Church Fenton is a village 6 miles from Tadcaster. The War Memorial is inside St Mary the Virgin which is in Kirk Fenton.

The memorial remembers 15 Men from the village who gave their lives in WW1 as well as 6 who gave their lives in WW2. 

A further 4 men who were born in Church Fenton and are not on the memorial are also remembered on this page

Church Fenton is best known for its R.A.F Base  which was used during the battle of Britain.details 

At the time of the First War Church Fenton railway station Connected Tadcaster to the East Coast Railway line.

Thousands of men on their way to the trenches will have passed through the station.

church fenton

KIRK FENTON MEMORIAL

 

BARRETT Charles Alexander

Private 18698 15th Bn Royal Scots Lothian Regiment KIA 01/07/1916 Aged 22. Born Felling Gateshead Co Durham. Son of Samuel and Kate Harris Married Newcastle Upon Tyne 1891 CWGC 29 Morritt Drive Halton Leeds when Charles gave his life. Enlisted Manchester. .

 Yorkshire Herald York July 1916.

Remembered Thiepval Memorial Somme France. Local Memorial Kirk Fenton Church.

 

BINNS Thomas Henry

Private 201732 2/5th Bn West Yorkshire Regiment KIA 01/03/1917 Aged 32. Born Huddersfield.  Son of Joseph and Mary Enlisted  Selby. 1911 Residence Violet Hill Farm Ryther Occupation Waggoner on Farm.. Residence on Enlistment Biggin. 

 

Remembered Thiepval Memorial Somme France. Local Memorial Church Fenton.

 

 

BRITTON Arthur

Private 36591 10th Bn West Yorkshire Regiment DOW 18/04/1917 Aged 34. Born Ozendyke 1883. Son of Francis and Mary Ann Worell Married 1881 Tadcaster. 1911 Fram Labourer Church Fenton.  Enlisted South Milford. Local Memorial Church Fenton.

 

Laid To Rest St Hilaire Cemetery Frevent France. Local Memorial Church Fenton.

 

CLAUGHTON Wilfred

Major 6th Bn Duke of Wellingtons Attached Chinese Labour Corps DIED 24/03/1918 Aged 46. Born Guiseley. Son of Hugh and Jane Isabel Lumbley Married 1862 Husband of Lucy Archer Married Wharfe District Registered Building 1893. CWGC North Villas Church Fenton. 1911 Residence Claybank Guisley Occupation Boot Manufacturer. Landed France 13/02/1917. 

 

Laid to Rest Bolougne Eastern Cemetery France. Local Memorial Church Fenton.

 

EDEN Fred

Private 267876 11th Bn Prince of Wales West Yorkshire Regiment KIA 07/06/1917 Aged 27. Born Hutton Wood Northallerton 1890. Son of Henry and Emily Conning Married 1872 South Otteringtonn. 1911 Father a signalman Fred a Porter at South Otterington Railway Station hence Church Fenton connection ? Enlisted York WYR 1705, 6166. Landed France 15/04/1915. Brother John Thomas who gave his life on the 05/10/1918 with the Durham Light Infantry.

 

Yorkshire Herald July 1916. 

News has come to hand that Private Fred Eden 5th West Yorkshires has been injured in both shoulders last week.

 

Remembered Ypres Menin Gate Belgium. Local Memorial Church Fenton Church.

 

GILBERTSON Ralph

Private 203670 1/5th West Yorkshire Regiment KIA 09/10/1917 Aged 25. Born 08/10/1892 Biggin nr South Milford. Son of William and Elizabeth Booker Married 1871. CWGC Biggin South Milford. Enlisted Church Fenton 25173 05/03/1916 Discharged 26/08/1916 Services no longer required. 

 

Remembered Tyne Cot Memorial Belgium. Local Memorial Church Fenton.

 

HARLAND Daniel D

Private 790215 47th Bn Canadian Infantry KIA Between 21/08/1917 and 25/08/1917 Aged 35. Born York ? Son of James and Elizabeth Elizabeth Re Married to George Bulmer Denton 1889. CWGC Residence Church Fenton. Enlisted 10/12/1915 New Westminster British Columbia (Signature below). Residence Mission British Columbia. Next of Kin James residing Harrogate.

Dan was already serving in 104th presumably a terratorial brigade. Described as being 5ft 6 and a half inches with a chest size of 36 and a half inch with brown eyes a medium complexion and a mole on his right shoulder blade. 

 

Remembered Vimy Memorial. Local Memorial Kirk Fenton Church.

 

HEY Joseph

Private 33115 1/4th Hallamshire Territorial Force York and Lancaster DOW 09/10/1917 Aged 26. Born Biggin 1891. Son of Benjamin and Lavinia Hirst. Husband of Lily Hudson Married Hillam 05/12/1914 Enlisted Monk Fryston 11/12/1915. Daughters Kathleen and Lillian. Landed France 13/06/1917. 1911 Occupation Farming Workman in Monk Fryston.  

 

Remembered Tyne Cot Memorial Belgium. Local Memorial Kirk Fenton Church.

HOLT Ernest

Private 238025 10th Bn West Yorkshire Regiment KIA 04/11/1918 Aged 27. Born Ulleskelf 1891. Son of Thomas and Margaret Wheatley Married Tadcaster 1876. 1911 Ernest was a Signalman at Church Fenton station. Enlisted York.   

Laid to Rest Englefontaine British Cemetery France. Local Memorial Kirk Fenton.

JACKSON Fred 

Unknown Further Research Required.

 

 

JACKSON Herbert

Stoker K/36611 1st Class Royal Navy HMS Contest KIA 18/09/1917 Aged 26. Born Church Fenton Herbert was the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Annie Hirst Married 1880. Husband of Catherine Hanley Married 1912. CWGC 9 Lane Court Bonegate Road Brighouse. During the First Battle of the Atlantic HMS Contest was Sunk by Submarine U-106. In October 1917 submarine U-106 sank after hitting a mine off the coast of Holland in. 

 

Remembered Plymouth Naval Memorial. Local Memorial Church Fenton

 

 

LAMB Horace

Private 25061 2nd Bn Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry KIA 18/11/1916 Aged 23. Born Little Fenton 1893. Son of Benjamin and Ann Wilson Married 1893. Benjamin remarried in 1901 to Florence Priestley. 1911 Residence Peacock Hotel Street Goole Assistant Licensed Victualler. Enlisted Goole. 

 

Laid to Rest La Clytte Military Cemetery Belgium. Local Memorial Church Fenton.

STEAD Alfred 

Private 4331 6th Dragoon Guards Carabineers Household Cavelery KIA 24/07/1915 Aged 33. Born Church Fenton 1882. Husband of Frances Residence 1911 Red Lion Inn Langthorpe Borobridge Publican. Enlisted York. 

Remembered Thiepval Memorial Somme France. Local Memorial Church Fenton.

 

WHITTINGHAM Fred

Private 240063 C Company 2/5th Bn Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry KIA 27/03/1918 Aged 26. Born South Milford 1891. CWGC Son of William and William and Zillah Cromack Married Tadcaster 1890 Died 1897. William remarried to Susannah Taylor Pontefract 1899. Susannah passed away with her baby Clifford in 1903 and was laid to rest 29/12/1903 Castleford All Saints. Husband of Mary Louisa Liddle Married Tadcaster 1912 Died 1957. Residence 1911 Lotherton Stables Aberford Domestic Groom. Enlisted Castleford. 

 

 

Remembered Arras Memorial France. Local Memorials Barkston Ash. Church Fenton.

 

WILKINSON Tom

Private 3489 1st/10th Bn Kings Liverpool  Regiment KIA 01/04/1915 Aged 26. Born York. Son of Thomas Born York 1858 and Mary Born Scotland 1862. Enlisted Liverpool. Yorkshire Herald 1916 ran a piece on the village of Church Fenton and Tom was mentioined in that piece: Tom Wilkinson a Gunner Liverpool Scottish giving his life early in the war. 

 

Laid to Rest Hedge Row Trench Cemetery. Local Memorial Church Fenton.

 

 

 

THE FOLLOWING FOUR MEN WERE ALL BORN IN CHURCH FENTON 

BUT ARE NOT REMEMBERED ON THE MEMORIAL

AMBLER Joseph

Gunner 188428 Clearing Office Royal Garrison Artillery Died at Home 16/10/1918 Aged 20. Born Church Fenton 1898. Son of Joseph and Charlotte CWGC 15 Boundary Street Barnsley.

 

 Laid to Rest Barnsley Cemetery. Memorial None.

 

 

BROWN Richard

Lance Corporal 11658 11th Bn West Yorkshire Regiment KIA 07/06/1917 Aged 28. Born Church Fenton 1889. Son of William and Mary 1911 Westgate Tadcaster Out of Work. Enlisted York Landed France 11/12/1915. CWGC Brother of Edward Brown 11 Mayfield Terrace Tadcaster. 

 

Remembered Ypres Menin Gate Belgium. Memorial None.

 

 

 

CASTLE John George

Private 2375 1/5th Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment KIA 21/07/1915 Aged 20. Born Church Fenton. Son of John Buckle who had been the stationmaster at Church Fenton station and Francis Mary Bowers Married Selby 1894. CWGC 1 Westfield Selby. Educated at the Higher Grade school in York Enlisted York 07/09/1914 in the employment of a Concillor W. Lee of Selby.

 

When he passed away both his Captain and his Sergeant Major wrote praising John.

Captain

I was very sorry to lose him, as i have known him for some time now and was able to appreciate his soldierly qualities. He is buried in our little Cemetery, and we are having a cross put over his grave.

 

Sergeant Major 

He was a member of my platoon during the whole of his service, so that i am in a position to judge and desire to testify to his sterling qualities as a soldier. This together with his great disposition, won him the respect of all whom he came in contact. 

 

Remembered Ypres Menin Gate Belgium. Memorial None

 

 

SWANN Maurice

Rifleman 62815 D Company 1/7th Bn West Yorkshire Regiment Leeds Rifles KIA 01/11/1918 Aged 19. Born Church Fenton. Son of Frank a Railway Signalman and Jane Lacy Married 1897. Family 1901 Residence 3 Acme Terrace Church Fenton. 1911 Village of Moss Doncaster. Enlisted Doncaster 18/12/1917 Residence Moss Doncaster Occupation Fitter in Mine. Sent Etaples for training 24/05/1918. 

 

Laid to Rest Auberchicourt British Cemetery France.