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North
Yorkshire
War Memorials, - Kirklington (St. Michael's Church) |
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The War Memorial outside St. Michael's Church, Kirklington.
(Photo : Roger Newsome, of Bedale (<renewsome@live.co.uk>)
The War Memorial outside the parish Church for Kirklington is
inscribed as follows;-
"To The Glory Of God And In memory of Our Heroic Dead Who gave Their Lives
For Their Country In The Great War.
They Nobly Fell, That We Might Live 1914 - 1919. "
The names of the men recorded on the Memorial (surnames first) are;-
Private A Rudd, Royal Marine Light Infantry, 14/1/15
Private H W Rhodes, 15/West Yorkshire Regiment, 22/5/16
Lieutenant R E T Huddart, 2/Rifle Brigade, 30/6/16
Pioneer G Taylor, Royal Engineers, 20/10/16
Lieutenant Christopher Butler Prior-Wandesforde, 4/Yorkshire Regiment,
27/6/17
Private Frank Willey, 10/ Yorkshire Regiment, 27/3/18
Private E O Lancaster, 14/Durham Light Infantry, 16/9/17
Lance Corporal F Hunton, 1/7/ West Yorkshire regiment, 15/4/18
Lance Corporal J S Morton, KRRC, 28/8/18
Private T Other, 44th Battalion Canadian Infantry (New Brunswick Regiment),
2/9/18
Rev. M L Handcock, 6/11/18 (* see below)
Sapper F Binks, Royal Engineers, 1/1/19
(We are very grateful to Roger Newsome <renewsome@live.co.uk> for providing us with this information, as the Memorial is becoming extremely difficult to read as it ages.)
Lieutenant Christopher Butler Prior-Wandesforde. 4th Battalion Yorkshire
Regiment. Son of Capt. R. H. and Mrs. Prior-Wandesforde, of Castlecomer House,
Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny. Killed 27 June 1917. Aged 20.
The following information on Lieut. Prior-Wandesforde was provided to Roger
Newsome by Bob
Coulson.
"Christopher Prior-Wandesforde was born on December 15th 1896 at Castlecomer
in County Kilkenny and was educated at Mourne Grange in County Down followed
by Rugby School.
He passed into Trinity College at Cambridge in March of 1915 but instead of
entering college volunteered for active service and gained his commission on
March 31st 1915.
He joined the 4th battalion later in the year in the Ypres Salient and in early
1916 was involved in the “Operations at the Bluff” to the south
east of Ypres.
It was September before the 4th battalion entered the Somme offensive where
they saw action around High Wood and Eaucourt L’Abbaye where 2nd Lt Prior-Wandesforde
was wounded in action.
By now promoted to Lieutenant, Christopher Prior-Wandesforde fought during the
Battle of Arras in April of 1917 and in June was in the line at the Hindenburg
Support.
On June 27th the battalion came under a gas attack and although badly affected
himself, Lt Prior-Wandesforde worked for two hours in rescuing others from a
gassed dugout.
The extra effort involved in his actions caused the gas to penetrate his system
and he died from the effects later in the day June 27th 1917 aged 20 in No 49
Casualty Clearing Station.
After his death his captain wrote,
“His was one of the sunniest natures I have ever met and no danger or
difficulty seemed to damp his spirits for more than a few minutes. He was the
very embodiment of charity and I have never heard him say an unkind word of
anybody.
After he was gassed he spent the greater part of two hours looking after his
men and getting them out of danger”.
Lt Christopher Butler Prior-Wandesforde is buried in Achiet Le Grand Communal
Cemetery Extension, which is to the north west of the village just to the west
of the Albert to Bapaume road. (Information kindly supplied by Bob Coulson of
Middlesbrough)
He was the son of Richard Henry and Florence Prior-Wandesforde of Castlecomer
House in County Kilkenny and Kirklington Hall and Hipswell Lodge in Yorkshire.
Buried ACHIET-LE-GRAND COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION.
Private Frank Willey. 10495. 10th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son
of John and Frances Willey, of Sinderby, Thirsk, Yorks. Killed 27 March 1918.
Aged 22.
Born Rainton, Enlisted York, Resided Thirsk.
Commemorated on Pozieres Memorial France
The War Memorial outside St. Michael's Church, Kirklington.
(Photo : Roger Newsome, of Bedale (<renewsome@live.co.uk>)>
According to the 1911 Census, the Revd MacDonell Longuet Handcock was the
Rector of St. Michael's Church, Kirklington. He was born in Prince Edward
Island, Canada, in about 1862, and his original surname was Liebenrood.
He married Evelyn Emily Harper (b. 1879) on 1 June 1910 at Holy Trinity Church,
Chelsea.
The change of name from Liebenrood to Handcock was, presumably, to counter
any anti-German feelings.
He was a Chaplain to the Armed Forces, though there is no record of him serving
in this capacity.
He died in Christchurch, Hants and was buried in Burwash Weald (St. Philip's)
in East Sussex.
We are grateful to John Tibbutt (<johntibbutt@btinternet.com>) for providing
this last bit of information.
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