SL038 – Yeadon, 1914 – 1918.
| Title | Aireborough Boys |
| Date | 1914 – 1918 |
| Location | Aireborough/Europe |
| Written By | Carlo Harrison |
| Comment | With extra information supplied by Ken Roberts and Helen M. |
1418 – Johnson & White.
Johnson & White
Two sons and three grandsons.
1418 – Pilkington Brothers.
Pilkington Brothers
Five Yeadon brothers.
Additional Research
The Pilkington Brothers – sons of Beever and Mary Josephine.
Harold Pilkington 23rd Jan 1895 – 1973. Baptised in Yeadon when the family was living at Football. Service No: 26573 – Royal Field Artillery. He was a Driver, Acting Corporal, Acting Sergeant and at his own request reverted to Bombardier. Harold embarked for France in July 1915 having attested in 1914 when he was a crane driver. Five years later he was transferred to the Army Reserve and returned to Yorkshire, marrying Annie Hird in 1920.
William Ewart Pilkington. 19th May 1878 – 1964 Service No: Private 267343 – West Riding Regiment. Little is to be found regarding William’s service, but he returned safely and married Sarah Bedford in 1924.
Arthur Pilkington. 11th Aug 1884. Baptised in Shadwell. Service No: Private 1953 West Yorkshire Regiment when he attested in October 1915 aged thirty-one. The family was living in Asquith House, Yeadon. Arthur left for France in March 1916, was later wounded, but made it home, marrying Clara Oddy in 1920.
Wilfred Pilkington. 29th Apr 1897 – 1981. Baptised in Yeadon. Service No: Private 023302 Royal Army Ordnance Corps. Survived the war and married Charlotte in 1923 at St. Andrew’s Church.
Evelyn Pilkington. 26th Apr 1891 – 1965. Baptised, like Harold, when the family lived at Football. Service No: Private 29101 Yorkshire Regiment and Private 5114 The Royal Irish Regiment. The fifth survivor.
Helen M.
27 August 2023
1418 – C R Harper.
Lieutenant C R Harper
HARPER, C R
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Date of Death: 15/07/1916
Age: 24
Regiment/Service: West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales’s Own) 6th Bn.
Grave Reference: I. B. 9.
Cemetery: BLIGHTY VALLEY CEMETERY, AUTHUILLE WOOD
Additional Information: Son of Charles Harper, of Burwood, Apperley Lane, Rawdon, Leeds.
1418 – F S Keighley.
Private Frederick Stanhope Keighley
Pte. F. S. Keighley.
Yeadon
(Wounded)
KEIGHLEY, FREDERICK STANHOPE:
Rank: Private
Service No: 22109
Date of Death: 24/04/1917
Regiment/Service: King’s Own Scottish Borderers 7th/8th Bn.
Panel Reference Bay 6. Memorial ARRAS MEMORIAL.
Frederick Stanhope Keighley
Birth Place: Guiseley, Yorks
Residence: Leeds, Yorks
Death Date: 24 Apr 1917
Death Location: France & Flanders
Enlistment Location: Leeds, Yorks
Rank: Private
Regiment: King’s Own Scottish Borderers
Battalion: 7/8th Battalion
Number: 22109
Type of Casualty: Killed in action
1418 – E C Harrison.
Private Evelyn Clifford Harrison
Evelyn Clifford Harrison
Birth Place: Yeadon, Yorks
Death Date: 22 May 1916
Death Location: France & Flanders
Enlistment Location: Leeds
Rank: Private
Regiment: Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire Regiment)
Battalion: 15th Battalion
Number: 15/1415
Type of Casualty: Killed in action
I received an email yesterday from Adam Otway who is a History Teacher and lives in Yeadon.
Adam gave me some background information about Evelyn Harrison a Yeadon Soldier who was killed in the First World War, when he was just 25 years old.
We don’t need to be reminded I am sure about the carnage that took place in that war or the sheer lottery of fortune that was the difference between life and death, but reading into this short piece you cant help but wonder if a bit more training and experience may well have saved a few lives on this occasion.
“Hi,
Adam Otway here, I just asked you a question on Facebook about the Aireborough Boys 1914-18. I was just reading through your section on men from 1914-18 and found some information on how the above named soldier died.
On the night of the 22nd of May two platoons of the Leeds Pals were repairing wire in No Man’s Land.
The Leeds Pals had only been in the front line trenches of the Western Front for just three days.
They were discovered by a German patrol and during a brief fight two men were killed and a further two fatally injured.
The Germans then attempted to get into the Pals trenches, at which point a Lieutenant Valentine Oland gathered together a bombing party, rallied the wiring party and counter attacked, driving the Germans into one of the battalion Lewis guns.
At about 10.30pm the German artillery opened up, raining shrapnel down on the Pals who were trying to rescue the wounded members of the wiring party.
This was the Pals first contact with the enemy on the Western Front, having seen precious little combat in Egypt and it ended with 15 dead, one of which was Evelyn Harrison who must have died either counter-attacking the Germans to defend the trench or from the resulting German bombardment.
Lieutenant Valentine won the Military Cross for rallying the troops by standing on the parapet but was later to die on 1st July.
Hope you find this useful/interesting.
Adam”
HARRISON, E C
Rank: Private
Service No:15/1415
Date of Death:22/05/1916
Age:25
Regiment/Service: West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales’s Own)
15th Bn.
Grave Reference: I. I. 115.
Cemetery: SUCRERIE MILITARY CEMETERY, COLINCAMPS
Additional Information: Son of Rosa Harrison, of 1 Back, Alma St., Yeadon, Leeds, and the late Mr. J. W. Harrison.
Previous Comments:
Malcolm Barrie
It fills me with pride knowing now so many local lads give their all for king and country 1914 to 1918 war. They Will remain in the thoughts of their children and their children.
04 November 2018.
