Remembrance Day

grumpytramp · Post by **grumpytramp** » Sat 12 Nov, 2011 1:14 am

BLAKEY wrote: My Dad was seriously injured on The Somme, but struggled to survive and managed another forty three years of useful life, considerably inconvenienced and with disabilities and resulting illness which he rarely even mentioned while working past normal retirement age. The soldiers mentioned on the Leeds Pals website are in alphabetical order of surname, and therefore my Dad is the last. BlakeyIs that Sgt H O Youhill?In many respects it matters not ....... one can only imagine the suffering of Sgt Youhill was perhaps typical "being seriously wounded by German shellfire. He crawled for 3 days, with his horrific injuries which included the loss of his calf muscle in the right leg and wounds to his left forearm, to reach a dressing station behind the linesRemarkable!I went to St Johns Primary School in Roundhay for my final year of primary school and was lucky to have as headmaster Gilbert Webster (who wrote with Jack Dickinson the definative history of the parish). I can still recall clearly to this day November 1978 when Mr Webster invited a former Leeds pal to address our class about the horrors of war.For a wee man, hooked on Victor comics and the like, I recall thinking it odd that our guest eyes filled with tears so quickly as he recalled his tale of war, heroism and loss with the Leeds Pals. It is only as an adult that I truly understand his burden as a survivor and the enormous sacrifice of his 'pals'I honestly hope we never forget and will always remember them!

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Sat 12 Nov, 2011 6:42 pm

grumpytramp wrote: BLAKEY wrote: My Dad was seriously injured on The Somme, but struggled to survive and managed another forty three years of useful life, considerably inconvenienced and with disabilities and resulting illness which he rarely even mentioned while working past normal retirement age. The soldiers mentioned on the Leeds Pals website are in alphabetical order of surname, and therefore my Dad is the last. BlakeyIs that Sgt H O Youhill? Yes sir, that's my Dad.While visiting the War graves a couple of years ago with a friend(looking for and finding two of his relatives' resting places) we came across a farm and a narrow lane near the village of Serre, and there was a memorial plate with details of regiments who had fought on the spot and the Leeds Pals was mentioned on it. I had the strangest and warmest feeling that Dad had been in that very place. Odder still was the fact that we'd pulled up just to have a break - no other reason just there - and I felt that there was a reason for it.

Post by **cnosni** » Sat 12 Nov, 2011 7:10 pm

BLAKEY wrote: grumpytramp wrote: BLAKEY wrote: My Dad was seriously injured on The Somme, but struggled to survive and managed another forty three years of useful life, considerably inconvenienced and with disabilities and resulting illness which he rarely even mentioned while working past normal retirement age. The soldiers mentioned on the Leeds Pals website are in alphabetical order of surname, and therefore my Dad is the last. BlakeyIs that Sgt H O Youhill? Yes sir, that's my Dad.While visiting the War graves a couple of years ago with a friend(looking for and finding two of his relatives' resting places) we came across a farm and a narrow lane near the village of Serre, and there was a memorial plate with details of regiments who had fought on the spot and the Leeds Pals was mentioned on it. I had the strangest and warmest feeling that Dad had been in that very place. Odder still was the fact that we'd pulled up just to have a break - no other reason just there - and I felt that there was a reason for it. Went there two years ago,here is the plaque you mentionhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/cnosni/4715554210 ... 9000763Its located on a run down building ,on the farm,adjacent to the track whih leads to Serre Road cemetery no3 (roughly where the Leeds Pal's trenches were) and Copses (Accrington,Sheffield and Barnsley Pal's memorials.See map location on page for the photo (top left)It was obscured by undergrowth,and quite frankly when i saw it i thought that it was woeful when compared to the monuments in the Copses for the Sheffield and Accrington Pal's,just not good enough.I tried to start a bit of a campaign to try and see what could be done to put a more appropriate memorial (close to Serre n03 cemetery) but despited the YEP replying saying that they were interested i never heard a thing.In 5 years time it will be 100 years since they went over the top at Serre. (my great uncle and possibly Si's great grandfather would have been about 300 yards further down the front line,on the other side of the Serre Road,around the area of Burrow Trench/Vallade Corner http://www.flickr.com/photos/cnosni/473 ... 209000763/)I think that a more fitting memorial could and should be placed nearer to where they died,instaed of being almost hidden on an old shed wall.Surely something could be done in the next 5 years,even raising support and money.

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Sat 12 Nov, 2011 7:15 pm

Each year at this time the YEP has a special 'In Memoriam' feature in which remembrance notices are placed for people killed while serving their country. It is always a very poignant page. The feature is on page 19 of the YEP today (November 12 2011). It is sad however to see that bits of some words on some messages are missing due to the way a poppy icon has been placed. One entry for a WW1 person is even missing the name of that person. I wonder if this was a printing problem or due to carelessness on the YEP's part in not checking things well enough when the page was set out (presumably on a computer). It must be most distressing to the people who placed those messages.