Lonsdale with its confluence with Kildale

We are all familiar with War Memorials in villages and towns throughout the country that record the fallen, yet anything written about the soldiers who served is largely restricted to family histories. Kildale was a sparse community but many families had someone serving abroad.

On 18 February 1916, the Whitby Gazette carried a list of eight Kildale men who were serving in the army¹‘KILDALE PATRIOTS IN THE ARMY, | Whitby Gazette | Friday 18 February 1916 | British Newspaper Archive’. 2023. Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk <https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001103/19160218/142/0008> [accessed 20 February 2023]:

KILDALE PATRIOTS IN THE ARMY

Our portrait groups those of Kildale men who are serving in His Majesty’s Forces, and all of whom are on active service.

Lance-Corporal C. E. Kitching, Yorkshire Regiment, whose home is at No. 5, New Row, Kildale, is serving in France.

Lance-Corporal Martin Harrison is in a Territorial Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment, which is attached to a Division in France. He was mobilised at the outbreak of the war, and left England in March of last year.

Private Joseph F. Watson joined the Yorkshire Regiment thirteen months ago, and, after seven months training, left England for the Mediterranean. He is now in hospital recovering from a severe attack of enteric fever. Private Watson is twenty two years of age. Before enlisting, he was under-keeper to Major Turton, Kildale Hall.

Private John A. Milburn joined the Yorkshire Regiment a year ago, and is serving with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, and left England in September. Private Milburn is thirty-two years of age, and married, with two children, He was postman for Kildale and district at the time of his joining of the Army.

Private Robert C. Etherington, who joined the Yorkshire Regiment four months after the outbreak of the war, is serving with his Battalion at the front. At the time of enlisting he was employed at Baysdale Abbey, Kildale.

Wheeler J. S. King serving in the Army Service Corps (Horse Transport) in France. He is twenty-two years of age, and was a joiner at Kildale.

Private James Pusey is with the Yorkshire Hussars in France. He joined the Yeomanry in 1912, and was mobilised at the outbreak of the war, leaving England in April last year. At the time of his joining the Forces, he was employed at the Ayton Bank Mines, under the Tees Furnace Company.

Private Hewison Sanderson, who was at home working with his father on Copper Hall Farm at the time of his enlistment, joined the Yorkshire Hussars on August 5th, 1914, and went to France on April 1st, last year.

Beneath each one is a unique story.

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  ‘KILDALE PATRIOTS IN THE ARMY, | Whitby Gazette | Friday 18 February 1916 | British Newspaper Archive’. 2023. Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk <https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001103/19160218/142/0008> [accessed 20 February 2023]