ABOVE IS THE BILBROUGH WAR MEMORIAL FOUND OUTSIDE ST JAMES CHURCH BILBROUGH.
BELOW IS A TRIBUTE FOUND INSIDE THE CHURCH BY COLIN QUICKMIRE
COLIN AND MEMBERS OF THE BILBROUGH BATTLEFIELD SOCIETY HAVE PAID THEIR RESPECTS OVER THE YEARS BY VISITING THE LAST RESTING PLACES OF THE MEN WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FROM THE VILLAGE
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CAPTAIN JOHN EDWARD BROWN
REGIMENT: "D" Battery 113th Army Brigade Royal Field Artillery.
BORN: Bilbrough. GAVE HIS LIFE: 14/09/1918. AGED: 33.
FATHER: Edward BORN: Bilbrough 1848. DIED: 1906.
MOTHER: Sara Ann Priest. BORN: Ackworth 1855.
MARRIED: York Mar 1876 Vol 9d Page 117.
LOCAL MEMORIAL: Bilbrough.
The family lived at Bilbrough Lodge where both John and his father Edward were born the family owning over 56 acres of land.
In 1901 John was a scholar at Ackworth District school nr Pontefract.
A plaque can be found on the wall inside Bilbrough Church remembering John.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SECOUND LIEUTENANT ROWLAND BASIIL EVAN ROWLAND.
UNIT: 16th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment.
BORN: Sutton Coldfield Vol 6d Page 417. GAVE HIS LIFE: 27/07/1916. AGED: 26.
FATHER: Basil Morris. BORN: Carmarthen Wales 1865. DIED: York September 1946.
MOTHER: Linda Brownhill. BORN: Bentley Walsall 1861.
MARRIED: Carmarthen Wales 1887.
LOCAL MEMORIAL: Bilbrough.
Lindas father was called Rowland hence the reason for the name Rowland Basil Evan Rowland.
Basil and Linda also had children:
Percival Hinton Born Sutton Coldfield 1890 passed away 1896.
Dora Winifred Born Sutton Coldfield 1895.
Cyril Justice Born Port Talbot 1897
Gladys Mary Born Sutton Coldfield 1898.
Claude Cecil Born Birmingham 1902.
In 1891 Basils father was a Schoolmaster in Sutton Coldfield, and in 1901 the family were living in Bristol where his father was described as a Clerk (Clergy) in holy order.
In the 1911 Census Rowlands father is living in Bilbrough occupation Clerk to Clergy the house is described as having 14 rooms.
Rowland was 21 and an Assistant Schoolmaster in Kings Norton Worcestershire.
CEMETERY: Thiepval Memorial. PANEL: 9A. 9B. and 10B.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PRIVATE ALBERT CECIL BEAN.
SERVICE NUMBER: 40934. UNIT: "A" Company 2nd Bn. Kings Own Scotish Borderers.
BORN: Tadcaster. ENLISTED: York. GAVE HIS LIFE: 08/11/1917. AGED: 21.
FATHER: Harrison Shillitoe Born: Ulleskelfe 1860.
MOTHER: Cissy Severs BORN: Stockton on Tees 1865.
MARRIED: Halifax Mar 1895 Vol 9a Page 501.
HUSBAND OF: Sarah Ellen Rider. BORN: York Dec 1896 Vol 9d Page 27.
MARRIED: York Sep 1915 Vol 9d Page 132.
LOCAL MEMORIAL: Bilbrough.
CWGC States:
"Son of Hamson Shillitoe Bean and Cissie Bean, of Bilbrough, nr. York.
Husband of S. E. Bean, of Sledmere Crossing, Murton, nr. York.
Native of Bilbrough."
Harrison and Cissie had sons Harrison Shilleto Born 1896 and Tom Born 1900.
Albert Cecil originally joined into the Reserve Cavelry Regiment Service Number 15504. He married in 1915 and had one son Harry Born York Dec 1915.
Harry was a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force in 97 Squadron "the Pathfinders" an elite Squadron who located and marked targets with flares.
Harry Bean was killed when his aircraft was shot down on the 17/08/1944. Click Here.
CEMETERY: Etaples Military Cemetery. GRAVE: XXX. K. 11.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PRIVATE GEORGE DIFFLEY.
SERVICE NUMBER: 4399. UNIT/REGIMENT: 2nd Bn. Scots Guards.
BORN: Bilbrough. ENLISTED: York. GAVE HIS LIFE: 26/10/1914. AGED: 31.
FATHER: Thomas. BORN: Ireland 1852.
MOTHER: Mary Ellen Galtress. BORN: Stockton on Tees 1853. MARRIED: York 1873.
HUSBAND OF: Florence Gill. MARRIED: Bramley Leeds 1909.
LOCAL MEMORIAL: Bilbrough.
CWGC States:
"Son of Mr. and Mrs. T. Diffley, of Bilborough, York.
Husband of Florence Diffley, of 11, Claremont Place, Whingate Rd., Armley, Leeds."
CEMETERY: Ypres Menin Gate Memorial Belgium. PANEL: 11.
George had a brother Thomas Born Bilbrough 1880 and sister Jane Ann Born Bilbrough 1879.
In 1901 the family were living at The Cottage Colton Lane End and George was working as a Domestic Groom.
His brother Thomas was a servant in Copmanthorpe nr York and his father was described as a bricklayer.
George had two children Kathleen E and Thomas E Born Bramley 1912 and 1915.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
DRIVER FRANK DUNN.
SERVICE NUMBER: 96129. UNIT: 55th Division. Ammunition Col. Royal Field Artillery.
BORN: York. ENLISTED: Northallerton. GAVE HIS LIFE: 21/03/1918. AGED: 21.
FATHER: William. BORN: Bradford 1878. MOTHER: Kate.
LOCAL MEMORIAL: Bilbrough.
CWGC States:
"Son of William and Kate Dunn, of Bilbrough, York. Native of York."
CEMETERY: Lapugnoy Military Cemetery. GRAVE: IX. A. 8.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PRIVATE JAMES ROBERT GILYEAT.
SERVICE NUMBER: 240879. REGIMENT: 9th Bn.Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.
BORN: Acaster Malbis. ENLISTED: Castleford. GAVE HIS LIFE: 04/10/1917. AGED: 23.
FATHER: George James. BORN: Hemingbrough 1869. DIED: Bilbrough 1932.
MOTHER: Annie Elizabeth Parkinson. BORN: Sherrif Hutton nr York 1874. DIED: Bilbrough 1953.
MARRIED: York 1892.
LOCAL MEMORIAL: Bilbrough.
James had a sister Florence Born Acaster Malbis 1897.
In 1901 the family were living in Ledston near Garforth where James father was working as a farm labourer.
CEMETERY: Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood. GRAVE: XV. B. 2.
DRIVER WILFRED COWEN HASKELL.
SERVICE NUMBER: 57749. UNIT/REGIMENT: 39th Brigade Royal Field Artillery.
BORN: Bilbrough. ENLISTED: Bradford. GAVE HIS LIFE: 01/10/1914. AGED: 27.
FATHER: William. BORN: Wiltshire 1851.
MOTHER: Leah Humby. BORN: Wiltshire 1852. DIED: Dewsbury 1895.
LOCAL MEMORIAL: None.
CWGC States:
"Son of William Haskell"
MEMORIAL: La Ferte- Sous-Jouarre-Memorial France.
Wilfred lies where he fell to this day and as a result is remembered on the above memorial.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PRIVATE HERBERT STEEL.
SERVICE NUMBER: 24808. UNIT/REGIMENT: 9th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment .
BORN: Bilbrough. ENLISTED: Wakefield. GAVE HIS LIFE: 20/09/1916. AGED: 32.
CEMETERY: Pozieres British Cemetery. GRAVE /PANEL: I.V Q 29.
LOCAL MEMORIAL: None.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PERCY PERCY DOUGLAS WILLIS.
SERVICE NUMBER: 47293. UNIT/REGIMENT: 12th Bn.West Yorkshire Regiment.
BORN: Bilbrough. ENLISTED: Wetherby. GAVE HIS LIFE: 13/04/1917. AGED: 39.
LOCAL MEMORIAL: None.
CWGC States:
"Son of George and Julia Willis, of Sharow Ripon, Yorkshire.
Husband of Jane Ann Willis, of 6, Mill Lane, Heworth, York."
GRAVE: 20. A. 8.
CEMETERY: Canadian Cemetery no 2. Nueville-St Vasst.
Percy was born the son of George Enos Born Rutland 1847 and Julia Rathbone Born Rugby 1840.
George was a gardener and moved around the country Sisters Bertha 1875 and Gertrude Beatrice 1877 were also born in Bilbrough.
In 1901 Percy was working as a domestic gardener at Myton Hall, Myton on the Swale.
Percy was married to Jane Ann and was living in Heworth York when he gave his life fighting in the battle for Vimy Ridge.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________