Monday 20 August 2018

War Memorial Gravestones in Bolton upon Dearne 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.

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.

Gravestones 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.

Bolton upon Dearne Cemetery contains 28 War Memorial Gravestones and 17 Commonwealth War Graves (as at September 2018).  With thanks to Fay Polson and Wayne Bywater.

CWGC burials
WW1
WW2
S Harris  
A E Scholey  
W Braddock  
John Grainger  
Harry Hawksworth 
W Jackson  
T W Parker
Walter Hibbard Bailey 
George Harry Ellis  
John Fitzpatrick  
Reuben Leeming  
Thomas McHugh  
William Patrick  
George Arthur Rock 
Richard Eric Roebuck  
Jack Wilkinson
Edward Outram
 

Some other inscriptions found record men who had previously served in the military who are buried in this cemetery but who do not qualify for a Commonwealth War Grave.  More information on the criteria can be found on the 'In From the Cold' website.

Gravestone 
Location
Name Regiment &
Date of Death
E 54
Bombardier
Abraham Askew
Royal Field Artillery
22 May 1921
A 196
Alec Grey
(wounded in WW1)
*
16 January 1921
L 184
Sergeant 
William Humberstone
(served WW1)
*
27 August 1950
L 147
Observer
Norris Taylor
Royal Air Force

23 October 1939
J 669
Alfred Taylor
MM
(served WW1)
13th York & Lancs
 1954
O N 15
Joseph Robert 
McHugh
(brother of Thomas above)
Queen's Royal Lancers

29 August 1968
J 700
Leslie Douglas Parrish
DSM
*
7 December 1949
O S 16
Flight Lt
Colin Stanton
*
26 August 1950
*
* *

In the list of war memorial gravestones below, where the name is blue click to follow the link to a page with a larger photograph and more information.

 Gravestone Location
Section Row No.
BWMP code
Soldier's Name & Regiment
Date of Death
Photograph

G 140

BLT03/01
Frederick Henry Cave

Royal Engineers

1 July 1916

L 23

BLT03/02
Fred Chivers

Royal Army Medical Corps

12 January 1940

Picture of

K 65

BLT03/03
Frank Clark

Machine Gun Corps

25 January 1918

E 74

BLT03/04
John Clatworthy

Coldstream Guards

25 December 1942

Picture of

A 183

BLT03/05
Charles William Collier

York and Lancaster Regt
9 October 1917

John Thomas Collier
King's Own Yorkshire LI
29 May 1917
Pvt Charles William “Dick” Collier

E 78

BLT03/06
Harry Robinson

Yorkshire Regt

29 April 1915
Pvt Harry Robinson

P M 10

BLT03/07
Thomas Francis Cruise

Lincolnshire Regt

7 April 1944
PVT Thomas Francis Cruise

O L 17

BLT03/08
Arthur Duffield

King's Own Yorkshire LI

16 September 1916
Picture of

K 622

BLT03/09
Guy Foster

Royal Navy

27 February 1942
Picture of
K 40

BLT03/10
William Harding

King's Own Yorkshire LI

17 March 1917

A 67

BLT03/11
Percy Hurrell

Royal Garrison Artillery

14 July 1918

J 384

BLT03/12
Ernest Ingham

York and Lancaster Regt

1 July 1916

N A 6

BLT03/13
Ernest Law

West Riding Regt

17 June 1944
PVT Ernest Law

A 19

BLT03/14
Michael McLoughlin

Coldstream Guards

14 September 1914

G 134

BLT03/15
Kenneth Webster

Royal Air Force 
Volunteer Reserve

30 December 1942
CPL Kenneth Webster

G 14

BLT03/16
Frank Holliday

Royal Field Artillery

13 November 1916

L 234

BLT03/17
Alfred Edward Whitworth

London Regt

31 October 1917
Pvt Alfred Edward Whitworth

B 228

BLT03/18
Harry Groves

Royal Engineers

8 September 1915
Picture of

A 196

BLT03/19
Frank Grey

Royal Engineers

29 May 1918
*

E 158

BLT03/20
Arthur Jefferies

Connaught Rangers

8 October 1918

E 156

BLT03/21
Thomas Gower

York and Lancaster Regt

2 or 21 October 1916

G 185

BLT03/22
William Trickett

Royal Field Artillery

17 June 1917
Picture of

L 146

BLT03/23
Horace Trickett

York and Lancaster Regt

3 July 1916
Picture of

L 150

BLT03/24
Walter Hyde

Royal Artillery

9 April  1945
 Walter Hyde

J 153

BLT03/25
Thomas Kay

Yorkshire Regiment

7 December 1917
 Thomas Kay

O H 10

BLT03/26
James Hollingworth

 Army Catering Corps


7 January 1943
Picture of

O H 20

BLT03/27
Everett Crossland

Royal Artillery

1 August 1945
Picture of

R B 15

BLT03/28
Leonard Sales

Royal Engineers

8 June 1944
 Leonard Sales

 
BWMP #BLT03