Yorkshire Regiment War Graves
Yorkshire Regiment War Graves, -
Grove Town Cemetery, Meaulte
(France, Somme)
Yorkshire Regiment War Graves

Close Window to return to main page

Grove Town Cemetery, Meaulte - 1Grove Town Cemetery, Meaulte - 1
Photo : Chris Cosgrove (<trainscpc@aol.com>)

In September 1916, the 34th and 2/2nd London Casualty Clearing Stations were established at this point, known to the troops as Grove Town, to deal with casualties from the Somme battlefields. They were moved in April 1917 and, except for a few burials in August and September 1918, the cemetery was closed. Grove Town Cemetery contains 1,395 First World War burials.

27 soldiers who served with the Yorkshire Regiment are buried in this cemetery.

We are extremely grateful to Chris Cosgrove (<trainscpc@aol.com>) who has generously provided the photographs of the cemetery and the headstones on this page.

Click on the thumbnail image of a headstone for a larger version of the photo which opens in a new window.


Private Walter Aggas. 24196.
7th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Husband of Ethel Aggas, of 2, Balloon Yard, Jack Lane, Holbeck, Leeds. Killed 10 February 1917. Aged 30.
Born Leeds, Enlisted Leeds, Resided Holbeck.

2nd Lieutenant George Edwin Chapman.
2nd Lieutenant George Edwin Chapman.
5th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Ebenezer and Clara Emma Chapman, of The Cottage, Ivy Lane, Woking, Surrey. Gold and Silver Medallist (Chemistry) University College, London; Goldsmid and Ellen Watson Scholar, University College; Mathematical Scholar, University of London. Killed 27 September 1916. Aged 20.

2nd Lieutenant Thomas Theodore Collett.
7th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Maude Collett, of 12, Garden Rd., Tunbridge Wells, and the late Rev. Thomas Collett (Vicar of Scotby, Carlisle). Killed 15 February 1917. Aged 20.

"THEM ALSO
WHICH SLEEP IN JESUS
WILL GOD BRING WITH HIM"

Serjeant Henry Cook. 20982. 12th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Alice Ann Cook, of Middlesbrough. Died 9 January 1917. Aged 23.
Born Middlesbrough, Enlisted Middlesbrough.
(CWGC has "Serjeant H Cook", but SDGW = "Private H Cook")

The following entry is found for Henry Cook in Wikipedia;-
"Henry Cook (1893 – 9 January 1917), sometimes known as Harry Cook, was an English professional footballer who played as a wing half in the Football League for Middlesbrough. He also played for South Bank and appeared as a guest for Brentford during the First World War.
Prior to becoming a professional footballer, Cook was a teacher at Marton Road School and North Ormesby Junior Boys' School in Middlesbrough and had a wife and two children. During the First Word War he served as a sergeant in the 12th (Service) Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment, known as the Teeside Pioneers. He was wounded in early January 1917 while the battalion was engaged in road works in the vicinity of Maurepas, Somme. He died of his wounds on 9 January 1917 and is buried in Grove Town Cemetery, Méaulte. At the time of his death, Cook had been accepted for a commission and would have returned to England three days later to begin officer training."

"PEACE PERFECT PEACE"

Private John Thomas Cosker, 19942
Private John Thomas Cosker, 19942.
12th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of William George and Susannah Cosker, of 37, Denmark St., Thornaby-on-Tees. Killed on 16 December 1916. Aged 24.
Born Thornaby-on-Tees, Enlisted Thornaby-on-Tees.

"BELOVED SON OF
WILLIAM & SUSANNAH COSKER"


Private Harold Arthur Bryan Donkin, G/18971.
Private Harold Arthur Bryan Donkin, G/18971.
1st Battalion Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment), formerly Lieutenant 3rd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of the Rev. Arthur and Mrs. Donkin, of Semer Rectory, Ipswich. Died 22 December 1916. Aged 19.
Born Sutton-Maddock (Salop), Enlisted Whitehall (London), Resided Sutton-Maddock (Salop).

(Robert Coulson has provided a comprehensive biography of this soldier in "Officers Died....". This biography provides the reason for his loss of his commission.)

"GREATER LOVE
HATH NO MAN THAN THIS
FLOREAT RUGBEIA
REQUIEM AETERNAM"

Private Edward Foster. 28268.
Private Edward Foster. 28268.
7th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 5621 the the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Elizabeth and the late Watson Foster, of Brompton, Yorks. Killed 14 January 1917.
Born Brompton (Yorks), Enlisted Richmond, Resided Scarborough.

"HE GAVE HIS LIFE
UNFLINCHING
FOR ENGLAND
HOME AND RIGHT."

2nd Lieutenant Frank Calvert Griffiths.
2nd Lieutenant Frank Calvert Griffiths.
3rd Battalion (Attached 7th Battalion) Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Calvert and Anne Maud Griffiths, of 20, Brookside, Croydon Rd., Middlesbrough. Died 14 February 1917. Aged 21.

"ALSO
241848 PTE. JOHN H.
2/5. LINCS.
KILLED YPRES. SEPT. 26TH 1917"

Private George Haigh, 26573.
Private George Haigh, 26573.
5th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Husband of Daisy Haigh, of 93, Margrove Park, Boosbeck, Yorks. Killed 9 February 1917. Aged 26.
Born Guisborough (Yorks), Enlisted Guisborough.

"MAY HIS REWARD
BE AS GREAT
AS HIS SACRIFICE"

Private Robert Harper. 23883.
Private Robert Harper. 23883.
12th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Robert and Rosa Harper, of 58, Kildare St., Middlesbrough. Died 5 January 1917. Aged 19.
Born Middlesbrough, Enlisted Middlesbrough. .

"IN LOVING MEMORY
OF OUR DEAR SON.
GOD BE WITH YOU
TILL WE MEET AGAIN."

Private William Ivison. 8724.
7th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of George and Rhoda Ivison, of 5, Fidler St., Middlesbrough. Died 12 February 1917. Aged 32.
Born Middlesbrough, Enlisted Middlesbrough.
(Shown as "William Iveson, 3/8724" in SDGW)


"OUR BELOVED SON"

Private David Shaw Johnson. 38444.
Private David Shaw Johnson. 38444.
7th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 18/40761 Sherwood Foresters. Son of Fred and Emma Johnson, of Old Bolingbroke, Spilsby, Lincs. Killed 5 February 1917. Aged 35.
Born Old Bolingbroke (Lincs), Enlisted Spilsby.

"GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN"

2nd Lieutenant Benton Ord Jolly.
2nd Lieutenant Benton Ord Jolly.
7th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Thomas R. B. O. and Marion L. Jolly. B.A. (Cantab.). Killed 9 February 1917. Aged 22.

The following notes were provided by Robert Coulson on Lieutenant Jolly;-
"Benton Jolly was born at Kirk Hammerton near York in 1895 and attended Cambridge University, entering Downing College in 1913.
He joined the 7th Battalion after their losses during the Somme Offensive in the summer of 1916.
January 1917 was spent in brigade reserve at Guillemont and in front line trenches east of Morval. On January 25th 2nd Lt Jolly and the battalion moved into the line in the area facing Sailly-Saillisel.
During the night of 7th/8th February, the battalion assembled for an attack on the village which went in at 07-30 a.m. following an artillery bombardment. The attack was successful and 2nd Lt Jolly was one of the officers supervising the bringing in of prisoners when he was seriously wounded by shellfire.
2nd Lt Benton Ord Jolly died of his wounds the next day, February 9th 1917 aged 22.
He was the son of Thomas and Marion L Jolly."
"DULCE ET DECORUM
EST PRO PATRIA MORI."

Private Isaac Mather. 27286.
Private Isaac Mather. 27286.
7th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Thomas and Frances Agnes Mather, of Low Angerton, Hartburn, Morpeth, Northumberland. Killed 21 November 1916. Aged 19.
Born Hartburn (Northumberland), Enlisted Newcastle-on-Tyne, Resided Morpeth.

"WE THANK GOD FOR
EVERY REMEMBRANCE OF THEE"

Private Robert Henry Mawson. 27647.
10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 21 September 1916.
Born Bradley (Yorks), Enlisted Skipton, Resided Bradley (Keighley).

(A photo and further details on Robert Mawson can be found in http://www.cpgw.org.uk/viewDetail.cfm?sID=183-04&view=main)

Private Duncan McDonald. 16226.
Private Duncan McDonald. 16226.
7th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 1 March 1917.
Born Parkinsville, Enlisted Sunderland, Resided Horden.

Private Edward Moogan. 29451.
Private Edward Moogan. 29451.
13th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 29686 Notts & Derby Regt. Killed 9 January 1917.
Born Wolverhampton (Staffs), Enlisted Wolverhampton.

"NATIVE OF WOLVERHAMPTON
STAFFS, ENGLAND.
AGED 19 YEARS.
R.I.P."


Private James Joseph Morgan. 26289.
Private James Joseph Morgan. 26289.
7th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of James and Catherine Morgan, of 23, Back Nile St. Middlesbrough. Died 11 February 1917. Aged 24.
Born Middlesbrough, Enlisted Middlesbrough.

Lance Corporal James Ryan. 16178.
Lance Corporal James Ryan. 16178.
7th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of James and Annie Ryan, of Horden Colliery, Co. Durham. Killed 13 November 1916. Aged 22.
Born Browney Colliery, Enlisted Sunderland, Resided Easington Colliery.

"THY WILL BE DONE"


Private John Scott. 23444.
Private John Scott. 23444.
13th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 18 January 1917.
Born Sheffield, Enlisted Sheffield.

Private Thomas Herbert Sellars, 11025.
7th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Native of Pickering, Yorks. Killed 17 February 1917. Aged 25.
Born Pickering, Enlisted Richmond, Resided Skelton (Yorks).

Private Percy Stafford, 25151.
Private Percy Stafford, 25151.
12th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of John Thomas and Kate Stafford, of 53, Queen St., Thornaby-on-Tees, Yorks. Killed on 15 December 1916. Aged 22.
Born Thornaby (Yorks), Enlisted Stockton-on-Tees, Resided Thornaby-on-Tees.

"PEACEFULLY SLEEPING
TILL WE MEET AGAIN.
FROM FATHER, MOTHER
AND LITTLE DAUGHTER."

Private Joseph Mark Stubley. 22734.
Private Joseph Mark Stubley. 22734.
12th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Edith Mary McCamley (formerly Stubley), of 4, Chester St., Cargo Fleet, Middlesbrough, and the late Fergus Stubley. Died 18 January 1917. Aged 22.
Born Middlesbrough, Enlisted Middlesbrough, Resided Cargo Fleet.

"DEEPLY MOURNED BY
HIS MOTHER, SISTERS
AND BROTHERS
REST IN PEACE"


Private Patrick Thomas. 16781.
Private Patrick Thomas. 16781.
7th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 10 February 1917.
Born Middleton St. George, Enlisted Darlington, Resided Middleton St. George.

Private Edward Ernest Ward. 24136.
7th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 11 February 1917.
Born York, Enlisted York.

Private Austin Whittaker. 23121
Private Austin Whittaker. 23121.
13th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of William and Maria Whittaker. Native of Sheffield. Killed 8 January 1917. Aged 37.
Born Sheffield, Enlisted Sheffield, Resided Healey (Sheffield).

"THE LORD CALLED HIM
FROM US
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN"

Serjeant Alfred Claude Wrightson, 19572.
Serjeant Alfred Claude Wrightson, 19572.
7th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Thomas and Eliza Wrightson, of Sexhow, Carlton-in-Cleveland, Stokesley, Yorks. Killed 9 February 1917. Aged 20.
Born Sexhow (Yorks), Enlisted Stokesley, Resided Sexhow (Northallerton)

"'TWAS A RICH GIFT TO GIVE
FOR FREEDOM'S CAUSE"

Grove Town Cemetery, Meaulte - 2 Grove Town Cemetery, Meaulte - 2
Photo : Chris Cosgrove (<trainscpc@aol.com>)

Grove Town Cemetery, Meaulte - 3Grove Town Cemetery, Meaulte - 3
Photo : Chris Cosgrove (<trainscpc@aol.com>)

-------------> Return to the Top of the Page