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IN MEMORY OF
THE MEN OF NORMANBY
WHO IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1918
GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY

This title is the exact wording above the thirty three names on Normanby War Memorial.

The memorial tablet is mounted into the wall of the last house of The Jennings.

It is in the same place it originally was on the wall of the old Normanby Junior School,
having been carefully removed by the builders when the old school was dismantled
and then replaced when the houses that stand there today were built.


This article is my attempt at researching these brave local men
who volunteered when their country needed them
and sadly were not to see Normanby again.


Bob Coulson     Normanby     February 2003.

[Later additions & amendments made by members of the Normanby Local History Group.]
[This is the first attempt at converting Bob Coulson's printed article
into online media with links to other relevant websites.
Further changes will be made as information becomes available.]

           Normanby War Memorial

Click on the transcribed entry below to see the details for that man - or scroll down.
Sap. Thomas L. Bearcroft R.E.
Pte. Charlie Brudenell East Yorks
Pte. Arthur Cann 11th.Yks.
Pte. Robert Dale 8th.Yks.
Lieut. Leonard R. Ferguson 13th.Royal Scots.
L.Cpl. Rupert Gill 8th.Lanc.Fusiliers.
Pte. James Hammerton 5th.Lincs.
Lieut. Frank Hermiston 9th.Yks.
Pte. J. William Holdsworth 8th.Yks.
Pte. Herbert G. Holsey 9th.Yks.
Pte. Richard J. Hunt 8th.Yks.
Pte. David Markham 7th.Yks.
Pte. John Mollison 8th.Yks.
Pte. John G. Nixon 2nd.Yks.
Sergt. Robert C. Parkin D.L.I.
Pte Albert Priest R.M.L.I.
Pte. George Phillips K.O.Y.L.I.
Pte C. Milburn Radge 5th.Yorks.
Pte. Harold Richards 4th.Yorks.
Capt. John Serginson 4th.Yorks.
Pte. William Smith 2nd.Yorks.
Pte. Charles H. Spencer 8th.Yorks.
Pte. John Stockton 3rd.Yorks.
Pte. Douglas Taylor 20th.Royal Fusrs.
Pte. Jack Taylor 13th.Yorks.
2nd.Lieut. A. Eric Townsend 5th.D.L.I. & R.F.C.
Lieut. F.E.S. (Joe) Townsend 5th.D.L.I.
Pte. Robert Trafford 4th.Yorks
Stoker Charles Turner R.N.
Lieut. Ronald Williams M.C. R.E.
Pte. John Woolbar West Yks.
Pte Sydney Wright Yks. & Lancs.
Std. Fred Gibbon R.N.
Sergt. Maurice B. Mallinson N/land Fusrs.

THOMAS LENG BEARCROFT

  Sapper Thomas Leng Bearcroft Reg.No.139949 served with the Royal Engineers during the Great War.
  He was born in Normanby and lived at "Belle Vue" in Eston.
  He enlisted for service in Middlesbrough.
  Thomas Bearcroft served with the Royal Engineers in Mesopotamia , the modern day country of Iraq.   The fighting in Mesopotamia was mainly driven by the British need to secure the supply of oil in the area necessary for the war effort.
  The Royal Engineers were responsible for the construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, etc necessary for the transport of troops and supplies in this mainly barren desert area.
  Sapper Thomas Leng Bearcroft died on the 1st of July 1916 aged 21.
  He is listed as "died", not killed in action or died of wounds. This suggests that he succumbed to some form of disease which was rife in this area where sanitation was almost non-existent.
  He is buried in Basra War Cemetery  alongside over 2,500 of his comrades who died in this area.
  Thomas Bearcroft was the son of Martin and Hannah Bearcroft of 4 Warrior Terrace in Saltburn.   The family home before this was at 26 High Street, Normanby. His father was a local joiner.

CHARLES BRUDENELL

  Private Charlie Brudenell Reg.No.30629 served with the 1st Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment   during the Great War.
  He was formerly with the Yorkshire Regiment - Green Howards and probably transferred units after the bloody Somme offensives of 1916 when men were moved round to fill the huge gaps left in the ranks.
  He was born in Wilton village and lived in Normanby.
  He enlisted for service in South Bank.
  Private Charlie Brudenell was killed in action on Tuesday 16th of April 1918 aged 22.
  He died during the Battle of the Lys as the germans launched their spring offensive.
  Charlie Brudenell has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial  to the missing along with nearly 35,000 other men who shared the same fate.
  Charlie Brudenell was the son of William and Mary Brudenell of 9 Garden Place, Normanby.

JAMES CANN

  Listed on Normanby War Memorial as Private Arthur Cann, 11th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, this gentleman turned out after a lot of searching to be Private James Cann Reg.No.16026 who served with the 9th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment - Green Howards.    It is not uncommon for memorials to carry incorrect information on names and units as opposed to the information held in official lists.
  James Cann was born in Normanby and lived in Eston.
  He enlisted for service in the Great War in Middlesbrough.
  Private James Cann was killed in action on Thursday 20th of September 1917.
  He died during the infamous Battles of Passchendaele in an action known as the Battle of the Menin Road.
  James Cann has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial  to the missing along with nearly 35,000 other men who shared the same fate.
  I have no information on James Cann’s family at this time [2003].

ROBERT DALE

  Private John Robert Dale Reg.No.13059 served with the 10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment - Green Howards  , although he is listed on the memorial as serving with the 8th Battalion.
  He was born in the village of Swainby in North Yorkshire and lived in Normanby.
  He enlisted for service in Middlesbrough.
  Private John Robert Dale died of wounds on Monday 3rd of July 1916 aged 30.
  He died three days after the opening of the Battle of the Somme and was wounded during his units attack on Fricourt after which he was taken from the battlefield to a casualty clearing station behind the lines.
  John Dale is buried in Heilly Station Cemetery  along with almost 3,200 of his comrades, most of whom were killed during the Somme battles.
  John Dale was the son of Christopher and Alice Dale of 53 West Street, Normanby.
  His father was a deputy in the local ironstone mines and also worked as a council labourer.
  Robert himself worked as a builders cartman after leaving school.

LEONARD R. FERGUSON

  2nd Lieutenant Leonard Ferguson Reg.No.6878 served with the 13th Battalion Royal Scots - Lothian Regiment during the Great War.
  Lieutenant Ferguson died of wounds on Thursday 20th of July 1916 aged 33.
  His unit was preparing for the Battle of Pozieres, part of the Somme offensive when he was taken from the battlefield to a casualty clearing station behind the lines.
  Leonard Ferguson is buried in Longuenesse (St. Omer) Souvenir Cemetery  along with over 3,000 other casualties of both world wars.
  Leonard Ferguson was the son of James Boyd and E. M. Ferguson of Weedon, Northants.
  He was the husband of Hannah Elizabeth Ferguson of Barton House, Cleveland Street, Normanby.

RUPERT GILL

  Listed on Normanby memorial as a Lance Corporal in the 8th battalion, Rupert Gill actually served as a Private, Reg.No.36643 in the 18th Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers.
   He had formerly served Reg.No.24986 with the Yorkshire Regiment - Green Howards.
  He was another man who transferred units during the war as manpower was reorganised and regiments reshuffled.
  Rupert Gill was born in Eston but lived in Normanby.
  He enlisted for service in Middlesbrough.
  Private Rupert Gill was killed in action on Monday 5th of August 1918.
  He died during the "final advance in Flanders" when the tide had turned and the Germans were finally being pushed back.
  Rupert Gill is buried in Wytschaete Military Cemetery , four miles south of Ypres.
  I have no information on Rupert Gill’s family at this time[2003].

JAMES H. HAMMERTON

  Private James Harold Hammerton, Reg.No.241843 served with the 5th Battalion the Lincolnshire Regiment during the Great War.
  James Hammerton was born and lived in Normanbv.
  He enlisted for service at the recruiting office in South Bank.
  Private James Harold Hammerton was killed in action on Sunday 9th of December 1917 aged 20.
  He died just after the official end of the Battle of Cambrai, the first "tank battle".
  James Hammerton is buried in Ribecourt Road Cemetery , south west of Cambrai along with nearly 300 of his comrades.
  James was the son of James and Sarah Hammerton of 17 Lambton Street, Normanby.
  His father was a joiner and his mother a shopkeeper.

FRANK HERMISTON

  Lieutenant Frank Hermiston served with the 9th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment - Green Howards.
  Lieutenant Hermiston was killed in action on Wednesday 5th of July 1916 aged 25.
  He died five days into the infamous Battle qf the Somme in an action known as the Battle of Albert in an attack on Horseshoe Trench.
  Lieutenant Frank Hermiston has no known grave and his name is enscribed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing along with over 72,000 other men who were killed on the Somme battlefields between 1916-17 and who also sadly have no known grave.
  Frank Hermiston was the son of James and the late Mrs Hermiston of 22 Parrington Street, Normanby.
  His brother Robert Nelson Hermiston was the headmaster at Normanby School and also served in the army. Interestingly in March 1915 Robert was a candidate for the Normanby Ward at the Eston Urban District Council Elections.
      (See Poster on Middlesbrough My Town My Future  website)

J. WILLIAM HOLDSWORTH

  Private John William Holdsworth, Reg No.13066 served with the 8th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment - Green Howards.
  He was born and lived in Normanby and enlisted for service in Middlesbrough.
  John William Holdsworth died of wounds on Sunday 23rd of January 1916.
  At the time of his death there were no major engagements taking place on the Western Front and it can only be assumed that John Holdsworth died as a result of the day to day shelling, sniping and trench raiding that went on all the time even in so-called "quiet periods".
  Private Holdsworth is buried in Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension along with over 4,000 of his fellow combatants.
  John Holdsworth's parents were John and Margaret Holdsworth of 29 Cleveland Street, Normanby.
  His father worked in the local ironstone mines.

HERBERT G. HOLSEY

  Listed on Normanby War Memorial as a Private, this gentleman was in fact, Corporal Herbert George Holsey, Reg.No.13205 who served with the 9th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment - Green Howards.
  He was born in Eston but lived in Normanby and enlisted for service in Middlesbrough.
  Herbert Holsey was killed in action on Wednesday 5th of July 1916 aged 28.
  He was serving with the same unit as Lt. Frank Hermiston and died on the same day.   "Two Normanby lads in a foreign field."
  Corporal Holsey has no known grave and his name is inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing along with over 72,000 other men who were killed on the Somme battlefields between 1916-17 and who all sadly have no known grave.
  Herbert Holsey was the son of Edward and Margaret Holsey of 75 Cleveland Street and the husband of Beatrice M. Holsey of 70 Lambton Street, Normanby.

RICHARD J. HUNT

  Private Richard John Hunt, Reg.No.13051 served with the 8th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment - Green Howards.
  He was born and lived in Normanby and enlisted for service in Middlesbrough.
  Richard Hunt was killed in action on Monday 10th of July 1916 aged 21.
  He died nine days into the Battle of the Somme during the Battle of Albert in the Horseshoe Trench area whilst forming up for an attack on Contalmaison.
  Private Hunt, like so many others, has no known grave and his name is among those 72,000 others killed on the Somme battlefields between 1916-17 remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing .
  Richard Hunt was the son of Mrs Lilian Wing of 23 Cleveland Street, Normanby.

DAVID MARKHAM

  Listed on Normanby War Memorial as Private David Markham of the 7th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment - Green Howards.   However the records (see below) confirm that he was Private David Robinson Markham, Reg.No.202957, of the 4th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment - Green Howards.
  David originally enlisted into 7th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment as a Private with Reg.No.7540 but he was then transferred to the 11th Battalion, then to the 6th Battalion and finally to the 4th Battalion.   This was not unusual as men were moved to units that had suffered heavy losses and required binging back up to strength.
  He was born in Middlesbrough in 1882 but by 1891 his family had moved to Lambton Street, Normanby.   After he married Lizzie Bunn in St.John’s Church, South Bank in September 1910 they lived in West Street, Normanby.   A daughter Annie was born there in 1912.   Sometime after this John & Lizzie moved to Boulby, near Loftus where son David was born 1914 - an ironstone mine was opened there in 1914.
   David enlisted in Richmond into the 7th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment and was in France by 13th July 1915.
  David Markham was killed in action on 21st of April 1917   between the battles of the Scarpe.
  Private Markham was buried in Hibers Trench Cemetery, Wancourt   (8 kilometres south-east of Arras) with 132 other British and 3 Canadian casualties (see Cemetery Plaque, David Markham's Gravestone  & Inscription  ).
  David's wife was Lizzie Markham (nee Bunn).   His parents were James & Elizabeth Markham.   His father was an Ironstone Miner (see James in photo of miners in article "Normanby Ironstone Mine" ).   David was, like his father, an ironstone miner before becoming a blast furnace labourer.

Extracts from various records (and links to images) follow:
  Transcripts:-

[Transcript of Service Medal and Award Roll Card (TNA on Ancestry)] :-
"Campaign:- 1914-15.
Name: MARKHAM David Robinson     Corps: Yorks R.     Rank: Pte. Reg.No.7540
Roll on which included:
    MEDAL: VICTORY     ROLL: 0/1/101 B2 PAGE: 110
    MEDAL: BRITISH      ROLL: 0/1/101 B2 PAGE: 110
    MEDAL: '15 STAR     ROLL: 0/1/5B B2 PAGE: 238
Present Situation: Dead.
THEATRE OF WAR: (1) France     QUALIFYING DATE: 13-7-15"

[Transcript of Service Medal and Award Rolls (TNA on Ancestry)] :-
"YORKSHIRE REGIMENT     Roll B. Sheet No.Y/110
ROLL OF INDIVIDUALS entitled to the Victory Medal and British war Medal under Army Orders... of 1919
Regtl.No: 202957    Rank: Pte.    NAME: MARKHAM. David R.
Unit, Regmtl.No and Rank:
  7/Yorks. R.7540. Pte.    11/Yorks. R.7540.    6/Yorks. R.7540.    4/Yorks. R.7540.
Remarks: Dead."

[Transcript of Service Medal and Award Rolls (TNA on Ancestry)] :-
"YORKSHIRE REGIMENT     Roll B. Sheet No.Y/238.
ROLL OF INDIVIDUALS entitled to the Decoration granted under Army Orders 20 of 1919 [ie 1914-15 Star]
Regtl.No: 202957    Rank: Private.    NAME: MARKHAM. David Robinson
Date of Disembarkation: 13-7-15 para 1
Remarks: Dead 21-4-17"

[Transcript of 1911 Census Entry (TNA on Ancestry)] :-
"CENSUS OF ENGLAND AND WALES, 1911.      RG14/29213 RD535 SD1 ED10 Schedule No:144
Markham Robinson David, Head, 29, Married, Blast Furnace Labourer, Worker, Middlesbrough in Yorkshire
Markham Lizzie, Wife, 20, Married, 7months, x x x, South Bank in Yorkshire
4 Rooms        David Robinson Markham, 57 west Street Normanby S.O."

  Links to Images:-
    The CWGC provides access to Grave Registration & Headstone Schedules via David Markham's Casualty Details.

    As well as being recorded on our Normanby WW1 Memorial David Markham is commemorated on WW1 Memorials in:-
       Eston Square  (on west panel),        All Saints' Church, Easington (Loftus)
              and South Bank, Middlesbrough  (see middle of plaque 2)

    Photos from Claire Woolf of their family visit to Hibers Trench Cemetery in August 2010:-
         Visitors: Daniel and Claire Woolf  ,         Cemetery Wall Plaque  ,
                  Cemetery Register  ,         Cemetery Register Entry

[Text above amended from information provided by:-
    - Claire Woolf - confirmed that this entry was for David Robinson Markham her grandmother's uncle (see Message Board )
    - Joan Outhwaite - found more details of David's life and his name on several memorials
    - Mike Wheatley - found new records on Ancestry (transcriptions above) confirming was David Robinson Markham.

[All of the above text replaces original entry by Bob Coulson which follows:
"Listed on Normanby War Memorial as Private David Markham of the 7th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment - Green Howards.
This gentleman is a mystery at present as there are only three Markhams listed with the Green Howards who died during the Great War, none of whom served with the 7th Battalion or show a definite Normanby connection.
They are:
    Private Henry Markham - 12th Battalion from South Bank.
    Private Edgar Markham - 4th Battalion, also from South Bank.
    Private David Robinson Markham - 4th Battalion from Loftus.
I think I will have to reserve judgement on this at present [2003] although I do feel that he is probably one of the above men and will look into this further. "]

JOHN MOLLISON

  Listed on Normanby War Memorial as Private John Mollison of the 8th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment - Green Howards.
  I can find no information whatsoever on this gentleman.   I have searched the army, navy and airforce lists and can find no trace at all.   There are only a few Mollisons listed for all services, but none of these appear to have any local connections.   He will have to remain a mystery for now! [2003]

JOHN G. NIXON

  Private John George Nixon, Reg.No.8583, served with the 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment - Green Howards.
  He was a regular soldier who before the Great War had served in India and who re-enlisted when war broke out.
  The 2nd Yorkshires were part of the original British Expeditionary Force and were one of the first to land in France.
  John Nixon was born in Guisborough and lived in Normanby, he re-enlisted for service in Stockton-on-Tees.
  John was killed in action on Friday 12th of March 1915 aged 46, he died during the Battle of Neuve Chapelle.
  John Nixon sadly has no known grave and his name is inscribed on Le Touret Memorial alongside over 13,000 other men who died in the 1914-15 battles and whose bodies were "lost to the battlefield".
  John was the son of William and Elizabeth Nixon.

ROBERT C. PARKIN

  Sergeant Robert Christopher Parkin, Reg.No.76150 served with the 2/6th Battalion the Durham Light Infantry.
  He was another man who served with the Green Howards earlier in the war and was then transferred during reorganisation.
  Robert was born in Redcar and lived in Normanby.
  He enlisted for service in Middlesbrough.
  Robert Parkin was killed in action on Wednesday 28th of August 1918 barely ten weeks before the armistice.
  He died during actions known as "The advance in Flanders" as the German army was finally being pushed back towards its own borders.
  Robert is buried in St.Venant Communal Cemetery , ten miles from the town of Bethune and close to the Belgian border.
  I have no information on Robert's family at this time [2003].

ALBERT PRIEST

  Private Albert Priest, Reg.No.PO/612(S) served with the Portsmouth Battalion of the Royal Naval Division, Royal Marines Light Infantry.
  He was killed in action on Tuesday 13th of July 1915 aged 26.
  Albert was killed during the infamous Gallipoli campaign against the Turks.
  I have been able to track down the action that he was involved in when he lost his life and quote:
    "At 16-30 hours on July 13th, Portsmouth and Nelson Battalions attacked alone during scenes of great confusion on the battlefield to try and assist the beleaguered Highland Light Infantry.   They attacked across 400 yards of open ground and suffered over 500 casualties."
  Albert Priest died in this action and sadly is another man who has no known grave.
  His name is inscribed on the Cape Helles Memorial on the Gallipoli Penninsula along with over 20,000 other men who suffered the same fate.
  Albert was born in South Bank and was the son of John William and Mary Priest of Cemetery Lodge, Normanby.   His father was the church gravedigger.

GEORGE PHILLIPS

  Private George H. Phillips Reg.No.36447 served with the 1/4th Battalion Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.
  He was born in Normanby and enlisted for service in Hartlepool.
  George Phillips died of wounds on Wednesday 1st of May 1918 aged 19.
  George sustained his wounds during the Battles of the Lys in April 1918 as the German army launched its spring offensive.
  He is buried in Grootebeek British Cemetery just outside Poperinge in Belgium with just over 100 of his comrades, mainly from the Battles of the Lys.
  George was the son of Charles and Annie Phillips of 51 Cleveland Street, Normanby.

G. MILBURN RADGE

  Private G. Milburn Radge, believed to be first name George, Reg.No.3694 served with the 3/5th Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment - Green Howards   - in the Labour Corps.
  George is recorded as "died" on Tuesday 26th of November 1918 aged 26.
  His death occurred two weeks after the signing of the armistice and one can only assume that he died as a result of illness or accident.   After hostilities ceased, a lot of lives were lost as the massive clean up operation of the battlefields got underway.   Disease, unexploded munitions and booby traps were an everyday hazard and claimed many lives.
  George is buried in Busigny Communal Cemetery Extension , close to the Cambrai battlefields.
  George Radge was the son of George M. & I. H. Radge of 20 High Street Normanby, his father being a local builder.

HAROLD RICHARDS

  Private Harold Richards, Reg.No.201058, served with the 4th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment - Green Howards.
  He lived in Eston and enlisted for service in Northallerton.
  Harold was killed in action on Monday 23rd of April 1917.
  He died during the 2nd Battle of the Scarpe, part of the larger "Battles of Arras".
  He is buried in Wancourt British Cemetery , five miles from Arras along with nearly 2,000 other fallen comrades.
  Harold Richards was the son of William and Mary Ann Richards of 1 York Terrace, Normanby.

JOHN SERGINSON

  Listed on Normanby War Memorial as Captain John Serginson he was Captain John Searginson Reg.No.2493 who served with the 4th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment - Green Howards.
  For some reason John was registered at birth as Searginson rather than as Serginson as all his dozen siblings were. So presumably John kept this spelling for all his official records.
  He was born in Middlesbrough & lived at West Farm, Normanby.
  John was killed in action on 10 November 1916 on the Flers Line  and is buried at Warlencourt British Cemetery  about 5km north of Martinpuich.
  John Sergeanson was the son of Charles John & Mary Ann Serginson of West Farm, Normanby.   His father Charles was a farmer and John was a school teacher.

[Above text replaces original entry by Bob Coulson which follows:
"Listed as Captain John Serginson of the 4th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment - Green Howards on Normanby War Memorial, I can find no trace whatsoever of this officer on the official records.   All that I do know is that he was the son of Charles and Mary Ann Serginson of West Farm, Normanby and was born in 1890 in Middlesbrough."]

WILLIAM SMITH

  Private William Spence Smith, Reg.No.19619 served with the 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment - Green Howards.
  He was born in Middlesbrough, lived in Normanby and enlisted for service in Middlesbrough.
  William died of wounds on Thursday January 13th 1916.
  In December 1915 his unit had been moved south to join the thousands of others preparing for the summer Somme offensive.
  He probably sustained his injuries in the day to day trench fighting and sniping that went on even when there were no major battles taking place.
  William is buried with 850 casualties in Carnoy Military Cemetery  , six miles from the town of Albert.
  I have no information on William’s family at this time.[2003]

CHARLES H. SPENCER

  Private Charles Herbert Spencer, Reg.No.13067, served with the 8th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment - Green Howards.
  He was born in South Bank, lived in Normanby and enlisted for service in Middlesbrough.
  Charles Spencer was killed in action on Monday 10th of July 1916 aged 28.
  He died nine days into the first phase of the Somme offensive in the Battle of Albert.   The battalion were in the Horseshoe trench area at the time.
  Charles is buried in Gordon Dump Cemetery , Ovilliers - La Boiselle in the heart of the Somme battlefield with over 1,500 of his comrades, over half of whom are sadly unidentified.
  Charles was the son of Edwin and Elizabeth Spencer of 8 High Street Normanby.   His father was employed as a blacksmith.

JOHN STOCKTON

  Listed on the memorial as 3rd Battalion, John actually served as Reg.No.8857 with the 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment - Green Howards.
  He was born in North Ormesby and lived in Normanby, enlisting in Middlesbrough.
  John Stockton died of wounds on Friday 3rd of August 1917 aged 31.
  He was wounded during the Battle of Pilkem Ridge, the opening battle of the 3rd Ypres campaign, which went down in history as the Battle of Passchendaele.
  John is buried in Mendinghem Military Cemetery , ten miles from Ypres with over 2,000 other brave lads who perished in the "Flanders Mud".
  He was the son of John and Ellen Stockton of 2 High Street Normanby.   His father being a local shoemaker.

DOUGLAS TAYLOR

  Private Douglas Taylor, Reg.No.7459, served with the 20th Battalion Royal Fusiliers, 3rd Public Schools, City of London Regiment.
  He was born in Normanbv and lived in Eston.
  He enlisted for service in Middlesbrough, I am not sure whether he joined his unit because he had been a public schoolboy, it is a possibility.
  His battalion didn't land in France until November 1915 and Douglas was killed in action just two months later on Thursday 27th of January 1916 aged 21.
  He is buried in Cambrin Churchyard Extension just north of Arras with over 1,000 other brave young men.   The Commonwealth War Graves Commission state that this cemetery was at no time during the war more than 800 metres from the front line fighting trenches.
  Douglas Taylor was the son of William Jackson Taylor and the late Hannah Taylor of Sunniside, Normanby.   His father worked as a commercial clerk.

JACK TAYLOR

  Listed on the memorial as Jack, Private John Kirk Taylor, Reg.No.21373, served with the 13th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment - Green Howards.
  He was born and lived in Normanby and enlisted for service in Middlesbrough.
  Jack died of wounds on Tuesday 9th of April 1918, sustained at the Battle of Estaires during the German Spring Offensive in Flanders.   He was aged 21 at the time of his passing.
  He is buried in Outtersteene Communal Cemetery Extension near Bailleul with just over one thousand of his comrades.
  Jack was the brother of Mrs S. Bidwell of 17 Cleveland Street, Normanby and the son of Thomas & Dorothy Taylor of 2 Lambton Street, Normanby.   His father, like so many others, worked in the ironstone mines.

2ND LIEUT. A. ERIC TOWNSEND

  2nd Lieutenant Arthur Eric Townsend was the younger of two Normanby brothers who were killed during the Great War.
  Their parents were Doctor Frances Edward Townsend MD and Mrs Annette Theresa Townsend.   The doctor was prominent in the local community and served on the Eston School Board.
  Arthur Townsend was born in Normanby on 3rd of November 1895.   The family home was "Killora" at 8 High Street, Normanby.   He was educated at Haileybury and then worked for the Cargo Fleet Iron Works.
  He enlisted in the East Riding Yeomanry in August 1914 but was invalided out of the army in May 1915 because of rheumatism.   He returned to the Cargo Fleet works as a sub-manager on the coke ovens.   He then reapplied for and received a commission in the Royal Flying Corps  in July 1916.
  Arthur Eric Townsend, as pilot, was killed whilst flying along with his observer on Thursday 15th of February 1917 aged 21.
  He is buried in Crucifix Corner Cemetery in Villers Bretonneux in the Somme region of France.

LIEUT. F. E. S. "JOE" TOWNSEND

  Lieutenant Frances Edward Stevenson Townsend was the older brother of the above Arthur Eric Townsend.
  He was born on 7th of July 1893 and was educated in Durham.   He was articled as a solicitor with his uncle H.G.Stevenson, the town clerk in Darlington.
  He obtained a commission with the 5th Battalion the Durham Light Infantry in the Great War and went to France in April 1915.   He was promoted to Lieutenant on July 29th 1915.
  "Joe" was wounded in action during the Battle of Morval on 16th of September 1916 during the Somme offensive.   He was taken from the battlefield to a field hospital at Abbeville on the road from Paris to Boulogne but unfortunately he lost his fight for life on Saturday 30th of September 1916 aged 23.
  Lieutenant Townsend is buried in Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension along with nearly 2,000 others, many of whom were victims of the Somme battles.

ROBERT TRAFFORD

  Listed as a Private on the memorial, Robert Trafford was actually a Lance Sergeant, Reg.No.1683, with the 4th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment - Green Howards.
  Robert was born and lived in Eston but enlisted for service in Normanby.
  He was killed in action on Tuesday 27th of June 1916 at Loker aged 35.
  He died in the notorious "Ypres Salient" and although there were no major battles at the time, there were always trench raids and skirmishing taking place.
  Robert Trafford is buried in Loker Churchyard , five miles from Ypres town centre along with just over 200 of his comrades at arms.
  Robert was the son of William and M.J.Trafford of 7 William Street, South Eston.

STOKER CHARLES TURNER

  Stoker 1st Class Charles Ernest Turner No.K/24157 enlisted for service with the Royal Navy in the Great War.   He served on the armoured cruiser "HMS Black Prince"   under the charge of Captain Thomas Parry Bonham.
  Charles lost his life at the Battle of Jutland  when his ship was blasted at close range by four German battleships on Wednesday 31st of May 1916, he was just 19 years old.
   Eight hundred of his shipmates lost their lives with him   that day.
  His name is remembered with honour on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial on Southsea Common.
  Charles Turner was the son of Thomas Herbert and Elizabeth Ann Turner of 4 York Terrace in Normanby.

LIEUT RONALD WILLIAMS

  Lieutenant John Ronald Watson Williams MC, served with the Royal Engineers during the Great War.
  He was awarded the Military Cross for his actions and was killed in action on Friday 12th of April 1918 aged 22.
  Ronald Williams has no known grave and his name is inscribed along with over 11,000 others on the Ploegsteert Memorial , seven miles south of Ypres, commemorating all the men who died in this sector and who have no known grave.
  Lieutenant Williams was the son of Mr Llewellyn & Mrs Margaret Williams of "Glenfarg" Normanby.   His father was a local schoolmaster.

JOHN T. WOOLBAR

  Private John Thomas Woolbar Reg.No.8288 served with the 2nd Battalion Duke of Wellingtons West Riding Regiment   and was a regular soldier before the war.
  A Londoner, he was born in Kensington and enlisted for service in Tottenham.
  He was killed in action at the Battle of St.Julien , part of the 2nd Ypres campaign on Wednesday 5th of May 1915.
  He is buried in the Divisional Cemetery less than one mile from the centre of Ypres with nearly 300 other brave men.
  John's wife lived at 43 Lower Oxford Street in South Bank.

SYDNEY WRIGHT

  Private Sydney Victor Wright Reg.No.33417 served with the 1st/4th Battalion the York and Lancaster Regiment
   He had earlier in the war been with the Green Howards and was another who changed units during reorganisation.
  Sidney was born and lived in Normanby and enlisted for service in South Bank.
  He was killed in action on Friday 26th of April 1918 aged just 19 at the Second Battle of Kemmel just to the south west of Ypres during the German spring offensive, their last final push to try and achieve a breakthrough.
  Sydney Wright has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial  to the missing along with nearly 35,000 of his comrades who shared the same fate.
  Sydney was the son of Herbert and Elizabeth Ann Wright of 39 West Street, Normanby.   Sidney's father worked as a labourer in the ironstone mines.

FRED GIBBON

  Officers Steward 3rd Class Fred Gibbon, No.L/959 enlisted for war service in the Royal Navy and served on board the pre-Dreadnought Battleship "HMS Formidable"   a ship of the 5th Battle Squadron.
  The squadron were sailing in line through Lyme Bay off the south coast returning from exercises when in bright moonlight at 2:30 AM on 1st of January 1915   she was hit by two torpedoes fired by U-24, commanded by Oberleutnant Rudolf Schneider.
  Out of a crew of 780, 547 men perished on that night including Fred Gibbon who was 23 years old.
  Fred is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial in Kent along with 8,000 other men lost at sea in the Great War.
  He was the son of the late William and Mary Gibbon of Normanby.

MAURICE B. MALLINSON

  Sergeant Maurice Bernard Mallinson Reg.No.10971 served in the 9th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers.
  He was shot on 28th of September 1916 in the 1st battle of the Somme & died 3 days later on 1st of October aged 23 years old.
  He is buried in the British Cemetery near the village of Puchevillers about 19 kilometres north-east of Amiens.
  Maurice was born in Kirkby Stephen, Westmorland the son of Henry & Emily Mallinson.   His father was a bank manager.   Maurice married Emily Bean in 1915 and they lived in Crossbeck Terrace, Normanby.
  For almost 90 years Maurice was forgotten from the Normanby War Memorial.   Although he was killed in the 1st World War his name was ommitted from the memorial for some unkown reason.   Maurice's family got in touch with our group after efforts elsewhere proved futile and, with money raised by the group and the War Memorials Commission, we finally ensured that the mistake was rectified.   [see our previous Article "Sgt. Mallinson's War Memorial Entry" ]

  [This entry was not in Bob Coulson's original article as it pre-dated the correction to the Normanby War Memorial.]

     © 2003 Bob Coulson.  © 2014 Normanby Local History Group

The author Bob Coulson- a long standing member of our group - has sadly passed away.
So his article is reproduced here by kind permission of his wife & family.

Later additions & amendments made by group members.
Links to other websites added by Webmaster.
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