Private. 2nd Battalion. West Yorkshire Regiment. Regimental number 270021.
Early life:
Richard’s parents were Henry Lindsay and Martha Hannah Lindsay née Slinger who were married in the parish church at Kildwick when Henry was 26 and Martha was 28.
Henry was a Police constable, first appointed on 4th October 1888. He transferred to Keighley on 6th December 1900. He retired from the Police Force on 1st February 1904 after 16 years service.
Richard was their only child, born in 1889 and registered at Settle in the second quarter of the year. He was baptised at the parish church of Giggleswick on 9th June 1889.
In the 1891 census Richard was aged just one and living with his parents at 7, Craven Cottage in Settle, which was a service house for the constabulary. Henry was aged 30 and Martha 32.
In the 1901 census Richard was aged 11 and living with his parents at 3, Stanbury, (part of the Urban District of Oakworth) Richard’s father was discharged from the Police on 1st February 1904 (no reason given)
Henry sadly died on 3rd February 1905 aged about 45. His 1905 probate record shows he died at The Menston Asylum and his home address was 26, Bogthorn, Oakworth. His effects left to Martha were £84 13s 7d. Richard would have been aged about 16 when his father died.
Martha and Richard continued to live near Bogthorn for a while and were at 3, Higher Spring Head there until 1912 according to the electoral rolls.
In the 1911 census they were recorded living at number three and Richard was 21 and working as a shuttle maker at a shuttle workshop, possibly the one at Lidget in Oakworth. Martha was aged 53. Also boarding with them was 46 year old John Slinger, Martha’s brother, a farm labourer.
Martha remarried, to John Craven at St. John’s Church at Ingrow on 16th September 1911.
Richard married Ann Mitchell at Barnoldswick on 18th April 1914. They were both aged 25 and employed as weavers.
Their son Morris was born on 16th October 1915. His birth was registered at Skipton in the last quarter of the year.
War service:
There are no Army service records available for Richard, but from his soldier’s effects record calculation based on the war gratuity and his length of service, we think he enlisted in April 1917. This is confirmed by a mention in the Craven Herald newspaper. He enlisted at Barnoldswick with the 2nd Battalion, Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire) Regiment. After training he would have gone out to France and had served overseas with them for ten months, when on 29th May 1918 he went missing in action. He was aged 29.
WO-95/1714/3. War Diary:
2nd Battalion, Prince of Wales Own West Yorkshire Regiment.
26th May:
Information having been received of a probable enemy attack during the night of 26/27th the Commanding officer returned from ROUGY to the Line, and C Company moved up into Support in TRENCH MIGAULT, and orders for special precautions to be taken were issued.
27th May.
1 am:
The enemy opened an intense bombardment of H.E. and gas shells on our positions with lasted for about 4 hours.
During this bombardment the Battalion with drew to the Redoubt Line and evacuated the outpost line, and there awaited the enemy’s attack.
4.30 am:
About 4.30 a.m. the enemy came over in very large numbers and, although at a disadvantage owing to having to wear Box Respirators, we promptly replied with Machine Gun and rifle fire, and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy, who were temporarily held up. At this time, however, it appeared that he had penetrated our redoubt line on the Right and Left and it was, therefore, necessary to withdraw to the Support Line.
5 – 6 am:
At this time, as it appeared that the enemy were well past us on the flanks and threatening to surround the Brigade, the remainder of the Battalions and Brigade Headquarters withdrew to a position South of the AISNE above LA PLATTERIE.
7 am:
Owing to the enemy having crossed the River about GERNICOURT and advancing upon this position from the flank it was evacuated and the Brigade withdrew to the Base of ROUCY Hill, where the remains of the 24th and 25th Brigades were picked up and some of the 25th Division, and a position established.
Towards night this position had to be evacuated, and we with drew down to slope of the hill to wards VENTELAY.
During the day the following reinforcements were sent to the Line from the Transport Lines :- 2nd Lieutenant A.J. STAGG and 69 0. R’s from Lewis Gun School. 2nd Lieutenant W.B. GERRITY and 60 0. R’s.
The Transport left their lines near VENTELAY about noon and marched to lines in wood near MONTIGNY. This wood was shelled at regular intervals all day, and at night the Transport left and proceeded to near BRANSCOURT.
28th May.
6 am:
The Brigade fell slowly back during the morning and at about 6 a.m. a position was taken be up on the River VESLE by the remains of the 25th, 50th and 8th Divisions, and despite vigorous enemy attacks this position was held until the afternoon, when it became known that the enemy had crossed the river about 2 miles away, and therefore, the position had to be evacuated, and the line was withdrawn to between VANDEUIL AND BRANSCOURT
The Line was reinforced by the French on our right but the enemy were continually out flanking us on the left, and eventually the line was forced back to a position South East of BRANSCOURT.
The transport moved during the day first to SAVICOURT, thence to LHERY and from there to JONQUERY.
29th May:
The line taken up the previous night was maintained until about 11 am., when, owing to the French falling back on our left, the line was withdrawn to the Ridge N. of TRESTON.
About 1 pm. this position was heavily shelled by T.Ms and a considerable number of casualties were sustained as there had not been time to dig in properly.
About 5 pm. the enemy delivered a very determined attack which drove us to the bottom of the valley and a position was taken up on the Ridge North of BOULEUSE, which position was held until night fall.
During the day the transport moved to cross roads near MELLERAI, and from there in the afternoon across the MARNE to OEUILLY.
2nd Lieutenant R. MASON and 2nd Lieutenant M.J. WRIGLEY and 40 0. R’s were left at JONQUERY as reinforcements.
30th May:
The 19th Division came into the line, and what was left of the 8th Division was collected at NANTEUIL.
Transport moved during the afternoon into FORET D’EPERNAY near BRUGNY.
2nd Lieutenant R. V. NORTH rejoined from Hospital.
31st May:
Remains of the Division still at NANTEUIL.
Transport moved to GIONGES.
Between 27th and 29th of May 1918, 514 men from the battalion went missing and Private Richard Metcalfe Lindsay was one of them. He is named on the Soissons Memorial.
His wife Ann must have been desperate to find out any information about her husband. She did write to the Red Cross on asking them for information to see if he was being held as a prisoner of war but on 8th October 1918 they responded ‘Négative envoyé’ as he was not in their records. She also wrote to the Craven Herald in May 1919, asking for any information about him but to no avail. In July 1919 he was officially recognised as presumed dead, on or around 27th to 29th May 1918.
Post war:
Ann and Morris were living at 7, Leonard Street in Barnoldswick after the war.
She would have received his British War Medal and Victory Medal plus a bronze war memorial plaque and memorial scroll inscribed with his name. Any personal effects would have also been sent to her.
From his Army pay account, a payment of £6 2s 8d was made to her on 3rd September 1919 followed by a further payment of £12 5s 3d on 23rd December 1919. This second payment included a £6 war gratuity.
Ann also received a Dependant’s pension for herself and Morris. This amounted to 20 shillings and 5 pence per week, beginning on 30th December 1918. A £6 grant was also paid to her on 22nd July 1919. Ann’s pension was for life but the element payable to Morris ended on his 16th Birthday, which was on the 16th October 1931.
A further pension card dated 2nd February 1921 shows the pension was raised to £1 6s 8d per week for Ann and 10 shillings per week for Morris.
In the 1921 census Ann aged 32 and Morris aged 5, were living with Ann’s mother Margaret Ann Mitchell and Ann’s three brothers Thomas, Edwin and Charley at 7, Leonard Street, Barnoldswick.
In 1939, Morris married Nellie Warner at Surrey, registered there in the third quarter of the year.
In the 1939 register Morris was living with Nellie at 26, Fairfax Road, Woking in Surrey. Morris was a refuse wagon driver for the council and they were both working for the British Red Cross as part of the war effort. Morris died in 1994.
Remembrance:
Private Richard Metcalfe Lindsay is remembered on the Soissons Memorial at Ainse in France.
Locally he is named on the Barnoldswick War Memorial.
He is not named on any war memorial in the Worth Valley, but he is named on the Oakworth Great War Centenary roll of honour which is on display at Oakworth Community Hall.
Information sources:
West Yorkshire, England, Police Records, 1833-1914.
North Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1940.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915.
North Yorkshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1924.
1891 England Census.
1901 England Census.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915.
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995.
1911 England Census.
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915.
Lancashire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1936.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919.
British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920.
WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920.
Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929.
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923.
1921 England Census.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005.
1939 England and Wales Register.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007.
Craven’s part in the Great War (the book and the website)
