Skipton WW1 Roll of Honour

 ENLISTED SOLDIERS FROM THE SKIPTON DISTRICT WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR 1914-1918

" LOST IN FRANCE"

He had the plowman's strength in the grasp of his hand. He could see a crow three miles away, and the trout beneath the stone.  He could hear the green oats growing, and the sou'-west making rain;  and the wheel upon the hill when it left the level road.  He could make a gate, and dig a pit, and plow as straight as stone can fall.

And he is dead.

E.R.

ANSTEE, William Parsons  Sgt. 186  KIA, Gallipoli, 24.11.1915  Son of George and Louisa Bertha (nee PARSONS). The Parsons family lived in the bluestone house just over the bridge to the west, next to the Courthouse,  Mrs Parsons ran a school in the back room before the foundation of the Skipton Common School.  Louisa Bertha was their daughter.  The Parsons family relates to the Notmans. Claud Notman is well known as Skipton's historian.

ANGUS, William John  Pte. 2104  DOW, France, 14.10.1917  Son of Archie and Florence (nee BASS)  Archie Angus was a local builder, and prominent in the Presbyterian Church.  A Communion chair in St Andrews is dedicated to Will.

BAULCH, William John  Pte. 2566  DOW France, 1.12.1916, Son of Charles and Elizabeth Mary (BROWN) of Lexton.  The Baulch family settled at Bradvale near the corner of the road to Lismore.

BETTAM, Edward Pte. 5302  nok Sister, Birmingham, England, employed as a gardener on "Borriyalloak", Skipton. Edward died 9.10.1917, Passchendaele, Belgium.

BORBIDGE, James Charles  Pte 6620, DOW, 5.10.1917, Belgium  Son of Henry and Maria (nee RUMI) of Mingay, south of Skipton.

BROOKSBANK, William Pte 2114, KIA Gallipoli, 7.8.1915, NOK Father, Yorkshire, England, Employed on "Mooramong" Station.  Note the date - see entry for C. W. Sue.

BARR, Gilbert Harold  Pte 1226, KIA 8.6.1917, Belgium, Son of Thomas and Miriam (nee MARSHMAN) of Mingay.  Gilbert was one of the six men from Mingay to enlist on the same day.

CAMPBELL, William  Pte 4765A, KIA France 10.4.1918, born Coleraine, Ireland.  Employed as a gardener.  NOK, father, Ireland.  I cannot be certain here, but many of our servicemen were employed on the local sheep stations and gave their place of birth as the British Isles.  This is the only W. Campbell on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour.

CROXON, Alfred Charles  Cpl. 3274, born England, living Vite Vite, farmer.  KIA Belgium, 19.10.1917 NOK his father, Frederick H. Croxon of England.

CUNNINGHAM, James John  Pte 2158, KIA Villers-Brettoneux 27.4.1918.  Son of James and Mary, Beeac.  This family relates to the Keating, Cushing and Meehan families around Lake Goldsmith, between Skipton and Beaufort.

CUSHING, Hugh O'Niell Dvr 29719, DOW France 13.9.1917.  Son of Hugh and Bridget of Beaufort. The Cushing family relates to the Meehan and Keating families in the district around Lake Goldsmith.

DUNN, Ernest Edwin  Dvr 3625, DOW  Gallipoli, Son of George and Euphemia (nee STONE)  The date has never been confirmed.  The family struggled for many months to find out what had become of their son.

EDWARDS, Andrew, born Wales, (contact given as A. Bain, Stockyard hill) DOW 21.9.1917.  A Edwards is listed on the Honour Board in St Andrews Presbyterian Church.

GALBRAITH, William Robert  Pte 4010, died of accidental injuries 24.11.1917, France.  Native of Lerwick, Shetland Isles.  Entry in the "Blue Book" - a record of enlistments kept during WW1 by Andrew Mackenzie Elder.

GRIST, John Robert Pte 5097A KIA France, 8.8.1918 aged 19.  Son of John and Frances (nee CAIRNS), a local boy, student at Skipton School, one of eight children to grow up in the tiny bluestone cottage which still stands near the creek in Skipton. His sister, Marguerite is still living in Ballarat aged 101.  John died on her tenth birthday.

HENEHAN, John Thomas, Pte 3772, died Belgium 22.3.1918.  Curate at St John's, Skipton before enlistment, served with the 14th Field Ambulance. NOK his father Michael in Co. Mayo, Ireland.

HUSSEY, Charles  Pte 2664, KIA 19.7.1916, France.  Son of Michael and Elizabeth (nee RYAN).  The family was employed on "Carranballac" Station.

HUSSEY, John  Pte 1671 DOW 10.8.1918, France.  Brother of Charles, above.  Five Hussey sons served in this war.  Three returned. 

JOHNSTON, Robert  Pte 3854 died 3.5.1917 Villers Bretonneux, France.  Son of Walter and Jane (nee PADFIELD) of Raglan.  His brother Adam also served and returned to work in the family's blacksmithing business.

KEATING, Thomas Francis  Pte 6294 KIA 23.8.1918, France.  Son of James and Matilda (nee MEEHAN).  The family relates to the Cushing, Meehan and Cunningham families.

KIRKPATRICK, George  Pte 2346 Died of illness, Wiltshire, England 1.2.1917.  Son of George and Janet (nee GLENDINNING) of Stockyard Hill, near Beaufort.

KIRKPATRICK, Gilbert Andrew  Cpl 4150 DOW 2.7.1918, France. brother of George, above.

McDONALD, John Charles Pte 7032 died 29.9.1918 Villers Bretonneux, France.  Son of John and Jane, husband of Marion Ida (nee WILKIE, of Skipton Courthouse Store).

McHARG, Andrew Gilbert  Pte 2121 died 12.10.1917, Belgium. Son of Ralph Archibald and Beatrice (nee MACKENZIE) enlisted from Mingay.  One of six young men to enlist on the same day from the Mingay district.

MATHEWSON, Leslie Thomas  Pte died 29.7.1915.  Son of Alexander Geddes and Jane (nee STOKIE). 

MULHOLLAND, Thomas  L Cpl 3427 DOW 27.9.1916 France, son of John and Mary of Carluke, Scotland.  Enlisted from Skipton, occupation Boundary Rider, aged 21.

NOBLE, Robert MM 2 Cpl 3436 died 3.5.1917 Villers Bretonneux, France. Son of John and Euphemia (nee MOFFAT). Attended Skipton School.  Military Medal awarded for gallant action at Mouquet Farm, 26.8.1916.

OSBORNE, William  Dvr 1583 died Surrey 26.12.1917.  Son of William and Catherine (nee LONG).  Attended Skipton School. 

REID, James Mansfield  MC  Lt. (later Capt.) DOW 30.10.1917, Belgium.  Son of George and Lilias Margaret of Kew, Victoria. Awarded Military Cross for "dogged determination, courage, devotion to duty and able leadership" near Ypres 28.10.1917.  Captain Reid was the Civil Engineer in charge of the extension of the railway line from Linton to Skipton in 1916.  He left for the war before the official opening of the line.  Think of him as you walk or cycle along the rail trail, and consider the skill required to lay out the line around those hills and curves.

ROSS, Henry Hassal (Harry) Pte 2865, DOW 17.7.1917 in France.  Son of Rev. Charles Stuart ROSS and Jane (nee COOPER), Minister of St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Skipton.  Harry was a School Teacher. Husband of Emily, father of four children. Attended Skipton School.

ROSS, James Forbes (Jim) Sgt. 389, KIA Gallipoli, 25.4.1915 (Anzac Day), brother of Harry (above).  School Master at Trinity Grammar School, Kew.  Attended Skipton School.  A third brother, George, also served, and returned home to Western Australia.

SEXTON, James Pte 5682 died 11.2.1916, France.  Mother Catherine, enlisted from Ararat.  Occupation on enlistment, Groom, Streatham.

SHAW, Adam  Pte 2145 KIA Passchendaele, Belgium.  Son of William and Jane (nee DIXON), husband of Annie Jane (nee STEVENS) 

SLATER, Harold Albert  Pte 1716  Died 27.10.1918 Norwich, England.  Son of John Howison and Emily Emma (nee SHUTTLEWOOD).  There are still members of the Slater family living in Skipton today.

SMITH, Alfred Ernest Gnr 22479 DOW 29.10.1917 Belgium.  Son of George and Victoria (nee WALKER) of "Fairview", Skipton.  Attended Skipton School.  His brother David also served.

SUE, Camilles Wentworth.  Cam was the brother of "Billy" Sue who worked on "Baangal" and married Jean Madden of Skipton.  The SUE family came from Wentworth, NSW.  Father George, mother Catherine nee CANTWELL. I have been unable to find Cam's enlistment records, but his name appears on the Honour Boards at Wentworth and Mildura.  Local records show that he served with the 8th LH on Gallipoli and died 7.8.1915, during the battle of Lone Pine. This was the day on which the Australian Light Horsemen (without their horses) made the charge at the Nek.  They were mown down "like corn before a scythe".

WARD, Leslie. Married to Margaret Stoddart, who later married John Joseph Hayes.

WHITTAKER, James William Pte 1733 died 18.9.1916 in Wiltshire.  Son of James Edward WHITTAKER, Manager on Mt Emu Station.  Born Corowa, NSW.

WILLIAMS, Frank Holford  Pte 1648 KIA 7.8.1915, Gallipoli, aged 18.  Son of Charles and Elizabeth Jane (nee HOLFORD), living on "Banongill' Station.  Frank's brother Gordon, also served.  Gordon attended Skipton School. Note that this is the date of the charge at the Nek, see C.W. Sue.

WISE, Albert  Pte 1747 KIA 2.2.1917 Bapaume, France.  Albert was the son of William Bell WISE and Ellen (nee CRAWFORD), aged 23, attended Skipton School.

YOUNG, Reuben  Pte 3959 died 26.8.1916 at Villers Bretonneux, France.  Reuben's name appears in a local birthday book, he may have been employed on a nearby Sheep Station.  He was the son of Reuben and Mary (nee YOUNG) of Ashton-under-Lyne, near Manchester, England.

Janet Walsh, for Skipton and District Historical Society Inc. February 2010.  Comments and further information would be most welcome.