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.
Private. 2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment. Service no. 27237.
Early life:
Harold was born in Haworth on 22nd April 1884 and his birth was registered at Keighley in the second quarter of the year. His parents were Robert Wood and Eliza Wood, née Chaplin.
He was baptised on 16th November 1885 at Haworth and at the time they were living at Prospect Street in Haworth and his father Robert was a weaver.
In the 1891 census Harold was six and living with his parents and siblings at 20, Prospect Street in Haworth. His father Robert was 39 and a worsted weaver, mother Elizabeth was 38 and looking after the family and home. Harold's eldest sisters were Miriam aged 14 and Emily aged 13, they were both worsted spinners. Haydn was ten and a doffer in a worsted mill. Harold was a scholar and the youngest was Wilfred aged just three.
By the time of the 1901 census the family had moved to 23, Carlton Street, across the valley from their previous home. Robert was 48 and still a worsted weaver, Elizabeth was 47, Miriam was 24 and Emily was 23, they were both now worsted weavers. Haydn was a joiner and carpenter aged 20 and Harold was 16 and a grocer's assistant for the Co-operative Society. Wilfred was aged 13 and a doffer in a woollen mill.
Harold married Martha Lonsdale at Holy Trinity Church on Lawkholme Lane in Keighley on 25th October 1910. Harold was 26 and a grocer living at 24, Dean Street in Haworth; Martha was 23 and living at 5, Drill Street off Lawkholme Lane, which is next to the Drill Hall.
By the 1911 census they had moved to 9, Spring Row in Oxenhope, Harold was 26 and still a Grocer's assistant. Martha was 24. At that time they had no children but Martha was heavily pregnant with their son John, who was born on 12th April, just ten days after the census which was taken on the 2nd.
On 14th June 1913, their first daughter Edna May was born and they lived in Oxenhope for another year until 1914, when they moved from there to Thrush Street in Keighley, perhaps to be nearer to Martha's parents, who were still living at 5, Drill Street. Harold's job with the Co-operative Society appears to mean he was sent to various places.
War service:
Harold was at Denaby Main near Doncaster employed as a grocery manager and was probably working for the Co-operative Society and either setting up, or the management of a new store. At that time Denaby Main was still under construction as a small town, built to house the miners who were working at Denaby Main Colliery and Cadenby Main Colliery. There would also have been many workers from the Providence Glass Works, alongside the River Don.
Harold gave his address as 33, Strafforth Terrace, which was on the main road at Denaby Main. On 12th December 1915, he attested at nearby Mexborough under the Derby Scheme, with the York and Lancaster Regiment and would have been placed on reserve at home. He was called up on 29th May 1916. His service number was 27237 and he went to Pontefract to begin his training.
His medical details were as follows. Age, 31 years, 8 months; Height, 5 feet 4 inches; Chest, 35 inches.
He gave his wife's name as his next of kin and that she was with him at Denaby Main at the time. Their third child Marion Elsa was born on 14th April 1916 and her birth was registered at Doncaster.
Because Harold had now enlisted and gone off for his Army training, Martha and the children had no reason to stay at Denaby Main, so they moved back to Keighley and were living at 24, Well Street, which was now Harold's home address. Well Street was just off Highfield Lane and not too far away for Martha to be in close contact with her parents at Drill Street. She would need their support with Harold away and three small children to raise on her own.
Harold's training continued and he proceeded overseas from Folkestone on 15th January 1917 and arriving at Calais the next day, then to Etaples where he joined his unit, to serve with the 2nd Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment.
The 2nd Battalion was in training at Fouquieres between 3rd and 9th May. On 7th May 1917 Harold went on a training course to use the light trench mortar and rejoined his unit at MAZINGARBE on 20th May.
Two weeks later he was killed in action, on 1st June 1917.
War diary entry:
WO-95/1610/4. 2nd Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment.
HULLUCH SECTOR.
28th May 1917:
Heavy trench mortar troublesome otherwise quiet day. Aerial dart and machine gun activity normal. Patrolling on both sides very active. Several hostile patrols encountered. Enemy attempted to repair his wire which our 4.5" howitzers cut throughout the day. His working parties repeatedly dispersed by our field and Lewis guns.
Our 6" howitzers fired 200 rounds on hostile heavy trench mortar. At 7 pm 43 machine guns carried out a barrage scheme on enemy support and reserve lines.
29th May:
Normal activity. Our 4.5" Howitzers cut wire throughout the day. Patrols active throughout the night.
30th:
Quiet day. Normal artillery activity. Heavy trench mortar active. Usual aerial dart and machine gun fire throughout the night. Our patrols increasingly active trying to obtain an identification. Small patrol encountered large (12) hostile patrol. Hostile patrol withdrew under our fire.
31st May:
Usual normal activity on our part. 4.5" Howitzers cut wire throughout the day. 6" Howitzers shelled enemy front line to try to destroy gas cylinders. Enemy abnormally quiet.
Strength of battalion 37 officers 706 other ranks.
1st June:
Quiet day. Battalion was relieved in the line by 1/ The Buffs and moved into billets at MAZINGARBE as Brigade reserve.
Note:
Despite the diary stating that it was a quiet day, Harold was killed in action on 1st June. According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, one man from this battalion had been killed on the 31st May and another on 2nd June, so a 'quiet day' for them meant that only one man was killed. They lived under the real threat of artillery and mortar shells, gas attacks, machine gun fire and aerial darts landing on them at night, it was anything but quiet.
Keighley News 30th June 1917, page 3:
KEIGHLEY.
Private Harry Wood, York and Lancaster Regiment, of Well Street, Keighley, who formerly resided at Haworth, has been killed in action. He enlisted in June, 1916, and had been at the front about four months. In civil life he was employed by the Oxenhope Co-operative Society. He leaves a widow and three young children.
Martha and their children continued to live at 24, Well Street in Keighley until 1919, when they moved to 3, Bank at Leeming in Oxenhope. She received Harold's medals which were the British War Medal and Victory Medal, plus the bronze war memorial plaque and King's certificate inscribed with Harold's name. She also received his personal effects (his pocketbook) and the remainder of his Army pay which amounted to £1 6s 11d on 5th October 1917. She also received a grant amount of £5 paid on 17th August 1917.
Martha later received a war gratuity payment of £3 10s on 3rd November 1919 and had a dependant's pension for herself and the three children, receiving £1 16s 3d per week for herself and the three children from 17th December 1917 which went up to £2 10s per week on 31st January 1921.
Martha continued to live at Bank near Oxenhope and the children probably attended the school just across the road.
In the 1921 census she is aged 34 and a widow, the children were John aged ten, Edna May aged eight and Marion aged five. Martha was not employed so she must have been able to manage on the dependant's pension.
Martha remarried to Harold Wormald in 1927.
She died in aged 81 in 1968.
Remembrance:
Harold is buried in grave 41 of row Q in plot I of Philosophe British Cemetery at Mazingarbe in France. This is about ten miles away from where he was killed at the front line.
Locally he is named on the Haworth War Memorial and on the roll of honour board in St. Michael and All Angels church.
His parents have a grave in Haworth (St. Michael) Churchyard and it has a memorial inscription to Harold and his brother Haydn who also died in the war.
It reads: Robert Wood of Haworth. Eliza Elizabeth, his wife, Haydn & Harold, their sons, who died in France. Edith, their daughter, who died in infancy.
Information sources:
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
West Yorkshire, Non-Conformist Records, 1646-1985
1891 England Census
1901 England Census
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935
1911 England Census
West Yorkshire, England, Electoral Registers, 1840-1962
British Army World War I Service Records, 1914-1920
Keighley News archives at Keighley Library
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919
National Archives - WW1 Battalion War Diaries
National Library of Scotland - Ordnance Survey mapping service
Haworth (St. Michael) Churchyard
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
1921 Census Of England & Wales
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007