Thursday 28 July 2016

Walter (Wally) Wale 1897-1917, age 20

Barnsley Independent 22nd December 1917 
A snip from a group photograph of Barnsley clerks who joined the Y&L Territorials.
Thanks to Barnsley Archives.
Born: 1897 Q2 in Gamlingay, Cambridge, full name Walter David Purvis Wale.

Son of: Mrs L Larkins of 27 Racecommon Road, Barnsley.
Husband of: Lily Wale nee Smith of 2 Spencer Street, Mansfield, Notts. They married in Mansfield in 1917 Q3. Wally was a clerk in the employ of Messrs McLintock and Sons, Summer Lane, Barnsley. 

Military Service: Walter was a Lance Corporal in the York and Lancaster Regiment, 2/5th battalion, (Territorials), service number 5/2375, and 200648. He attested on 3rd September 1914, giving his age as 19 years (his actual age was 17) and his address as 27, Racecommon Road, Barnsley

Death: 27th November 1917 in France.

Remembered: Cambrai Memorial, Louveral, France, panel 9 and 10. Walter has no known grave.

Find a grave link: here 
Commonwealth War Graves Commission link: here  

Note: The Barnsley Independent on 22nd December 1917 reported:
"[...] On Sunday last, information was received that Lance Corporal Wally Wale was missing. The news was conveyed in a letter written by Lance Corporal A. Jackson, who stated 'We went over the top on November 27th, and the last that was seen of Wally was about seven o'clock in the morning. I can tell you that I miss him because he was my chum. We both came out from Clipstone together.' Lance Corporal Wale who is 20 years of age was only 17 when he joined the Army and spent his eighteenth birthday in the trenches. Invalided home he spent some time at Clipstone where he was Quartermaster Sergeant and in August last was married. His wife resides at Mansfield and his mother Mrs Larkin at 27, Racecommon Road, Barnsley.[...]"

Friday 15 July 2016

William (Willie) Thorn

Survived the War and the sinking of the 'Transylvania.'
Barnsley Independent 1917
Thanks to Barnsley Archives
Born: 1875 in Dodworth.

Military Service: Willie enlisted on 13th January 1915, declaring his age to be 36 years and 8 months. As there is evidence that he was baptised on 9th May 1875 in Dodworth, his true age was about 39 years, approaching 40. The upper age limit at the time of enlisting was 38 years (later increased to 40 in May 1915). It appears that Willie was desperate to 'do his bit'.

Willie was a Private in the Highland Light Infantry, service number 9566, later transferring to the ASC, service number S/440597. 

A miner, living at 33 Shaw Lane, Barnsley, he married Lucy Crick at St George's Church in 1897, and after her death at the age of 25, he married Margaret Ann Williamson in Bishop Aukland in 1907. 

Willie's brother Stanley Thorn was killed at the Battle of Loos on 25th September 1915.

Sinking of the 'Transylvania'

On 4th May 1917 Willie was on board the liner 'Transylvania' when it was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean whilst carrying troops to Egypt. He described his experience in a letter to his father:

[...] Nearly all the men were on parade on deck at the time and lots of us saw the torpedo coming. When the explosion occurred we were practically ready for it. [...] 

The lowering of the boats proceeded with as much speed as possible, me helping as much as I could, when the second torpedo struck us. Directly after the second torpedo struck us I rushed across the deck to see what help I could render, when, as a boat was just being lowered from the top deck with only two soldiers in it, I was told to get into the boat. There was only about six of us in the boat when she touched the water so we picked up as many men as we could and I held the rope whilst the men climbed down it until we got as many on the boat as she could carry - about 70 altogether. 

The sea was very rough as there was a high wind blowing and we had great difficulty in getting the boat away from the ship. We succeeded after a while and managed to get about 500 yards from the ship when she went down nose first and very quietly. 

An Italian torpedo boat picked us up after about 2 hours tossing about. With the sea being rough they had to throw us ropes, one of which I held until the troops were nearly all transferred. I had a narrow escape as just as I was getting out of the small boat on to the destroyer the wave suddenly went down and I lost my grip and nearly fell into the water, and what with assisting in the loading and unloading of the boat and being sick I was just about finished. [...]

Willie's home address at the time of the sinking was 17 Knowsley Street, Barnsley. The Transylvania sank with the loss of 412 lives. 

Information from the Barnsley Independent 1917   

James Harold Causer

Survived the War - awarded the Military Medal 
From the Barnsley Independent 14th April 1917
Thanks to Barnsley Archives
James was born in 1896 and died in 1935 at the age of 39 years. 

Military Service:  Private in the 2/5 York and Lancaster Regiment (Territorials), enlisting in January 1915.

Awarded the Military Medal.

His parents resided at 3 Grafton Street, Barnsley in 1901 and later 51 Racecommon Road, Barnsley. His bother Sam was wounded 3 times by 1917 and was in the 3rd Lincolns.

Information from the Barnsley Independent 14th April 1917   

Walter Jackson Gledhill

Survived the War - awarded the Military Medal 
Barnsley Independent 14th April 1917
Thanks to Barnsley Archives
Private Walter Jackson Gledhill was better known as Paddy Jackson

He married Sarah Ellen Goodyear at St Edward's Church in 1911 and resided at 12 Longcar Street, Barnsley at the time of marriage.  By 1917 he had moved to Havelock Street, Barnsley.

Military Service: Enlisted in the 2/5 York and Lancaster Regiment (Territorials) in November 1914. 

Awarded the Military Medal for bringing in his Colonel who had been shot in the ankle on 12th March 1917. They were under fire all the time and both escaped unhurt. 

Member of the Battalion's football team and tug-of-war team. Formerly played for Longcar United and Dodworth Albion in the Barnsley Association Junior League. 

Information from the Barnsley Independent 14th April 1917