‘Clitheroe Advertiser' (22 June 1917)
(Kindly supplied by Shirley Penman of Clitheroe and Dorothy Falshaw of Gisburn)
WEST BRADFORD SOLDIER POSTED MISSING
Corporal John Dugdale, son of Mr. Richard Dugdale, Hanson’s Farm, West Bradford, has been reported missing since May 3rd. He was formerly a police constable, stationed at Swinton, and very popular with his brother officers. The intimation was conveyed to P.C. Gledhill by another former Swinton constable, P.C. Baker, who enlisted with Corporal Dugdale, and had been with him ever since.
“I have sad news to tell you,” he writes, “and that is that Dugdale is missing. Our lot went over the top early in the morning of May 3rd. I asked the lads of the platoon if they saw anything of him, and the only news I could get was that one of them saw him about an hour after the attack in a shell-hole, and all right. It is possible that he is a prisoner, as some of our lot were known to have been taken. I was not with him when he went over, being in a rest-camp with septic poisoning.”
Corporal Dugdale was formerly employed as a wood-cutter on the Eaves Hall Estate, and went to Swinton in 1914, and, after about 18months’ service in the constabulary, enlisted in the Royal Engineers, but was subsequently transferred to the Leicester Regiment. He is 26 years of age, and single.
‘Clitheroe Advertiser’ (2 November 1917)
(Kindly supplied by Shirley Penman of Clitheroe and Dorothy Falshaw of Gisburn)
POSTED MISSING SINCE MAY
WOUNDED COMRADE REPORTS CORPORAL J. DUGDALE DEAD
The long suspense suffered by Mr. and Mrs. Dugdale, Hanson’s Farm, West Bradford, in regard to their son, Corporal John Dugdale, who was reported missing in May last, was ended this week by a letter from a wounded soldier in hospital, at Cambridge, and the family now mourn his death.
The sad news was obtained through the agency of the British Red Cross Enquiry Dept. for wounded and missing. A letter, dated the 11th October, forwarded to Mrs. Dugdale, contains the following:
“We have been trying to obtain some news about your son, and fear that we have to-day received some sad particulars of him. Pte. W.C. Terrey, 20318, D. Co., Lewis Gun Section, in hospital abroad, states: ‘Dugdale – the only one of that name, I think, in the company – was killed at Fontaine. We attacked, but the enemy were too strong, and we had to fall back. It was while retiring that I saw Dugdale lying dead. We were in a sunken road before attacking and it was about 50 yards in front of that road that I saw Dugdale. We never went over the ground again. A burying party went out at night and buried many in a trench. Dugdale was a dark, clean shaven young fellow, of about 24. He came from Nottingham, I think, but won’t be sure.’”
A further letter, dated Oct. 22nd, stated that the Enquiry Dept. were sending Corporal Dugdale’s photograph to their searcher at the 1st General Hospital, Cambridge, where Pte. Terrey had been transferred. The result of that was contained in a third communication which came to hand this week:–
“We hear to-day from our searcher at the 1st Eastern General Hospital, Cambridge, that he showed your son’s photograph to Pte. Terrey and that he stated he had no doubt he saw your son after he was killed on the 3rd May – that he had the Royal Engineer’s badge and had been transferred to the Leicesters.”
Corporal Dugdale was formerly employed as a wood-cutter on the Eaves Hall Estate, and went to Swinton in 1914. After 18 months’ service with the Constabulary, he enlisted in the Royal Engineers. He was 26 years of age and unmarried. Sympathy is extended to the family who had hoped that Corporal Dugdale might have been taken prisoner.
‘Clitheroe Advertiser’ (19 April 1918)
(Kindly supplied by Shirley Penman of Clitheroe and Dorothy Falshaw of Gisburn)
[Untitled article]
Mr. R. Dugdale, Hanson’s Farm, West Bradford, has been officially notified by the Records Office that his son, Corporal John Dugdale, of the 8th Leicesters, missing since May, 1917, is now presumed dead.
No comments yet.