Annual Battlefield Trip 2025

The WW1 Bradford group is having their annual guided Battlefield Tour to France 1st – 6th June 2025. The guides have a wide range of knowledge and are willing to answer any questions.

This year’s itinerary includes visiting sites on the Somme connected with the Bradford Pals, various visitor centres and the route that a Canadian took from Arras to Hill 70 that he described in a letter to his wife. Visits to cemeteries are welcome and will be accommodated if they are within striking distance.

The WW1 Bradford group welcome expressions of interest.

Contact: john_restorick@hotmail . com or nhooper1956@googlemail.com

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Hanson School Museum Sep 2024

WW1 Group provide help to Hanson School with its WW1 memorial display.

When Brian Russell, of Hanson School, approached the WW1 Group for assistance in creating a WW1 Memorial display for its school Museum it was gladly provided. Yes ! the school has its own Museum which provides brilliant visual displays on several topics. A hidden first for Bradford.

Trish, Nic and Ray provided much assistance over the school’s summer holidays and now the display is ready for the new school year.

Brian published a thank you to all those who assisted him in creating the display in the Telegraph and Argus on 18 Sep 2024 and also onto the school’s website “https://hanson.org.uk/news/the-museum-hanson-update/”. The website is well worth a visit.

It should be mentioned that all the physical components of the Museum’s displays were designed, materials sourced and then handcrafted by Brian himself. His work deserves the highest credit possible.

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St Lukes War Memorial – Sep 2024

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Wreath laying at the Bradford Pals Stone Jun 2024

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.

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Tidying up the Pals Memorial Stone in Hebuterne Jun 2024

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.

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‘Death Penny” found at the Hermit Inn May 2024

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.

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Eastbrook Hall Picture frames Apr 2024

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.

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Exhibition Sep 2023

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.

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Database Update Jul 2023

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

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Bradford Pals Memorial Jul 2023

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

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