James Arthur WHITTAKER

13 October 1916

WHITTAKER – Killed in action in France, September 16th, 1916, Pte. James Arthur Whittaker, Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment, 59, Brougham Street, Skipton.

13 October 1916

SKIPTON OVERLOOKER KILLED – PTE. J. A. WHITTAKER

We regret to have to state that Mrs. Whittaker, of 59, Brougham Street, Skipton, has been informed that her husband, Pte. James Arthur Whittaker of the Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment, was killed in action on September 16th. Deceased enlisted soon after the outbreak of the war and had been in France about 18 months. He was at home last Christmas for the purpose of undergoing an operation, and returned to the Front in February, since when he had had no leave. In civil life he was a spinning overlooker at Belle Vue Mills, Skipton. In his last letter to his wife he expressed the hope that he would soon have the chance of paying another visit home, and said they were just out of the trenches for a rest. “We had plenty of work,” he said, “in the way of training, long marches and such like, but you see it has to be done and we must do it with a good heart, for it will be a benefit to us before long.” He also added that the village where he was stationed was just like Embsay, and looking its best.

17 November 1916

THE LATE PTE. J. A. WHITTAKER OF SKIPTON

With regard to the death of Pte. J. A. Whittaker, of 59, Brougham Street, Skipton, who, as reported in our issue of October 13th, was killed in action on September 16th, Mrs. Whittaker, the widow, has since received the following letter from Lance-Corporal Feast, K.O.Y.L.I.:– “It is with the deepest regret that I have to inform you of your dear husband’s (Pte. J. A. Whittaker) death, which took place on September 16th. Being in charge of the Lewis Gunners, I thought it was my duty to let you know, and I should have written sooner if I had known the address which I have just had given me by the Q.M.S. He was a good soldier and he always had a smile for everybody, and he was well liked by everyone who knew him, and I can assure you that we miss him more than a little. I hope you will accept the Lewis Gunners’ deepest sympathy, and I sincerely hope that God will give you sufficient strength to bear the pain and sorrow which your great loss has caused you.”

Pte. Whittaker enlisted soon after the outbreak of the war in the Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment and was subsequently transferred to the K.O.Y.L.I. He had been in France about 18 months. In civil life he was a spinning overlooker at Belle Vue Mills, Skipton.

14 September 1917

WHITTAKER – In ever loving memory of Pte. James Arthur Whittaker, the beloved husband of Annie Whittaker, who was killed in action in France, September 16th 1916.

Hold him in thine arms, O Father,
Let him henceforth be
A message of love between
My aching heart and Thee.

“Until the day dawns.”

59, Brougham Street, Skipton.

13 September 1918

WHITTAKER – In loving memory of my dear husband, Private James Arthur Whittaker, who was killed in action in France September 16th, 1916.

“Only those who have lost can understand.”

Ever remembered by his loving wife, Annie.

12 September 1919

WHITTAKER – In loving memory of my dear husband, Private James Arthur Whittaker, who was killed in action in France September 16th, 1916.

“Only those who have lost can understand.”

Ever remembered by his loving wife, Annie.

17 September 1920

WHITTAKER – In loving memory of my dear husband, Private James Arthur Whittaker, who was killed in action in France, September 16th, 1916.

“Only those who have lost can understand.”

Ever remembered by his loving wife Annie.

16 September 1921

WHITTAKER – In loving memory of my dear husband, Private James Arthur Whittaker, who was killed in action in France, September l6th, 1916.

“Only those who have lost can understand.”

Ever remembered by his loving Wife, Annie.

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.