| Title | Aireborough Boys |
| Date | 1914 – 1918 |
| Location | Aireborough/Europe |
| Written By | Carlo Harrison |
| Comment | Information and photos are taken from a scrap book donated to AHS, additional information and research kindly undertaken by Ken Roberts. Some photos as the first one of Ralph Teale below have been submitted by relatives. |
1418 – Ralph Teale.
Ralph Teale
Ralph Teale, Rawdon.
Information supplied to us along with this image by David Teale, Ralph is the brother of George Teale featured in Aireborough Boys 1914 – 1918 (07).
Ralph was the son of John Teale, brother of George and the younger Granville.
Both Ralph and George were serving with the Army on the Somme in 1916.
He was with the West Yorkshire Regiment at Thiepval and was captured on the first day of battle and initially kept in a windmill.
Despite being a considerable distance from George (with the 9th KOYLI near Fricourt) it is clear from letters written by George that he and Ralph kept in touch during the build-up to the offensive, even to the extent of exchanging the Wharfedale Observer newspaper.
Thiepval was held by the Germans, it was totally destroyed by the bombardment, although buildings were flattened the Germans held out in cellars using machine guns for defence.
After 1918 Thiepval was chosen as the location for the Memorial for the Missing to commemorate all those who had died on the Somme before March 20th 1918 and have no known grave.
This applied to George Teale, Ralph Teale came home after the war.
1418A – Chaffer, Dawson, Keighley, Gott.
1418B – Chambers, Ford, Keighley, Burke.
Additional Research
Norman Ford. 18th Nov 1898 – 1978. Born in Horsforth. Service No:’s Private 205750 West Riding Regiment, 34717 Yorkshire Regiment. Norman enlisted in November 1916 and discharged in May 1919. He returned and married Ivy Moses at Horsforth Woodside in 1920.
Frank Parker Keighley. 21st June 1898 – 1970. Service No: Private 40301 North Staffordshire Regiment. Married Mary Houlden in 1922 at Rawdon St.Peter’s.
Helen M.
27 August 2023
(1) Private F. CHAFFER, (killed). (2) Private ROBERT DAWSON, Otley (wounded and prisoner of war). (3) Private F P KEIGHLEY, Rawdon (escaped from Germany after being six weeks a prisoner. (4) Sergeant HAROLD GOTT, Rawdon (killed). (5) Sapper W CHAMBERS, Horsforth (missing). (6) Private NORMAN FORD, Horsforth (wounded and prisoner in Germany). (7) Gunner F G KEIGHLEY, Addingham (wounded for third time) (8) Sergeant EDWARD BURKE, Addingham (missing).
Mixed fortunes for these boys.
CHAFFER, F
Rank: Private
Service No: 19/173
Date of Death: 28/06/1918
Age: 25
Regiment/Service: West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales’s Own) 15th Bn. attd. 93rd Trench Mortar Bty.
Grave Reference: H. 13.
Cemetery: CINQ RUES BRITISH CEMETERY, HAZEBROUCK, FRANCE
Additional Information: Son of Eliza Chaffer, of 50, Clifton Terrace, Westgate, Otley, Yorks.
No information on Pte. Robert Dawson.
Presume he was released at the end of hostilities & returned home.
Nothing on Pte. F P Keighley.
Hope he made his way home.
GOTT, HAROLD
Rank: Lance Sergeant
Service No: 24709
Date of Death: 15/06/1918
Age: 26
Regiment/Service: West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales’s Own) “D” Coy. 11th Bn.
Grave Reference: Plot 1. Row A. Grave 5.
Cemetery: GRANEZZA BRITISH CEMETERY, ITALY.
Additional Information:
Son of Johnson and Priscilla Gott, of Rawdon, Leeds.
CHAMBERS, W
Rank: Sapper
Service No: 63571
Date of Death 11/02/1916
Regiment/Service: Royal Engineers 98th Field Coy.
Grave Reference: IX. F. 89.
Cemetery: CITE BONJEAN MILITARY CEMETERY, ARMENTIERES
No military info on Pte. Norman Ford.
Found him in Horsforth in the 1911 census.
We assume he was released at the end of hostilities.
Same for Gnnr. FG Keighley.
Assume he was returned home wounded.
Additional Research
Francis Joseph Keighley. 1889 – 1969. Born in Burra, South Australia. Records show his father Charles applying to buy land in the New South Wales gold fields in 1891. They returned to Addingham after Francis’s mother died. Service No:’s Gunner and Signaller 174, 733, 776166 West Riding Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. He enlisted in August 1914, left for France eight months later and whilst there suffered neck wounds and was gas shelled. Francis survived and married Gladys Kershaw in 1920.
Helen M.
27 August 2023
No trace of Sgt. Edward Burke of Addingham.
1418 – C Smales, H Kitching.
Private Clifford Smales & Sergeant H Kitching
SMALES, CLIFFORD
Rank: Private
Service No: 24367
Date of Death: 09/10/1917
Regiment/Service: West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales’s Own) 9th Bn.
Grave Reference: III. I. 40.
Cemetery: BARD COTTAGE CEMETERY, BELGIUM.
KITCHING, HUGH
Rank: Serjeant
Service No: 265358
Date of Death: 09/10/1917
Age: 25
Regiment/Service: West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales’s Own) 1st/7th Bn.
Panel Reference: Panel 42 to 47 and 162.
Memorial: TYNE COT MEMORIAL, BELGIUM.
Additional Information: Son of Thomas Kitching, of 14, Fink Hill, Horsforth, Leeds.
This man has no known grave.
THE ABOVE 2 MEN DIED ON THE SAME DAY.
1418 – H S Hudson, E E Hudson.
Able-Seaman H S Hudson & Private E E Hudson
As always detailed information is supplied by Ken Roberts.
You know, I just can’t imagine how it feels for brothers to go to war and only one return home.
Goodness only knows what goes on in the head of the survivor in those quiet moments.
HUDSON, HARRY S
Rank: Able Seaman
Service No: R/2839
Date of Death: 26/10/1917
Regiment/Service: Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
Anson Bn. R.N. Div.
Grave Reference: XVII. E. 18.
Cemetery: POELCAPELLE BRITISH CEMETERY, BELGIUM.
Pte. Ernest Ethelburt Hudson. Born 12/9/1895.
Baptised 3/11/1895, St. John’s. Yeadon
Married Martha Elliot, St. Andrew’s, Yeadon, 7/3/1920.
Died March 1971. A survivor.
Brother of the above Harry S Hudson.
1418A – Dobinson. . .
Additional Research
John William Dobinson. 17th Nov 1891 – 1960. Baptised at Otley All Saints. Service No: Sapper 98512 223rd Field Company, Royal Engineers. He enlisted in May 1915 and by December had joined the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. John married Gertrude Wheldon in June 1917, later returning to war. He was wounded in April 1918 and in early 1919 was demobilised and returned to Wesley Street, Otley.
Fred Taylor. 17th Feb 1889 – 1968. Interred in Otley Cemetery. Service No: Gunner 826581 Royal Field Artillery and 279404. Records show that Fred was a prisoner of war in Germany (21.03.1918 – 05.12.1918) He had suffered the effects of gas and was discharged in September 1919 by which time he was married.
Fred Rawnsley. 30th May 1899. Service No: Private 42053 Leicestershire Regiment. He received gunshot wounds to his neck and was discharged in March 1919. He survived the war.
Helen M.
27 August 2023
1418B – Dobinson. . .
Editor’s Note: Unfortunately Ken Roberts came across a number of images where only one set of identifying names were available. To this end, I have copied the names as they appeared in the newspaper at that time, printed between the images. J Brayshaw. 09 August 2022.
(1) Sapper J. W. DOBINSON, Otley, (wounded).
(2) Gunner F TAYLOR, Newall Car, Otley, (missing).
(3) Private HAROLD HOUSEMAN, Otley, (died of wounds).
(4) Private FRED RAWNSLEY, Otley, (wounded).
(5) Private H WILD, Guiseley, (killed).
Mixed fortunes for the boys who are named.
Extra information as always thanks to Ken Roberts….
HOUSEMAN, HAROLD
Rank: Private
Service No: 62298
Date of Death: 26/04/1918
Age: 18
Regiment/Service: King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
1st/4th Bn.
Grave Reference: IX. A. 25.
Cemetery: BOULOGNE EASTERN CEMETERY
Additional Information:
Son of Thomas Bradbury Houseman and Emma Houseman, of Black Bull Hotel, Otley, Yorks.
WILD, HARRY
Rank: Private
Service No: 265621
Date of Death: 17/04/1918
Age: 24
Regiment/Service: Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment)
2nd/4th Bn.
Grave Reference: XIII. B. 11.
Cemetery: BIENVILLERS MILITARY CEMETERY
Additional Information:
Son of Joseph and Elizabeth Wild, of New Scarborough, Yeadon, Leeds.
Pte. J W Dobinson. I can find no trace of this man as belonging to Otley. There is one man with this name killed but he came from Battersea & is buried in Wandsworth. See aboove – survived.
GNR. F Taylor. No info whatsoever.
The only Fred Rawnsley of Otley that I can find was born in 1900.
No military info on him. See above – survived.
1418 – G H Myers, J C Yeadon.
Private G H Myers & Private J C Yeadon
There are no listings or information in the war records for Pte GH Myers and Pte. JC Yeadon. We can safely assume that these boys returned to their homes after the war.
Additional Research
George Henry Myers. 15th Oct 1889 – 1950. Son of Martha and James. Service No:Private 17599 West Riding Regiment. He attested in October 1915 when living at 16 Football. George first went to France in July 1916 and later survived two woundings, a severe shot to his right leg and hen to his forearm. He left the army in May 1919 and married Hilda Airton in 1926.
John Clapham Yeadon. 29th Jan 1893 – 1946, when living at High Street Yeadon. Service No: Private 267910 West Riding Regiment. John was living at Booth Fold Farm, Warm Lane, when he enlisted in December 1915. He first went to France in June 1916 and three months later had to be repatriated due to gunshot wounds. He was reported missing on May 3rd 1917 and it was accepted that he had become a prisoner of war. Later documents record that he had been captured at Arras. Making it home John married Janie Dale in 1923.
Helen M.
27 August 2023
1418 – J Hey, H D Myers.
Private J Hey & Private H D Myers
There are no listings or information in the war records for Pte. J Hey and Pte, HD Myers. We can safely assume that these boys returned to their homes after the war.
Additional Research
Harold Dex Myers. 18th Feb 1894 – 1964. Born in Yeadon to Alfred and Agnes. Service No: 205083. Was a private in the West Riding Regiment (1166) and later moved to the Machine Gun Corps, rising through the ranks – Acting Lance Corporal and Corporal – and latterly Acting Sergeant in the Tank Corps. Harold enlisted in January 1915 and was involved in the Balkans campaign and in France – where he suffered wounds. He returned home after the war and married Maggie Cowgill in 1917.
Helen M.
27 August 2023
1418 – J W Dobson.
Private J W Dobson
There are no listings or information in the war records for Pte J W Dobson. We can safely assume that he returned to his home after the war.
1418 – H Place.
Private H Place
Unfortunately, Harry was not so lucky.
PLACE, HARRY
Rank: Private
Service No: 16203
Date of Death: 21/04/1918
Age: 25
Regiment/Service: Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment)
2nd Bn.
Grave Reference: VI. E. 1.
Cemetery: LAPUGNOY MILITARY CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of John and Mary Ellen Place, of 39, Back Lane, Horsforth, Leeds.
Previous Comments:
Re 1418 – J Hey
Freda Varty (nee Hey)
My great uncle was Jesse Hey from Horsforth. He did return home from WWI. Four more brothers including my grandad Harry also returned. In 1918 Jesse was promoted to corporal and was presented with a Military Medal for meritorious conduct at the Mechanics institute Horsforth. In 1916 age 26 he was wounded by a bullet in his left hand. He then rescued an officer who had been buried in a mass of earth and sand bags.
07 July 2021.
