Harry RILEY

04 January 1918

RILEY – November 27th, 1917, killed in action, Private Harry Riley, Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, only son of late Mr. Samuel Riley, 6, Bennett Street, Skipton, aged 19 years.

04 January 1918

MORE SKIPTON SACRIFICES – PRIVATE HARRY RILEY

We have to report this week the death in action on November 27th last of Private Harry Riley, Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment, only son of the late Mr. Samuel Riley, 6 Bennett Street, Skipton. The sad news has been received from the War Office by his sister, Mrs. Edmondson, of the above address, with whom Private Riley lived. Deceased showed his patriotism by enlisting in October 1914, when only sixteen years of age. He had been at the Front since January 1917. In civil life he was a weaver in the employ of Mr. S. H. Walton, Alexander Shed, Skipton.

29 November 1918

RILEY – In sincere and loving memory of my dear brother, Private Harry Riley, Duke of Wellington’s, only son of the late Mr. Samuel Riley, who was killed in action November 27th, 1917.

“Missed most by those who loved him best.”

Ever remembered by his Sister and Arthur, 6 Bennett Street, Skipton.

RILEY – In loving memory of my dear nephew, Private Harry Riley, killed November 27th, 1917.

Nobly you did your duty, bravely you fought and fell,
But the sorrow of those who mourn you only aching hearts can tell;
It may be a soldier’s honour for his country’s cause to fall,
But we cannot think of the glory for the pain it caused us all.

From Aunt Clara, Harry and Mary, Burnley.

28 November 1919

RILEY – In loving memory of Private Harry Riley, who was killed in action November 27th, 1917.

“Too dearly loved to be forgotten.”

From his Sister and Arthur, 6 Bennett Street, Skipton.

26 November 1920

RILEY – In loving memory of Pte. Harry Riley, who was killed in action, Nov. 27th, 1917.

Ever remembered by his Sister.

25 November 1921

RILEY – In loving memory of my dear brother, Pte. Harry Riley, killed in action, Nov. 27th, 1917.

“Time passes but memories still remain.”

Ever remembered by his Sister and Arthur.

23 February 1923

ODDFELLOWS’ WAR MEMORIAL

UNVEILING CEREMONY AT A SKIPTON LODGE

OVER 200 WHO SERVED

There was a large attendance of local members of the Independent Order of Oddfellows at the Friendly Societies’ Hall, Skipton, on Saturday afternoon, on the occasion of the unveiling of a war memorial to the members of the Loyal Traveller’s Friend Lodge, I.O.O.F, M.U., who fell in the war.

The Memorial takes the form of a beautifully designed scroll within an oak frame with a glass front, the work of Mr. H. Spencer, junr., and it bears the inscription:–

LOYAL/TRAVELLER’S FRIEND LODGE,/SKIPTON DISTRICT ./I.O.O.F. ROLL OF HONOUR M.U./OF/THOSE MEMBERS OF THIS LODGE WHO FOUGHT FOR THEIR KING AND COUNTRY TO UPHOLD THE SACRED CAUSES OF BROTHERHOOD AND HUMANITY IN THE GREAT WAR, 1914–1918.

Below the inscription are the names of 173 members who served in the war, and of the 40 members who were killed. The names of the fallen occupy a central position on the scroll, and above them are the following words:–

IN MEMORIAM
OF THOSE WHO MADE THE
SUPREME SACRIFICE.
THEIR HEARTS ARE LIFTED UP
THEIR HEARTS
THAT HAVE FOREKNOWN
THE UTTER PRICE,
THEIR HEARTS BURN
UPWARD AS A FLAME
OF SPLENDOUR AND OF
SACRIFICE

The names of the fallen are as follows:– H. Armstrong, J.J. Brown, J. Barrett, Robt. Brown, W.W. Bell, A. Clayton, W.H. Coles, T.C. Chew, Tom Downes, T.M. Drummond, Jos. Emmott, Thos. Edmondson, J. Easterby, F. Gallagher, J.W. Garwood, G.E. Godwin, S.J. Hargreaves, M. Hargreaves, A. Hebden, J. Hebden, A. Hawkswell, T.E. Inman, M. Lund, R.C. [R.G.] Metcalfe, Hbt. Maudsley, Hy. Maudsley, A.J. Pimnock [Pinnock], H.Y. [Harry] Riley, T.W. Storey, J.H. Stewart, R. Spencer, J.W. Shuttleworth, Wm. Tempest, Hbt. Thompson, Fred Thornton, J.W. Varley, John Ward, J.A. Whittaker, J.W. Whittaker, and R.D. Whittaker.

The Unveiling Ceremony

The unveiling ceremony was presided over by Bro. Thos. Bellamy, and was performed by Bro. Amos Culpan, Prov. C.S., and a simple service included the singing of the hymns, ‘O God our help’ and Kipling’s Recessional, ‘God of our fathers,’ and the reading of a portion of Scripture, and the offering of a prayer by Bro. James Greenwood, of Bradford, and formerly of Skipton.

Bro. Bellamy observed that those members of the Lodge whom they were met to honour went into battle, suffered untold privations, and, in many cases, made the supreme sacrifice. They gave their lives in defence of their homes and their country. Further than that, they gave their lives for justice and freedom, and in order that we might live. It was the duty of Oddfellows, equally as much as other sections of the community, to do everything within their power to make the country better for that sacrifice. “In the time of our prosperity,” concluded Bro. Bellamy, “never let us forget those who served us in the time of our adversity.”

A Lesson of the War

Prior to unveiling the memorial, Bro. Culpan described the ceremony he had been asked to perform as one not unattended by sorrow. It was an occasion upon which one felt a desire to make their Order better for the sacrifice of its members, and to extend the true spirit of brotherhood. In nearly 4,000 of their Lodges they would find a roll of honour. Over 22,000 of their members made the supreme sacrifice, and thousands of others were ruined and shattered in health and without prospects for the future. Each and all of them ought to perform some daily service that would make the sacrifice of those men worth while. One result of the terrible ordeal of 1914 to 1918 was the creation of a better feeling between men, and a desire to break down the class barriers that formerly existed. That was one of the great lessons of the war.