Home. Origins of the Battalion.
Page 1. Start of the First World War.
Page 2. To the Ypres Salient.
Page 3. Ypres. The Battle of St Julien.
Page 4. April 1915. Ypres. Gas.
Page 5. Battle of St Julien losses.
Page 6. New Division Name.
Page 7. The Battle of Bellewaarde.
Page 8. Bellewaarde Losses. Sanctuary Wood.
Page 9. Neuve Eglise, Kemmel Sector.
Page 10. August 1915. To Armentieres.
Page 11. Sep/Oct 1915. Armentieres.
Page 12. October 1915. Armentieres.
Page 13. Oct/Nov 1915. Armentieres.
Page 14. Nov/Dec 1915. To Merris.
Page 15. Back to the Ypres Salient.
Page 16. Jan 1916. Armagh Wood.
Page 17. Feb 1916. Hill 60.
Page 18. Mine Explosion.
Page 19. Feb 1916. Ypres. Hill 60.
Page 20. Armagh Wood. CO Killed.
Page 21. Mar/Apr 1916. Kemmel.
Page 22. Apr/May 1916. Fletre. Kemmel.
Page 23. June 1916. Friendly Fire Kemmel.
Page 24. Jun/Jul 1916. Kemmel.
Page 25. July 1916. Kemmel.
Page 26. Aug 1916. To the Somme.
Page 27. Battle of Flers Courcelette.
Page 28. Sep 1916. Flers-Courcelette.
Page 29. The Thiepval Memorial.
Page 30. Flers-Courcelette. Losses.
Page 31. Flers-Courcelette. Attack repelled.
Page 32.Training. Martinpuich.
Page 33. In the Line near Flers.
Page 34. Nov 1916. Martinpuich. Flers.
Page 35. Flers. To Belloy.
Page 36. Feb/Mar 1917. Belloy.
Page 37. April 1917. To Arras.
Page 38. Capt D.P. Hirsch. V.C.
Page 39. The Arras Memorial.
Page 40. The Arras Memorial.
Page 41. Arras Burial Sites.
Page 42. Arras. Famechon.
Page 43. May 1917. Famechon. Bayencourt.
Page 44. June 1917 Back in the Line. Arras.
Page 45. Sep 1917. Arras. Wancourt.
Page 46. Oct 1917. Back to Ypres.
Page 47. Nov 1917. Passchendaele.
Page 48. Jan 1918. Ypres.
Page 49. Feb 1918. Last of Ypres.
Page 50. The Battle of St Quentin.
Page 51. German Offensive. Michael.
Page 52. German Advance. Pozieres Memorial.
Page 53. Losses on both sides.
Page 54. From the Somme to the Lys.
Page 55. April 1918. Battle of Estaires.
Page 56. Ploegsteert Memorial.
Page 57. From the Lys to the Aisne.
Page 58. German Offensive. Blucher-Yorck.
Page 59. May 1918. 150th Brigade decimated.
Page 60. End of the 4th Yorks.
Page 61. Last Weeks of War.
Page 62. Prisoners of War.
Page 63. Prisoners of War.
Page 64. Prisoners of War.
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PRISONERS OF WAR.
The following 68 men of the 4th Yorks Btn died in captivity and have known graves.
It is generally reckoned that about one in eight captured men died as a POW.
But there are no burials listed before May 1918 and many "missing" men must have fallen into enemy hands and no record made of their eventual deaths.
Many who surrendered on both sides were put to death on the spot, as the Diary of the 4th Yorks Btn shows.
If you had just seen your best pal's brains being blown out, it must have been hard to find mercy for the perpetrator.
On the other hand there are many examples of both sides caring for the enemy's wounded.
At the time of the War, stories of German mistreatment of prisoners abounded - punishing forced labour, placing prisoners in exposed positions to be shelled by their own side etc. But there was much propaganda put about for obvious reasons.
After the Armistice prisoners in German hands were released to make their own way back to Allied lines without any provisions and those who made it were said to resemble skeletons.
But the Germans probably had little to provide, as they were starving themselves.
The following 24 men of the 4th Yorks Btn are buried at Niederzwehren Cemetery, all died in 1918.
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201990 Pte Corps George. Home in Bradford Yorks. Born and enlisted at Bedale, N Yorks. Died of wounds on the 16th of May.
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203151 Pte Kane Francis, John. Home at - 24 Bristol St, Cargo Fleet, Middlesbrough, place of birth and enlistment.
Died on 4th July. Age 20. Of "Y" Company.
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46698 Pte Sloan Mason. Born and enlisted at Sunderland, Co Durham. Died on the 29th July.
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200592 L/Cpl Pearson Alfred. Home at Easingwold Yorks. Born at Crake and enlisted at Northallerton, N Yorks. Died on the 14th August. Age 26.
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4448 Pte Longbottom Edward. Born at Boothtown, Yorks and enlisted at Halifax, Yorks. Died on 4th September.
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235076 Pte Snart Frank. Home at Stamford, Lincs. Born at Bainton Northants. Enlisted at Peterborough. Died on 15th September. Age 37.
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30225 Pte Lowrey William. Born at Dalmuir, Dumbarton and enlisted at Newcastle upon Tyne. Died on 18th September. Ex Northumberland Fusiliers.
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21437 Pte Hornsby John, George. Born Stockton on Tees and enlisted at Middlesbrough, N Yorks. Died 26th September.
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203035 Pte Langridge George. Enlisted at Hownslow. Died 8th October.
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201197 Pte Barnett George. Home at - 5 Diamond Pl, Coldbath Rd, Harrogate Died 9th October. Age 23.
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Germans tend a captured British Officer.
Picture courtesy of - "The Heritage of the Great War".]
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43730 Pte Beaver Charles, Thomas. Home at Glen Parva, Rutland. Born Oakham, Rutland. Died 11 October. Ex 71383 87th T R Battn.
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17456 L/Cpl Hunter William. Home at - Whittingham Alnwick Northumberland, place of birth and enlistment. Died on 12 October.
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35600 Pte Smith Walter, Frank. Home at Holypier Maidenhead, place of enlistment. Born at Islington, London. Died on 12 October. Age 19.
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235021 Pte Siddall William, Henry. Born and enlisted at Bridlington, Yorks. Died 13 October. Age 27.
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27239 Pte Raper Mark, Noulson. Born and enlisted at Flaxton York. Died 15 October. Age 38.
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207315 Pte Mitchell Bert. Born and enlisted at Northampton. Died 16 October. Ex Northants Regt.
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201195 Pte Daley John, D. Enlisted at Middlesbrough, N Yorks. Died 17 October. Age 23.
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Niederzwehren Cemetery.
Situated about 10k South of Kassel, Germany it contains 1,796 Commonwealth burials. Graves were brought in from many surrounding cemeteries after the War.
24 men of the 4th Yorks Btn are buried here.
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34911 Pte Davies William. Home at Ogmore Cardiff, place of birth. Enlisted at Cardiff. Died 17 October.
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201777 Pte Wildon Mark. Home at Northallerton. Enlisted at Middlesbrough, N Yorks. Died 20 October.
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21170 Pte Dalton Harold. Home at - 52 Salisbury St, Middlesbrough, N Yorks, place of birth and enlistment. Died 22 October. Age 22.
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41683 Pte Hartley Thomas. Home at - The Square, Backbarrow, Ulverston, Lancs, place of enlistment. Born at Cartmel, Lancs. Died 27 October. Age 21. Ex Royal Field Artillery.
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46536 Pte Larkin Alexander, Graham. Home at Felling Durham. Born at West Hartlepool and enlisted at Gateshead, Co Durham. Died 4 November.
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35576 Pte Kimmer Francis, J. Home at Silchester Hall Lodge, Mortimer, Berks. Little Bowden Berks. Born Hickfield, Hants and enlisted at Reading, Berks. Died 6 November. Age 18.
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35003 Pte Abrams Thomas. Born Runcorn Cheshire. Enlisted at Flint Wales Died 8 November. Ex 44024 R Welch Fusiliers.
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35144 Pte Gedney James, William. Home at Thorney Cambs. Born at Whaplode, Lincs and enlisted at Wisbech. Died 8 December. Ex 9th T R Battn.
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