We Are Moving!

I'm currently in the process of  editing and transferring information from this blog to a new website Wombwell 1914 - 1918. My aim in doing this is to create a more concise and user friendly online research resource which focuses solely on the people of Wombwell who served in the Great War, without posts on current memorial events and exhibition etc. I will keep those types of posts on this blog. Please bear with me during the process. I will keep all information available on this blog until I've done.

Somme Commemorations for Wombwell Soldiers

Friday 1st July 2016

10am - Wombwell Library,
             Somme memorial coffee morning.

1pm   - Barnsley Town Hall,
            Unveiling Barnsley Pals memorial panels.

6pm - Wombwell Cemetery
           100 years commemoration of the Battle of the Somme,
           Hosted by the Friends of Wombwell Cemetery and the Royal British legion.

Barnsley Pals Memorial in Wombwell Cemetery

Monday 11th July  2016

1.45pm - Wombwell Park,
                Unveiling a memorial stone for all Wombwell soldiers who fought and fell in WW1.
                 hosted by the Friends of Wombwell Park and stone donated by Cooperative funeral care.

Barnsley Pals Memorial Panels

According to this article from the Sheffield Star online, two of the Barnsley Pals to be featured on panels outside Barnsley Town Hall are from Wombwell. Brothers Ernest and Fred Walker lived next door to each other on Princess Street at the time they enlisted. Fred and Ernest were killed on the first day of the battle of the Somme. Their Brother Charles was also killed in action on 1st July but he didn't live in Wombwell with his brothers.

At least 30 men from Wombwell died on the first day of the Somme. Over 10 of them were in the Barnsley Pals.

The Panels will be unveiled in a 40 minute ceremony at 1pm on Friday 1st July outside Barnsley Town Hall.

Installing the panels outside Barnsley town hall

Barnsley Pals Memorial Panels

Installing the panels outside Barnsley town hall

According to this article from the Sheffield Star online, two of the Barnsley Pals to be featured on panels outside Barnsley Town Hall are from Wombwell. Brothers Ernest and Fred Walker lived next door to each other on Princess Street at the time they enlisted. Fred and Ernest were killed on the first day of the battle of the Somme. Tragically their brother Charles was also killed in action on 1st July 1916, but unlike his brothers did not live in Wombwell.

At least 30 men from Wombwell died on the first day of the Somme. Over 10 of them were in the Barnsley Pals.  The commemorative panels will be unveiled in a 40 minute ceremony at 1pm on Friday 1st July outside Barnsley Town Hall. Items belonging to Fred Walker will be on display at Experience Barnsley from August as part of their Somme exhibition.

Ernest And Fred Walker.

Somme Memorial Coffee Morning at Wombwell Library 1st July 2016

On Friday 1st July Wombwell library is holding a coffee morning to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the start of The Somme. The battle of the Somme was the Western Front's bloodiest conflict with more than one million men losing their lives. The event starts at 10am. There will be photos relating to the Somme and the First World War with two minutes silence at 11 am.

Battle of Jutland 31 May – 1 June 1916

The 31st May marks the 100 year anniversary of the Battle of Jutland. 67 men from the Barnsley area were involved with 14 killed in action, Two of the men were from Wombwell; Both Fred Walker and Wilfred Haigh served on the HMS "Indefatigable"

Linda Hutton of the Barnsley War Memorial Project created this poster to commemorate all the men who fell during the battle.

Barnsley History Day 2016

This year's Barnsley history day was held at the town hall on Sunday. The event was opened by the Mayor and was a great celebration of local heritage. Many of the local history groups had tables and exhibitions.

Barnsley history day,
 Photo credit: Experience Barnsley

The Mayor opens Barnsley history day.
 Photo credit: Experience Barnsley

The stand belonging to the Wombwell Heritage Group featured a display about Wombwell men who died on and during the Somme. The display board was the hard work of Mary Taylor. Of course the Wombwell Heritage Group couldn't have put this board together without the help of the soldier's relatives. Many of whom have donated photographs and other information for us to use.

Wombwell Heritage group's stand

As it is the anniversary of the start of the Somme in a few months we decided to focus on the men who died not just on 1st of July 1916 but also those who died during the many months the battle . So far I have identified 29 Wombwell men who fell on 1st July 1916, but there very well could be more.

Display board featuring Wombwell men who fell on the first day of the Somme
and throughout many months of the conflict.

Just some of the 29 Wombwell men who died on the first day of the Somme.

I'd like to say thank you to the relatives who have provided us with information on their uncles and grandfathers for the exhibition. Sadly due to lack of space we couldn't show everything we have. Hopefully there will be some more Wombwell based events nearer the anniversary of the Somme. Where we can create a larger more in depth display.

Display of WW1 Arifacts

As well as the information boards we had a table of WW1 artifacts. These included medals, cap badges, sweetheart brooches, One of our prize exhibitions is a death penny belonging to a Wombwell soldier named Frank Pettitt . Which was rescued from a scrapyard and donated to me by Wallis Metals of Goldthorpe. Also on display were some bullets and a grenade casing recovered from the Somme.

Frank Pettitt's death penny
Donated by wallis metals

French and German rounds recovered from the Somme.

WW1 artifacts displayed by the Wombwell Heritage Group.

Mary Taylor and Pte. Frank Inskipp's relative Jean Davies.

Another great advantage of attending the history day is that you get to meet relatives of WW1 soldiers. Above is a photograph of Mary Taylor talking to Jean Davies. She is a relative of Pte. Frank Inskipp. Although Frank isn't on our Wombwell memorial he came from a nearby village. He was friends with a Wombwell soldier named Francis Feasey. They were both in the same regiment and according to military records died on the first day of the Somme.

People viewing stalls at Barnsley history day.
What a great turnout!

Taskers Barnsley street photography display

Barnsley war Memorial Project's display.

People viewing displays at Barnsley history day.

I'm going to assume this is the Mayor's car.

Barnsley War Memorial.
This memorial is unusual as it has no names on it.

More photos can be viewed in an album on Experience Barnsley's Facebook page