North Yorkshire War Memorials, - Coatham (Redcar & Cleveland), - Christ Church

The First World War Memorial in Christ Church, Coatham
Photo : Bolckow

The First World War Memorial in Christ Church, Coatham, consists of a wall-mounted memorial tablet bearing the names of 76 parishioners who lost their lives in the First World War. Of these names 23 had served in the Yorkshire Regiment.

The names on the memorial are shown below (Yorkshire Regiment names in bold).

* Incorrectly shown as "Gibbon" instead of "Gibbin".
+ There are only 2 "T Towell" names in the CWGC register, and "Tom Dickson Towell", enlisted Redcar, fits the name better than the other "T Towell".

Additionally, there is an individual memorial to an Officer of the Yorkshire Regiment who was killed in the landings at Gallipoli in 1915.

We are very grateful to Bolckow for his photos (posted on Flickr) of these memorials.

Lieutenant Hugh de Chastelai Casley. 6th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Mrs. E. Casley, of 5, St. Vincent Terrace, Coatham, Redcar, Yorks, and the late Mr. W. J. B. Casley. Killed 7 August 1915. Aged 28.
Commemorated Panel 55 to 58, HELLES MEMORIAL.

Corporal Matthew Catchpole. 33062. 38th Battalion Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), formerly 2341 the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of James and Mary Catchpole, of 116, High St., Coatham, Redcar, Yorks. Killed 13 May 1918. Aged 22.
Enlisted Coatham (Yorks), Resided Redcar (Yorks).
Buried SENLIS COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION.

Private Harry Dodsworth. 3/7876. 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 15 June 1915.
Born Stockton, Enlisted Middlesbrough, Resided Coatham (Redcar)
Commemorated on Panel 12, LE TOURET MEMORIAL.

Private Clarence William Elliott. 4209. 5th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 11 September 1916.
Born Coatham (Yorks), Enlisted Redcar.
Buried FLATIRON COPSE CEMETERY.

Private George Frederick Eskholme. 52838. 1st/4th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 46425 the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 27 May 1918.
Born Harrogate, Enlisted Richmond.
(Although this may seem not be the correct soldier, there are no other "George Eskholme" names in the CWGC register or SDGW. In the 1911 Census he was living in Redcar with his parents, Joseph and Susannah. In the register of Soldiers' Effects he left everything to his mother, Susannah.)

Private Richard Farndale. 3758. 4th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of George and Mary Farndale, of 6, High St., Coatham, Redcar, Yorks. Killed 26 February 1917. Aged 19.
Born Redcar, Enlisted Coatham.
Buried LA NEUVILLE COMMUNAL CEMETERY, CORBIE.

Lieutenant William Featherstone. 5th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of John and Mary Ann Featherstone, of Redcar; husband of Ella Featherstone, of 56, Newcomen Terrace, Redcar. Killed 13 September 1916. Aged 33.
Buried FLATIRON COPSE CEMETERY, MAMETZ.

Private Arthur Gibbin. 3241. 4th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of William and Mary Gibbin, of 3, South View, Warrenby, Redcar, Yorks. Killed 15 June 1916. Aged 19.
Born Redcar, Enlisted Warrenby.
Buried BOULOGNE EASTERN CEMETERY.
(Shown on the memorial as "Pte Arthur Gibbon".)

Lieutenant Arthur Ernest Hall. 6th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Arthur Malthouse Hall and Edith Ada Hall, of 20, Albert Rd., Middlesbrough. Killed 22 August 1915. Aged 21.
Commemorated Panel 55 to 58, HELLES MEMORIAL.

Private R Stanley Hansell, 2857. 4th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Mr. R. B. and Mrs. M. E. Hansell, of 5, Arundel St., Redcar, Yorks. Killed 20 March 1916. Aged 20.
Born Redcar, Enlisted Coatham.
Buried RAILWAY DUGOUTS BURIAL GROUND.
(Shown on the Coatham memorial as "Lance Corporal")

Private Joseph Francis Hartley. 200691. 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 19 July 1917.
Enlisted Redcar.
Buried ROOKERY BRITISH CEMETERY.
(Shown on the Coatham memorial as "Lance Corporal")

Private Joseph Harbit. 30575. 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Died 2 April 1917.
Born Stockton, Enlisted Redcar.
Commemorated Bay 5, ARRAS MEMORIAL.

Private Albert Edward Hide. 200139. 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Died at home 9 February 1918.
Born Redcar, Enlisted Redcar.
Buried REDCAR CEMETERY.

2nd Lieutenant Ernest Hildreth. RFC, formerly 14th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Henry Havelock Hildreth and Eliza Hildreth; husband of Eleanor Green (formerly Hildreth), of Wood Royd, Ben Rhydding, Yorks. Born at Middlesbrough. Killed 18 October 1916. Aged 28.
Buried NARBOROUGH (ALL SAINTS') CHURCHYARD.
( Information fromn "The Green Howard", Isue 1 - September 2006, on Lieutenant Hildreth is that;-
"2nd Lieutenant Ernest Hildreth was seconded from the 14th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment as an Observer. During work-up training with 35 Squadron before deployment to France he was killed in a crash at Narborough on 18 October 1916 when the engine of his RE7 aircraft failed. The pilot survived the crash.")

Lance Corporal William James Nightingale, 39228. 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of James and Minnie Nightingale, of 49, High St., Coatham, Redcar; husband of Elizabeth Nightingale, of 70, Hargreave Terrace, Darlington. Killed 22 March 1918. Aged 30.
Born Grangetown (Yorks), Enlisted Darlington.
Buried SAVY BRITISH CEMETERY.

Private Harold Phillips. 10665. 6th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Charles and Harriet Phillips, of 19, Hick's Terrace, Warrenby, Redcar, Yorks. Killed 6 September 1915. Aged 20.
Born Meadow Banks (Notts), Enlisted Middlesbrough, Resided Redcar.
Buried ALEXANDRIA (CHATBY) MILITARY AND WAR MEMORIAL CEMETERY.

2nd Lieutenant Stewart Gordon Ridley. 17th Squadron Royal Flying Corps, formerly 12th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Thomas William and Emily Gordon Ridley, of Willimoteswick, Redcar. Killed 18 June 1916. Aged 19.
Buried CAIRO WAR MEMORIAL CEMETERY.
See The Ridley Memorial, Redcar

Private George Robinson. 15346. 9th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 10 July 1916.
Born Kirleatham (Redcar), Enlisted Redcar.
Commemorated Pier and Face 3 A and 3 D, THIEPVAL MEMORIAL.

Private William Levi Rodmell. 3025. 5th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of James William and Eliza Jane Williamson (formerly Rodmell), of 13, Seal St., Warrenby, Redcar. Killed 5 July 1916. Aged 18.
Enlisted Redcar, Resided Warrenby.
Buried LA LAITERIE MILITARY CEMETERY.

Private Sidney James Side. 202883. 4th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of James and Annie Side, of 1 Teal St., Warrenby, Redcar, Yorkshire. Killed 10 September 1918. Aged 20.
Born Castleton (Yorks), Enlisted Stockton, Resided Maltby.
Buried CHAUNY COMMUNAL CEMETERY.

Private Ernest Stainton, 14811. 9th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 5 July 1916.
Born Middlesbrough, Enlisted Redcar.
Commemorated on Pier and Face 3A & 3D, THIEPVAL MEMORIAL.

Captain John Kenneth Stead. Royal Flying Corps, formerly 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of John Edward and Mary Lizzie Stead, of Everdon, Redcar, Yorks.
Killed 4 February 1917. Aged 24.
Buried BAILLEUL COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION (NORD).
The following biography of Captain Stead is from Robert Coulson's Biographies of Officers Killed in the First World War;-
"John Stead was born at Redcar near Middlesbrough on August 26th 1892.
He was educated at Mill Hill School followed by Durham University and was about to enter Armstrong College to study mining engineering when war broke out.
Receiving his commission he joined the 4th Battalion on September 7th 1914 and sailed with the battalion to France in April of 1915.
They were rushed straight into the 2nd Battle of Ypres and 2nd Lt Stead was wounded in action on April 29th 1915 at St Julien. As a result of his wounds he was invalided home and rejoined the regiment on light duties at Northallerton later in the year and was promoted to lieutenant on December 9th 1915.
He was attached to the Royal Flying Corps in March of 1916 and returned to France on July 18th to serve with the 20th Squadron.
On February 1st 1917 in action well over enemy lines with his observer 2nd Lt Jourdan he was hit suffering a compound fracture and also severing the main artery in his leg. He flew back over twenty miles and even managed to make a perfect landing in his FE2D aircraft.
He was taken for treatment but Captain John Kenneth Stead died of his wounds at a Canadian casualty station at Bailleul on February 4th 1917 at the age of 24.
John Stead was the son of Dr John Edward Stead and Mrs Mary Lizzie Stead of “Everdon” in Redcar and his name is also inscribed on a memorial plaque in Christ Church at Coatham in Redcar.
A brother officer wrote of him, “We all admired and respected him as no one else in the whole flying corps. Personally I have lost one of my very best if not closest friend in the truest sense of the word.
Kind and thoughtful I cannot imagine a more perfect gentleman and soldier”.

Private Tom Dickson Towell, MM. 200715. 7th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 21 April 1917. Aged 27.
Born Stockton, Enlisted Redcar.
Commemorated Bay 5, ARRAS MEMORIAL.

Private George Wren. 5369. 4th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of John and Eliza Ann Wren, of 5, High St., Coatham, Redcar, Yorks. Killed 13 July 1916. Aged 27.
Born Redcar, Enlisted Redcar, Resided Coatham.
Buried KEMMEL CHATEAU MILITARY CEMETERY.

The Memorial to Lieutenant Casley in Christ Church, Coatham
Photo : Bolckow

The Interior of Christ Church, Coatham
Photo : Bolckow

Christ Church, Coatham
Photo by Ray Wilkins, <e2ray3636@ntlworld.com>