War Memorial Gravestones in Ardsley Churchyard and Cemetery

During both the First and Second World Wars re-repatriation of the bodies of fallen servicemen and women was not usual.  The Unknown Soldier, entombed in Westminster Abbey represents those buried and commemorated overseas who could not come home.  For many families, deprived of a graveside at which to mourn, one solution was to add the name of their lost son (or daughter) to the family gravestone in their local churchyard.  

The Imperial War Museum's War Memorials' Archive defines a War Memorial as "any tangible object which has been erected or dedicated to commemorate those killed as a result of war, conflict or peacekeeping; who served in war or conflict; or who died whilst engaged in military service."  This includes gravestones which commemorate a casualty buried elsewhere.  There must be a clear statement on the memorial (or in a printed document such as a newspaper report from the time) that defines the commemorative purpose of the feature and reports its erection. The full wording of their definition can be found here.

Map of Ardsley Cemetery
Click to enlarge

Thus gravestones which include wording such as: died of wounds received in action, killed in action, fell in France, died on active service, reported missing in action, or even killed accidentally while on active service all count as War Memorials.  The wording is a "clear statement" that the purpose of recording that person's name on the gravestone is as a memorial.

Graves which are situated on the site of the burial of a casualty, such as Commonwealth War Graves, are not War Memorials, however the Barnsley War Memorials Project is also collecting their details for inclusion in the Barnsley Roll of Honour.

There are two Commonweatlh War Graves Commission burials in Ardsley Churchyard and fifteen in Ardsley Cemetery in addition to the War Memorials gravestones listed below. 

Further information and a larger picture of the memorial has been provided where the name is coloured blue, click to follow the link.

Gravestone Location Section Row No.	Soldier's Name & Regiment Date of Death	Photograph
Churchyard 38 ARD07/02	Richard Vere Potts East Kent Regt 16 Jan 1917
Churchyard Extension J07 ARD07/03	Arthur Wilkinson West Yorkshire Regt 23 November 1917
Churchyard Extension K03 ARD07/01	Herbert Carter Royal Army Service Corps 18 December 1942
Cemetery U 815  ARD06/01	Adam Blades West Yorkshire Regiment 27 August 1918
Cemetery U 835 ARD06/02	Thomas Francis Bellamy 1st/5th York & Lancs Regt 13 October 1915
Cemetery U 827  ARD06/03	Albert Wordsworth Sayles KOYLI 27 August 1918
Cemetery U 890  ARD06/04	Melvin Clement Williamson Royal Field Artillery 2 May 1918
Cemetery U 843 ARD06/05	Frederick Charles Morton KOYLI 3 October 1918
Cemetery  U 872a ARD06/06	George Wilks 10th York & Lancs Regt 6 May 1917
Cemetery V 898  ARD06/07	Fred Bramley West Yorkshire Regt 17 September 1918
Cemetery V 940  ARD06/08	Tom Bennett Royal Armoured Corps 2 March 1945
Cemetery V 972  ARD06/09	Richard Henry Myers East Yorkshire Regt 24 October 1918
Cemetery E 225  ARD06/10	James Edward Thompson 1st/5th York & Lancs Regt 9 October 1917
Cemetery F 255A  ARD06/11	Leonard Lawrence RAF Volunteer Reserve 22 June 1944
Cemetery F 291  ARD06/12	Harry Shaw 6th York & Lancs Regt 1 October 1918
Cemetery  G 336 ARD06/13	Frank Bird 8th Btn KOYLI 6 April 1916
Cemetery G 343/344 ARD06/14	Joseph Binns West Yorkshire Regt 3 September 1918
Cemetery H 547  ARD06/15	William H Grant King's Own Scottish Borderers 1 March 1918
Cemetery H 627  ARD06/16	W W Harry Parkin West Yorkshire Regt 28 March 1941
Cemetery P 217  ARD06/17	Ernest Watson Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve 4 June 1915
Cemetery J 652  ARD06/18	James Hodnett Green Howards  (Yorkshire Regiment) 28 June 1944
Cemetery Y 109  ARD06/19	John Edward Burley Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 11 June 1942
Cemetery R 534  ARD06/20	Sam Barker  York & Lancs Regt 13 June 1917
Cemetery D 166  ARD06/22	George William Binns York & Lancs Regt 30 September 1917
Cemetery D 189 ARD06/21	George Mower Drake Btn, RNVR 13 November 1916
Cemetery D 187 ARD06/23	John Swinmurn York & Lancs Regt 1 July 1916
Cemetery G 445 ARD06/24	Joseph Walton Royal Garrison Artillery 19 May 1918

BWMP #ARD06