use of stained glass windows and the church. These memorials are often full of religious iconography and are dedicated to individual soldiers, such as in St John’s Parish Church (Goole), or are dedicated to the fallen of the congregation and local population.

           

The dedication of shrines and memorials within the church is in itself a complex theological idea, with ranging beliefs between the Catholic and Protestant spans of the Christian Church. The dedication of shrines within the Wesleyan (Protestant) Church can therefore be considered unusual. Yet within the Methodist Churches in Goole memorials were erected to the serving men and women of their congregation.  

         

Within the chancel of the Boothferry Road Trinity Methodist (Wesleyan) Church are two stained glass windows with the dedication:

“TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF THE FOLLOWING YOUNG MEN WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-18.”

On the first plaque are listed – “W. Silvester, H. Simms, G. Snead, F. Thurston, E.Vause and J. Vause”.

On the second plaque are listed – “B. Arnold, H. Caukill, W. Hounsley, E. Jackson, F. Kirby and W.R. Raney”.

The permanent memorial replaced an earlier Roll of Honour erected in the church during 1917. The 1917 memorial was dedicated to all those serving from the Church in the armed forces but has since been lost. The Roll of Honour was dedicated during a service during late October 1917. The memorial, made by a Mr H E Chambers, is described as ‘handsomely designed’ and ‘well executed Roll of Honour’, consisting of a handsome oak frame, with rich gold beading. Only those connected with the church immediately before the war were included on the roll. 46 members of the church were listed and of those six were marked with a long gilt cross to mark the giving of their lives.

With the exception of B. Arnold and E. Jackson all those listed on the later memorial are also noted on the 1917 Roll of Honour. Those named on the Roll of Honour (additional to those on the stained glass) were noted in an article in the Goole Times newspaper –

E. Arnold, L. Butler, Campbell, A Davidson, H. Diamond, H. Dixon, F. Evans, P Flowers, T Gale, T Green, A Heunsley, C Hobson, W Jackson, P Joyner, OW Kelsey, G N Lidguard, P Lundy, I Mellor, A Phillipson, E Phillipson, W Ramsbottom, A R Raney, G. Rushby, F Schofield, H Simms, H Sinclair, G Snead, R Snead, R Sykes, A.Vause, W Vause, H Ward, T Ward, S Weatherill, F Wilson, G Yeoman, J Yeoman.

           

Out of the 46 men listed on the 1917 Roll of Honour ten were killed whilst serving in the armed forces and a further two men joining the armed services during the last year of the war would lose their lives.

          

The erection of shrines within the Methodist church is unusual but the memorials and shrines placed within the Trinity Methodist Church demonstrate the popular demand for remembrance during the war and in the years following.

St. Paul's Church Memorial

Members of the Group had the opportunity on Tuesday to visit the crypt beneath St. John’s Parish church.

The purpose of our visit was to see and asses the condition of a memorial plaque that was placed there on an unknown date. A Goole Times article from August 1998 showing the then Warden, Peter Dunleavy, pictured with it after he found it while preparing for the Church’s 150 year anniversary, with the accompanying article stating that there was only one name recorded – John F. Thorpe “who was killed in the Great War”.

John Fillingham Thorpe was born on 6th July 1894. Just over twenty years later on 29th August 1914, while employed as a labourer, he presented himself at an enlistment office and ‘joined up’. Initially assigned to the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (No. 18463), he was reassigned to the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve on 8th September (No. KW/129). After several months of training at Blanford Camp, Dorset, he was posted to Nelson Battalion, Royal Naval Division, then being prepared for transportation to Egypt as part of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, to be ultimately engaged in the landings at Gallipoli, where Nelson Battalion landed at Anzac Cove on 29th April, in company with Deal Battalion, Royal Marine Light Infantry.

John reported ‘sick’ on 5th October 1915, being diagnosed with gastritis; it was to be the 2nd of the following month before he was able to return to his unit. The Gallipoli campaign came to an end in December with all units being withdrawn by the 20th. After refitting and bringing units back up to ‘strength’ in Egypt the Division was then transported to France, arriving in Marseilles between 12th – 23rd May 1916. Two days shy of his twenty-second birthday John was killed in action. He is buried in Tranchée de Mecknes Cemetery, Aix-Noulette.

 

The exterior of the memorial plaque to John Fillingham Thorpe seemed to be in relatively good condition, in part with thanks to Peter Dunleavy who had carried out some restoration work on it. Unfortunately, the condition of the paper hadn’t faired so well – at some point water had damaged the paper within, the left hand side being easier to read than the right. The text appears to be based on Requiem Æternam.

Prior to our visit, a copy of a postcard of a memorial that was once erected within St. Paul’s Church was passed on to Chris; this shows the memorial placed above several floral arrangements, but the occasion for this is not recorded. This scene was photographed by James George Powles.

This plaque lists the names of 37 men who were associated both with the Church of St. Paul’s and the Sunday School to which many of them attended. Sometime after the picture of the memorial within St. Paul’s was produced an extra name was added to the left column, Herbert Clarke replacing the R.I.P. at the base.

A great deal of information is known about a number of the men named on this plaque – including three Service Records, for John Brunyee (d.28.06.1916), Stanley Brunyee (d.30.03.1917) and Herbert Clarke (d.22.09.1917); along with biographies of Edgar Bowles (d.21.03.1918) and Percy Jeeves (d.22.07.1916).

At some point members of the Group confused the two plaques mentioned above and came up with ‘one’, as such it was a great surprise to see both memorials and the good condition they are currently in.

The British Army and Private William Cawson

It is too simple to just state the fact that the men of Goole served in the Royal Navy, Army, Air Force and Mercantile services.

 

Prior to the outbreak of hostilities there were a number of men from Goole who had or were currently in the Royal Navy or the Army, with those who had seen service being on the ‘Reserve List’. Some of those on the ‘Army Reserve’ had seen action as far away as South Africa and India, with others having been posted to Hong Kong and Singapore.

 

Once their service was over they were placed on the ‘reserve’ for seven years, during which time they were liable to be recalled to the Colours should the nation be placed in a ‘national emergency’. To keep their skills, marksmanship, field-craft, etc. current they were required to attend the camp to which their former Regiment was based – Strensall (York and Lancaster Regiment); Pontefract (King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry), being two examples.

 

The men of Goole who were already in the Army were part of what came to be called ‘the contemptible little Army’, a phrase which seems to stem from a quote taken from Kaiser Wilhelm II. The organisation of the British Army at that time, based purely on a voluntary basis, meant that its numbers were small compared to other European armies which used conscription; this was however miss-leading as these armies were based on a service of two or three years, whereas the British soldier could stay for a time as short as three, or as many as twenty-plus years, this being determined in some cases by the rank attained.

 

The British Army may have been small, but it certainly had ‘teeth’. This was in the form of the Short Magazine Lee Enfield rifle, the SMLE Mk. II being introduced in 1907, later replaced by the Mk. III in 1915 – as it was cheaper to manufacture in larger numbers. When the German Army advanced through Belgium and first came in to contact with this rifle and the men behind it, they thought that they were encountering machine-gun fire such was the amount of ‘fire’ being brought to bear and the number of casualties inflicted.

 

While the Army suffered heavily in the retreat from Mons to the Marne it slowed the opposing forces to such an extent that it allowed further ‘regular’ Regiments still serving at ‘home’ to be made ready. The Depots of all Regiments were awash with those men undergoing various stages of training and reservists going through the process of getting all their equipment; alongside all of this the Territorial battalions associated to their Regiments were to be fully assembled and equipped; and all had to ultimately be transported across the Channel with the stores, horses, wagons and other equipment that made a 'modern' Army..

 

Those men who were undergoing training in the few weeks before the War commenced, and the reservists, were to face the challenges of action sooner than most as replacements to the large number of casualties that had been inflicted in the first weeks of the War.

 

Included within those who were on the reserve list and who were called-up is Private 5257 William Cawson. William enlisted in the Army in October 1898 at the age of 19. He requested to join the Army Medical Corps but was posted to the York & Lancs. He was to see service in South Africa between 1899 and 1902, and was awarded the Queen’s South African Medal, with eight clasps; and the King’s South African Medal, with three clasps.

 

William married Ethel Beatrice Brooks in November 1903, in Dover, eventually having five children – William, Ethel Beatrice Eliza, Harold Sydney, Leslie Thomas and Robert Leonard.

 

Upon his discharge in October 1910, William was placed on the Army Reserve; thereafter he attended Strensall Range, in July 1911 and June 1913.

 

William was issued with a travel warrant on the 4th August, 1914, that allowed him to get to Pontefract. He was to serve at 'home' initially and it wasn't until 30th April, 1915, that William was posted to France. Less than two weeks later on 11th May William was wounded in the right arm and shoulder, seriously enough for him to be brought back to England. He died due to his wounds in hospital at Newcastle four days after being wounded. He was buried on Friday 20th May in Goole Cemetery.

At the time of his ‘call-up’ in August 1914 the family were living at 7, Capstan Street. Sometime between the date of his death and the following November, Ethel had moved with the children back to Dover.

Is it 1918 or 1919, or even 2010?

One question that gets asked often, either in national or local press, and also when the 'project' has been shown at 'Family History' events is 'why does that memorial say the War ended in 1918 and this one say 1919'?

In answering this question it must be stated before-hand that neither of these dates is incorrect but at the same time they are both 'right'.

Between 5:12 and 5:20 (Paris time) on the morning of Friday, 11th November, 1918, a number of signatures were signed on a piece of paper that heralded the silencing of the guns at 11:00am later that morning; thus bringing to an end the 'war to end all wars'.

Thus, the first part of the question above would seem to be true. In reality however, all the Armistice was was a 'cease-fire' to be held by all combatants. The terms of the Armistice dictated that German commanders were to remove their forces from France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Alsace-Lorraine, while at the same time impounding their U-boats and surface fleets; once back on German soil, these troops were to subsequently move from the west side of the River Rhine to allow its occupation by British and US troops, with 30km radius bridgeheads being formed on the eastern side at the cities of Mainz, Koblenz and Cologne, which would also be occupied. These and other stipulations were to be checked on a monthly basis, and signed by all parties to that effect until a more permanent treaty had been drawn up.

Following six-months of negotiations at the Paris Peace Conference by politicians and statesmen from over 30 countries, a 'war guilt' was imposed and stiff financial penalties placed upon the Central Powers, chiefly Germany. This document came to be called the 'Treaty of Versailles' and while in the eyes of the Allies would make Germany pay a heavy price for the causement of hostilities - it was seen by some as being severely harsh and concern was expressed that it may lead to further conflict, both politically and militarily.

The 'Treaty of Versailles' stipulated that the German nation would have to pay reparations to the Allies; as well as ceding territory in Africa, Europe and the Far East. Nevertheless the 'Treaty' was signed on Saturday, 28th June, 1919, a date which is seen by some as the 'official' date of the ending of the 'Great War'; in the UK a number of 'peace day' celebrations were held, with the one in Goole taking place at the Victoria Pleasure Grounds. (Coincidentally the date also marked the fifth anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, thus bringing about all the 'ingredients' for the War to take place.)

Therefore the 'second' part of the question would deem to have been answered correctly, but why the year '2010' in the title of this post?

In 1921 the total amount of the reparations placed upon Germany was assessed at 132 billion Marks (then $31.4 billion or £6.6 billion, roughly equivalent to US $442 billion or UK £284 billion in 2012); this figure was deemed excessive by some economists, especially in regard to the fact that it would take until 1988 to pay this sum off. Due to the subsequent rise of the Nazi Party, the various violations by Germany of the 'Treaty' throughout the 1930s along with the effects of the 'Second Great War' ultimately meant that the last payment from Germany, of about £95m, was not made until 4th October, 2010. Therefore it could be said that the official ramifications of the ending of the War were thus concluded on this date.

As stated at the start of this post, neither of the dates of 1918 or 1919 is incorrect and both can be claimed to signify the end of the 'Great War'.

The 'Lanky', the 'Great War' and Goole.

The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Company was the first railway that came to Goole, opening its station on Aire Street in March 1848, opening to passengers on 1st April. It was to remain in use for the next twenty-one years, at which time permission was given to use the newly opened North Eastern Railway station on Boothferry Road.

                             

Despite the loss of 'its' station the 'Lanky' continued to have a large presence in the fortune and continued growth of the town. Trains brought passengers and goods to and from West Yorkshire and further afield. Coal formed a big portion of the railways traffic, and as such two hoists capable of discharging this 'black gold' in to ships holds were built (one of which still stands today). One visible aspect of the amount of traffic that came through Goole is the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway 'Goods Office' on Stanhope Street, which would have been busy with clerks, checkers, tonnage recorders, etc. all involved with the operation of making sure that the correct wagons and goods were shunted to the correct shed prior to being loaded to the right ship for shipment to other ports; the reverse operation was also carried out, except of course for the coal wagons which returned empty to the colleries.

 

In the days of the station on Aire Street a simple engine shed was built to water and coal the engine that brought in the passenger trains, and the few engines that were then working on the docks. After a few smaller sheds had been built over the years, in 1889 a new engine shed was finally in use on land to the north of the Aire and Calder canal, and immediately to the west of the docks.

 

As well as engine drivers and fireman being required to work the engines, 'cleaners' were employed to make sure the engine was fit for use on its next 'turn' of duty. Coach cleaners were also employed to wash and clean the 'Lanky' coaches, which were by this time stored in sidings to the north of the station.

 

As well as these people, those who worked aboard the 'Lanky' ships, stokers, firemen, stewards, etc., plying the waters from Goole to Boulogne, Hamburg and Amsterdam, among others, transporting goods as diverse as butter and horses, along with passengers - indeed the Company was very proud to say that it could take you from Ireland to the Continent, a journey of some 810 miles (Drogheda to Copenhagen) with only 121 miles being by train, all on one ticket.

 

As such, it was these men, among countless others from Goole who enlisted in to His Majesty's Forces throughout the years of the 'Great War'. As with any conflict there are casualties, and while families suffered the loss of a father, son, brother or husband, they were also mourned for in the wider communities in which they once lived, their names being inscribed on Church memorials, on the Cenotaph, and on various plaques that were erected by the companies that employed them. The L&YR was no different, at least two were unveiled within Goole - one of which can be seen today in Goole Museum.

 

Another Memorial which bears the names of Goole men who died, and who were formerly employed by the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Company, can be found at Manchester Victoria station. This building and its offices was at the centre of the railway's activities and as such a large tiled map of the entire 'Lanky' network dominates the north wall of the booking hall. Inscribed on this substantial bronze Memorial plaque are the names of 1,465 former employees of the 'Lanky' Compamy, included within which are the names of 56 Goole men who were formerly clerks, engine cleaners, firemen, platelayers, stewards, wagon examiners, Able-seamen and labourers.

 

The insricption above the seven panels bearing the 1,465 names reads 'This tablet is erected to perpetuate the memory of the men of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway whose names are here recorded, and who gave their lives for their King and Country in the Great War 1914 - 1919.' It is framed on either end by symbolic figures of St. George and St. Michael, and was designed by Henry Shelmerdine, F.S.I., formerly Architect to the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Company.

A Name on a List

2nd Lieutenant Henry Guy Thorp

The memorials erected in Goole are lists commemorated to those who were killed during the First World War. The method of gathering these lists involved extensive work by the Members of the Church or Organisation responsible for erecting the memorial. Typically the research involved a door to door survey of the town and a compilation of a central list. Lists of those in service or those who has been killed were also compiled in the local papers throughout the war. Therefore one would expect that the memorials erected within the town are representative of all those who were killed on active service. However a study of the local newspapers show that several Goole people who were killed during the war were not included on the Goole memorials.

An example of those not included on local memorials is Henry Guy Hanning Thorp, a Goole born 2nd Lieutenant of the 3rd Battalion of the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. Henry Guy was born in Goole in 1895 and lived in the town before attending Public School. His father, Henry Bell, was the Director of the Local Board, and prominent local architect. By 1911 Henry Bell had moved to Doncaster but was still working as a Valuer in Goole and designed the Fever Hospital on Westfield Lane in 1912. In the months leading up to the First World War Henry Guy was touring Canada but returned to Britain upon the declaration of War. Gazetted as a 2nd Lieutenant Henry Guy joined the 3rd Battalion of the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and served in France from March 1915. Lieutenant Thorp’s service was short as he was announced dead on the 13th March 1915, age 19. The local newspaper reported the death and described Lieutenant Thorp as a well-known figure around Goole.

The reasons for people not been included on the War Memorials vary. This may range to clerical error or families not wanting to register the loss of a family member. Other practical aspects include whether any next of kin survived in the town to register the deceased for the memorial. Recently revision of historical practice has also allowed those killed for cowardice clemency and the right to be included on War Memorials.

Lieutenant Thorp was included in several weekly/monthly Rolls of Honour Published in the Goole Times during 1916 and listed within the Roll of Honour published by the Goole Times for the period from the start of the War until June 1917. Despite been known as a Goole Man and listed in the Rolls of Honour Lieutenant Thorp is not included on Goole’s First World War memorials. During 1915 Lieutenant Thorp’s father is noted as living in Doncaster but after this period little information is known about the Thorp family. Therefore it is likely that nobody was available to register Henry Guy Thorp for his name to be placed on one of Goole’s Memorials.