TICKHILL WAR MEMORIAL. WORLD WAR 1 M to O.

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1 TICKHILL WAR MEMORIAL WORLD WAR 1 M to O. Joseph Marsden Private nd /7 th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers Son of William Marsden of Westgate, Tickhill Died 04 March 1918, aged 30. Buried in Tincourt New British Cemetery, Somme, France Plot IV, Row F,Grave 32. William Frederick Matthews Captain 1 st Battalion, South Wales Borderers attached to 1 st Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment. William was born in Tickhill on 20 May 1887, the son of Major Norman H Matthews and Anna Mary Matthews (nee Ward) William also served in India and West Africa He was killed on 18 August 1918, aged 31 and is buried in Tannay British Cemetery in Thiennes, France, Plot 5, Row D, Grave 3 The headstone also bears the name of Captain John B Matthews MC, of the North Staffordshire Regiment (attached to the Leicestershire Regiment) who was killed in action near Polygon Wood on 02 October 1917, aged 26 years. Major Matthews records the deaths of William Frederick (Willie) as follows: Willie left from the Fifth form (Hereford Cathedral School), and went to an Army Coach at Bedford, but failed to pass into Sandhurst, then he came home, and his great wish to join the army, he made up his mind to enlist as a Private, and joined the Royal Sussex Regt, by and with the advice of Lord Roberts; he began soldiering as a bugler in A Company of the 1st Herefords, of which I was Captain; he became proficient in Signalling and Ambulance; and after he served as a Private in the Sussex Regt, for a year, he was promoted to L/Corporal, went to India, (Rawalpindi), and while there, he received his commission in the 1st Battalion, S.W.B (24th Regt). On his return home, shortly afterwards he was seconded for service with the West African Regt., and went out to Sierra Leone, where he was till the War broke out. He had a command to wipe of the Germans from the Cameroons. This done, he was sent home for a year, having been out there double the usual time. After a year s recuperation, he was sent to his Regt. in France, and was attached later, to the E. Lancs Regt. After once being wounded (in the back by a fragment of shell), he was on duty in the trenches, and was killed by shrapnel on Aug, 18th 1918, and was buried at Tannoy Military Cemetery, Thiennes, with full Military Honours, the next day aged 31. He was then a Capt., and was due for further promotion. He left a letter for me, in which he wished me to hand 50 to Miss Mary McGeever of Garstang, nr Preston, to whom we found he was engaged. He was a born soldier.

2 William Wrigley Matthews Lance Corporal P/3104 Military Police Corps, Divisional Mounted Military Police - William was the son of Robert and Elizabeth Matthews of Tickhill. One of seven brothers who served with the Colours in World War One. Prior to enlisting he was with the Leeds City Police. The photograph shows William, in uniform, his brothers John (standing) and a second brother believed to be Robert (seated). The full family was:- William Wrigley Matthews born George Matthews born 1882 John Matthews born 1892 Robert Matthews born 1887 James Matthews born 1890 Harold Matthews born 1896 Frank Matthews born 1900 Amelia Matthews born 1879 Harriet Matthews born 1885 Ellen Matthews born 1895 William died of wounds on 10 April 1918 and is buried in the Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France. Plot VIII, Row 1, Grave 184. Military Police Officers of the MMP provided combat support services such as the control of traffic, prisoners of war, refugees and stragglers. They also provided security for Divisional HQ, supply dumps, visiting dignitaries and discipline patrols of rear areas. It was a primary requisite that the MMP should possess sober habits be intelligent, active and capable of exercising a sound discretion. The huge number of troops and vehicles on the roads of Flanders created the traffic control role of the Military Police essential to the smooth running of operations. They were also responsible for marshalling POWs and directing stragglers back to their units. It was said of the Military Police that in the battle zone, where they did their duty in exposed positions under heavy fire and suffered severe casualties, they solved an important part of the problem of traffic control by preventing the unavoidable congestion of troops and transport on roads in the vicinity of active operations, from degenerating in confusion

3 The Grave of Williams parents Robert and Elizabeth located in St Mary s churchyard in Tickhill, with an inscription to their son William. William s grave in the Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France. Plot VIII, Row 1, Grave 184.

4 Harold Milner Bombardier B Battery, 114th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Harold was the only son of Arthur and Julia Milner of Sunderland Street, Tickhill. News of his death was by telegram, which was in French and gave no details as to date, place or cause of death, it came from the chief doctor at the hospital at Dijon. The telegram was timed at 9.55am and appears to be dated 2 November 1915 and states simply that the soldier had died and that the burial was to be on Wednesday at 10am. Harold is buried in Dijon (Les Pejoces) Communal Cemetery, in the Cote d Or area of France. One of only 10 World War 1 casualties to be buried there. Information from the Doncaster Chronicle 26 November 1915 and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The graves of Arthur and Julia Milner are to be found in St Mary s Churchyard in Tickhill with an inscription to their son Harold.

5 Wilfred Nicholson Private th Battalion, King s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry - Wilfred Nicholson was born in Hampole, near Doncaster, on 20 th August He was the fifth child of William and Annie Nicholson. After leaving school he became a miner at Rossington Colliery and was involved in the sinking of the new pit. At the time of his marriage he was a banksman at the colliery. His parents lived in the Hesley Hall estate gatehouse, where his father was a shepherd. Wilfred married Edith (Edie) Maughan, from South Elkington in Lincolnshire on 26th August Edie was in service at Mount Pleasant, on Bawtry road, after their marriage they lived in Sunderland Street, Tickhill; their descendants still live in the village. In common with many Tickhill men, Wilfred enlisted in the army and joined the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. After basic training he was sent to France where he fought alongside many of his friends. On 02 April 1918 during the spring campaign of the Somme offensive, he was with Tickhill man, George Stubbings, they were running to cross a road, when Wilfred was hit by a shell and was killed instantly. At the time of his death Wilfred was attached to the 7 th Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps. Private Wilfred Nicholson has no known grave and is commemorated on panels 59 and 60 of the Pozieres War Memorial, near Albert in France. He is also commemorated on the War Memorial in St Mary s churchyard in Tickhill. Wilfred left behind his widow Edie, a three-year-old daughter Molly and an eighteen-month-old son Jack. Wilfred s obituary from his parents in the Doncaster Gazette dated 17 May 1918, states that three of his four brothers were also serving with the army in France. They all survived the war. John Burleigh Oldfield Major Essex Regiment Husband of Ellen Bendelow (formerly Oldfield) of Blencow House, Sunderland Street, Tickhill. Died 09 December 1914 aged 58 John is buried in Highgate Cemetery in London, reference