Tadcaster Cemetery and St. Mary's

The graveyard of St Mary's, Tadcaster has no recent burials, and hence no extant wargraves. However, this impressive church, which is open to the public and very much worth visiting in its own right, does contain a bronze memorial, plus a stained glass window, the 'Sykes and Charlesworth' window, dedicated to two fallen soldiers.

Tadcaster's municipal cemetery however holds quite a few wargraves. This large town plot is situated just on the outskirts of the town. Of interest are two graves with 1950's dates.

There are also some private memorials to servicemen, and a neatly tended row, however most are scattered around the cemetery. One is to a Lieutenant Earnest Fulton Reynolds, RAF. Another is to Captain Stearne Tighe Edwards DFC, RAF. Aged 25years, who died of 'injuries sustained on Armistice day'

The extant interments are as follows -

2654902   Turner, H.  Sgt
Corps of Military Police
28th June 1941

Harnett, B.M.  Flying Officer
RAF
18th March 1953  Age 21

243051   Smith, J.  Pte
Lancashire Fusiliers
17th October 1918

62859  Collihole, T.J.  Air Mechanic
Royal Flying Corp
13th March 1917

S/344031   Tullett, J.  Cpl
Army Service Corp
13th June 1918  Age 21

7441 Blake, H.  Pte
West Yorkshire Regt
28th February 1919  Age 32

19174  Ward, E.  Gnr
Royal Field Artillery
29th October 1918

Theobald, C.S.  Flight Cadet
RAF
26th October 1918

143176  Whincup, T.N.  Pte
Machine Gun Corps (inf)
19th August 1919  Age 34

564134  Constable, J.S.  Cpl
RAF
22nd July 1940  Age 26

1532802  Franklin, F.W.
Royal Artillery
9th July 1940  Age 22

7687767  Wilson, G.  L/Cpl
Corps of Military Police
24th April 1941

4610154 Starr, W.S.  WOII (CSM)
The Duke of Wellingtons Regt
18th January 1944  Age 35

Douglas Allanby,  Lt (F)
Royal Navy, HMS Fulmar
6th January 1955  Age 25

1590833  Richardson, R.  Sgt Air Gunner
RAF
15th January 1945

11055450  Harland, A. Gnr
Royal Artillery
10th December 1943  Age 38

1100861  Wilson, J.E.  Sgt  Wireless Operator/Air Gunner
RAF
28th December 1941  Age 21

1064089  Gawthroup, S.  Aircraftsman 1st class
RAF
1st November 1941  Age 25

Widening the search

The Google Earth image below shows my search area. Pushpins in blue are those sites already surveyed. Those in green are yet to be done

As can be seen, many of these are at the extremities of my search region. Its no longer a case of popping along to a site when I have a few spare moments. Now, I have to plan to visit and survey a group of sites as a dedicated trip.

St. Peter and St. Pauls, Drax

 In the shadow of one of the UKs largest power stations lies the spired church at Drax. Here are to be found two extant war graves

27804  Newsome, J.D.  Pte
West Yorkshire Regiment
24th May 1918

8719  Smith, H.  Sapper
Royal Engineers
3rd September 1916. Age 26.

A few out of area - Snaith, East Cowick and Rawcliffe

The municipal cemetery and church at Snaith, Holy Trinity church at East Cowick, and St. James' church, Rawcliffe, are all technically outside of my research area, but only just. As I needed to pass by them in order to reach my next survey location within my research boundary, they were visited anyway, and included here because they did provide some extant graves to record.

Neither Snaith cemetery, nor the Abbey, have any extant war graves, however the abbey is rather impressive

Holy Trinity church, East Cowick, another red brick and slate building, contains three extant interments, two of which are the same surname and the same regiment, but a conflict apart.

4/9691 Stephenson, G.R.  Pte
West Yorkshire Regiment
25th January 1917. Age 43.

821595  Penistone, F.  Driver
Royal Field Artillery
16th October 1920. Age 33.

4347487 Stephenson, J.C.  L/Cpl
West Yorkshire Regiment
31st December 1942. Age 19.


St. James', Rawcliffe, holds four war graves

5283  Denby, T.H.  Pte
Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
16th February 1919. Age 41

68138  Adcock, J.B.  Pte
Royal Army Medical Corps
17th October 1917. Age 32.

80744  Bedford, A.  Driver
Royal Field Artillery
16th April 1920

12/433  Richardson, C.  Pte
East Yorkshire Regiment
21st January 1920

St. Pauls, Hensall

I hadn't actually located this church on my planning maps or satellite overheads, but was heading towards Great Heck and there it was! A lucky find, and an interesting location,

There is just one extant war grave here, but other interments in the churchyard carry the same surname, which suggests this soldiers family to have been resident in Hensall for many generations.

41220  Bell, A.  Pte.
Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.
14th December 1918. Age 27.