MISSING ON THE SOMME

[mametz]

Why did the City of Leeds never honour their WW1 heroes?

[Eddie Morton]

There's a memorial to the Leeds Pals in Colsterdale, North Yorkshire, just west of Masham. This is where they did their training prior to going abroad.

Eddie.

[Frank_East]

There is a plaque on The Headrow,one of the main throughfares of the City of Leeds which commemorates the following Leeds VCs.There may be others.

Corporal (later Captain) George Sanders, 1/7 West Yorkshire Regiment (PWO) , a Territorial who was awarded the VC for valour at Thiepval on July 1st 1916.He was also the holder of the MC and survived the war after being taken prisoner late on in the war.He was an engineer and worked at the Leeds Corporation Meadow Lane Gas Works.

Acting Captain David Philip Hirsch,4th Battalion, the Yorkshire Regiment who was awarded the VC for valour at Wancourt on 23rd April 1917.He was killed in that action and has no known grave.He is also remembered on the Arras Memorial.

There is a Second World War VC remembered on the plaque,that being Flight Sergeant Louis Aaron a pilot on No 218 Squadron RAF who although serious wounded and with wounded crew on board diverted to Bone, North Africa after a raid on Turin on August 13th 1943.After landing safely he died of his wounds.

There used to be a number of elaborate brass memorial plaques in the main office corridors of the Leeds Corporation Electrictity Department's Whitehall Road power station dedicated to the memory of the department's fallen.The power station was closed in the 1960s but the building was retained as a training establishment and may have now been sold off.

Whether the plaques have survived I do not know.

[Chris Noble]

A memorial was erected by the Leeds Pals Association in the Lady Chapel of Leeds Parish Church. The memorial was dedicated on 1st July 1931.

As regards the Somme battlefield, i believe a memorial was erected in Connaught Cemetery, Thiepval, to the men of the 1/5th West Yorks who fell on the 28th September at the Schwaben Redoubt. I believe it was removed to the battalions drill hall at York.

Regards, Chris.

[FRICOURT]

Leeds and Bradford Councils never commemorated the Pals on the Somme. I once heard that Leeds Council thought it unfair to the 10,000 plus other Leeds men killed in the War.

The council have been approached many times over the past 10 years and it's always the same answer "there is a memorial to the Pals at Colsterdale".

An organiasation in Bradford placed a memorial to the Bradford Pals at Owl Trench a few years ago.

Charlie

[John W]

Bradford Council Held a service on the 1st July in centenary square

http://www.bradford.gov.uk/about/council-n...p?id=2300&cat=1

Leeds is a slightly differant matter there is little in leeds to commemorate the Pals battalions, there were two from Leeds. and whilst there was about 10,000 killed from the city over 20% were from the West Yorkshires, including the Terratorail Leeds Rifle Battalions.

JOhn