Frederick SIMPSON

09 April 1915

NARROW ESCAPE

Pte. W. Boardman, Junction, Crosshills, of the 2nd Duke of Wellington's Regiment, who has been fighting at the front since the commencement of the War, writing to a friend at Eastburn, says:– “We are going away in the trenches again tonight for three days and will not be able to write in there, but as soon as we come out I am going to send you my ‘bacca’ box and jack knife, and the Christmas present we received from the Queen. The knife was in a belt, and the 'bacca’ box in my pocket, and a piece of shell went straight through my box, broke my knife, and went about half an inch in my thigh. However, I was not much the worse, as I was only three days in hospital: but if it had not been for my knife the piece of shell would have gone into my body. I was next to Ernest Cooper in the trench at the time, so I suppose you will have got to know by now. He had just come up and it was the first time in the trenches for him.”

A further letter dated March 2nd says:– “There was a Silsden man killed the other day here. You will know him - Ben Hodgson was his name. Fred Simpson (of Junction) does not come back. I have not heard of him for about three weeks. He might have been sent home for anything I know, as they said he was bad when he got sent away. He had looked bad for many weeks, though he did not go on sick. I had a letter from Ernest Cooper the other day, and he says he as all right where he is until the war is finished, if they will let him stop. He was sent down to the base owing to his deafness. One of our chaps had to go with him when he was on sentry duty.”

06 October 1916

THE LATE CAPTAIN CEDRIC F. HORSFALL – MEMORIAL SERVICE

A service in memory of the late Captain Cedric F. Horsfall, son of Sir John and Lady Horsfall, Hayfield, Glusburn, who was killed in France on the 18th September, was held on Sunday morning in the Sutton Baptist Church. The large chapel was crowded, and amongst those present were Mrs. Cedric Horsfall, the Mayor of Keighley (Mr. W. A. Brigg), with his mace bearer; Sir John and Lady Horsfall, Miss Horsfall, Miss Dora Horsfall, Miss C. Horsfall, Mrs. Norman Walker, Captain and Mrs. J. Donald Horsfall, Mrs. Curry, Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Petty, Mr. Tom Spencer (Lyndhurst), Mr. Peter Smith, M.P., Mr. W. E. Foster (Keighley), Major C. P Case, Captain Ray Marriner, Mr. John Clough, Mr. F. J. Wilson, Mr. James Woodrow, and Mr. Edgar Naylor.

At the commencement of the service the organist (Mr. Joseph Petty) played ‘O rest in the Lord’, and at the conclusion of the service the Dead March in ‘Saul’ was played, the congregation standing whilst it was being played. The choir, conducted by Mr. Joseph Overend, sang the anthem ‘There is a Land’. The service was opened by the singing of ‘O God our help in ages past’.

The preacher was the pastor (Rev. F. W. Pollard) who said it was nearly a year since the memorial service for Private Joseph Bancroft was held. He was killed in the trenches on October 23rd last year. Fred Simpson and Walter Haggas had been reported missing and no further news had yet been received concerning their fate. Percy Stell and Stanley Archibald, who went through the Gallipoli campaign, were also reported missing. Tom Summersgill, a boy who used to attend the Junior Endeavour Society and the Band of Hope, was killed in July, and now the awful shadow of death again rests upon them, and again they were realising how terrible were the sacrifices the war. The glamour of war was now gone. The fateful week that brought the news of the death of Captain Horsfall would long be remembered for its records of the loss our country sustained of men of special prominence, highly gifted, and with the promise of useful and glorious careers. Raymond Asquith, Captain Henderson and the son of the Rt. Hon. Pike Pease were killed during that week, and the tragedy of those losses was emphasised when news came of the death of Captain Cedric Horsfall. He was indeed worthy to take his place with the best of those who had fallen, by virtue of his noble character and attainments, and by the rich promise of his life. There was in his character much which marked him out for future service in the neighbourhood, in the county and in the country. His education was crowned by his winning highest honours at Cambridge University. He was a true gentleman, the very perfection of kindly consideration for others. They also mourned the death of two others, Lance-Corporal Lewis Binns and Private Albert Binns, both of Glusburn. The first was killed in action on the 11th September. Albert Binns had died during the week as a result of wounds received in action. These men had fallen in defence of their country and its noble ideals, in defence of the cause of freedom and justice, honour and truth. The quarrel thrust upon them was not of their seeking. Their friend, Captain Horsfall, volunteered his services in the very early days of the war. There were many reasons why he might have declined the call home for business considerations; but a noble spirit of chivalry determined him to make the greater choice, and the appeal that came to him in the hour of his country’s need met with a noble one. They must see to it that these great sacrifices were not made in vain.

On the Hayfield family vault in the Sutton Baptist burial ground was a beautiful laurel wreath, and also a splendid array of arum lilies.