This man is a candidate for addition to Keighley's Supplementary Volume under the proposal to add further names in 2024, the centenary of the original roll of honour.
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Supported by the National Lottery's Heritage Fund, our project intends to submit about 120 names for peer review to add them to the book which is kept at Keighley Library. The unveiling of the book with it's new names is planned for November 2024, 100 years after the unveiling of the original war memorial.
Sergeant. 8th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment. Service number 305361.
Private Edgar Green.
Early life:
Edgar was born at Low Fold, Sutton in Craven. His parents were Joshua Green and Sarah Elizabeth Ibbotson Green, née Bell. Joshua was a farmer. In the 1891 census Edgar was aged just five months and living at Low Fold in Sutton with his parents, sister Emma aged seven and brother John aged five. Joshua was still a farmer but had added scavenger to his occupation which might mean he was the local street sweeper. Edgar and John were baptised together on 18th October of that year, at St. Thomas' Church in Sutton.
By the 1901 census they had moved to Garden Cottage, Sutton. Joshua was employed as a general labourer. Sarah was looking after the family home. Edgar was aged ten and at school, as was his younger brother Allan aged five. Emma was 17 and employed as a pattern work in a worsted weaving mill, John was 15 and a bobbin piler in worsted winding.
They were still living at Garden Cottage in the 1911 census and Emma has left home, having married George Charles Simons on 6th August 1910. Joshua was a farm labourer, Sarah looking after the home, John was a 25 year old machine fitter in the textile trade, Edgar was 20 and a worsted weaver and Allan was 17 and an apprentice iron turner at a machine tool works.
Edgar was a noted local athlete and he played football for Sutton Association Football Club, Keighley Celtic and Steeton Clubs and also trained with Bradford Park Avenue.
Edgar must have changed jobs before his enlistment because he was employed as a gear cutter by Messrs Sam(sic) (actually John) Sunderland of Fleece Mills in Keighley, who made gear wheels. The Fleece Mills site is now a large car park off Cavendish Street in town.
War service:
He enlisted in the Army in early August of 1914, joining the 1st/7th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (Leeds Rifles). His family were living at 2, Daisy Place in Sutton.
Edgar was already a Lance Corporal when he entered France with the regiment as they landed at Boulogne on 16th April, 1915. On 6th November he was involved in a particularly gallant act when he earned the Distinguished Conduct Medal for gallantry in the field at Turco Farm in Belgium.
He was wounded twice, in July of 1916 with a slight injury and again in August of 1917 when he was affected when his position was under a gas attack. Edgar was 27 years of age when he was killed in action by a shell, on 16th April 1918 during the Battle of the Lys.
Keighley News 6 November 1915 page 9:
REVIEWED BY THE KING.
Mrs. George Simons, King's Court, Sutton, has this week received a letter from her brother, Private Edgar Green, of the first 8th West Riding Regiment (Leeds Rifles) now at the front in France in which he mentions that he was one of those selected from his battalion to be reviewed by the King. Private Green says, "I have been out of the trenches for a day and a half. There were twenty five of our battalions sent out, and about the same number out of every battalion in the division, to be inspected by the King. I should think nearly all up this way was represented. We all marched past the King and then lined up at the side of the road and gave him a good cheer when he drove past in his motor. It would have been a fine sight but for the rain, and we had to keep our overcoats on. Sir John French was with him... Raymond Whitaker (Sutton Mill) was with the Keighley Territorials and Mr. Chaffers (The Grange, Sutton), was the officer with them at the inspection."
Keighley News 18 December 1915 page 9: SUTTON SOLDIER WINS THE D.C.M.
About a week ago Mrs George Simons, of King's Court, Sutton, received a card from her brother, Lance-Corporal Edgar Green, of the first 8th West Yorkshire Regiment (Leeds Rifles), which he had received for distinguished conduct, and stating that the matter had been reported to higher authorities. He gave no particulars, but promised to send details later. He has since written from the front as follows: "We have got to know this morning (December 9) that all the three of us have won the D.C.M. . . . There was our platoon sergeant, a rifleman, and I. We got it for digging three of the lads out when the dug-out had been knocked in with a shell. We had to get part of the top off to get at them, and they were shelling us all the time; we were exposed to the German trenches, but they must not have noticed us as we never got any bullets. It was a captain in the 6th Battalion that reported it to our battalion. They were in the front line, and we were in the first line of supports, about a hundred yards behind. . . . We are having very good weather for the time of the year; we have not seen any snow yet, but we keep having a bit of frost. I was talking to Ned (E. Wilkinson, another Sutton soldier) a few nights since. He has come back at last and is working for the officers, so he is all right." Lance-Corporal Green has since been made corporal.
Lance-Corporal Green, Sergeant Pearson, and Private Benson earned their decorations for gallantry in connection with the same incident. The official description reads: "For behaving with great gallantry near Turco Farm on November 5, in extricating four men who had been buried by shell fire in full view of the enemy and under shell-fire from a high velocity quick-firing gun."
Bradford Weekly Telegraph, 24th December 1915, page 9:
The Distinguished Conduct Medal.
SUTTON DCM. HONOUR FOR KEIGHLEY FOOTBALLER.
Another D.C.M. has come into the Keighley district, the recipient of the honour being Lance-Corporal Edgar Green, of the 1st 8th West Yorkshire Regiment, and the youngest son of Mr. Joshua Green, Orchard House, Sutton in Craven.
The incident which has gained Lance-Corporal Green and two other comrades of the same regiment distinction is described as follows: -
"For behaving with great gallantry near Turco Farm on the 6th Nov., 1915, in extricating four men, who had been buried by shell fire, in full view of the enemy under shell fire from a high velocity quick firing gun."
Very soon after the gallant men were in receipt of the following message from Major General E. M. Percival, the commanding officer of the 49th (W.R.) Division.
Your commanding officer and brigade commander have informed me that you have distinguished yourself by your conduct in the field on the 6th November, 1915. I have read their report with much pleasure, and have brought it to the notice of higher authority.
Lance-Corporal Green, in a letter to his sister, says: We had to take part of the top off the dug-out to get at them. They were shelling us all the time. We were exposed to the German trenches, but they must have not noticed us, as we never got any bullets."
The Sutton hero was employed at Keighley prior to the outbreak of war, and when hostitilites commenced he was one of the first to offer himself by joining the Leeds Rfiles. For some years he figured in local football circles, being a member of the Sutton, Steton and Keighley Celtic clubs.
A movement is to be set on foot with a view to testifying the appreciation of the residents of his gallantry.
London Gazette dated 22nd January 1916, page 956:
1983 Lance-Corporal E. Green, 1st/8th
Battalion (Leeds Rifles), West Yorkshire Regiment, T.F.
For conspicuous gallantry near Turco Farm on 6th November, 1915. When four men had been buried through shell fire, Serjeant Pearson, Lance-Corporal Green and Private Benson successfully rescued all four, although they went in full view of the enemy's fire trench and were being shelled by a high velocity quick-firing gun.
Keighley News 15 July 1916 page 5: SUTTON.
Sergeant Edgar Green, of Sutton, of the West Yorkshire Regiment, has been slightly wounded in the recent heavy fighting. In a very cheerful letter to his sister, Mrs G. Simons, Sergeant Green says she must not be alarmed when she saw in the papers that he had been wounded, as it is only slight. He had to go to the hospital to be inoculated, so that poison would not set in. Continuing, he says: We have got the best of it all along the line, and where we were the Germans were glad to be taken prisoner. There was a lot of them who looked to be between 40 and 50. I saw one that was being taken out carrying one of our wounded on his back.
Keighley News 18 August 1917 page 3:
Sergeant Edgar Green, D.C.M., and of the West Yorkshire Regiment, was admitted to Netley Hospital on August 10 suffering from the effects of poison gas. He is a native of Sutton, and it had been just three years on the day he landed in "Blighty" since he joined up. Previous to the war he was a gear cutter employed by Mr Sam Sunderland, Fleece Mills, and during his leave he was treated very well by the firm and manager (Mr. Midgley), being presented with a watch by them on the occasion of his winning the D.C.M. He was also presented with a purse of money by the inhabitants of Sutton. He won the honour for digging out four men who had been buried, working all the time under heavy shell fire. He has been slightly wounded twice. He was a well-known footballer, having played for both Sutton and Keighley Celtic under Association rules.
WO-95/2795/1. 1/7th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment, war diary entry for April 1918:
(The positions below are near a road which runs to the South West of Wytschaete village, the battalion being about half a mile away from the village.
A map of these trench positions is available here:
LINCOLN CAMP. 11th April, 4.54 pm.
The battalion received orders to move into the line immediately to form a defensive flank South of WYTSCHAETE. D & C Companies formed a defensive flank in O.19.c & O.25.a. (Sheet 28) A & B Companies & Battalion HQ moved to REGENTS DUGOUTS at N.29.c.4.4. - CO to WYTSCHAETE (see attached letter from 62nd Brigade.)
WYTSCHAETE.
12th April. 2.10 am:
A & B Companies moved to positions in O.25a - O 19.c - N.24.d - N.30.a,b & c.
6.30 am: All Companies in new positions.
13th April: Nothing to report.
14th April. 5 am:
Battalion HQ moved to IRISH HOUSE (ALBERTA DUG-OUTS N.23.d.2.8.)
15th April. 10.0 pm:
D Company relieved by 1st Lincoln Regiment & moved into positions in N.30.
16th April. 4.30 am. Heavy enemy barrage opened and enemy attacked.
(This is the attack in which Edgar was killed by an enemy shell.)
Keighley News 4 May 1918 page 3: CROSS HILLS AND DISTRICT.
On Saturday the relatives of Sergeant Edgar Green, West Yorkshire Regiment, of Sutton, received news that he had been killed by an enemy shell during the recent heavy fighting in France. In November, 1915, Sergeant Green, then Lance-Corporal, was awarded the D.C.M. for gallantry under fire. The platoon sergeant, a rifleman and Lance-Corporal Green each received the coveted honour for behaving with great gallantry near Turco Farm on November 6, in extricating, in full view of the enemy, four men who had been buried by shell fire. Early in January, 1916, Corporal Green was presented with a purse of gold subscribed by friends in the village of Sutton, and he also received a silver english lever watch from the members of the firm and employees of Messrs. S. Sunderland, Fleece Mills, Keighley, where he had been previously employed, as tokens of appreciation of his gallant conduct. He was wounded in July, 1916, slightly, and last year was gassed, going back to the front about the middle of January. A finely built young fellow, Sergeant Green was exceedingly popular in the village. He joined up at the outbreak of war, and in the days before the war was well known as an outside right of the Sutton Association Football Club, in the Bradford and District and Keighley and District leagues, and trained for some time with the Bradford Club at Park Avenue.
Post war:
Along with the Distinguished Conduct Medal for gallantry, he was awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal for his war service. These would have been sent to his father Joshua along with a bronze memorial plaque and a scroll inscribed with his name.
His outstanding pay was sent to his father in two payemnts, one of £8 0s 2d on 17th August 1918 and a second of £20 on 5th December 1918. He also received a war gratuity payment of £20 10s on 27th November 1919.
Edgar is remembered on the Sutton in Craven War Memorial in Sutton Park, at Sutton in Craven.
Information sources:
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
North Yorkshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1921
1891 England Census
1901 England Census
1911 England Census
Keighley News records at Keighley Library
Bradford Weekly Telegraph from the British Newspaper archive
Andrew Monkouse
London Gazette
Citations of the Distinguished Conduct Medal, 1914-1920
National Library of Scotland mapping service
British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920
Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923
Photograph of Edgar kindly donated by Aaron Hudson.
