War memorials, North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire War Memorials, -
Bedale
War memorials, North Yorkshire
Close Window to return to main page

The Bedale War Memorial in St. Gregory's Churchyard
The Bedale War Memorial in St. Gregory's Churchyard
Photo : Edward Nicholl

The War Memorial for Bedale is a stone cross and shaft with carved relief sculptures of Christ and St George, and is located in St. Gregory's Churchyard by the main entrance gate. The cross and shaft is set on three square stone steps.

The memorial commemorates 45 men who lost their lives in the First World War, and 22 for the Second World War. Photos of the names commemorated are shown below.

18 men who served in the Yorkshire Regiment are commemorated on this memorial. Information on these men is shown below. Supplemental information has been provided by Roger Newsome (<renewsome@live.co.uk>). Additional information on
W O Watson, has been supplied by the Green Howards Museum.

Private Albert Edward Bennison. 14307. 1st Battalion Army Cyclist Corps, formerly 1757 Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Sarah Bennison, of 86, Cobden Street, Eastborne, Darlington. Killed 18 July 1918. Aged 24.
Buried SAILLY-LABOURSE COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION.
Born Hackport (Bedale - Yorks), Enlisted Bedale, Resided Aiskew (Bedale).

Private Peter Binks. 2110. 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, 150th Brigade, 50th Division. Killed 2 May 1915. KIA The Battle of St Julien, 24th April - 4th May 1915.
Commemorated Panel 33, Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
Born Wath (Yorks), Enlisted Northallerton, Resided Aiskew (Bedale).

The following is on the Northallerton War Memorial Website;-
" Private Pratt was the son of Thomas and Mary Pratt, who lived in the Black Swan Yard, Northallerton.
In the official records he is recorded as Private Peter Binks and not as Peter Binks Pratt. Why this should be is uncertain, but the most likely reasons are either a clerical error, or perhaps Private Pratt enlisted under the name of Binks for some reason. His name appears as Peter Binks on the Menin Gate Memorial.
He was born in Wath in Yorkshire and enlisted in 4th Yorkshire Regiment in Northallerton, though he was living in Aiskew at the time. His name most likely appears on the Northallerton Memorial at his family's request as they lived in Northallerton, as did his brother, Corporal William Pratt, who was killed a few months later, and whose name appears on the memorial next to his brother's.
Peter Binks Pratt was killed by shrapnel during the 2nd Battle of Ypres when the 4th Yorkshires were attacked by the Germans using poison gas, but his body was never found."

Lance Corporal John William Buckle. 8439. 6th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment 32nd Brigade, 11th Division. Son of Charles and Emma Buckle, of Aiskew, Bedale, Yorks. Killed 7 August 1915. Aged 33.
Buried LALA BABA CEMETERY.
Born Bedale, Enlisted Atherton (Probably Northallerton), Resided Bedale.

Private Harry Caygill. 91859. 5th Battalion Tank Corps, formerly 39014 the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 27 March 1918.
Enlisted Leyburn (Yorks).
Commemorated Panel 94, POZIERES MEMORIAL.

Private George Corps. 201990. 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 16 May 1918.
Buried NIEDERZWEHREN CEMETERY Kassel, Hessen, German
Born Bedale, Enlisted Bedale, Resided Bradford.

Private Walter Henry Corps. 1518. 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment 150th Brigade, 50th Division. Eldest son of James and Catherine Corps of Bedale Yorkshire. Died 5 May 1915. Aged 21.
Buried LE TREPORT MILITARY CEMETERY.
Born Bedale. Enlisted, Bedale. Resided, Masham

Private Ralph Goldsborough. 1519. 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment 150th Brigade, 50th Division. Killed 25 April 1915.
Commemorated Panel 33, Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
Born Bedale, Enlisted Bedale

Private Harold Hudson. 3883. 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, 150th Brigade, 50th Division. Son of Charles and Alice Hudson, of Leeming Bar, Bedale, Yorks. Killed 4 December 1916. Age 19.
Buried ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN.
Enlisted Northallerton, Resided Leeming Bar.

Private Walter George Hudson. 34217. 8th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment, formerly 20279 the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Charles and Alice Hudson, of Leeming Bar, Bedale, Yorks. Killed 9 April 1917. Aged 23.
Commemorated Panel 36 and 55, Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
Born Leeming Bar (Yorks), Enlisted Scarborough, Resided Leeming.

Private Alfred Hutchinson. 1829. 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment 150th Brigade, 50th Division. Son of Thomas and Elizabeth Hutchinson, of Aiskew, Bedale, Yorks. Killed 2 May 1915. Aged 20.
Commemorated Panel 33, Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.

Private Robert Miller. 30684. 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, 21st Brigade, 30th Division. Husband of Ethel Miller, of Little Crakehall, Bedale, Yorks. Killed 9 April 1917. Age 36.
Buried NEUVILLE-VITASSE ROAD CEMETERY, NEUVILLE-VITASSE.
Born Pormoak (Kinross), Enlisted Bedale, Resided Aiskew.

Private Richard Nicholson. 4106. 1st / 5th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, 150th Brigade, 50th Division. Son of David and Annie Nicholson. Native of Bedale, Yorks. Died 12 September 1916. Age 23.
Buried HEILLY STATION CEMETERY, MERICOURT-L'ABBE.
Enlisted Bedale.

Private Albert Rispin. 202854. 3rd Reserve Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, - transferred to 1/4 Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regt.) 147th Brigade, 49th Division.
Son of John and Ellen Rispin, of Aiskew Crossing, Bedale, Yorks. Killed 3 September 1916. Aged 23.
Born Aiskew, Enlisted Northallerton, Resided Bedale.
Buried MILL ROAD CEMETERY, THIEPVAL.

2nd Lieutenant Harold Morris Thomas. 1st / 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, 150th Brigade, 50th Division.
Husband of the late Elizabeth Thomas. Killed 10 November 1916.
Buried WARLENCOURT BRITISH CEMETERY.

Killed during attack on Butte d’ Warlencourt. 4th Battalion were in reserve for the attack on the Butte and by the time of him being KIA were moving out of the line after relief.
Harrold Thomas was born in North Ormesby near Middlesbrough in 1876, and before the war worked as a bank clerk and was secretary of Bedale Rifle Club.
He was commissioned on June 17th 1915 and initially served in the second line before being posted to the front with the 4th Yorkshires.
Close to the end of the Somme offensive 2nd Lt Thomas and the 4th Battalion were in the line, close to the Butte de Warlencourt to the side of the Albert to Bapaume road.
2nd Lt Harold Morris Thomas was killed in action in this area on November 10th 1916 at the age of 40.
Originally buried in Hexham Road Cemetery his grave was later destroyed by shellfire and he is remembered today on a Commonwealth War Graves Commission special memorial in Warlencourt British Cemetery on the Somme close to where he fell.
Harold Thomas was the eldest son of Mr W R Thomas, a bank manager of The Elms in West Sunderland.

Private Frederick Augustus Timms. 39035. 7th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, 50th Brigade, 17th Division. Killed 25 May 1917.
Commemorated Bay 5, Arras Memorial.
Born Leeming Bar, Enlisted Leyburn, Resided Bedale.

Private Peter Taylor Watt. 18764. 7th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, 50th Brigade, 17th Division. Son of John and Janet Watt, of Leeming Bar, Bedale, Yorks. Husband of Mary Ellen Watt. Killed 27 July 1916. Age 33.
Buried MEAULTE MILITARY CEMETERY.
Born Leith, Enlisted Richmond, Resided Leeming

Private William Oliver Watson. 10885. 6th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of George and Margaret Watson, of Albert Row, Bedale, Yorks. Killed 21 August 1915. Age 19.
Commemorated Panel 55 to 58, Helles Memorial.
Born Bedale (Yorks), Enlisted Richmond, Resided Bedale.

Private Walter Webster. 36037. 9th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, 69th Brigade, 23rd Division. Son of William and Mary Webster, of Emgate, Bedale, Yorks. Killed 24 September 1917. Age 21.
Commemorated Panel 52 to 54 and 162A, Tyne Cot Memorial.
Born Bedale, Enlisted Northallerton, Resided Bedale.

-----------------> Return to top of the page

First World War Commemorations, 1914 -1916 (1) and Second World War Commemorations on the Bedale War Memorial
First World War Commemorations, 1914 -1916 (1) and Second World War Commemorations on the Bedale War Memorial
Select the above image for a larger one which opens in a new window.
Photo : Edward Nicholl

First World War Commemorations, 1916 (2) - 1917, on the Bedale War Memorial
First World War Commemorations, 1916 (2) - 1917, on the Bedale War Memorial
Photo : Edward Nicholl

First World War Commemorations, 1918 - 1919, on the Bedale War Memorial
First World War Commemorations, 1918 - 1919, on the Bedale War Memorial
Photo : Edward Nicholl

The Bedale War Memorial and St. Gregory's Church
The Bedale War Memorial and St. Gregory's Church
Photo : Edward Nicholl

-----------------> Return to top of the page

Roger Newsome (<renewsome@live.co.uk>) has also supplied a scan of a document which lists all those men of Bedale serving in the Armed Forces at an early date in the war. The provenance of the document is unknown, and the only thing that can be said about it is that it was published before May 1915 (for instance, Walter Corps who was killed in May 1915 is listed).

Over 200 names are listed, which is a remarkable number for a small town such as Bedale. Obviously, more names would have been included as the war went on.

To view this list of names, simply select the thumbnail image below. A large sized image will open in a new window (close the window that opens to return to this page).

Bedale men serving, early 1915
Bedale men serving, early 1915

-----------------> Return to top of the page