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War
Memorials Elsewhere, - Birmingham - Hall of Memory |
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The Birmingham Hall of Memory
Photo © Copyright Keith
Edkins and licensed for reuse under this Creative
Commons Licence
The Birmingham Hall of Memory was built to commemorate the 12,320 Birmingham citizens who died and the 35,000 who were wounded in the First World War.
The Hall of Memory was opened by H.R.H. Prince Arthur of Connaught on 4th July 1925. Built of Portland Stone, and constructed almost entirely by Birmingham craftsmen, it cost £60,000 raised solely through public donations. Around the exterior on granite pedestals stand four larger than life bronze statues by local artist Albert Toft. They represent the Army, Navy, Air Force and Women's Services.
Visitors enter the Hall of Memory through huge cast bronze doors. Inside the Hall, a sarcophagus-shaped dais of Siena marble sits in the centre of the marble floor. On top of the shrine rests a glass and bronze casket containing two books: the First World War and Second World War Roll of Honour.
The cover of the First World War Roll of Honour bears the words:
"There was none that gave them an ill-word, for they feared God greatly…
So they passed over, and all the trumpets sounded for them on the other side."
Across the hall is a third Roll of Honour containing the names of Birmingham citizens who have died in campaigns since the end of the Second World War.
The Books of Remembrance have been transcribed on the website for the Birmingham Hall of Memory. This website is fully searchable by name / initials / regiment / rank. For any entry it is possible to obtain a facsimile of the page on which the individual is commemorated. See the example below for names "McMillan" - "Mills".
Richard Roberts (<richard.nsw@googlemail.com>) has researched the names
of men of the Yorkshire Regiment who are listed in the First World War Roll
of Honour. 20 names are listed as having served in the Yorkshire Regiment.
3 names of Yorkshire Regiment soldiers appear to have been incorrectly ascribed
to other regiments. These 3 men are included with the 20. Details of these
men are below.
One other name is that of a man attached to the Yorkshire Regiment, but who
died fighting with them.
A further twelve men are known to have been born and/or resided in Birmingham, but are NOT listed in the Birmingham Roll of Honour.
Private Frederick George Barnett. 42290. 2nd Battalion
the Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 164284 RFA. Killed 8 May 1918.
Born Birmingham, Enlisted Birmingham.
Buried ESQUELBECQ MILITARY CEMETERY.
Private William Julius Binger. 42267. 2nd Battalion
Yorkshire Regiment. Formerly 164286 R F A. Brother-in-law of Mildred Tease,
of The Council School House, Golden Hillock Rd., Sparkhill, Birmingham. Killed
31 July 1917.
Born Birmingham, Enlisted Birmingham, Resided King's Heath.
Commemorated Panel 33, YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL.
Private William Charles Bishop, 34177. 8th Battalion
Yorkshire Regiment. Formerly 16/21741 16th Battalion Cheshire Regiment. Son
of David Bishop, of 3/57, Price St., St. Mary's, Birmingham. Killed 19 October
1917. Aged 23.
Born Birmingham, Enlisted Birmingham.
BUried in BUTTES NEW BRITISH CEMETERY.
Private Howard James Budd. 35734. 5th Battalion the
Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 4628 12th Yeomanry Cyclists Battn. Son of Arthur
James and Mary Ann Budd, of 24, Heeley Rd., Selly Oak, Birmingham. Killed
27 May 1918. Aged 19.
Born Birmingham, Enlisted Birmingham.
Commemorated on the SOISSONS MEMORIAL.
(In the Birmingham Roll of Honour, an H J Budd is shown as being in the Gloucester
Regiment. There is no record of a man with that name serving in the Gloucester
Regiment).
Captain Cyril Arthur Mecrate Butcher. 10th Battalion
the Yorkshire Regiment, attd. 62nd Trench Mortar Bty. Son of Mr. and Mrs.
J. H. Butcher, of Beaucastle, Bewdley, Worcs. Killed 6 July 1917. Aged 20.
Buried BOYELLES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION.
(Cyril Butcher first enlisted in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment (No 2810)
as a Private. Commissioned into the Yorkshire Regiment on 16 January 1916,
and joined "A" Company 10th Battalion on 22 January 1916.
From information in the Green Howards Gazette, he was a Captain in charge
of a Trench Mortar Battery, but relinquished this rank on 20 June 1917 when
no longer in command of this battery.)
Private Francis Trevor Evans. 35719. 5th Battalion
the Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 23884 12th Yeomanry Cyclist Battn. Killed
27 May 1918.
Born Birmingham, Enlisted Birmingham.
Buried St. ERME COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION.
Comment by Richard Roberts (<richard@nosnailshere.co.uk>);-
"....using Free BMD and Census Records Private Evans was born in the
Dec. qtr. 1898 in the Aston District and that his parents were William and
Hannah Evans."
Richard Roberts has also found that Private F T Evans is commemorated on the
Birmingham
Education Committee memorial to those who fell in the Great War 1914 - 1918.
This large bronze memorial, measuring 155cm x 94cm, is on the first floor
of the Education Services building in Margaret Street, Birmingham.
Private Albert Finney, 36222. 2nd Battalion Yorkshire
Regiment, formerly 8918 E Yorks Regt. Son of John and Phoebie Finney; husband
of Alice Finney, of 2/13, Howe St., Birmingham. Died at home 22 July 1918.
Aged 28.
Born Birmingham, Enlisted Birmingham.
Buried BIRMINGHAM
(WARSTONE LANE) CEMETERY.
Private Alfred Edwin Froggatt. 42334. 2nd Battalion
Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 164255 RFA. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Edwin
Froggatt, of 38, Mountford St., Sparkhill, Birmingham. Killed 17 December
1917. Aged 20.
Born Sparkhill (Warwick), Enlisted Birmingham.
Buried OUTTERSTEENE COMMUNAL
CEMETERY EXTENSION.
Private Alfred Edward Goodenough. 42348. 2nd Battalion
Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 150471 RFA. Son of Mrs. Mary Matilda Goodenough;
of 27, Queen St., Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham. Killed 28 April 1917. Aged
23.
Born Sutton Coldfield, Enlisted Sutton Coldfield.
Commemorated in Bay 5, ARRAS MEMORIAL.
Private Thomas Henry Holder. 34924. 13th Battalion
Yorkshire Regiment. Formerly 203943, Worcester Regiment. Died 14 April 1918.
Born Birmingham, Enlisted Birmingham.
Commemorated on Panel 4, PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL.
Private Albert James Hunt, 36223. 2nd Battalion the
Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 6299 East Yorks Regt. Killed 21 March 1918.
Born Birmingham, Enlisted Birmingham.
Buried SAVY BRITISH CEMETERY.
(In the Birmingham Roll of Honour, an A J Hunt is shown as being in the Worcester
Regiment. There is no record of a man with that name serving in the Worcester
Regiment).
Private Thomas Edwin Lloyd. 35724. 5th Battalion the
Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 238918 12th Yeomanry Cyclist Battn. Son of George
and Caroline Lloyd, of 276 Warwick Rd., Sparkhill, Birmingham. Killed 27 May
1918. Aged 19.
Born Birmingham, Enlisted Birmingham.
Buried VENDRESSE
BRITISH CEMETERY.
Private Walter Long. 33520. 6th Battalion the Yorkshire
Regiment, formerly 28990 11th Res. Hussars Regt. Husband of E. Long, of 39,
High St., Newington, nr. Sittingbourne, Kent. Killed 17 January 1917. Aged
38.
Born Horncastle (Lincs), Enlisted Birmingham, Resided Small Heath (Birmingham).
Buried PUCHEVILLERS BRITISH CEMETERY.
2nd Lieutenant Leslie Melhuish. The Yorkshire Regiment,
attached 2nd/5th Battalion KOYLI. Son of Robert Melhuish, of Northgate, Harborne,
Birmingham, and the late Annie Melhuish. Enlisted in the 9th Bn. S. Staffordshire
Regt. Killed 27 November 1917. Aged 21.
Commemorated on the CAMBRAI MEMORIAL, LOUVERVAL.
(Incorrectly shown on the Birmingham Hall of Memory commemoration as serving
in the West Yorkshire Regiment.)
The following biographical notes are provided by Robert Coulson in his Biographies
of Officers of the Yorkshire Regiment;-
"Leslie Melhuish enlisted in the 9th Battalion of the South Staffordshire
Regiment at the onset of war and then spent time with the Machine Gun Corps.
He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant and joined the Yorkshire regiment
but was then attached to the 2/5th Battalion of the Kings Own Yorkshire Light
Infantry.
2nd Lt Leslie Melhuish was killed in action aged 21 serving with the KOYLI
on November 27th 1917 during the Battle of Cambrai.".
His Obituary
in the Green Howards Gazette (XVI 299 7 (April 1918) can be read here.
Private Herbert Cyril Norris, 42417. 9th Battalion
Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Walter and Martha Norris, of 120, Cromwell St.,
Nechells, Birmingham. Killed 21 July 1918. Aged 20.
Born Duddleston, Enlisted Birmingham.
Buried CROSS ROADS CEMETERY.
Lance Corporal William Partridge. 33842. 2nd Battalion
the Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 6257 Essex Regt. Son of Mrs. Mary Partridge,
of 58, Charles Arthur St., Nechells, Birmingham. Killed 29 May 1918. Aged
22.
Born Birmingham, Enlisted Birmingham.
Buried MAZINGARBE COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION.
Private Douglas Pearson. 35740. 5th Battalion the Yorkshire
Regiment, formerly 4648 12th Yeo. Cyclist Battn. Son of Laura Pearson, of
19, Court Rd., Sparkhill, Birmingham. Killed 8 October 1918. Aged 19.
Born Birmingham, Enlisted Birmingham, Resided Sparkhill.
Buried NIEDERZWEHREN CEMETERY.
(CWGC has Battalion as "1st"; SDGW has Battalion as "5th"
- the more likely).
Lieutenant Cecil Howard Perkins. 2nd Battalion Yorkshire
Regiment, attached 21st Light Trench Mortar Battery. Son of Charles William
and Mabel Norah Perkins, of 25, Edgbaston House, Broad St., Birmingham. Killed
22 July 1918. Aged 22.
Buried LES BARAQUES MILITARY CEMETERY, SANGATTE.
Staff Serjeant Frank Henry Pinner. 1008. Army Ordnace
Corps, attached to the 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of William
and Caroline Pinner; husband of Sarah Ann Pinner, of 69, Topsham Rd., West
Smethwick, Staffs. Killed 27 October 1914. Aged 36.
Born Birmingham, Enlisted Birmingham.
Commemorated Panel 56, YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL.
(Serjeant Pinner's Pension Record exists. He was a Gunsmith who first enlisted
in the Army in 1902. He re-engaged in August 1911, - with the 2nd Battalion
in Guernsey. He was with the 2nd Battalion when they embarked for Belgium
in October 1914, and was killed at the First Battle of Ypres, fighting with
the Regiment.
He is not listed on the 2nd
Battalion's Roll of Honour of those who embarked for Belgium in October
1914).
Private Walter Ralph. 41901. 10th Battalion Yorkshire
Regiment, formerly 161755 RFA. Killed 11 April 1917.
Born Birmingham, Enlisted Birmingham.
Commemorated in Bay 5, ARRAS MEMORIAL.
2nd Lieutenant William Spencer Fitz-Robert Saundby.
29th Squadron RFC, formerly the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 17 November 1916.
Commemorated on the ARRAS
FLYING SERVICES MEMORIAL.
Private Herbert Whitehouse. 41306. 8th Battalion Yorkshire
Regiment. Formerly 5034 D L I. Killed 18 October 1917.
Born West Bromwich, Enlisted West Bromwich.
Commemorated on Panel 52 to 54 and 162A, TYNE COT MEMORIAL.
| Private Nathan Zimmerman, 42533. 2nd Battalion
Yorkshire Regiment. Formerly 16405 R F A. Killed 8 May 1918. Born Birmingham, Enlisted Bristol. Commemorated on Panel 52 to 54 and 162A, TYNE COT MEMORIAL. |
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| **Private Zimmerman was one of 16 soldiers who served in the Yorkshire Regiment who are commemorated in the British Jewry Book of Honour. Of the 50,000 Jews who served with the British and Colonial Forces during the First World War, 2,324 lost their lives and are commemorated in this book. |  |
A
Page from the Birmingham Hall of memory, Commemorating WW1 Names "McMillan"
- "Mills".
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