LOCAL men who sacrificed their lives in service will be remembered within their home community.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, this year’s Remembrance Sunday service on November 11 at St Paul’s Church, Bradford Road, Birkenshaw, involves the reading out of the names of the 87 soldiers from the community who lost their lives during the war.

The service will be followed by the carrying of small wooden crosses in their memory to a special Field of Remembrance where they will be planted by the War Memorial in the neighbouring village of East Bierley as part of the Act of Remembrance.

Vicar of Birkenshaw, the Rev Danny Walker, is particularly keen for the crosses to be carried by descendants of the men who died.

The names of the local men are: G Ashworth; W Ball; S Battye; W Baxendale; C Brook; R Butterfield; G E Bush; J Collett; H M Crossland; H Y Crossland; L Clayton; P Clayton; J Craven; W N Coates; C Crowther; P Day; J Dobson; W Davison; F W Davison; H Davidson; H Dickinson; A Ellison; H Firth; S Garbutt; G Goodman; J Hare; W Hare; F Hartley; R Hartley; L Healey; H Hepworth; W Hall; T Hargreaves; S Huggins; R Jackson; W Jackson; J H Jackson; E Jowitt; P Jewitt; F Kershaw; H Kershaw; W Kershaw; F Knott; E Kaye; E Lawlye; R Mallpress; V Mallpress; A Matley; W Midgley; I Milner; H Morton; P S Muff; J Mennells; James Noller; Joseph Noller; J L Oddy; J W Oliver; J E Oldroyd; J L Oldroyd; L Preston; H Potter; H Parker; J H Robertshaw; J Rowlands; H Rees; J J Sayers; G Simpson; H Sharpe; H Schofield; T D Spence; H Swintinbank; D Smith; E Theakstone; L Thorpe; P Tolson; J Tasker; L E Thompson; H Thornton; H Verity; H Walker; R Walker; W Watson; R Walsworth; W Whitlam; E Wiley; J Woodcock and S Wilson Jnr.

Rev Walker explains about the WWI graves within St Paul’s churchyard, among them Harry Thornton of the Royal Garrison Artilery who apparently died in Birmingham Hospital from gas poisoning received in action 3/9/1918; Air mechanic 3rd class S Battye who died on 8/3/1918 aged 32 of the Royal Flying Corps, the son of Ernest and Agnes Battye of Bradford Road, Birkenshaw; Local brothers, cook’s mate William Hare who died on August 6 1915 on H.M.A.S “Australia” Royal Australian Navy, and Joseph Hare who was in the 7th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment. Joseph died on December 22 1916 at Clipstone Military Hospital.

It is understood William had emigrated to Australia before the War and enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy at its outbreak.

He was on the flagship HMAS “Australia” in the North Sea when he suffered appendicitis and was transferred to the mainland, where he unfortunately died.

One hundred sailors and a military band escorted his coffin to a waiting train in the North East, in order to be repatriated to Bradford.

They now lie side by side in the family grave at St Paul’s.

For more information, or to get involved, call 01274 683776.

Sally Clifford