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	Richard Vere Potts East Kent Regt 16 Jan 1917
Churchyard Extension J07	Arthur Wilkinson West Yorkshire Regt 23 November 1917
Churchyard Extension K03	Herbert Carter Royal Army Service Corps 18 December 1942
Cemetery U 815	Adam Blades West Yorkshire Regiment 27 August 1918
Cemetery U 835	Thomas Francis Bellamy 1st/5th York & Lancs Regt 13 October 1915
Cemetery U 827	Albert Wordsworth Sayles KOYLI 27 August 1918
Cemetery U 890	Melvin Clement Williamson Royal Field Artillery 2 May 1918
Cemetery U 843	Frederick Charles Morton KOYLI 3 October 1918
Cemetery  U 872a	George Wilks 10th York & Lancs Regt 6 May 1917
Cemetery V 898	Fred Bramley West Yorkshire Regt 17 September 1918
Cemetery V 940	Tom Bennett Royal Armoured Corps 2 March 1945
Cemetery V 972	Richard Henry Myers East Yorkshire Regt 24 October 1918
Cemetery E 225	James Edward Thompson 1st/5th York & Lancs Regt 9 October 1917
Cemetery F 255A	Leonard Lawrence RAF Volunteer Reserve 22 June 1944
Cemetery F 291	Harry Shaw 6th York & Lancs Regt 1 October 1918
Cemetery  G 336	Frank Bird 8th Btn KOYLI 6 April 1916
Cemetery G 343/344	Joseph Binns West Yorkshire Regt 3 September 1918
Cemetery H 547	William H Grant King's Own Scottish Borderers 1 March 1918
Cemetery H 627	W W Harry Parkin West Yorkshire Regt 28 March 1941
Cemetery P 217	Ernest Watson Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve 4 June 1915
Cemetery J 652	James Hodnett Green Howards  (Yorkshire Regiment) 28 June 1944
Cemetery Y 109	John Edward Burley Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 11 June 1942
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