The Yorkshire Regiment, Local War Memorials

War Memorials Elsewhere, -
Fatfield-Harraton
(County Durham)

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The War Memorial, Fatfield (County Durham)
Photo : Edward Nicholl

The War Memorial in Fatfield, County Durham, stands between Worm Hill and the River Wear on Bonemill Lane.
This memorial is for the Parish of Harraton (Harraton is adjacent to Fatfield), and used to stand on Worm Hill itself.
However, after damage to the memorial (in 1928) it was removed to its current site. The damage consisted of loss of the Celtic Cross on top of the shaft. The shaft was reshaped in the form of a "sharpened pencil".
In 2012 the Celtic Cross and shaft were restored to the memorial, and the "sharpened pencil" shaft removed. In the photo above the "sharpened pencil" can be seen to the rear of the memorial.

103 names are commemorated as having lost their lives in the First World War, and 12 for the Second World War. A transcript of these names can be found on the North East War Memorials Project website.
Photographs of the commemorations on the four faces of the memorial are shown below. Of interest is that small commemorative crosses are shown against some of the names in the photos. As part of a 2016 project to commemorate the Centenary of Battle of the Somme, these crosses were placed against the names of men who lost their lives between 1 July and 16 November 1916, - 28 names in total.

13 of the names on the memorial are for men who served with the Yorkshire Regiment.

Private John Arthur Beer. 12303. 6th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 11 August 1915. Aged 23.
Born New Cross (London S E), Enlisted Shiney Row, Resided New Cross (London)
Commemorated Panel 55 to 58, Helles Memorial.
(In the 1911 Census he is shwn as being a coal miner, living in Fatfield, Co. Durham. He is shown as "John Beer").

Private Alfred Braban. 14866. 10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 3 October 1917.
Born Washington, Enlisted Shiney Row, Resided Washington.
Buried RAILWAY DUGOUTS BURIAL GROUND.

Corporal Richard Drummond. 15807. 10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Husband of Mary Margaret Drummond, of 21, Coxons Row, Usworth Colliery. Died at home 14 October 1915. Aged 22.
Born Southwick (Sunderland), Enlisted Washington.
Buried USWORTH (HOLY TRINITY) CHURCHYARD.

Serjeant James Edward Dwyer. 14825. 8th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 14 May 1917.
Born Thornley, Enlisted Shiney Row, Resided Durham.
Buried VLAMERTINGHE MILITARY CEMETERY.

Private Henry Fletcher. 14310. 8th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, attached to 176th Tunnelling Coy Royal Engineers. Killed 1 July 1916.
Born Fatfield (Chester-le-Street - Durham), Enlisted Jarrow, Resided Hebburn.
Buried HERSIN COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION.

Private Joseph Humble, 13942. 8th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of James and Elizabeth Humble, of 22, The Parade, Washington, Co. Durham. Killed 10 July 1916. Aged 26.
Born Fatfield (Durham), Enlisted Washington.
Commemorated Pier and Face 3 A and 3 D, THIEPVAL MEMORIAL.

Private George Johnson. 45966. 15th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, formerly 19408 the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 5 August 1917.
Enlisted Sunderland, Resided Falforth.
Buried ST. LEGER BRITISH CEMETERY.
("Falforth" should be Fatfield.)

Corporal Michael Kelly, 16955. 6th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of John and Elizabeth Kelly, of 1, South View, Fatfield, Washington, Co. Durham. Killed 12 January 1917. Aged 26.
Born Newbottle (Houghton), Enlisted Houghton-le-Spring, Resided Washington.
Commemorated Pier and Face 3 A and 3 D, THIEPVAL MEMORIAL.

Private Alfred Henry Potter. 16992. 6th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Alfred and Mary Potter, of 21, West Bridge St., Penshaw, Staithes, Philadelphia, Co. Durham. Killed 4 August 1916. Aged 28.
Born Harraton, Enlisted Shiney Row, Resided Penshaw Staith (Fencehouses).
Commemorated on Bay 5, ARRAS MEMORIAL.

Private Robert Richardson, 16984 6th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of William and Dorothy Richardson, of 15, Beatrie Terrace, Penshaw, Co. Durham. Killed 27 September 1916. Aged 22.
Born Fatfield (Durham), Enlisted Shiney Row, Resided Fatfield.
Commemorated Pier and Face 3 A and 3 D, Thiepval Memorial.
(The exhibition by the U3A Wessington War Memorials Project at the Arts Centre Washington, 3 - 17 November 2012, provided a biography of Private Robert Richardson which indicated that he had transferred to the East Yorkshire Regiment, as a Lance Corporal number 11066. There is no evidence for this having happened. There WAS a Robert Richardson, 11060, of the Yorkshire Regiment who transferred to the Labour Corps and who survived the War.)

Lance Serjeant Charles Hall Smith. 15683. 7th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 16 June 1916.
Born Harraton, Enlisted Shiney Row, Resided Washington.
Buried POINT 110 NEW MILITARY CEMETERY, FRICOURT.
(Brother of George Brotton Smith.)

Lance Corporal George Brotton Smith, D C M. 13979. 7th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 1 July 1916.
Born Harraton, Enlisted Washington.
Buried FRICOURT BRITISH CEMETERY.
(Brother of Charles Hall Smith)

Private Ernest Smith. 29810. 2nd/5th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment, formerly 44963 the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Thomas and Mary Smith, of 24, Worm Hill Terrace, Fatfield, Co. Durham. Killed 7 September 1917. Aged 19.
Born North Biddick (Durham), Enlisted Washington (Durham).
Buried MENINGHEM MILITARY CEMETERY.

Select one of the images below for a larger sized image, suitable for transcription, which opens in a new window


WW1 names "A" - "C"	WW1 names "B" - "L" & WW2 "Little"


WW1 names "G" - "N" & WW2 Names (right)	WW1 names "N" - "W" & "Dobson"

The Fatfield War Memorial in 2011, before the cross was restored. The Fatfield War Memorial in 2011, before the cross was restored.
Photo : Peter Welsh <petewelshgettysburg@btinternet.com>

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