War memorials, North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire War Memorials, -
Langton-on-Swale
War memorials, North Yorkshire
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The Langton-on-Swale War Memorial
The Langton-on-Swale War Memorial
(Photo : Edward Nicholl)

The Langton-on-Swale War Memorial is located on the road from Great Langton to Little Langton. The memorial can be found opposite the lane that leads to St. Wilfrid's Church.
In the photo above the memorial is seen to be very green in colour. This has been caused by the damp, as it sits in a grove of trees.

The memorial is dedicated to;-
TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF THE MEN OF THIS PARISH WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR US IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 -1918.
At the base of the memorial is another inscription;-
THEY POSSESS THE REWARD OF THEIR VALOUR WITH GOD IN HEAVEN, AND LEAVE TO EARTH THE RICH INHERITANCE OF THEIR MEMORY.

Seven men are commemeorated on this memorial, including 5 men of the Yorkshire Regiment.

LIEUT COL A J FIFE, MACHINE GUN CORPS
LIEUT O T WALTON, S LANCS REGT / R F C
PTE J BUCKLE, YORKS
PTE T CARRICK, YORKS
PTE W FISHBURN, YORKS
PTE A MEYNELL, YORKS (1)
PTE W PEACOCK, RFA (2)

(1) The name is spelled "Meynell" on the memorial, but this particular surname is found in the records with various spellings. The soldier Albert Mennell served in the Yorkshire Regiment, and it is felt that it will be this soldier who is commemorated on the memorial.

(2) Private Peacock is buried in the churchyard of St. Wilfrid's. For a photo of his headstone see Edward Nicholl's Flickr Photostream.

Lieutenant Colonel Alexander John Fife. 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, attached to Machine Gun Corps. Son of the late Major W. H. Fife-Cookson and Mrs. Fife-Cookson, of Langton Hall, Northallerton; husband of Mary Aileen Fife, of Langton Hall, Northallerton, Yorks. Died 7 February 1917. Aged 36.
Buried ETAPLES MILITARY CEMETERY.
(Robert Coulson has provided a brief biography of Colonel Fife and this is shown below)

Private John Buckle, 2572. 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 27 September 1916.
Enlisted Northallerton, Resided Helmingham (Suffolk).
Commemorated on Pier and Face 3 A and 3 D, THIEPVAL MEMORIAL.

Private Tom Carrick, 28402. 6th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Mr. G. W. Carrick, of Crakehill, Topcliffe, Thirsk, Yorks. Died 10 August 1917. Aged 24.
Born Bolton-on-Swale, Enlisted Northallerton, Resided Stanton (Langton, Northallerton)
Buried BRANDHOEK NEW MILITARY CEMETERY.

Private William Fishburn, 3013. 5th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of George William and Sarah Ann Fishburn, of Great Langton-on-Swale, Northallerton, Yorks. Died 12 March 1916. Aged 20.
Enlisted Darlington, Resided Scorton.
Buried ETAPLES MILITARY CEMETERY.

Private Alfred Mennell. 3845. 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 17 September 1916.
Enlisted Northallerton.
Commemorated on Pier and Face 3 A and 3 D, THIEPVAL MEMORIAL.

The Names Commemorated on the Langton-on-Swale War Memorial.The Names Commemorated on the Langton-on-Swale War Memorial.
Photo : Edward Nicholl

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Alexander Fife was born in 1880, the elder son of Major William Henry Fife-Cookson of the 9th Lancers and his wife Janet of Lee Hall in Northumberland.
He entered the army in 1899 serving for eleven years in the Kings Royal Rifles and seeing active service in South Africa where he received severe head wounds and then subsequently served as aide de camp to Lord Gray when he was Governor General of Canada.
By the onset of war Alexander Fife had retired and was farming close to Northallerton when he again offered his services and was gazetted as a Major with the 4th Yorkshires on September 5th 1914.
By 1916 he was in command of a machine gun training centre with the temporary rank of Lieutenant Colonel and by November of that year was serving at the front.
In early 1917 Lt Col Fife contacted pneumonia and was moved to a base hospital on the channel coast.
Lt Col Alexander John Fife died suddenly of heart failure on February 7th 1917 at the age of 36.
His grave today lies in Etaples Military Cemetery on the French channel coast.
Lt Col Fife was the husband of Mary Aileen Fife of Langton Hall near Northallerton in North Yorkshire.

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