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War
Memorials Elsewhere, - Crossley and Porter Grammar School (Halifax) |
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The War Memorial for Past Pupils of the Crossley and Porter Grammar School
Photo : Eamonn Croft of the Imperial War Museum's Register
of War Memorials website
The War Memorial for Past Pupils of the Crossley and Porter
Grammar School commemorates those who lost their lives in both World Wars.
The memorial is located in the grounds of Crossley Heath School, Skircoat
Moor Road, Savile Park, Halifax (Calderdale).
Crossley Heath School is a mixed Grammar School and Sixth Form with Academy
status, formed by the amalgamation of Heath Grammar (founded in 1585) and
the Crossley and Porter School (founded in 1887).
The memorial is a stone obelisk mounted on to a short plinth. This is now sited within a small flowerbed. The dedication is incised into the plinth.
Alkthough there is a dedication on the memorial, there are no commemorations.
Lieutenant Charles Read. 1st/2nd Battalion attached
to the 9th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Died 5 October 1918.
Buried BEAUREVOIR BRITISH CEMETERY.
Richard Roberts (<richard.nsw@googlemail.com>) has found
that;-
"Chrales Read was born in 1897 on a 200 acre farm at Muscoates Grange
in Yorkshire, the son of Herbert Edward and Eliza Read. He had two brothers
and a sister. His father was the tenant farmer and, unfortunately died when
Charles was just six. The family had to move off the farm and was split up,
which is why in the 1911 Census Charles is recorded as a pupil at the Crossley
and Porter Orphan Home and School in Halifax."
From Wikipedia;-
"His elder brother Herbert Read was sent to a school for orphans at Halifax,
West Yorkshire,following his father's dseath. His mother took a job managing
a laundry in Leeds, where Herbert Read later joined her. Read's studies at
the University of Leeds were interrupted by the outbreak of the First World
War, during which he served with the Yorkshire Regiment in France. He was
commissioned in January 1916, received the Military Cross in 1917 and the
Distinguished Service Order in 1918. He reached the rank of Captain."
The following notes on Lieutenant Read are found in Robert
Coulson's biographies of Yorkshire Regiment Officers killed in the war;-
"Charles Read first served in the ranks of the Royal Fusiliers before
gaining his commission and joining the Yorkshire Regiment.
The 9th Battalion returned from the Italian front in September of 1918 and
assembled at St Riquier near Abbeville. Towards the end of the month they
moved to the area of Maricourt and Lt Read and the battalion were in action
against the German positions on the Hindenburg Line.
On October 4th 1918 orders were received to attack and sieze the village of
Beaurevoir and the high ground beyond it.
On October 5th at 6-00am Lt Read led “D” company into the attack
on the village where bitter fighting went on all day but by evening Beaurevoir
had been taken.
Lt Charles Read was killed in this action on October 5th 1918 and is buried
close to where he fell in Beaurevoir British Cemetery just east of Le Catelet."
Other information on Lieutenant Read available so far is from the National
Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) in which Charles Read,
of Brynholme Street, Roundhay, Leeds, died 5 October 1918, left £815
/ 3s / 5d to a William Read, clothier.
Crossley
Heath School
Photo © Copyright Chris
Heaton and licensed for reuse under this Creative
Commons Licence.
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