John Lawrence William WOODHOUSE

11 February 1916

INGLETON – War Items

During the week the following have attested at Settle:– Messrs. F. Freeman, W. Dent, C. Stewart, and C. Heald.– Captain Gordon Mackenzie, who was recently mentioned in despatches, and Pte. J. Wadeson, have been home from the front, on furlough.– Pte. J.A. Preston is in hospital in Suffolk suffering from muscular rheumatism and trench fever.– Ptes. W. Brown and P. Howson have been home for their final leave before being sent to the Front, and Sergt. R. I.[E.] Walker, Pte. J. Preston, and Pte. J. Woodhouse have been at Ingleton on leave.– Pte. W. Dixon is at home on sick leave, and Pte. S. Slinger is now at home, having completed his term of service.

11 August 1916

WOODHOUSE – July 30th killed in action in France. Lance-Corporal John E. Woodhouse, King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, of Throstle Hall, Dent.

11 August 1916

DENT – KILLED IN ACTION: LANCE-CORPORAL JOHN L. WOODHOUSE

News arrived in Dent on Sunday that Lance Corporal John L. Woodhouse, 10th King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, was killed in action on July 30th. Mrs. Woodhouse, of Throstle Hall, Dent (formerly of Ingleton), received the following letter from his Commanding Officer:–

France, July 31st 1916

“Dear Mrs. Woodhouse,

“It is with deep regret that I have to inform you that your husband, Lance-Cpl. Woodhouse, was killed in action yesterday morning. I was with him at the time and he was killed instantly, and died without pain. Being his section officer I should like to tell you that I considered him my most valued non-commissioned officer. He had a fine soldierly spirit and was a very hard worker and there is no one I regret more the loss of. Believe me you have my deepest sympathy – not only of myself but of the whole company. His comrades also wish me to express to you their deepest sympathy. If there is any further information that I can give you, please let me know and I will do all in my power to help you.

“Yours very sincerely, “A. D. NICHOLS, 2nd Lieutenant, 89 M.G.C.”

He was the only son of a widowed mother and 21 years of age.

22 February 1918

INGLETON – IN MEMORY OF THE FALLEN

A memorial service for Ingleton men who have fallen in the war was held in St. Mary’s Church on Sunday evening. There was a large congregation, and the service was of an impressive character. The Union Jack was hoisted half-mast on the tower during the day. At the commencement of the service the organist, Mr. C. Bentham, played ‘O rest in the Lord’, and at the conclusion the Dead March in ‘Saul’, 'How bright these glorious spirits shine’, and other hymns appropriate to the occasion were sung, as was also the National Anthem. Standing on the Chancel steps, Bugler J. Robinson sounded the ‘Last Post’, and its solemn and eerie notes reverberated along the aisles.

Before commencing his address, the vicar, the Rev. D. T. Davies, read out the list of those who had fallen, as follows:–

Killed in action: Second-Lieutenant G. Kirk, Sergeant J. Metcalfe, Privates A. Noble, G. Scholey, C. Tomlinson, J. Smith, W. A. Hodgson, J. W. Wadeson, J. W. Robinson, J. Clapham, W. Smith, J. Schofield, J. Kettlewell, W. Marklew, E. Askew, P. Fletcher, G. Metcalfe, A. M. Booth, J. Woodhouse, W. Bolton, and J. [W.H.W.] Wilson.

Died in hospital: Privates W. H. Wignall and C. Newsholme.

Torpedoed: C. Grant.

Missing; Sergeant R. E. Walker, Privates A. Sherwin, W. Northey, E. Robinson, J. Saul, and W. [J.C.] Bradford.

The Vicar, speaking from the words, ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends’, said that the occasion brought them face in face with a question that was momentous to everyone, and the list which he had just read made them pause and ask the question, “Is the cause for which we are fighting of such a nature that these sacrifices are necessary?” They must remind themselves of the causes which led to the war. Our honour was pledged to protect a small country from an oppressing wrong, and we were compelled to stand by them. They were standing to protect a weak country from a fearful wrong committed by one of the strongest nations in the world – from a military point of view the strongest – a nation that was steadily prospering year after year and which had been training its manhood to satisfy its mad ambition for power. It was becoming clear, especially during the last few weeks, that the dominant note running through their proposals had been their determination that might should conquer over right, and that they would rule as masters over the whole world. When they analysed the causes they saw that the principles of justice and righteousness were struggling against oppression and wrong-doing. They had seen an attempt to impose injustice on the whole world, to impose the doctrine that might is right and mercy unknown by the will of one man, and to sweep away religion, man’s guidance, in a moment.