Here is this week’s round-up of pieces from the Batley News relating to the parish of St Mary’s. As usual I have put in bold the names of those connected to the parish who served with the military. And, as ever, the spelling and punctuation matches that of the newspaper.
The paper had a further update about Herbert Booth:
HOW A CARLINGHOW MAN MET HIS DEATH.
News From a Wounded Pal.The fate of Corporal Herbert Booth, of the K.O.Y.L.I., of Carlinghow, Batley, who last week was officially posted as “missing” after his Company Officer had reported his death, is set at rest by receipt of a letter from Pte. W. Fisher, who writing from Groveands Hospital, Old South Gate, London, W., says:—
Corpl. Booth was one of my best pals. We went “over the top” on the morning of July 1st like two brothers, and we had only got about thirty yards out when he was hit right through the temple. I had to leave him, and had got about another 150 yards when I was wounded. I spoke to him, but he never spoke.
Corporal Booth was 31 years of age, and an employee at the Savile Town Depot of the Electric Tramway Company.
The news prompted another family Death Notice:
BOOTH.—Lce. Corpl. Herbt. Booth, K.O.Y.L.I., killed in action on July 1st.
We little thought when we said good-bye,
We parted for ever and you were to die
But the unknown grave is the bitterest blow.
None but aching hearts can know.From Father, Mother, Sister, and Brother-in-Law.
This week’s newspaper carried the news of the death of James Gavaghan, with reference to his three serving brothers – Thomas, John and Peter.
TWO SONS KILLED OUT OF ONE BATLEY FAMILY
Soothill Wood Miner Who Leaves a Widow and Two ChildrenOfficial intimation received from the War Office conveys the sad intelligence to Mr. and Mrs. James Gavaghan, of Ambler Street, Batley, of the death in action of the second of their four sons, who were in the Army, Private James Gavaghan, of the West Yorkshire Regiment, who leaves a widow and two children, in Ambler Street, Batley. The official notice states that he was killed on August 10th.
Private Gavaghan (who was 28 years old) was for nine years in the Militia, and at the beginning of the war was called up as a Reservist, and went out to the front soon after the commencement of hostilities. He had once been wounded. He formerly worked as a miner at Soothill Wood Colliery, and was a member of the St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, Batley.
He was the second of four brothers who joined the Colours in 1914. The eldest, Private Thomas Gavaghan, of the local Territorials, was killed last December. The other two brothers, Privates John and Peter Gavaghan, of the K.O.S.B., are still at the Front.
Some St Mary’s men were recipients of gifts from the Talbot Hotel. This week’s paper included extracts from their letters of thanks. They included John William Gannon, John Thomas Kilbride and Edward Swords. Willie Barber was referred to in another of the letters.
GIFTS FOR SOLDIERS.
Generous Help From the Talbot Hotel
Postal Orders Which are Welcome in the Trenches.
Letters of Thanks From the “Boys.”
(Special to the “News”)These are days when everybody is endeavouring by [lifts?] of various kinds to show appreciation of our gallant soldiers in the trenches. At the Talbot Hotel, Bradford Road, Batley, Mr. Albion Barritt, the landlord, and his customers, have a fund from which they send weekly gifts of money to Batley men. Subscriptions amounting to about 15s. a week are being collected, and postal orders are being sent out to grateful “Tommies.” The gifts average about 3s. per man. Not only so, but there is a photograph fund in existence, the subscribers to which have decided that if the lads return safely their photographs shall be taken as a memento of the part they are taking in the Great War. The group or the separate photographs – as the case may be – will be hung in the hotel, and remain there as long as the house retains its license. Naturally the customers who are interested in this effort to help Batley soldiers are grateful to Mr. Albion Barritt for the willing assistance he has given them.
Below we give extracts from some of the letters from soldiers who have benefited by the “Talbot” Fund….
When Pals Meet.
Private J. W. Gannon, K.O.Y.L.I., of Spa Street, writing from “Somewhere in France” to Mr. Barritt, said: “I received your kind and welcome letter, containing the 3s. postal order, and thank both you and the boys for the same. Tell them I wish them the best of luck. I was not here so very long after arrival before I got to know where my old pal, Frank Parr, was. He was about four miles from here, so when I had finished for the day I had a walked down to his billet. You should have seen his face when he saw me. I thought he was going to choke with laughing…We started talking about old times, but I could not stop with him very long. I was going down to meet him to-night, but he has sent me word they are sending him into hospital with his foot, so I will have to bid you ‘bon soir.’ Kindly remember me to all my old friends. Give them my best wishes and accept the same yourself.” In a later letter he said: “I have been in some rough places in my time, but this is the daddy of them all.”Safer Making Shells Than Dodging Them.
Pte. Gannon’s last epistle is dated August 17th, and contains the usual thanks. “I was with my old pal, Frank Parr, last night, and he was telling me all the good news. He told me you and Herbert had started making shells.1 You can take a tip from me it is a lot safer making them than dodging them!…We light our fires upon the hill, but it is shell fire.”Private Frank Parr, the pal mentioned by Private Gannon, has written a series of letters to his chums, the last of which is dated the 4th inst….I had J. Gannon, Charlie Hey and Jesse Wood to see me yesterday. Willie Barber got killed a few days ago. Of course you will have heard about it before now. His Company told me about it yesterday. All the Batley boys send you greetings.”…
“It is for a good cause.”
“I expect you know all about the Bill the Government has brought in,” wrote Pte. J. T. Kilbride, K.O.Y.L.I., of Holland Street, the other day. “I am one of the time-expired men. I do not know whether I shall get home or not, but if I do I will get called up and join another lot. I am a Lewis machine gunner now. I think I have done my share. I want some of those fellows to come out who have been in England since the war began.” In a later letter he said the Army was keeping him till the end of the war, adding: “I can do it; it is for a good cause.”….“I received your postal order last night,” writes Driver E. Swords, of Bankfoot, “and, take my word for it, it came just a at the right time. I was just wondering where I was going to get some ‘cigs’ when my pal told me there was a letter for me. I went and found it was from the boys at the Talbot. You can bet I have not been without cigs since…Our lads are giving the “Alleymans” hell just at present.2 I don’t think it can last much longer now. I hope I am in at the finish, as I have had so much of the rest of the fighting.”…
Footnotes:
1. From other soldiers letters it appear Albion Barritt was working in a munitions factory.
2. A term for Germans, being a corruption of the French word for German, Allemand.
PastToPresentGenealogy 