The villages of Colton and Steeton are 6 and 5 miles respectivly from Tadcaster. Colton Hall was the home of Edward Maule Lawson-Smiths the local land owner. His two sons gave their lives within 12 days of each other in 1914 and are remembered on the memorial. All six men are also remembered on the Bolton Percy Memorial.
colton tadcaster
LAWSON-SMITH Thomas Edward
Lieutenant 13th Hussars KIA Messines Ridge 01/11/1914 Aged 25. Born Bolton Percy 1889. Enlisted Sandhurst 1909. Both brothers were "Old Contemptables" a name given to those who had fought before 22nd of November 1914 by the Kaiser. 1911 was in India.
Remembered Ypres Menin Gate Memorial Belgium. Local Memorials Bolton Percy. Colton & Steeton.
LAWSON-SMITH John
Lieutenant 1st Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment KIA 22/10/1914 Aged 22. Born Colton 1892. Son of Edward Maule Lawson-Smith born 1859 Longhurst Northumberland Died 1942 and Ethel Mary nee Davies Born Lahore India 1853 Died 1906. The family lived at Colton Lodge bought by Edward in 1894 owning 900 acres of land in the area and 700 acres in Amble Morpeth Northumberland. They acquired this in 1880 under the will of a cousin T.E. Smith and assumed the surname under royal licence in 1881 on succeeding to Togston Hall Morpeth sold in 1913. Enlisted Sandhurst. Medal Index States London Gazette 17/02/1915 Page 1660.
Remembered Le Touret Memorial France. Local Memorials Bolton Percy, Colton & Steeton, St Pauls Church Colton, Amble Memorial Northumberland.
MASON Joseph
Driver L/19958 D Battery 161st Brigade Royal Field Artillery DOW 01/07/1916 Aged 22. Born Wakefield 1894. Son of John and Martha Roberts Married Tadcaster 1892. Enlisted York Landed France 30/12/1915. 1911 Ploug Boy on Farm Askham Richard.Joseph took part in the attack on Serre on the first day of the battle for Albert Somme DOW at the ambulance clearing station at Bouzincourt.
Laid to Rest Bouzincourt Communal Cemetery Extension. Local Memorial Bolton Percy. Colton/Steeton.
BARTER William
Gunner 44746 A Battery 103rd Brigade Royal Horse Field Artillery KIA 24/07/1916 Aged ?? Military Medal.Those Who Died Record Born Chelmsford Essex. Enlisted York Landed France 25/08/1915. Medal Index No Known Next of Kin. 1911 Mr Barter in Appleton Roebuck.
Laid to Rest Peake Wood Cemetery Fricourt Somme France. Local Memorial Colton/Steeton & Bolton Percy.
SMITH Arthur Waite
Gunner 141162 C Battery 66th Brigade Royal Field Artillery KIA 14/04/1917 Aged 22. Born Cawood nr Selby 1894. Son of Francis and Emma Mary Bussey Born Ryther 1863 Married 1889. 1911 Barlow nr Selby on farm. CWGC Thornton Melbourne York.
Remembered Basra Memorial Iraq. Local Memorials Bolton Percy & Colton/Steeton.
BLAKEY Percy
Private 36733 2nd / 5th West Yorkshire Regiment KIA 26/03/1918 Aged 26. Born Moortown Leeds Enlisted Tadcaster. Son of Henry Born Terrington 1857 and Annie. In 1901 Percys father was the landlord of the George and Dragon Hotel High Street in Tadcaster. 1911 Working on fathers farm in Colton.
Remembered Arras Memorial France Memorial Bolton Percy. Colton/Steeton.
WORLD WAR TWO
HORNER John Richard Private 4543444 1st Bn West Yorkshire Regiment KIA 12/06/1944 Aged 29. Born Appleton Roebuck 09/12/1914. Son of Thomas and Elizabeth Tate Married 1908. Husband of Mabel Carter Married1938. Residence 1939 Colton Occupation Brewers Drayman. Having one Daughter Betty born 1940.
John will have been killed in action as the West Yorkshires cleared the road from Kohima to Imphal. In June 1944 the 1st Battalion and 2nd Battalion of The West Yorkshire Regiment were serving in Burma with the 5th Indian Division. The Japanese attacked both divisions in the Arakan in an attempt to force their way through to India. In the face of ferocious attacks, the 2nd Battalion held its ground for 25 days disrupting the Japanese offensive; The corps commander said “Never has any regiment counter-attacked so successfully and so often as in that battle. It is rare in history that one regiment can be said to have turned the scale of a whole campaign.” They successfully took Imphal on the 22 June 1944 and that day is now celebrated every year as Imphal Day at the West Yorkshire Regiment museum in York.