William SMITH (1)

04 February 1916

INGLETON – War Items

Company-Quarter-Master-Sergt. J. W. Lambert (6th Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment) is at home on sick leave. – Privates J. Taylor and P. Howson (of the same regiment) are also home on furlough before proceeding to the Front. – Driver R. I. Lambert (Army Service Corps) is also enjoying a well-earned rest at home after a long spell at the Front. – It is reported that Pte. W. Smith has been killed in action, but the report has not yet been confirmed.

18 May 1917

THORNTON-IN-LONSDALE – MEMORIAL SERVICE

On Sunday evening a well-attended service was held at St. Oswald’s Church in memory of Pte. W. Stockdale, only son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Stockdale, Trees Farm, Thornton-in-Lonsdale, who died in France of meningitis. Special hymns and psalms were sung, and the Dead March was played by the organist, Miss Nancy Shaw. The Vicar, the Rev. R.H. Crane, made a touching reference to the deceased, and sketched his career in the Sunday School and in the choir. He also made suitable reference to the death of two other soldiers from the parish, viz., Pte. W. Smith, who was killed in France, and Pte. J. Appleyard, who died in a Manchester Hospital.

22 February 1918

INGLETON – IN MEMORY OF THE FALLEN

A memorial service for Ingleton men who have fallen in the war was held in St. Mary’s Church on Sunday evening. There was a large congregation, and the service was of an impressive character. The Union Jack was hoisted half-mast on the tower during the day. At the commencement of the service the organist, Mr. C. Bentham, played ‘O rest in the Lord’, and at the conclusion the Dead March in ‘Saul’, 'How bright these glorious spirits shine’, and other hymns appropriate to the occasion were sung, as was also the National Anthem. Standing on the Chancel steps, Bugler J. Robinson sounded the ‘Last Post’, and its solemn and eerie notes reverberated along the aisles.

Before commencing his address, the vicar, the Rev. D. T. Davies, read out the list of those who had fallen, as follows:–

Killed in action: Second-Lieutenant G. Kirk, Sergeant J. Metcalfe, Privates A. Noble, G. Scholey, C. Tomlinson, J. Smith, W. A. Hodgson, J. W. Wadeson, J. W. Robinson, J. Clapham, W. Smith, J. Schofield, J. Kettlewell, W. Marklew, E. Askew, P. Fletcher, G. Metcalfe, A. M. Booth, J. Woodhouse, W. Bolton, and J. [W.H.W.] Wilson.

Died in hospital: Privates W. H. Wignall and C. Newsholme.

Torpedoed: C. Grant.

Missing; Sergeant R. E. Walker, Privates A. Sherwin, W. Northey, E. Robinson, J. Saul, and W. [J.C.] Bradford.

The Vicar, speaking from the words, ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends’, said that the occasion brought them face in face with a question that was momentous to everyone, and the list which he had just read made them pause and ask the question, “Is the cause for which we are fighting of such a nature that these sacrifices are necessary?” They must remind themselves of the causes which led to the war. Our honour was pledged to protect a small country from an oppressing wrong, and we were compelled to stand by them. They were standing to protect a weak country from a fearful wrong committed by one of the strongest nations in the world – from a military point of view the strongest – a nation that was steadily prospering year after year and which had been training its manhood to satisfy its mad ambition for power. It was becoming clear, especially during the last few weeks, that the dominant note running through their proposals had been their determination that might should conquer over right, and that they would rule as masters over the whole world. When they analysed the causes they saw that the principles of justice and righteousness were struggling against oppression and wrong-doing. They had seen an attempt to impose injustice on the whole world, to impose the doctrine that might is right and mercy unknown by the will of one man, and to sweep away religion, man’s guidance, in a moment.