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North
Yorkshire
War Memorials, - Sneaton, (St. Hilda's Church) |
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The First World War Memorial Plaque in St. Hilda's Church, Sneaton.
Photo : Edward Nicholl
The First World War Memorial Plaque in the Church of St. Hilda,
Sneaton, is inscribed;-
"TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN EVERLASTING MEMORY OF THOSE WHO LAID DOWN THEIR
LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR, 1914 - 1918."
"GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN BUT THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS."
Ther names on the Memorial Plaque in Sneaton's St. Hilda's Church are;-
Lieutenant H G Brooksbank
Captain S Brooksbank
Pte E W Cowens (*)
L/Cpl Brodrick-English (* James Falconar)
Pte J W Lowther, MM
Captain E J Richardson
Private J M H Robinson
Private W Smith
Pte R Vaughan
(*) There is a "Charles Henry Cowens" from Sneaton, but no E W Cowens in either the CWG register or SDGW.
One of the remarkable things about this plaque is the inclusion of the two Brooksbank brothers of the Yorkshire Regiment. The two brothers are commemorated on the Healaugh Memorial, and H G Brooksbank is buried in Healaugh. Sneaton and Healaugh are 40 - 50 miles apart (as the crow flies), and there is no immediately obvious connection between the Brooksbank brothers and Sneaton.
There is separate family memorial to Captain Richardson, on the North wall of the church,a photograph of which is shown below.
2nd Lieutenant Hugh Godfrey Brooksbank. 2nd Battalion Yorkshire
Regiment. Died at home 16 December 1914. Aged 21. Son of Sir Edward Clitheroe
Brooksbank, 1st Bart., of Healaugh, Tadcaster, Yorks; and of Dame Katherine
Graham Brooksbank. Buried in HEALAUGH CHURCHYARD, North West corner.
The following was written about Hugh Godfrey Brooksbank in M L Ferrar's "Officers
of the Green Howards 1688 - 1931";-
"Born at Healaugh, Old Hall, Tadcaster, 24th November 1893. 3rd son of
Sir Edward Clitheroe Brooksbank, Bart., of Healaugh, Old Hall.
2nd Lieut., 5th February 1913. Lieutenant 31st October 1914.
Went to Belgium with the 2nd Battalion in October 1914 and was severely wounded
near Ypres on 1st November 1914 (twice mentioned in despatches).
Died of his wounds at 26 Park lane, London, 16th December 1914.
A senior officer wrote of him : "A braver lad never stepped the earth;
he was left in command of 'B' Company when all his seniors had been shot.
He commanded it like a veteran, and on two occasions he was largely responsible
for the regiment being saved."
"His comrades will miss him sadly, and an older generation will recall
the loss we sustained in the death of his uncle, William Stafford Brooksbank,
who died of small pox at Bangalore, 18th June 1891, while Adjutant of the
same battalion" (H G)"
Captain Stamp Brooksbank. 3rd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed
26 September 1915. Aged 28. Son of Sir Edward Clitherow Brooksbank, 1st Bart.,
of Healaugh Manor, Tadcaster, Yorks.
Commemorated Panel 44 and 45, LOOS MEMORIAL.
The following biographical information is taken from Roberts
Coulson's Biographies
of Officers of the Yorkshire Regiment;-
"Like his younger brother (Hugh Godfrey Brooksbank) Stamp Brooksbank
was also born at Healaugh Old Hall on January 16th 1887 and was educated at
Eton and Trinity Hall, Cambridge, which he entered in 1905.
Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in September 1914 he joined his brother’s
battalion, the 2nd Battalion, in January of 1915.
He fought at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March of 1915 and also at the
Battle of Festubert in May.
On the eve of the Battle of Loos, Stamp Brooksbank was with “D”
coy of the 2nd Battalion under Captain Richardson. The battle opened on September
25th 1915 with the battalion attacking towards Hulluch just to the north of
Loos. The attack faltered under heavy fire and the battalion had to dig in
just short of the village.
At 11-00 p.m on the 25th Lieutenant Brooksbank was sent out with a platoon
to clear a pocket of Germans in a nearby quarry. A message got back a short
time later to say that Lieutenant Brooksbank had been wounded. However, he
was never seen again and his body was not recovered. There is a possibility
that he was captured and died in enemy hands".
Private Charles Henry Cowens, 27911. 7th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment.
Husband of Elizabeth Mary Cowens, of Laburnum Cottage, Robin Hood's Bay, Yorks.
Killed 13 May 1917. Aged 23.
Commemorated Bay 5, ARRAS MEMORIAL.
Born Sneaton (Yorks), Enlisted Whitby, Resided Sneaton.
Private John William Lowther, MM, 12033. 13th Battalion Yorkshire
Regiment. Killed 15 April 1918.
Buried LILLE SOUTHERN CEMETERY.
Born Sneaton (Whitby), Enlisted South Bank (Yorks), Resided Sneaton.
Captain Evan John Richardson. 2nd Battalion Yorkshire
Regiment. Son of J Richardson of Bath. Killed 25 September 1915. Aged 27.
Commemorated Panel 44 and 45, LOOS MEMORIAL.
The following biographical information is taken from Robert
Coulson's Biographies
of Officers of the Yorkshire Regiment;-
Evan Richardson was born in Cheltenham on January 9th 1888.
A career soldier he was commissioned on February 8th 1908 and by March 1915
was a captain when he joined with the 2nd Battalion at Laventie just after
the Battle of Neuve Chapelle.
Captain Richardson saw action at Festubert and Givenchy in May and June of
1915 and when the Battle of Loos opened was with the battalion at Vermelles.
On September 25th the plan was to attack a cross roads on the north east corner
of Hulloch and Captain Richardson led “D” company in the advance
towards Hulloch and Cite St Elie. A pocket of German resistance was located
in an area known as The Quarries and units of the 2nd Battalion were sent
in to clear the area and in this operation Captain Richardson was mortally
wounded.
Private William Smith. 27941. 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son
of Joseph and Jane Elizabeth Smith, late of Bennison House, Sneaton, Whitby;
husband of Emily Smith, of Longstone Farm, Sneaton Thorp, Yorks. Killed 31 July
1917. Aged 23.
Commemorated Panel 33, Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
Born Sneaton (Yorks), Enlisted Whitby, Resided Sneaton.
The Family Memorial to Captain Richardson in St. Hilda's Church, Sneaton
Photo : Edward Nicholl
St. Hilda's Church, Sneaton
Photo : Edward Nicholl
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