THORP ARCH WW1 WAR MEMORIAL

Thorp Arch Village is just over 4.00 Miles from Tadcaster and just under a 1.00 mile from Boston Spa. The village is more famous now for having the Leeds United training facility situated in the village. In World war Two the local airfield (trading estate) was used as an armaments factory.

The Memorial was erected in 1920 by the villagers of Thorp Arch to remember those men who gave their lives in the Great War. It can be found in the centre of the village and like many other memorials contains the names of men who gave their lives in WW2.   

 

ARCHER -- MERRY     MILNER -- WILSON

​

ARCHER Arthur

Private PO/16725  H.M.S. Bayano Royal Marine Light Infantry KIA 11/05/1915 Aged 18. Born Hunsingore nr Wetherby. Son of Thomas Born Easingwold 1862 and Fanny Francis M Harrison Married Easingwold 1886. At 05.15 am 11/05/1915 captained by Commander Henry Cecil Carr HMS Bayano was sunk on the way from Clyde to Liverpool by U 27 (Commanded by Captain Wegener) off the coast of Dumfries and Galloway Scotland. It was reported in the Times newspaper that the Bayano sank in less than three minutes taking 195 mens lives with only 26 men surviving. Remembered Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Memorial Thorp Arch.

May 8th 1915 Thorp Arch Lads End Arthur Archer third son of Thomas Archer, a marine, perished on board HMS Bayano, which was torpedoed by the Germans. Only 19 years of age Arthur had been in the senior Service for two years, most of which was spent in Portsmouth. Prior to visiting his home at christmas, he took part in action off Ostend and helped to capture 200 German prisoners. One of a family of twelve children, one of his sisters is married and resides in Australia while another sister has sailed for Canada just last week.

 

 

ARTHUR IS REMEMBERED ON HIS PARENTS GRAVESTONE IN THORP ARCH CHURCHYARD.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HMS Bayano postcard advertising trips to Costa Rica, Panama and other South American countrys.

  H.M.S Bayano which was built in 1913 and was actually a cruise liner and was commissioned at the outbreak of war to be used as an auxillery cruiser, she was nearly 6,000 tons with a top speed of 14 knots.

 

 

DICKINSON Ernest Clarke

Lance Corporal 60228 10th Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers DOW 27/09/1917 Aged 32. Born Brearton Knaresbrough. Son of William and Eleanor Husband of Mary A King Married 1912.  CWGC 46 Regent Avenue Harrogate. 1911 Clint Hampsthwaite Pately Bridge Occupation House Joiner. Enlisted Boston Spa 187420 Royal Army Service Corps. Memorial Thorp Arch.

 

 

 

 

Laid to Rest Dozinghem Military Cemetery Belgium.

 

 

GRIFFITH Allix James William

Lieutenant G Company 2nd Bn Dorsetshire Regiment KIA 25/03/1917 Aged 22. Born 1896 Punjab India. Son of the Reverand Henry Wager M.A Born Sandhutton 1850 Died 1932 and Eleanor Eva ? Born Secunderabad Madras India 1863. CWGC Thorp Arch Vicarage Wounded at St. Eloi 1915. Remembered Basra Memorial Iraq. Memorial Thorp Arch.

 

 

HUSCROFT William

Private 202151 6th Bn Leicestershire Regiment KIA 05/10/1917 Aged 19. Born Thorp Arch 1898. Son of Thomas Born 1860 Tadcaster and Ellen Inman Born Thorp Arch 1864 Married Thorp Arch 1889. CWGC/1911 The Green Thorp Arch School News boy. Enlisted Wetherby West Yorkshire Regiment  29411.. Memorial Thorp Arch.

 

Remembered Tyne Cot Memorial Belgium.

 

 

MERRY George William Henry Ingham 

Second Lieutenant 16th Bn Machine Gun Corps KIA 21/03/1918 Aged 34. Born Inverness Scotland 1884. Son of Reverend Joseph John Merry and Florence Hannah Ingham Married 1882 St John The Evangelist Wortley De Leeds. CWGC 12 St Johns Terrace Belle Isle Leeds. 1911 Residence Burnhams Cottage Thorp Arch Occupation Architect. Enlisted 16/06/1915 Colsterdale 15th Bn West Yorkshire Regiment Leeds Pals 15/1537. Lance Corporal 15/07/1915. Lance Sergeant 01/09/1916. Commissioned 25/10/1916. George went to Egypt with the Leeds Pals and fought at Serre Somme being one of the few to survive on the first day of the Somme.  Memorial Thorp Arch.  PHOTO ON ANCESTERY

 

 

Laid to Rest Templeaux-Le-Guerard British Cemetery Somme France.

​

MILNER John William

Private 15/1785 15th Bn West Yorkshire Regiment Leeds Pals KIA 01/07/1916 Aged 36. Born Thorp Arch 1880. Son of William and Ellen West Married Thorp Arch 1879. Husband of Hilda Lees Bardsley Married Knaresbrough 1915. CWGC 14 Ledbury Street Beeston Road Leeds. 1901 Plumbers Assistant in Thorp Arch. 1911 The Grove Boston Spa Plumber. Enlisted Leeds. Memorial Thorp Arch. 

 

 

Laid to Rest Sierre Number Three Cemetery Puisieux Somme France.

 

 

SMITH Arthur

Private G/20133 1st Bn Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment DOW 19/04/1918 Aged 20. Born Thorp Arch. Son of John William the village blacksmith Born 1867 Thorp Arch and Christiana Harland Born 1871 Cawood.  Enlisted  Harrogate 33750 3rd reserve Cavalry Regiment. Memorial Thorp Arch.

 

 

 

 

Laid to Rest Aire Communal Cemetery France.

 

 

WARNER John Weston

Lieutenant 85th Squadron Royal Air Force KIA 04/10/1918 Aged 19 Award D.F.C. Born Sunderland Co Durham. Son of Christopher Born Manchester 1862 and Annie Henrietta Adamson Born Sunderland 1870 Married Sunderland 1893. John had joined the RFC in September 1917, and was credited with eight victories all when flying SE 5as with No 85  Squadron at the time of his death. John, was flying SE 5a E3922 on a patrol when he was killed in action on 4 Oct 1918. He was last seen in combat with enemy aircraft over Busigny at 1200.  A victory was credited to German Lieutenant Paul Bäumer of Jasta 2, it was the 40th of his eventual 43 victories. No 85 Squadron lost three pilots and aircraft from that patrol. As well as Lieutenant Warner, 2nd Lieutenant Frank Lydon LeLievre was killed in D6985 and Lieutenant Charles William Davison was killed in F5520. Memorial Thorp Arch.

 

 

 

 

Johns DFC was gazetted on 3 December 1918.
Laid to Rest Grand- Seraucourt British Cemetery France. 

 

 

 

WHARTON George Harold

Private 28894 2/6th Bn West Yorkshire Regiment KIA 29/11/1917 Aged 26. Born Thorp Arch 1891. Son of Frederick Born Sutton on Forest nr York 1864 and Mary Jane Roberts Born Clifford 1863 Married 1888. Husband of Flora Cook Married 1912. CWGC 4 Stanghow Road Skelton-in -Cleveland. One Son Henry. Enlisted  Leeds. Memorial Thorp Arch.

 

 

 

Laid to Rest St. Sever Cemetery Extension France.

 

 

WILSON Charles William

Private 202362 2/4th Bn Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry KIA 05/05/1917 Aged 33. Born Thorp Arch. Remembered Arras Memorial France. Memorial Thorp Arch.