Gunner. Royal Field Artillery. Regimental number 209746. Early life: Foster’s parents were John Baxandall and Zillah Baxandall née Sugden. They were married in Keighley on the 11th of January 1876. John was a 24 year old bachelor and farmer of Dean Lathe and Zillah was a 22 year old spinster and worsted twister of Spring … Read more
Motor Fitter. Army Service Corps (MT) Regimental number: M2/130543. Early life: Frank’s parents were John Baxandall and Zillah Baxandall née Sugden. They were married in Keighley on the 11th of January 1876. John was a 24 year old bachelor and farmer of Dean Lathe and Zillah was a 22 year old spinster and worsted twister … Read more
Private. 10th Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment. Regimental number 18103. Early life: John was born on 31st May 1894 at Oakworth. His parents were Harry Hodgson and Mary Alice Hodgson, née Smith. They had been married in Keighley in the third quarter of 1893. In the 1901 census they were living at Cure … Read more
Private. 7th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment. Regimental no. 4753400 Early life: John Thomas was born on 29th April 1914 at 1, Kensington Street in Keighley and his parents were John Patrick O’Hara and Catharine O’Hara née Goulden who had been married in 1904. He had three brothers, Joseph aged , Francis, Edwin and James … Read more
Private. 6th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment. Regimental no. 4750206 Early life: George was born on 2nd January 1917 in Keighley and in 1921 they are living at 9, Elmwood Terrace in Oakworth according to the electoral rolls and are living there at least until 1948. George was aged four in the 1921 census and … Read more
Private. 6th Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment. Service No: 14315842. Early life: John’s parents were Robert Bertie Smith and Lena Smith née Stancliffe, who had been married in Keighley in the second quarter of 1923, when Robert was aged 41 and Lena was aged 28. Robert had been a fettler for Darling and … Read more
Sergeant, Wireless Operator/Air Gunner. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Service no. 1450865. Early life: Cecil was born in 1922 and was the son of William Knight and Agnes Tilson Knight, née Atkinson. They were married in 1934, three years after Agnes’s first husband John Frederick Clark had died in 1931. Because Cecil had been born … Read more
Corporal. 52nd Regiment, Reconnaissance Corps, R.A.C. Service No: 4544102. Early life: Allan was born on 31st August 1915. His parents were William Whitaker and Lily Whitaker née Grange, who had been married at St. Michael and All Angels Church in Haworth on 4th March 1914. In the 1921 census the family were living at 34, … Read more
Able Seaman, Mercantile Marine, M.T. Athelcrown Early life: John Allan Stephenson Bland was born in the early part of 1920 and his birth was registered in Keighley in the first quarter of that year. His parents were Allan and Jane Alice Bland née Baker and they were living at 6, Oldfield at the time. His … Read more
Sergeant. 422nd (West Lancs) Field Company, Corps of Royal Engineers. Regimental number 426520. Early life: Henry Wellman was born in Haworth in 1879, his birth registered in Keighley in the second quarter of that year. His parents were John and Jane Wellman née Moore and his father John was a stone mason/Labourer. In the census … Read more