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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Private. 9th Battalion Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment. Service no. 14110. Also 2nd Battalion West Riding Regiment.

Private Jonas Snowden.

Early life:

Jonas was born in the summer of 1894 at Lower Scholes in Oakworth. His parents were Seth and Martha Snowden and he was their third child. Elizabeth and Joseph being a few years older. Their father Seth had been a farmer when they were living at 4, Scholes near Oakworth, but by 1901 he had taken up work as a worsted warp dresser at a mill in Haworth. As they were living at 50, West Lane in Haworth, he's likely to have been employed at Springhead Mills in the bottom of the valley, although there were several local worsted mills close to Haworth back then. At the time of the 1901 census Jonas was aged six, with his eldest sister Elizabeth aged eleven, brother Joseph aged ten and two younger sisters who were Ada, aged four and Annie, aged two.
By 1911 things had changed again for the Snowden family and father Seth was 46 and a relieving officer for the Board of Guardians, identifying local people who needed help through the poor law system and dealing with their needs and if necessary, admitting them into the workhouse if their circumstances required it.
The Snowdens were living at 39-41 Main Street in Haworth and their family had increased to nine children and Martha aged 45 would have had her work cut out keeping home for so many. Meanwhile Jonas, aged sixteen was employed at Haworth Railway Station as a railway clerk.
The children were: Edith aged 21; Joseph aged 20; Ada aged 14; Anne aged 12; Ernest aged 9; Henry aged 5; Amy Snowden aged 5 and the baby, Hilda aged 1.

Jonas must have showed promise at school because he won a Scott Scholarship and this enabled him to attend Keighley Trade and Grammar School. We don't have details of the time he spent at the school. He was certainly a pupil the school and appears in their Keighlian Magazine list of old boys who served, we have not yet found a photograph or an obituary in the 'Keighlian' school magazine.
In 1914 the family moved from 39-41 Main Street in Haworth, to 6, Ireland Bridge in Bingley. Jonas was a clerk in the employment of the Great Northern Railway in Keighley, meaning he would have worked at either Keighley railway station or the now defunct Ingrow East railway station which served goods and passengers on the line heading towards Queensbury.

War service:

Jonas appears to have enlisted very early on in the war, probably in October of 1914. He disembarked in France on 26th August 1915, probably with the 10th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment. He was wounded in early July of 1916.

The National Archives' reference WO 95/2014/1

WAR DIARY.
BOIS TAILLES. July 1st.
In same bivouac in the wood. Standing to awaiting orders to move. Several batches of enemy prisoners marched past under escort. British aeroplane came down in flames, but both pilot and observer little the worse, though machine wrecked. Another plane came down owing to engine trouble, but undamaged. Weather, bright clear day.

1.30am. July 2nd.
Received orders to move out at 6.0 am. Moved out at that time, and narched to MORLANCOURT in to billets. Under orders to
move up at 1/4 hours notice. Apparently to a new portion of the line than the one originally intended for us.

July 3rd.
Still standing to. 5 Officers sent as reconnoitring party to SUNKEN ROAD through FRICOURT and back trhough BECORDEL - BECOURT. When crossing the German TAMBOUR Captain CULLINAN and Lieut FERGUSON were wounded, the latter very badly. Battalion moved out of MORLANCOURT via CACAILLOT FARM - FRICOURT to take over a series of posts held by the small units od the 21st Division. Letter B Coy in SHELTER TRENCH. Letters A and D Coys in CRUCIFIX TRENCH, and Letter C Coy in LOZENGE WOOD, headquarters in SUNKEN ROAD. Very great congestion in the SUNKEN ROAD, but no enemy shelling, and under the difficult conditions — the line being very broken, and consisting largely of posts the relief was carried through very well. The Q.M. Stores moved up to VILLERS.

TRENCHES - July 4th.
Orders received to push forward along BIRCH TREE ALLLEY towards PEAKE WOOD, and to make stops en route. When we took over one stop was in existence along BIRCH TREE ALLEY about 50 yards from SHELTER WOOD (the front Line trench) and this was held by bombers. Bombing patrols then proceeded along the trench BIRCH TREE ALLEY, and after considerable opposition and some casualties succeeded in establishing themselves just short of PEAKE WOOD. A series of stops was then made in case it was impossible to hold the front one, and each was made for a Lewis Gun and bombers. From the forward stop patrols constantly attempted to establish themselves in PEAKE WOOD, but the wood road to the south of them wass strongly held.
All day bombing attacks were made on the forward stop necessitating constant reliefs of garrison but the stops held out well and the Lewis Gun fired into the wood. It was not possible to bring up STOKES guns owing to the state of the ground, and out of the main trench the range was too long.

July 5th.
Position much the same. Heavy flanking fire was brought to bear on stops from the HORSESHOE series of trenches.
4.30am.
Enemy made a very determined attack on our post in some considerable force, massing in the SUNKEN ROAD and screened by
the false hedge. This attack was launched about the point where the roads fork near PEAKE WOODS. Our stop was attacked from the front from each flank, and by a party which worked round the rear, but the team succeeded in getting their gun back to the next stop slightly in rear, and then with the assistance of a part of the 10th WEST RIDINGS drove off the enemy with some loss. The forward stop was at once attacked and occupied again after which PEAKE WOOD was attacked and cleared of the enemy.
11.0am. Orders were received to co-operate with the 23rd Division (on our left.) In their proposed attack on the HORSESHOE. Two officers came to look over the position held by us and during the reconnaisance were killed was a Company Commander of ours. This attack was postponed and launched at 1.0pm.
After fluctuating fortunes the HORSESHOE was finally captured at about 4pm., and this cleared our left flank and enabled us to establish ourselves more securely in PEAKE WOOD thus stopping the repeated and wearing attacks on our forward positions.
10pm. Snipers now controlled the CONTALMAISON ROAD & PEAKE WOOD was entirely in our hands A digging party was detailed to construct a strong point, just North of the road junction previously referred to and to make a Lewis gun emplacement there and to cut a line joining up to the base of the TRIANGLE. As soon as these parties commenced operations the enemy opened a heavy bombardment on this area blowing up the partly constructed emplacement and causing some casualties. In spite of the continued bombardment the line was made continuous and handed over together with the old front line (SHELTER TRENCH) to the relieving Unit.

Keighley News 15th July 1916, page 5:

Mr. Seth Snowden, relieving officer, Bingley, has received information that his son, Private Jonas Snowden, West Riding Regiment, had been wounded and admitted to hospital. Before joining the Army Private Snowden was a clerk in the employment of the Great Northern Railway in Keighley.

Several other Keighley men were wounded in the same action.
Arnold Wakeling; Claude Smith Slater; Matthew Best; Joseph C Preston; Gilbert Bell; Robinson Walker; Fred Ingham; Thomas M Douglas; William Terry, and he was admitted with trench fever in early 1917. At some point he was transferred to the 9th Battalion (possibly after convalescence from either his wounding or the trench fever.)

Jonas was officially stated to have been killed in action on 10th October 1917 which was in the period of the series of battles leading up to the Battle of Passchendaele.
Three of the records for him state that he was with the 2nd Battalion West Riding Regiment and three records state he was with the 9th Battalion West Riding Regiment when he was killed in action.

This throws doubt on who he was actually serving with when he was killed in action, but we can make some reasonable assumptions on this...
With the 9th Battalion:
If he was serving with them on 10th October 1917, they were at camp and in billets for the period immediately before and after this date. They were engaged in training, inspections and spent almost all of their time at camp. They had no casualties at all reported for that period in the war diary. On the 10th October they left Proven and were all on a train for Elverdinge and after that they marched to Cariboo Camp and took over billets recently vacated by the 7th East Yorkshire Regiment. Foot inspections were carried out and the weather was wet and cold. The next day (11th October) they undertook specialist training, inspections etc and digging of strong points. The weather was very wet and cold.
It is unlikely to be a scenario for Jonas to have been killed in action if he was serving with them. What is telling is that the Commonwealth War Graves Commission has just one man (Jonas) serving with the 9th Battalion and killed in action on this date. But he's named on the Tyne Cot memorial, meaning he went missing and has no named grave. If he was serving at Cariboo Camp that would not have happened and he'd have been buried in a proper grave.

With the 2nd Battalion:
He could have been transferred to the 2nd Battalion after his wounding the previous year, or perhaps he was just attached to them for this period. The 2nd Battalion West Riding Regiment were in the front line on the 10th October. This is a transcript of their war diary for that period showing they were at SARABOSSA CAMP until the 6th October when they began moving to the front line.

WO-95-1508-1_3 2nd Battalion West Riding Regiment war diary for October 1917:

The general positions of some of the named location in the war diary can be seen on this trench map from the National Library of Scotland:

Trench map of the Pilckem area, where the 2nd Battalion were serving when Jonas was killed in action.

7th Oct:
Battalion moved into Brigade Reserve, BHQ JOLIE FARM, Coys, CANDLE TRENCH relieving Somerset Light Infantry and 1st East Lancs. 2/lt H. R. Moody took over duties of Snr Medical Officer.

In The Line. 8th Oct:
Battalion moved up to the Support for the attack, arrived at the jumping off point 500 x N.E. of LOUIS FARM, 4 am. Casualties Captain S. C. Jennet?

9th. 5.20am: Brigade attacked, Battalion in close support. 91 OR from 4th Div Depot Battalion.
5.30am: First objective captured. Front Line held up at LANDING FARM.
5.40am: Battalion moved into Front Line owing to the hold-up. Line running from COMPROMIS FARM - LANDING FARM - V.13.d.8.1. Colonel Horsfall shot in the stomach whilst giving orders to a runner, by a sniper.
7am: Captain Browning assumed command being the senior officer present.
7pm: Batalion moved to support line with BHQ at TRAGIQUE FARM which turned out to be the enemy's barrage line. Major Officer taking command at BHQ.

In Support. 10th:
Enemy artillery continuously shelling the vicinity of TRAGIQUE FARM.
12 noon: Major W. G. Officer and the Adjutant wounded. Captain Browning again assuming command with 2/Lt Moody, Acting Adjutant. Battalion moved from the line, immediately the 2nd Essex were relieved by the Household Battalion.
Household Battalion to STRAY FARM area. Companies moving independently. Major Henniker arrived from 1/King's Own. 2/Lt Maddrell evacuated to hospital (sprained ankle)
1am: Battalion arrived STRAY FARM area. Major R.J.A. Henniker M.C. assuming command of Battalion.
Officer casualties - Killed:Lt Colonel Horsfall. Wounded: Major Officer, Captain Coke, Lt's Turner, White, Harris, Horsley. Missing: Lt Johnson.
All ranks: Killed: 22, Wounded: 99, Missing: 49.

Private Snowden was killed in action during this period. He has no known grave and is named on the Tyne Cot Memorial, panels 82 - 85.

Keighley News 27th October 1917, page 3:

Private Jonas Snowden (23), West Riding Regiment, second son of Mr. S. Snowden, relieving officer, of Ashfield Terrace, Bingley, has been killed in action. Private Snowden joined the Army in the first weeks of the war, and was wounded in June, 1916, and earlier in the present year was in hospital with trench fever. He was an old Keighley Trade and Grammar School boy, to which he went with a Scott scholarship. Before enlisting he was employed as a clerk by the Great Northern Railway Company at Keighley.

At some point in his service he won the Military Medal although we have not found anything to say why he was awarded it, nor the date he won it. His M.M. award was announced in the London Gazette in January 1918:

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 25 JANUARY, 1918. 30498.
His Majesty the KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the Military Medal for bravery in the Field to the undermentioned Non-commissioned Officers and Men: —
14110. Pte. J. Snowden, W. Riding. R. (Bingley).

Apart from his name on the Tyne Cot Memorial panels, Jonas is remembered locally, on the Haworth War Memorial.

Post war:

After the war his parents would have received his medals which were the Military Medal, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal, plus a bronze memorial plaque and King's Certificate inscribed with his name.
They would also have received his personal effects. His father Seth received a payment of his remaining Army pay which amounted to £6 12s 2d on 28th January 1918 and a second payment of £1 11s 18d on 23rd March 1918. He also received the war gratuity which was £13 10s. 0d paid on 8th November 1919.
The Soldier's effects calculation, working on a set payment calculated from his rank and length of service, gives an estimated date of enlistment of October 1914.

Information sources:

British Army Recipients of the Military Medal, 1914-1920
London Gazette
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in the Great War
Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929
British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923
Keighley News archives at Keighley Library
The National Archives War diary, reference WO-95/2014/1
National Library of Scotland mapping service
Some information kindly supplied by Bill Smith.