North Yorkshire War Memorials, - Sowerby

The Sowerby War Memorial
Photo : Edward Nicholl

The War Memorial for Sowerby is located on the village green, just to the South of St. Oswald's Church. The memorial is in the form of a cross made out of red granite.

The dedication on the cross is;-
"IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE BRAVE MEN OF THIS PARISH WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1918"

The names of the 59 men who lost their lives in the First World War are inscribed on the four faces of the base of the cross.
The names of 18 men who lost their lives in the Second World War are inscribed on the South face of the shaft of the cross.
In addition to those named on the Sowerby memorials there are two men of the Yorkshire Regiment associated with Sowerby, but whose names do not appear on a Sowerby memorial, where biographical details are provided.

16 men who served in the Yorkshire Regiment are commemorated on this cross.

The names of men from the Yorkshire Regiment commemorated on the Sowerby War Memorial are;-

Private Joseph Addison. 201885. 4th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 13 February 1917.
Born Sowerby (Yorks), Enlisted Thirsk.
Buried ASSEVILLERS NEW BRITISH CEMETERY.

Private Thomas Edward Banks. 1562. 4th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of William and M. S. Banks, of Brafferton, Helperby, Yorks. Killed 2 May 1915. Aged 21.
Born York, Enlisted Brafferton (Helperby).
Commemorated Panel 33, Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.

Serjeant Frederick Bendelow. 200088. 4th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 23 April 1917.
Born Thirsk, Enlisted Thirsk.
Commemorated Bay 5, Arras Memorial.

Private Thomas William Brown. 25186. 6th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of the late Peter and Christy Brown. His brother Edward also fell. Killed 17 January 1917. Aged 23.
Born Hartlepool, Enlisted Middlesbrough.
Commemorated Pier and Face 3 A and 3 D, Thiepval Memorial.
(Cannot be certain that this Thomas William Brown is associated with Sowerby, but it appears to be a possible association).

Private Thomas Henry Coope. 25517. 2nd Battalion Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment), formerly 9705 the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 2 September 1918.
Born Thirsk (Yorks), Enlisted Thirsk.
Buried VIS-EN-ARTOIS BRITISH CEMETERY, HAUCOURT.
(Neil Irving, - webmaster@sowerby.org.uk, has provided additional information on Private Coope. This is shown in the footnote below)

Private Errol Crisp. 26371. 7th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 5 November 1916.
Born South Bank (Yorks), Enlisted Thirsk.
Commemorated Pier and Face 3 A and 3 D, Thiepval Memorial.

Private Edward George Daynes. 32540. 1st Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 16 January 1917.
Born Horstead (Norfolk), Enlisted Thirsk, Resided Sowerby (Thirsk).
Commemorated on the HOLLYBROOK MEMORIAL, SOUTHAMPTON
(The Hollybrook Memorial commemorates those lost at sea in Home waters who have no known grave, - particularly those returning in hospital ships which were sunk by mines or torpedoes. Some of the names were burials at sea.
The 1st Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment were stationed in India throughout the First World War. Research has shown that Private Daynes died on his way out to India on the HMT Sierra Leone. The cause of death was cerebro spinal meningitis.)

Lance Corporal Wesley Shaw Garbutt. 1987. 5th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of John and Annie Garbutt, of Islebeck Grange, Thirsk, Yorks. Killed 12 July 1915. Aged 19.
Enlisted Scarborough, Resided Sowerby (Thirsk).
Buried BAILLEUL COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION (NORD).

Private Harry Greenwood, 242705. 10th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Husband of Mrs. H. M. Greenwood, of 8, Castle Yard, Pickering, Yorks. Killed 5 October 1917.
Born Sowerby (Yorks), Enlisted Thirsk.
Buried GODEWAERSVELDE BRITISH CEMETERY.

Private Herbert Hodgson, 201230. 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of William and Sarah Ann Hodgson, of 16, Railway Terrace, Sowerby, Thirsk, Yorks. Killed 27 June 1917. Aged 27.
Enlisted Northallerton, Resided Sowerby (Thirsk).
Buried ST. MARTIN CALVAIRE BRITISH CEMETERY, ST. MARTIN-SUR-COJEUL.

Private Henry Holmes, 8029. 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 12 March 1915.
Born Northallerton, Enlisted Richmond (Yorks), Resided Northallerton.
Commemorated Panel 12, LE TOURET MEMORIAL.

Private John Henry Lofthouse, 22823. 8th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Stephen and Annie Lofthouse, of Church View, Sowerby, Thirsk, Yorks. Died 19 October 1917. Aged 22.
Born Sowerby, Enlisted Thirsk, Resided Sowerby (Thirsk).
Commemorated Panel 52 to 54 and 162A, Tyne Cot Memorial.

Private Waldo Allen Skipsey, 34676. 10th Battalion King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry), formerly 5377 the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 19 September 1916.
Born Thirsk, Enlisted Northallerton.
Buried HEILLY STATION CEMETERY, MERICOURT-L'ABBE.

Private Harry Wardman, 24400. 9th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Ralph and Fanny Wardman, of Sowerby, Thirsk, Yorks. Killed 12 May 1916. Aged 20.
Born Sowerby, Enlisted Thirsk, Resided Sowerby (Thirsk).
Buried BRUAY COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION.

Private Wilfred Percy Watson, 201717. 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Jane Watson, of Hope Cottages, Sowerby, Thirsk, Yorks, and the late John Watson. Killed 21 March 1918. Aged 22.
Enlisted Northallerton, Resided Thirsk.
Commemorated Panel 31 and 32, Pozieres Memorial.

Private Thomas Webster, 17249. 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Thomas and Clara Webster, of Market Place, Thirsk, Yorks. Killed 23 July 1916. Aged 20.
Born Thirsk, Enlisted Thirsk.
Buried BERNAFAY WOOD BRITISH CEMETERY, MONTAUBAN.

Neil Irving is the webmaster for the War Memorials in Sowerby, North Yorkshire website. The names recorded by Neil Irving are from Sowerby's War Memorial and plaques found in St. Oswald's Church, as well as the Methodist Church. He has provided the following additional information on Private Coope;-

Private Thomas Henry Coope. 25517. 2nd Battalion Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment), formerly 9705 the Yorkshire Regiment. Born New Wotley, Leeds on 15 June 1894. Son of Thomas Coope and Mary Elizabeth (née Cockfield)
of 14 Railway Terrace, Sowerby. Enlisted Thirsk. Before enlisting in the Army he was employed as a locomotive fireman on the North Eastern Railway. He had been home on leave from the Army in May 1918 and had married Marian Owens at St. Oswald's Church, Sowerby on 18 May 1918. He returned to France 25 July 1918 and was killed in action 2 September
1918. Buried Vis-En-Artois British Cemetery, Haucourt, Pas de Calais, France.

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