Above is the WW1 memorial erected in 1920 by the villagers of Thorp Arch to remember those men who gave their lives in the Great War.
It can be found in the centre of the village and like many other memorials contains the names of men who gave their lives in WW2.
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PRIVATE ARTHUR ARCHER.
SERVICE NUMBER: PO/16725. UNIT/ H.M.S."Bayano" Royal Marine Light Infantry.
BORN: Hunsingore nr Wetherby. RESIDENCE: Thorp Arch.
GAVE HIS LIFE: 11/05/1915. AGED: 18.
CEMETERY: Portsmouth Naval Memorial. PANEL: 9.
LOCAL MEMORIAL: Thorp Arch.
ARTHUR IS REMEMBERED ON HIS PARENTS GRAVESTONE IN THORP ARCH CHURCHYARD.
Son of Thomas who in 1901 was a Horseman working on a farm, Born Easingwold 1862 and Fanny Francis M married at Easingwold in 1886.
Arthur was part of a large family and had brothers Fred born Skipton 1891 Frank born Skipton 1892 Ernest born Thorp Arch 1899 and Thomas William born Thorp Arch 1899.
Arthur had sisters Ada born Skipton 1888 Lily born Skipton 1889 Jessie born Hunsingore 1894 Frances born Hunsingore 1896 and Ethel M born Hunsingore 1898.
Arthur had joined the Royal Navy at the age of 17, and spent at least 18 months at Portsmouth in training.
He was posted to H.M.S Bayano which was built in 1913 and was actually a cruise liner and was commissioned at the outbreak of war to be used as an auxillery cruiser,
she was nearly 6,000 tons with a top speed of 14 knots.
May 8th 1915 "Thorp Arch Lads End"
"Arthur Archer third son of Thomas Archer, a marine, perished on board HMS Bayano, which was torpedoed by the Germans.
Only 19 years of age Arthur had been in the senior Service for two years, most of which was spent in Portsmouth.
Prior to visiting his home at christmas, he took part in action off Ostend and helped to capture 200 German prisoners.
One of a family of twelve children, one of his sisters is married and resides in Australia while another sister has sailed for Canada just last week."
HMS Bayano postcard advertising trips to Costa Rica, Panama and other South American countrys.
H.M.S Bayano was used to move men, equipment and supplies, at 05.15 am on the 11th May 1915 captained by Commander Henry Cecil Carr she was intercepted and sunk on her way from Clyde to Liverpool by U 27 (Commanded by Captain Wegener) off the coast of Dumfries and Galloway Scotland.
It was reported in the Times newspaper that the Bayano sank in less than three minutes taking 195 mens lives with only 26 men surviving.
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LANCE CORPORAL ERNEST CLARKE DICKENSON.
SERVICE NUMBER: 60228. UNIT/REGIMENT: 10th Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
BORN: Brearton Knaresbrough. ENLISTED: Boston Spa. RESIDENCE: Harrogate.
GAVE HIS LIFE: 27/09/1917. AGED: 32.
CEMETERY: Dozinghem Military Cemetery. GRAVE: V. E. 21.
LOCAL MEMORIAL: Thorp Arch.
CWGC States:
"Husband of M A Dickinson of 46 Regent Avenue Harrogate."
Formerly 187420 Royal Army Service Corps. Ernest passed away from wounds received.
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LIEUTENANT ALLIX JAMES WILLIAM GRIFFITHS.
UNIT: G Company 2nd Bn Dorsetshire Regiment.
BORN: RESIDENCE:
GAVE HIS LIFE: 25/03/1917. AGED: 22.
CEMETERY: Basra Memorial. PANEL: 22 and 63.
LOCAL MEMORIAL: Thorp Arch.
CWGC States:
"Son of the Rev. Henry Wager Griffith, M.A., and Eleanor Eva Griffith,
of Thorp Arch Vicarage, Boston Spa, Yorks.
Wounded at St. Eloi, 1915."
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PRIVATE WILLIAM HUSCROFT.
SERVICE NUMBER: 202151. UNIT: 6th Bn Leicestershire Regiment.
BORN: Thorp Arch. ENLISTED: Wetherby. RESIDENCE: Boston Spa.
GAVE HIS LIFE: 05/10/1917. AGED: 19.
LOCAL MEMORIAL: Thorp Arch.
Son of Thomas (born 1860 Tadcaster) and Ellen Inman (born Thorp Arch 1864) married Thorp Arch 1889.
William had one brother Thomas (born Thorp Arch 1892) and sisters Eleanor (born Thorp Arch 1895) and Charlotte (born Thorp Arch 1897)
Ellen gave birth to another son who passed away at birth.
William origanilly enlisted into the West Yorkshire Regiment Service number 29411.
At the time William gave his life his parents were living at The Green Thorp Arch.
CEMETERY: Tyne Cot Memorial Belgium. PANEL: 50 to 51.
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PRIVATE ALFRED LISTER.
SERVICE NUMBER: 203196. UNIT: 1/4 th Bn Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.
BORN: Thorp Arch. ENLISTED: Doncaster.
GAVE HIS LIFE: 24/07/1917. AGED: 29.
CEMETERY: Mont Houn Military Extension Le Treport. GRAVE: II. D. 2A
LOCAL MEMORIAL: None.
CWGC States:
"Husband of Mary A. Lister, of 29, Front St., Boldon Colliery, Co. Durham. Born at Moor Farm, Walton, Boston Spa, Yorks."
Found by mistake at this cemetery brother of Norman Lister on Boston Spa page.
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SECOND LIEUTENANT GEORGE WILLIAM HENRY MERRY.
UNIT/REGIMENT: 16th Bn Machine Gun Corps.
BORN: Scotland. GAVE HIS LIFE: 21/03/1918. AGED: 34.
CEMETERY: Templeaux-Le-Guerard British Cemetery Somme France.
GRAVE/PANEL:
LOCAL MEMORIAL: Thorp Arch.
CWGC States:
"Son of Reverend Joseph John Merry and Florance Hannah of 12 St Johns Terrace Belle Isle Leeds."
PRIVATE JOHN WILLIAM MILNER.
SERVICE NUMBER: 15/1785. UNIT: 15th Bn West Yorkshire Regiment (Leeds Pals )
BORN: Thorp Arch. ENLISTED: Leeds. RESIDENCE: Leeds.
GAVE HIS LIFE: 01/07/1916. AGED: 36.
CEMETERY: Sierre Number Three Cemetery Puisieux France.
GRAVE: B. 1.
LOCAL MEMORIAL: Thorp Arch. Boston Spa.
Son of William and Ellen Husband of Hilda Lees Milner 14 Ledbury Street Beeston Road Leeds.
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PRIVATE ARTHUR SMITH.
SERVICE NUMBER: G/20133. UNIT: 1st Bn Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment.
BORN: Thorp Arch. ENLISTED: Harrogate.
GAVE HIS LIFE: 19/04/1918. AGED: 20.
CEMETERY: Aire Communal Cemetery France. GRAVE: II. D. 29.
LOCAL MEMORIAL: Thorp Arch.
Son of John William the village blacksmith ( Born 1867 Thorp Arch) and Christiana nee Harland ( Born 1871 Cawood) Arthur had one sister Lily ( Born 1900 Thorp Arch).
Formerly 33750 3rd reserve Cavalry regiment.
Arthur gave his life from Wounds Received at the 54th clearing station in the town of Aire.
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CORPORAL JOSEPH SPENCER.
SERVICE NUMBER: 13238. UNIT: 11th Bn West Yorkshire Regiment.
BORN: Thorpe Arch. ENLISTED: York. RESIDENCE: Stutton near Tadcaster
GAVE HIS LIFE: 19/09/1917. AGED: 27.
LOCAL MEMORIAL: Tadcaster.
The son of George Born Tadcaster 1859 and Mary Ann Strothard Born Thorp Arch 1857 who married in 1884.
Joseph had brothers Herbert Born Stutton 1897 Harry Born Stutton 1899 and sisters Alice Born Newton Kyme 1888 and Edith Born Thorp Arch 1892.
George was a railway platelayer hence the reason he moved around the Tadcaster area indeed all his children were born where there was a railway station .
When his son Joseph gave his life the family were living in the railway cottages in Stutton village near Tadcaster.
YORKSHIRE HERALD JULY 14TH 1916
"Pvt Joseph Spencer, Stutton, Tadcaster, has been wounded by shrapnel in the left shoulder.
He enlisted about a month after the outbreak of war, and has been in France for 12 months."
YORKSHIRE EVENING POST LEEDS 24TH OCTOBER 1917
"Mr and Mrs G.Spencer of Stutton Tadcaster have received official notification that their eldest son Corporal Joseph Spencer (27) of the West Yorkshires has been killed in action on September 30th.
He was formerly employed by the North Eastern Railway Company at Tadcaster.
He was invalided on July 1st 1916 and returned to the front in January 1917."
GRAVE : II. C. 9.
CEMETERY: Hooge Crater Cemetery.
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LIEUTENANT JOHN WESTON WARNER.
UNIT/REGIMENT: 85th Squadron Royal Air Force.
BORN: Sunderland Co Durham. GAVE HIS LIFE: 04/10/1918. AGED: 19.
CEMETERY: Grand- Seraucourt British Cemetery. GRAVE: VI. E. 12.
LOCAL MEMORIAL: Thorp Arch.
AWARD: D.F.C.
Son of Christopher a commercial traveller (born Manchester 1862) and Annie Henrietta Adamson (born Sunderland 1870) who married in Sunderland in 1893.
John Had sisters Dorothy (born Sunderland 1895) and Marjorie (born Sunderland 1897).
When John gave his life his parents were living in Thorp Arch this explains why his name is on the memorial.
John had joined the RFC in September 1917, and was credited with eight victories (all when flying SE 5as with No 85 Sqn) at the time of his death.
His DFC was gazetted on 3 December 1918. The citation is below.
John, was flying SE 5a E3922 on a patrol when he was killed in action on 4 Oct 1918.
He was last seen in combat with enemy aircraft over Busigny at 1200.
A victory was credited to Ltn Paul Bäumer of Jasta 2, it was the 40th of his eventual 43 victories.
No 85 Sqn lost three pilots and aircraft from that patrol; as well as Lt Warner, 2nd Lt Frank Lydon LeLievre was killed in D6985 and Lt Charles William Davison was killed in F5520.
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PRIVATE GEORGE HAROLD WHARTON.
SERVICE NUMBER: 28894. UNIT: 2/6th Bn West Yorkshire Regiment.
BORN: Thorp Arch. ENLISTED: Leeds.
GAVE HIS LIFE: 29/11/1917. AGED: 26.
CEMETERY: St Sever Cemetery Extension Rouen. GRAVE: P. V. E 6 A.
LOCAL MEMORIAL: Thorp Arch.
Son of Frederick (born Sutton on Forest nr York 1864) a cowkeeper and Mary Jane Roberts (born Clifford 1863) who married in 1888.
George had sisters Elizabeth Laura Annie (born Thorp Arch 1890) and Marjorie (born Thorp Arch 1899).
George married Flora and when he gave his life she was living at no 4 Stanghow road Skelton-in -Cleveland.
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PRIVATE CHARLES WILLIAM WILSON.
SERVICE NUMBER: 202362. REGIMENT: 2/4th Bn Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.
BORN: Thorp Arch. ENLISTED: Kippax. GAVE HIS LIFE: 05/05/1917. AGED: 33.
CEMETERY: Arras Memorial. PANEL: Bay 7.
LOCAL MEMORIAL: Thorp Arch.
Charles in 1901 was lodging in Newton Kyme where he was working as a domestic gardener.
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