Private Joseph Hale

A white circle with a glove crossing it's fingers and the words: Made Possible with Heritage Fund.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, 16th Battalion Prince of Wales' West Yorkshire Regiment. Service number 16/1684. (First Battalion, Bradford Pals Regiment)

A black and white, head and shoulders portrait of a man wearing an Army jacket and field cap with the badge of the West Yorkshire Regiment

Private Joseph Hale.

Early life:

Joseph was born in Oakworth in 1883 and his birth was registered at Keighley in the second quarter of the year. His parents were Richard William Hale and Emma Hale née Wood. Richard was a general labourer.
He was eight years old in 1891 and living at 4, Sykes Top, Oakworth, with his parents, sister Rose aged 13 working as a worsted spinner and Sarah aged nine. His brothers were George aged 11 and working as a doffer and the youngest was Alfred aged one. By the 1901 census Joseph was aged 18 and living at Moore Street, Oakworth. Father Richard was aged 49 and still a general labourer, Emma was 43 and looking after the family home, Rose is 23 and a weaver; George is 21 and a tool fitter; Sarah is 19 and a weaver; Joseph is 18 and a general labourer. The two youngest are Alfred aged 11 and Richard aged just six.
Joseph married Lilian Sarah Wood at St. Peter's Church, Keighley on May 18, 1907. By now he was aged 24 and working as a quarryman. Lillian is aged 27.
They had moved to 12, Ashleigh Street, Keighley by 1908 when their daughter Dorothy was born on 6th June. They had moved again by 1910 to 5, Clock View Street at Beechcliffe and their daughter Phyllis was born at no. 20 on 24th November 1910. They moved shortly afterwards to 7, Wignall Street and Joseph was still working in a quarry. They had a third child called Eric who was born on 9th November 1914.

War service:

Joseph enlisted in August 1915 after they had moved to 31, Whitley Head in Steeton. He had joined the First Bradford Pals and he went out to France with them in 1916 but we don't have a date for this.
The 16th Battalion West Yorkshires had returned from the Egypt war theatre, protecting the Suez Canal at Kantara (El-Qantara) for a period of about two months. They then travelled to Marseilles in March 1916 and up to the Somme region where they took part in the Battle of the Somme in July 1916. Joseph probably joined them after they arrived on the Somme.
He was sadly killed in action on July 1, the first day of the Battle of the Somme. His body was never found and his name appears on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing in France. He was thirty-three years old.

Keighley News August 19, 1916 page 5:

STEETON
News has been received that Private J. Hale, of the West Yorkshire, and of Victoria Street, Steeton, has been killed. About three weeks ago his wife received information that he had been missing since July 2. Prior to the war Private Hale was employed at Eastburn Quarry.

Remembrance:

His name appears on the Thiepval memorial in France as Joseph Hall and on the Oakworth War Memorial as Joseph Hale. He is also named at Steeton on the main War Memorial, St Stephen's Church: marble memorial tablet and on the Steeton Mechanic's Institute: Steeton-with-Eastburn Roll of Honour (now in St Stephen's Church)
He is also named as Joseph Hall in the list of Bradford Pals who fell in the Great War.

Post war:

Joseph's widow Lilian would have received his personal effects and his British War Medal and the Victory Medal for his war service. They would have been sent to her in early 1921 along with a memorial plaque and certificate.
Lilian received his remaining Army pay of £2 12s. 5d. on 18th October 1916 and a war gratuity of £3. 0s. 0d. on the 12th September 1919.
She also received a dependant's pension of 23s per week beginning on 12th February 1917. This was for herself and the three children although their element would come to an end on their 16th birthdays.
In the 1921 census Lillian was aged 41 and living at 11, Tancy End in Oxenhope with their three children.

Information sources:

England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
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
West Yorkshire, England, Tax Valuation, 1910
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
1911 England Census
West Yorkshire, England, Electoral Registers, 1840-1962
British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920
Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929
De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour, 1914-1919
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923
Craven's Part in the Great War
Keighley News archives at Keighley Library
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1910

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