Exley Head

Exley Head Methodist Church war memorials

There are two war memorials for Exley Head Methodist Church

The first is in the care of Bradford Museums and Art Galleries - at Cliffe Castle.

Oak Frame, with pediment. with the words "Ich Dien" . In the frame an elaborate Roll of Honour. At the top the Union flag superimposed by the Royal coat of arms, flanked by 4 flags superimposed by shields, surrounded by Laurel leaves. The whole is supported by engraved flanking columns with lions at the base. There is no makers or engravers mark.

Exley Head Methodist Church Roll of Honour

Exley Head Methodist Church Roll of Honour

Roll of Honour.
Army

John W. Bastow Cadet
William Brooke
Tom B. Bebb
J.Raymond Clapham, Killed in Action
William Feather
Abraham B. Fortune
Arthur Greenwood
Willam H. Hornby
R. Harold Hornby
Edwin D. Hurtley
Wilfred R. Horsham
Arthur Hampshire
Frank S. Inman
Clarence E. Johnson, 2nd Lt
Smith Kidd
John Kidd, L/Cpl
William J. Lister
J. Robert Lansdall
Harry Martin
Willie Marston
Edgar Normington
William Normington, L/Cpl

Edgar Smith
Hubert Smith
David Smith
Harry Steel
Fred Punt
George H. Taylor
Frank Widdop
David Watson, M.C. 2nd. Lt
Charles F.K. Watson, 2nd. Lt (KBGS)
Harold Whitfield, Killed in action
Percy Webster
Harry Midgley
James Easter
Arthur Lister
Joseph Rushworth
John Whiteoak
Joseph Clarkson
Samuel Holdsworth
Harry Kidd

Navy

John Barker
Henry C. Keighley
Smith Whiteoak

 

The second one is a stone cross mounted on a stepped plinth outside of Exley Methodist Church, at the junction of Wheathead Lane and Oakworth Rd
Description:
Polished Granite Cross on a three stepped sandstone base, approx 6ft high. The lower base contains three names from the second world war, and the upper base contains two names from the first world war.
Unveiled in the first week in October 1920, by the Lord Mayor of Keighley, Alderman M.F. Binns. See Bradford Observer Budget Friday October 8th 1920.

Exley Head War Memorial Cross

Exley Head War Memorial Cross

The inscription reads:
In Honoured Memory. / 1914 - 1918 / 1939 - 1945

Gnr. J. Raymond Clapham, R.G.A. killed in action at Messines, Jul 21st 1917, age 19.
Pte. Harold Whitfield, Duke of Wellingtons W.R.R., died of wounds received in action in Flanders, March 17th 1918, age 22 years.

Pte. J. Fairfax Dean, Y & L Reg, drowned off Tobruk, 1941, age 26.
Cpl. Pearson Crossley, R.A.S.C. died P. O. W. Japan 1943 , age 26
P.O. Douglas D. Smith, F.A.A. Killed, Northern Ireland, 1945, age 21

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

4 Responses

  1. David Kidd
    Cpl. Pearson Crossley, R.A.S.C. did not exctly die in Japan, but in Thailand in a Japanese prison of war camp. He was doing forced labor on the notorious Burma-Siam Railway recorded in the film "Bridge on the River Kwai."
    10th June 2023
  2. David Kidd
    P.O. Douglas D. Smith flew from an aircraft-carrier in a Grumman F6F Hellcat, a single-seat fighter. Excerpt From: David Kidd. “Exley Head Village History 3 Upper Wheathead Lane.” iBooks.
    10th June 2023
    • David Kidd
      A group of students from Foyle College Aviation Team in Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland, currently looking for relatives of the late Douglas David Smith who died in a Hellcat crash on Sawel Mountain on the 6th of August 1945. We are doing a recovery project of his Hellcat’s remains and would love to honour his memory with any possible relatives. Currently Douglas is buried in Faughanvale Church of Ireland Graveyard - grave 20. He was the son of David Smith and of Hannah Jessica Smith who resided in Exley Head. Recently we have completed a similar effort for the recovery of a Barracuda in a local lough where we also were able to contact a family member and would love to do the same for Douglas. If anyone has any relative information please contact nsloane789@foylecollege.derry.ni.sch.uk or see https://www.facebook.com/jonnymcnee Thank you
      12th October 2024
  3. David Kidd
    Pearson Crossley: is buried in Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, Thailand, 8-K-66 Cemetery for 7,000 Commonwealth & Dutch soldiers who worked on the Burma Railway as Japanese POWs.
    10th June 2023

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