Charles SIMS

17 November 1916

UNKNOWN FATE OF THREE SKIPTONIANS – SERGEANT A. F. RYDER

During last weekend Mr. and Mrs. T. B. Ryder, 30, Neville Street, Skipton, received a communication from the Infantry Record Office, York, to the effect that their son, Sergeant Arthur Frederick Ryder, of the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, had been posted by the War Office as ‘wounded and missing’ after the engagement in France (place not reported) on September 16th last. A few weeks ago Mr. and Mrs. Ryder had official news that their son was wounded, and their many friends will regret that the latest news is not very promising. Letters from friends at the Front indicate that Sergt. Ryder was hit a second time while trying to get through the enemy’s barrage fire, though no one appears to have actually seen him so hit.

Sergt. Ryder is an old Skipton Ermysted Grammar School boy, and prior to the War was an assistant to the County Education Architect at Wakefield. Previous to that he was in the surveyor’s department at the offices of the Skipton Urban Council. He joined the K.O.Y.L.I. on the outbreak of the War, received his training at Aldershot and other places, and first went to the Front in May 1915. On July 19th, 1915, he was wounded in the right calf by a piece of shrapnel and was invalided home. He rejoined his Battalion in December last.

In a letter to Mr. and Mrs. Ryder, Pte. Charles Sims, another Skipton soldier, says that up to the time of writing (November 4th) nothing had been heard of Sergt. Ryder since September 15th. He also states that he has made enquiries of the other men in the Platoon who went through the attack, and from these it appears that Sergt. Ryder was wounded in the hand by a bullet and that he was seen making his way back to his own trench to have the wound dressed. About this time the enemy commenced shelling the British trenches and it is thought, as indicated above, that Sergt. Ryder must have been hit a second time. “Such a thing as being taken a prisoner seems nearly impossible,” writes Pte. Sims, “as our lads went forward a long way in advance of where Arthur got hit. The Germans did not put up much of a fight after their machine guns were put out. They were only too glad to be made prisoners themselves.” He also stated that Sergt. Ryder was a splendid fellow, the finest sergeant the platoon had had, and respected by everyone. “We were the only two in this Battalion from Skipton,” he adds, “so I shall miss him very much.”

A letter from Lieut.-Col. G. Meynell, the Commanding Officer of the 6th K.O.Y.L.I., states that Sergt. Ryder was wounded in the hand on September 15th while leading his platoon in an attack. “ He is a great loss to me,” he says “for he was quite one of my best platoon sergeants. I seldom met a man with a higher sense of duty and he always set a splendid example to those under him.”

09 November 1917

MILITARY MEDALS FOR TWO SKIPTONIANS – PRIVATE CHARLES SIMS

In the official list of ‘Rewards for Bravery’ published on Tuesday, the name of Private Charles Sims, one of the three soldier sons of Mrs. Sims, Midland Street, Broughton Road, Skipton, appeared as a winner of the Military Medal. Mrs. Sims had already heard from her son that he had been recommended for the distinction and that he had received the ribbon, but with the modesty that is so characteristic of the majority of our lads he omitted to say what he had done to gain the honour. Thirty-seven years of age, Pte. Sims has been at the Front with the Yorkshire Light Infantry for over two years, and some time ago was wounded in the thigh and hand. This necessitated treatment in hospital. Before enlisting he was a weaver at Nelson. The two other sons of Mrs. Sims who are serving are Pte. Alfred Sims with the Yorkshire Light Infantry and Pte. George Edward Sims with a railway battalion.

10 May 1918

Private Charles Sims, M.M., Skipton

We regret to hear that Private Charles Sims, M.M., King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, one of the three soldier sons of Mrs. Sims, 3 West Bradley Street, Broughton Road, Skipton, was killed in action on March 31st.

In a letter of sympathy to Mrs. Sims, Captain John Best says:– “The Company was attacked by the enemy and a severe fight took place during which your son was killed. His body has been buried in an orchard close to where he fell. He was a gallant fellow and died bravely for his country.”

Formerly a weaver at Nelson and aged 38 years, deceased joined the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in September 1914, and went to the Front the following May. His name appeared in an official list of ‘Rewards for Bravery’ as a winner of the Military Medal on November 6th last year. The other two sons of Mrs. Sims who are serving are Private Alfred Sims, with the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, and Private George Edward Sims with a railway battalion.