Once again this year, members of the World War 1 Group shared the French commemoration of the Battle of Hebuterne-Serre at the invitation of the local mayors. Despite poor weather, larger numbers than usual were present and, with a dozen standard bearers from junior branches of remembrance organisations, the official parade was much longer and even more colourful.
The ceremony began at Serre Road No1 Cemetery with the exhortation and placing of a wreath on behalf of the WW1 Group. Everyone then paraded to the French Memorial Chapel on Serre Road where wreaths were laid at the Pals Memorial Stone by the mayor of Hebuterne and on behalf of the Lord Mayor of Bradford. The final part of the ceremony was held at the French Memorial where wreaths were placed by veterans of the French Regiments commemorated there.
The weekend of 15th/16th June proved to be grey, cold and damp in France this year, comme angleterre ! Members of the Bradford WW1 Group paid a visit to Avril at Oceans Villas for a warming cup of coffee before visiting the Pals Memorial Stone, which was installed in 2016. On finding the front of the Memorial Stone covered with weeds they set about some serious gardening. Among the weeds were poppy crosses placed last year by WW1 Group members Gail and Chris, by Bradford Grammer School in 2016 and one in remembrance of 50 Germans who were drowned nearby in a flooded trench system. All was made ready for the Commemoration proceedings the following day.
The manager of the Hermit Inn, Burley Woodhead, recently found a ‘death penny’ whilst creating a patio in the ‘yard’. These were issued to the families of servicemen killed during WW1. This particular one had a small hole in it suggesting that it may have been on display, possibly hanging on a nail. The WW1 Group where asked to research for any information on the person named on the ‘penny’, Ernest Vitty.
Ernest was born in Little Horton in Bradford. He attended All Saints School on Little Horton Lane. When he left school he worked for the Midland Railway as a Carriage Cleaner. When war broke out he enlisted into the West Yorkshire Regiment 1st/6th. He married Bertha Kershaw in May 1916 and shortly afterwards was wounded in the shoulder on the 1st July 1916. When he recovered he joined the West Yorkshire Regiment 1st/7th and was killed on the 9th October 1917 at Passchendaele. He is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
How the ‘penny’ got from Bradford to the Hermit Inn is a mystery.
The Eastbrook Hall Sunday School Roll of Honour comprises of 5 very large oak frames containing named photographs of Sunday School scholars who served in the war. These were rescued, in a very poor condition, from a skip after a serious fire at the Eastbrook Hall in 1966. For over 30 years they were held in private hands until being donated to the WW1 Group at the Mechanics Institute and in need of restoration.
Members of the WW1 Group, Chris and Gail, have now completed the extensive restoration work required and, for the very first time, the back of of each photo can be revealed. By inseting a clear acrylic panel, addresses and poignant messages can now be seen.
Each of those commemorated in the five frames is now being researched. It is intended that a booklet can be published to reveal the stories behind the photographs and that an opportunity can be found for the public to view these newly restored records of Bradford’s Methodist WW1 history.
If anyone has any information regarding Eastbrook Sunday School, the creation of the five displays or the names of the men and women who are included, please contact the WW1 Group.
The Mechanics hosted an Exhibition between 4th and 8th Sep by Dr Carole Binns and Ray Greenhough titled ‘Who Lived in a House Like This’. It revealed the hidden heritage of the street demolished for the construction of Bradford University.
There was a showing of Archive film footage regarding the local school ‘Carlton Street Board School’ being demolished.
The exhibition was hosted daily by Trish and Ray. Dr Binns gave a talk on the 5th
The picture (above left) shows Ray answering questions from visitors about one of his WW1 Display Boards.
The picture (above right) shows one of the Display Boards showing each street’s contribution to the armed services.
The ‘These also served” database has been updated with the names of 44 Nurses and 80 names who were involved with the Low Moor Munitions factory explosion.
This database is for Servicemen who are not on the Bradford or National Rolls of Honour and civilians who worked as part of the war effort. If the readers of this post have any information on a person who meets the criteria could you please let us know
Mic, WW1 Bradford Group Chairman, opens the new commemorative display that is now situated in the Town Hall, 2nd floor, just outside of the Debating Chamber. The opening was attended by a large number of guests who afterwards were provided with a buffet and refreshments in the Banqueting Hall
The ‘Names recorded on Bradford Memorials’ database have been updated with 80 records from Salem Church Roll of Honour and 52 records from St Johns Church (Little Horton) Roll of Honour. Both these church’s have been demolished.
Many thanks to reader contributions who loaned and/or donated these Rolls of Honour. Without the names being available for transcription they would have been lost to their descendants.
The transcription of the National Roll of Honour complements the Bradford Roll of Honour in that it provides addition data to that of the Bradford Roll of Honour.
Some names are included on both the Rolls of Honour and there are also addition names included on the National Roll of Honour that do not appear in the Bradford Roll of Honour.
The National Roll of Honour includes a short biography of the persons service. This biography has not been fully transcribed due to space constrictions but has been summarised.