Local History Walk 31 st October 2018 Our programme was changed at short notice to go and see the silhouettes of soldiers which have been placed around Walkington to commemorate the 35 men named on the village War Memorial who died in the First World War and later conflicts. Ex soldier, Stephen Thorpe, campaigned to raise 2,500 for the tribute. Each silhouette is 5 ft 7in, the average height of a WW1 soldier Below are the notes from which Helen and Ann led the two groups and there is also more information on the Walkington Village website from a book by Christine Elston 'Walkington Remembers' which was distributed in the Village in 2014 and a Roll of Honour of the men. 1) Bottom of Fergie carpark. HARRY LAWSON. Private 12/13 Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. Harry was born in Walkington. The 1911 census shows him living on East End with his father Roger, mother Ada, sister Kathleen & brother Francis. His father was the village joiner & wheelwright. Harry was still at school. The Northumberland Fusiliers raised 51 battalions in WW1, making them second only to London. Harry died in the Battle du Nord, as part of the battle of the Hindenburg Line,
on 27 th September 1918, at the age of 18. His body was not recovered & he is listed on the Vis-en- Artois Memorial to the Missing, Arras, France. 2) Dog & Duck yard. BOB NICHOLSON. Sergeant Air Gunner. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 15 Squadron. Died 18 th May 1942, aged 23. Son of Walter & Stella Nicholson of Walkington. Commemorated Odense (Assistens) Cemetery. 3) Northgate, no. 26, Old School House. GEORGE R ELLERINGTON. Sergeant wireless operator/air gunner RAF 206 Squadron. Died 20 th December 1940. Son of George & Hilda Ellerington, Walkington. Commemorated Lund, All Saints churchyard. 4) By white house. HARRY (William Henry) EZARD. Private, 9 th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. Son of George & Jane (nee Gilbank). His mother was born in Walkington & father in Newbald. 1911 census Harry was aged 12 & living in Northgate. He was married to Mabel who was left a widow at a very young age for Harry died of wounds aged 19 on 22 nd March, 1918. He had been in France only a few months & before enlisting had worked for Mr MTS Stephenson of Walkington House. Harry was killed on the second day of the Battle of St Quentin & is listed on the Arras Memorial to the Missing, France. 5) Front of Methodist Church : WALTER THORLEY. Private, 4 th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment. Nephew of Mrs H. Finch of Beaver Rd, Beverley. Wounded on 22 nd January 1916. He received the Silver Badge, known as the wound badge as it was given to men who had been wounded & alerted civilians to the fact that a man was an exservice man. Many men not in uniform suffered verbal abuse from
women so wearing the badge showed they had done their bit. After recovering he was allocated another regiment, the 14 th Leicestershire, but no further trace of him is known. 6) GEORGE EDWARD BOYNTON, Able Seaman Royal Navy. Born in 1898, son of John & Eliza Boynton & brother of Eva, 1911 census shows him living with family & assisting on the farm. His sister took over from her father as organist at the chapel until well into the 1980s. George joined the Royal Navy aged 18 & served on HMS Narbrough. He was just 20 years old when the vessel was sunk off the coast of the Orkneys on 12 th January, 1919. It had become separated from HMS Boadicea & HMS Opel in snow blizzards & a heavy swell. The Opel ran aground on rocks, braking up almost immediately. The Narbrough came alongside but in turning she turned right over & cracked like a piece of firewood, going down almost immediately. The Opel was lying in 2 pieces & the order was given to abandon ship. The only survivor was Walter Sissons who swam to shore & was found alive the next day. George is listed on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. 7) HARRY NEWMARCH DUGGLEBY. Born Driffield & in 1911 was living with his grandmother Emma Duggleby in Walkington, working as a general labourer at the Whiting Works. He enlisted on 11 th December 1915 & died 7 months later after being shot in the head during the Battle of Delille Wood on the Somme on 18 th August 1916. He is buried in the Corbie Communal Cemetery near Amiens, France. Delville Wood considted of 156 acres of oak, birch & dense hazel thickets. Attacks continued through July & August but it was not until 8 th September that the wood was cleared. 8) Opposite the Fergie. ERNEST A MINCHAM. Warrant Officer, Royal Australian Air Force. Died 4 th October 1943, aged 31. Son of Charles &
Elizabeth Mitcham of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. Husband of Joyce Mincham of Beverley. Commemorated Runnymede Memorial. 9) Opposite Barrel. JOSEPH GRAY. Ordinary Seaman, Merchant Navy. SS Empire Leopard. Died 2 nd November 1942, aged 41. Husband of Alice Gray of Walkington. Commemorated Tower Hill Memorial. 10) After All Hallows Road. JOHN WILLIAMSON GILBANK Private 10 th Battalion Sherwood Foresters Notts & Derby Regiment. Born in 1983, son of Matthew Gilbank of Howden & Mary Gilbank of Walkington. On the 1911 census John was aged 17 & working as a Waggoner s help on a farm in Bawtry, Nottinghamshire. The 10 th Battalion was formed in 1914 as part of Kitchener s Army & the Notts & Derby were to suffer 80% casualties.. John died on 6 th August 1916 in the Battle of the Somme & is buried in the Delville Wood Cemetery, Longueville & Picardie, France. Along the pond. 11) HAROLD GEORGE ASHTON Trooper, South African Mounted Rifles (SAMR). The Ashton family worked at Walkington Hall at the time of the Ferguson-Fawsitts. Harold s parents, Thomas & Beatrice lived at the White House opposite the village hall. A son, Louis, was landlord of the Fergie, helped by sisters Martha & Beatrice. Harold was born in 1881 & in 1911 was boarding with James Thomas as an apprentice wheelwright in Beverley. Harold joined the SAMR in August 1915 & died in Johannesburg whilst awaiting discharge on 8 th July 1918. He is buried in the Johannesburg (Brixton) Cemetery. 12) THOMAS WILLIAM TAYLOR. Private, 1 st Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment. Thomas was born in Walkington in 1888, only son of Robert & Rachel Taylor. He was an agricultural labourer whose family lived in Walkington for most of the 19thC. Thomas died aged 28 on 25 th September, 1916 during the Battle of Morval, as part of the Somme offensive. Roll call at the end of that day revealed only 5 officers & 118
other ranks were present. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Picardie, France. 13) WILLIAM ASH. Private, 1 st Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment. Born 1886, son of Henry & Hannah Ash. In 1911 he was living with parents, siblings Fred, Charles, George, Harriet, & Alfred & cousin Ada May in a cottage where the shop is now. Prior to joining up he had been a gardener for Mr W.A. Plimpton of Park House. He was killed on 3 rd November 1916, aged 30, at the Battle of Ancre Heights during the 14) Battle of the Somme. He had been in France for 9 weeks when he was caught by a sniper s bullet. He is buried in Cambrin Churchyard Extension near Bethune, France. 15) WALTER EDWARD PURDON. Gunner, 166 th Siege Artillery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Born in Howden, son of Walter Purdon of Howden, Waggoner, & Ellen Davy of Walkington. In 1911 he was working as a Waggoner in Cherry Burton. Men with experience of managing horses were much sort after to haul heavy guns into place. He died on 9 th April 1918 in Flanders during the German Offensive & is buried in the Faubourg-d Amiens Cemetery, Arras, France. 16) JOHN (JACK) CROSS. Private 2 nd Battalion York & Lancashire Regiment. Born 1899 son of Robert Cross Of Middleton & Emily of Lund. In 1911 the family was living in Walkington & Jack was still at school. He enlisted on 21 st May 1917 in Beverley. The York & Lancs Regiment raised 22 battalions (57,000 men). Jack was killed during the German offensive & is buried in the Huts Cemetary in Belgium. His brother Walter also fought but survived. 17) BERNARD RICHMOND. Lance Corporal, 4 th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment. Died between 21 st & 29 th May 1940 aged 32. Son of Arthur & Ada Richmond. Husband of Ivy of Beverley. Commemorated Baillieu-Sire-Bertoult communal cemetery grave7.
18) By church gate George White. Gunner 2 Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery. Died 29 th May 1940, aged 30. Son of George & Deborah White of Hull. Commemorated Lille Southern Cemetery.