Friday 14 July 1916
First casualties of the Battle of the Somme
”We have reason to be proud of the way in which our men have fought in the
early stages of the ‘big push.’ The many casualties which have come to hand
make it clear that the West Yorks Regts have been caught beneath a withering
fire which, however, did not deter them in their steady advance against the foe.”
As well as producing a whole page of photographs of men who had been killed
or wounded or were missing, the Shipley Times & Express published whatever
details they could find about the men.
We reproduce these reports from various parts of the paper, arranged in
alphabetical order to make it easier for anyone seeking a family member. They
are on three different pages with other relevant stories, which can be reached by
the links below We start with two letters, one written on the night before the
battle and the other describing being in the thick of things on 1` July.
Amongst the many men who have
fallen in the British great offensive
and whose memory we shall ever
cherish, is Lieut Robert Sutcliffe,
West Yorks Regt, of Heptonstall and
formerly of Idle.
Lieut Sutcliffe was exceedingly
popular in local golfing and musical
circles. For one year he was president
of the Idle Musical Union.
He fully realised, as his last letter
indicates, that in leading his company
to attack on July 1st he would be
starting on a great adventure which
not all would survive but he was a
true patriot and did courageously
what he held to be his duty.
He left the battlefield alive but died
whilst being brought across the
Channel. Here is his last letter, written
to his elder sister on June 30th.
“Just a line to say I go over ‘the top’
tomorrow. My company are in the
first line of attack and hope to do
great things.
“We all naturally hope to come
through all right but, of course, one
never knows, somebody is bound to
go under and it’s the only way to end
the war.
“It’s a good thing to be in and I’m
glad our division is one of the first
chosen to go over.
“I don’t know when you will receive
this letter. I’ll write you again as soon
as I can.”
Pte Joseph Robinson who was
reported wounded while fighting with
the 2nd Bradford Pals, has sent the
following letter to his parents who
reside at 16 Peveral Mount, Moorside
Road, Eccleshill:
“What do you think about the Pals
now, or, I should say ‘Mothers’
Darlings’ for that’s what some people
have been kind enough to call us.
“To be quite candid, I am lucky to be
here for there is very little left of the
whole brigade. The lads went into the
charge with heart and soul and there
were no shirkers although they
dropped like flies under a heavy
curtain fire.
“Both high explosives, machine guns
and all kinds of fire forces were sent in
front of us but those who were
unwounded went dashing forward.
“I was running forward with a pal when
a piece of shrapnel caught me in the
hip and I was thrown up in the air like
a shuttle. My equipment was shattered
and fell off my back.
“It might be a consolation for you to
know that the steel looking-glass and
my bible which I carried in my pocket
saved my life. Any man who came out
of the charge all right was very lucky
indeed.
“We took two German lines and a
village up to the time of bringing me
away so that shows we can beat them
in spite of their artillery fire. I am living
in hopes of getting at them again.”
Pte Robinson is progressing
favourably in Bristol Hospital.
Glad to be among first to go over the top
Saved by my bible and looking-glass
Pte Willie Ambler has been wounded.
Pte Ambler is 23 years of age and
was in the Royal Worcester Regt. He
has been wounded in the chest and is
now in one of the base hospitals.
Pte Maurice Andrews of the 2nd
Bradford Pals has been slightly
wounded. He is the eldest son of Mr
Edwin Andrews of Lane Ends and
one of the Clayton representatives on
the North Bierley Board of
Guardians.
Pte Herbert Atkinson (22), West
Yorks Regt, son of Mr F Atkinson of
20 Albert Road, Saltaire, is in
hospital in Manchester having been
wounded by shrapnel which passed
through his left foot. Before joining
the army he was engaged at Scott’s
Motor Works and had recently been
an overlooker at Saltaire Mills.
Pte E A Baxter, West Yorks Regt,
eldest son of Mr Arthur Baxter of
Thackley has been wounded. He
writes home saying that he was hit in
the knee but that the bone was not
damaged. Pte Baxter was formerly at
the West Yorkshire Bank in Bradford.
Cpl W Baxter, 1/8
West Yorks Regt,
son of Mrs James R
Baxter of 21 North
St, Thackley, has
been killed. He was
25 years of age. He
has two brothers in
the army, Sgt A C
Baxter and L Cpl J
Baxter.
Pte Frank Beech of Baildon was
wounded in the face and shoulder.
Pte R E Bell, of the 18th West Yorks,
has been wounded in the left knee
and right foot and is now in hospital
in Birmingham. He was formerly
goalkeeper for the Shipley Celtic
Association FC.
Sgt James Berry, KOYLI, the son of
Mr Fred Berry of 20 Queen Street,
Greengates, was wounded in the arm.
He enlisted at the age of 17 and is
now in a military hospital in this
country. He is 19 years of age.
Pte Arthur Blakebrough, of Eccleshill,
the youngest brother of Pte Fred
Blakebrough, the well-known boxer,
has been wounded in the face in
France and is in hospital in Cardiff.
Writing home he says: “I have been
most fortunate to get home to dear old
England with only a little wound. I
shall soon be better. To me it seems
wonderful for one day we were in the
thick of the fight and the next day I
am in a nice clean ward with
everything perfectly quiet.”
Blakebrough joined the 1st Bradford
Pals in September 1914 and has been
with the regiment in Egypt and had
four months of trench life in France.
Pte Willie Blundell is attached to the
Bradford Pals. He lived with his
mother at Highgate, Clayton Heights
and was employed in Messrs Henry
Briggs and Co Ltd. He is now lying in
a Birmingham hospital.
Pte Albert Booth, 18th West Yorks, of
16 Close Place, Gt Horton, Bradford
has been wounded with shrapnel in
the right leg and right arm and is in
hospital in France. Prior to the war he
was employed at Saltaire Mills
Pte Ernest Briggs, of 1st Bradford
Pals, was wounded early last weekend
and is now in a Bristol Hospital. Prior
to joining the army he was employed
as a hairdresser.
Pte Walter Burton, 5 Mount Avenue,
Eccleshill, 1st Bradford Pals, has
been wounded and is now in Ipswich
hospital. Before joining the army he
was with Messrs Illingworth and
Newboult, Bradford.
Pte Frank Carroll, Mr and Mrs M
Carroll of 5 Dockfield Road, Shipley,
have received information that their
son, Pte Frank Carroll, has received
gunshot wounds in the forearm and
that he is now in hospital in
Birmingham.
It was on the first day of the “big
push” that he was wounded. He was
gassed on Hill 69 and after being in
hospital for some time he came home
on furlough.
The people living at Dockfield made
great preparations for the hero’s return
and when he arrived, a profusion of
flags and bunting was suspended
across the street.
He joined the forces soon after the
outbreak of war along with Pte Ernest
Clegg of Hargreaves Square, Shipley
who was killed some time ago.
Pte John Valentine Chapman, of 63
Bradford Road, Shipley, has been
wounded.
Pte Tom Chippendale, son of Mr
Walter Chippendale of 77 Manor
Lane, Shipley, West Yorks Regt, is at
the Manchester Royal Infirmary,
suffering from injuries to the face due
to a shell bursting in the trench where
he was on duty.
Pte Chippendale, who is 24 years of
age was formerly employed by
Messrs Mitchel Bros, Bradford, and
enlisted soon after the war began.
Pte R Collins, of the 2nd Bradford
Pals, was wounded on the 1st inst. He
was a scholar at Hanson School and
will probably be remembered as the
captain of the school’s football team
in his time. He held the position of
left back and helped Idle to win the
cup in 1913.
He has been wounded by shrapnel in
the jaw, ear and eye. He is the son of
Mr J Collins, well-known in the wool
trade and lately proprietor of the
Stansfield Arms, Apperley Bridge.
Pte Harry Dixon, of 2 Tunwell Mount,
Eccleshill has received a bayonet
wound in the right arm and is now in
hospital within ten miles of England.
Pte Dixon is one of the 1st Bradford
Pals
Pte Edward Dobson, Royal Fusiliers,
son of Mr and Mrs John Dobson of 7
Dawson St, Windhill, has been
wounded in the face and is now in
Warrington Hospital.
He originally joined the RFA at the
age of 17 and was ultimately
transferred to the Royal Fusiliers. He
is 19 years of age and has seen active
service at the Dardanelles in Egypt
and in France. He formerly worked
for the Bradford Dyers’ Association at
their Shipley branch
Sgt J W Dyson, second son of Mr J
Dyson of Angel Street, Baildon, has
been wounded in the foot.
Rifleman Tom
Edmondson, King’s
Royal Rifle Corps,
only son of Mr and
Mrs William E
Edmonson of 10
Taunton Street,
Shipley, was killed on
June 27th. He was
21 years of age and
for several years he
took an active interest in the Shipley
Church Lads’ Brigade.
His parents have received a
sympathetic letter from the London
headquarters of that organisation.
Letters to hand from two of his
comrades speak of him as a fine
soldier and a valued friend. Before
joining the army on the outbreak of
war, he was employed by Mr John
Greenwood, cabinet maker, Shipley.
Pte Frank Ellis, of 22
Bromet Place,
Eccleshill, who enlisted
in the 6th West Yorks
about 12 months ago,
has been killed. He
was married on June
14th last year and
leaves a widow and a
baby girl.
A-E
