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February 2024
UPDATE. Born in Ossett in 1927 Reggie, as he was known, was 14 years old when he joined the Merchant Navy. Sadly he died at sea in July 1941 and is remembered as the youngest serviceman to have lost his life in WWII. In September 2019 Reggie became the first person to be awarded an Ossett Blue Plaque which is mounted on the Brewers Pride Public House, Healey Road Ossett. His name was engraved at the Ossett War Memorial in October 2019.
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UPDATE In 2014 Ossett Librarian, Dorothy Wainwright, kindly shared with us a collection of press cuttings and photographs which included Ossett servicemen and women who played their part in WWI & WWII. Nora Ward (Nurse) was one of those photographs. Ten years later in 2024 we learn much more from Nora Ward’s grandson, Michael Kent.
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UPDATE Born Leeds in 1878 George Henry and his parents were in the Workhouse by 1881. Married in 1903 by 1914 the couple moved to Dale Street, Ossett, with their four children. Then tragedy struck the family.
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December 2023
Horace and his brother Richard were two of three Thompson brothers who lost their lives in WWI. In the early 20th century the brothers and their widowed mother lived at Mallin House on Queen Street, Ossett. The two brothers are remembered side by side at the Ossett War Memorial
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February 2023
Samuel was aged 41 when he enlisted. He died of nephritis aged 47. He was not commemorated by CWGC until the Ossett Fallen Group convinced CWGC that the cause of his death was war related.
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Edward was 51 years of age and a father of four when he was serving with the RASC in Germany. He died in February 1946. “ He was apparently shot in the NAAFI somewhere in Germany”.
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Born at Rycroft Villas Ossett Frank enlisted in the Royal Navy on 6 August 1918. Later commissioned as Lieutenant in the Army.
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January 2023
Fought in France for six months in 1918; in that time Arthur was wounded twice and killed in action aged 19 years.
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Killed in action on 11 October 1918 two days before his daughter’s first birthday and a month before the Armistice.
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Charlie Raven embarked to France in late 1914. His brother George Frederick died in November 1917 and Charlie was killed in action in June 1918.
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December 2022
Aged 18 years Ernest embarked for France in September 1915. A year later he suffered fateful wounds which were end his life four days later. Ernest was 19 years old
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Edwin was born in 1889, married in June 1910 and lived a while at Ossett Spa where his grandfather was Licensee at The Fleece Public House. Edwin embarked for France in 1916 and died on the Somme in August 1918
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Once of Flushdyke, by 1921 Walter, aged 20 years, was in Baghdad with the RAMC. He returned home until WWII broke out when aged 39 years he signed on. He died as a result of an accident in Newcastle.
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Cyril served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in what appeared to be an administrative position but in June/July 1944 he took part in the Battle of Normandy where he died 21st July 1944 and was mentioned in dispatches
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Thomas had nine siblings and was married with five children when he enlisted in 1915-16. He died of his wounds in September 1916, aged 41 years.
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November 2022
Enlisted under age, invalided home with sepsis in 1917, returned to France and killed in action October 1917, aged 20 years.
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Born in Ossett with of six siblings, Alfred married in 1906 and had three children of his own when he left for France in late 1915. Aged 33 years he was killed in action near Ypres in August 1917.
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October 2022
Percy lost six of his closest family, including his first and second wives, in the late 1890’s/ early 1900’s. In 1911 he set out for Australia and in August 1914 he enlisted and lost his life at Gallipoli in August 1915.
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One of ten children John William was 16 years old when war broke out. Enlisted in late 1916 accused of desertion in July 1918, he died on pneumonia on 5 November 1918.
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Embarked for France in July 1915; one year later he was wounded on the first day of the Somme. John Henry died two days later on 3 July 1916
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September 2022
Lewis Hidle was killed in action in a German Air Raid on Strood, Kent in March 1944. He was 36 years old and left a widow and four daughters, aged ten years and under.
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Available only on this website the WWI &WWII Ossett Heritage Rolls of Honour have been updated to include the names of 22 additional Ossett Fallen recently engraved at the Ossett War Memorial”
March 2022
This is the story of the Kitchen family and their connections with Netherton, Horbury and Ossett during the second half of the 19th Century and the turmoil of the war years in the early 20th Century.
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Aged just 22 years, Benjamin was an RAF rear gunner on one of sixteen Stirling Bombers involved in a late night attack on Germany. Benjamin was the only man not to come safely home.
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An early volunteer who arrived in France in May 1915 and four months later died of his wounds when he lost his legs during an enemy attack.
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Born 1865, enlisted in 1885, bought himself out in 1889, went to war in August 1915 and died an accidental death in May 1918, aged 54 years.
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Lost both parents by 1912 and was killed in action in 1918 aged 37 years of age, a husband and the father of two children aged 7 and 4 years old.
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Killed in Action only 108 days after arriving in France he was one of three brothers who lost their lives in 1914-1918 .
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A survivor of the first day of the Battle of The Somme July 1916 who was killed on the last day of the Battle of the Somme November 1916
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February 2022
Grandson of an Ossett Pub owner who served four months in France and Flanders and was killed in action in July 1917, aged 19 years
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Nineteen years old and seven months fighting on the Western front he was killed in action or died of his wounds nine days after his court martial
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One of six sons he died of wounds in 1917 Belgium in an enemy attack which was the first use of mustard gas in the war.
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Fought alongside the Accrington Pals and killed in action on the First Day of The Battle of The Somme, 1st July 1916.
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A survivor of 1st July 1916 who lost his life on The Somme in September1916;the very first time in history of warfare that tanks were used in combat
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The son of one of five Ossett brothers who fought and survived in WWI lost his life serving his country in WW2
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Shortly to be honoured at Ossett War Memorial, postman Leonard Cobbett born and baptised in Ossett signed up in 1939, joined the “Red Caps” and lost his life in a road accident in 1941
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Another man, George Henry Beever, joins the Ossett Fallen as he becomes the eleventh Ossett man to lose his life on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
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January 2022
Served in the RNAS and the fledging RAF in 1917-1918. Read his story and see his service medals courtesy of Mark Smith”.
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An Ossett lad through and through served with three regiments in WWI. Read his story and see his service medals courtesy of Mark Smith
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We welcome our latest Ossett Fallen. His name is Charles Robert Wilkinson whose Dad was a butler in Bramham and, for a few years, a steward in Ossett’s first Working Men’s Club. Charles Robert was killed in action in 1918. He was just twenty years old
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Thanks to the sterling work of Mark Smith we have added more than forty photographs of CWGC headstones to the biographies of the Ossett Fallen commemorated.
December 2021
Read about The Life and Times of William Robert Hartley, the Haworth Tin Man & the Ossett Curate 1887 -1892
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The biography of 2nd Lieutenant 8th KOYLI William Ismay Spooner Hartley, killed in action on 1st July 1916, who now joins the ranks of the Ossett Fallen in WWI
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Biographies of Ossett born sisters Mary Ellen and Alice Jane Marsden who lost their lives in an enemy air raid in World War Two, thereby recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as Civilian War Dead
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We are very pleased to say that we have identified another Ossett Fallen. His name is Ronald Bentley who lost his life in World War II and his name will soon be engraved at the Ossett War Memorial.
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Following recent research another Ossett Fallen has been identified. His name is William Ferries Raffan who lost his life in World War II and his name will soon be engraved at the Ossett War Memorial.
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