William TROUGHTON

25 August 1916

SETTLE SOLDIERS WOUNDED

News has been received by his parents that Pte. W. Earnshaw, the elder son of Mr. and Mrs. James Earnshaw, of Kirkgate, Settle, that he has been wounded. He is a sniper, and whilst so acting was struck by a bullet on the top of the left shoulder. His officer, in writing to his parents, says he is an excellent fellow in every way, especially as a shot. He has been sent to England.

Cliffe Parker, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Parker, of Upper Settle, who was wounded some time ago, is making satisfactory progress. Norman Ellis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ellis, of Church Street, Settle, who was wounded in the cheek by shrapnel, has been discharged from hospital, and is spending a short leave at home, as also is Pte. W. Troughton, son of Mr. and Mrs. T. Troughton.

05 April 1917

TROUGHTON – March 12th, killed in action, Pte. William Troughton, of the West Riding Regiment, son of Mr. and Mrs. Troughton, of East View, Settle, aged 20.

05 April 1917

ANOTHER SETTLE SOLDIER KILLED IN ACTION

The sad news has been received by Mr. and Mrs. Troughton, of East View, Settle, that their only son, Pte. William Troughton, was killed in action in France on March 12th last. The captain wrote as follows:– “It is with deepest regret that I have to inform you that your son, Private W. Troughton, was killed in action on 12th March. It may be some little consolation to you to know that he suffered no pain and died instantaneously. He had borne himself well through a very trying time and his loss will be deeply felt amongst us as he was a thoroughly good fellow, popular alike with officers and men. All the officers and men of the company join with me in expressing their deepest sympathy with you in your sad loss. Believe me, yours very sincerely, R.Ogston.”

The chaplain who buried the deceased soldier also wrote a sympathetic letter.

Pte. Troughton, who joined the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, at the age of 17, in September, 1914, was, prior to the war, a cinematograph operator at the Settle Picture Palace. He was wounded on July 3rd, 1916, in the right shoulder by a shrapnel bullet, but returned to the Front on Christmas Day last. Much sympathy is felt for his parents and family, Private Troughton being well known in the district.

04 January 1918

SETTLE’S FALLEN HEROES

Memorial Service at the Parish Church

A memorial service for the Settle soldiers who have fallen in the war was held at the Parish Church last Sunday afternoon. There was a large congregation, and the service was conducted by Rev. W. E. Linney (vicar). The hymns ‘God of the living in Whose eyes,’ ‘Jesus lives,’ ‘On the resurrection morn,’ and ‘ O God our help in aged past’ were sung, and the ‘Last Post’ was sounded at the close of the service by two of the local Cadets. The organist (Mr. F. Lord) also played appropriate music as the congregation assembled and left the church.

The Vicar, in the course of his sermon, said they were met to remember the Settle soldiers, men, and boys – some indeed little more than boys – who had laid down their lives for the country at the war, whether during the year which was just drawing to a close or in the earlier stages of the conflict. When he asked them to remember those heroes that day, he knew that he was asking them to do what they were always doing. They were their own dear ones united to many of them by ties of blood – husbands, fathers, brothers, sons, as well as friends. How could they forget them? Were they not reminded of them day by day by the gaps in their home circles, which could never again be filled by them? They all desired in their hearts that God would bless and keep them, and give them peace. and happiness. The Vicar then read the following list of the Settle men who had laid down their lives:– John Edward Bell, Geo. S. Belles, Fredk. Baldwin, John Barrett, Robert Bateson, William Bradley, Frank Bulcock, George R. Bullock, Herbert Clark, John Cokell, Edward Ellershaw, Jas. Ewart, Wm. Ewart, Fredk. Frost, Harold Goss, Alfred Gower, Joseph Lord, John Morphet, John Packard, Chas. Peachey, Thomas Howarth Preston, Albert Ralph, Thos. Stackhouse, George Edward Turner, Derwent Turnbull, Wm. Troughton, Harry Walton, John Edward Wilson, Ernest Wooff, and Robert Wooff. Proceeding, the Vicar said they had a responsibility with regard to those men. They owed them a debt, and he trusted and believed that they were wishful to do all that they could to repay it. “ Our lives are being saved by their death. If we have any future before us on the earth it is because they gave up their futures to secure it. Their right to survive was as good as our own. Many of them would have been of far more use in the world than we can hope to be. The future stands to be only poorer for our surviving in their stead. We are debtors to them for all they have given us. To the future think of all it has lost in them.” How were they going to pay the debt, and in paying it to honour their heroic dead? Surely there could be but one answer – to live to give effect to their ideals. When they were asked what those ideals were, they might be well put in the words of Bishop Walshaw How’s hymn written for the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria, “To make the world a better world for man’s brief earthly dwelling.” If Prussian militarism should gain the ascendancy the world would be scarcely a fit place to live in. What they wanted was the triumph of right and liberty. That was the task they had begun, and many of them, fired by the enthusiasm of a noble cause, literally went singing to their death. The old life which had no loftier aim than a high standard of material comfort had been felt to be unsatisfactory. To ardent youth the higher spirit of self-sacrifice, which was the spirit of Christ, beckoned onward with irresistible attractiveness, and they followed the gleam. They had yet to complete the great task to which they dedicated themselves. That was the way they could honour the memory of their fallen heroes, and with confidence that they had not died in vain.

A collection taken on behalf of the Red Cross Society realised £5 15s.