THE GREAT WAR: Volunteers being sent off to war from Great Ayton station in 1914
THE time of death of every one of a village’s soldiers who died during the First World War is to be marked by residents 100 years on.
Great Ayton, in North Yorkshire, has pledged to honour the deaths of all its 48 residents who served between 1914 and 1918. Those who died of their wounds shortly after the end of the war will also be remembered.
The parish council came up with the idea as part of its four year programme to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Great War. It is urging residents to “adopt” a soldier for whom they will observe a minute’s silence at the village war memorial at the exact centenary of their death, between now and the end of 2018.
Each of the 2,300 homes in the village will receive a list of the names of everyone who died. The list will be included in a programme containing details of commemorative events taking place over the next four years in Great Ayton.
A willow sculpture of a soldier on the village green will also be awarded a posthumous, knitted medal for each soldier, created by the Great Ayton Knit and Knatter group.
Great Ayton Parish Councillor Simon Jackson said: “For the next four and a bit years, when we come to a day that there was a fatality there will be one minute’s silence at the war memorial.
“Within the next few days every property in Great Ayton will receive a commemorative programme saying what’s happening and giving them dates on which the events are happening.
“It will also contain a copy of what we’re calling our “roll of honour” which was discovered in Christ Church. It effectively records all the 260 people from Great Ayton who were involved and served in the Great War.”
The programme will begin on Sunday, August 3, when the Reverend Paul Peverell will hold a short ceremony on the High Green.
Judith Brown, chairman of Great Ayton Parish Council said people could also commemorate the war by planting poppy seeds available from the Discovery Centre: “Whatever is done now it can never be enough but we hope that as many local residents as possible will join in tribute to those men.”
The local history society has also closely researched all their residents killed in the war and on weeks when several residents were killed, such as the anniversary of the Somme, there will be a video presentation and display at Great Ayton Discovery Centre.
Councillor Jackson said: “To be honest if we can’t spare one minute each then we’re doing something wrong.”
Great Ayton residents who died in the First World War, and the date of their deaths:
DIXON CLIVE 05-11-14
HOPPER WILLIAM 08-03-15
DAVIES SAMUEL 12-03-15
ORD WILLIAM 24-05-15
HODGSON GEORGE 07-08-15
JOHNSON LAWRENCE A 21-08-15
BROWN BERNARD 22-08-15
PEARSON ERNEST 15-09-15
GRAYSON CHARLESWORTH 09-11-15
SMITH ROBERT 02-12-15
HODGSON JAMES 20-12-15
RUMBELLOW GILBERT 14-02-16
WILSON HERBERT 23-02-16
WILKS ARTHUR EDWARD 28-02-16
PEACOCK JOHN ISAAC 21-07-16
KEARON CHARLES 23-07-16
WEST MATHEW 24-07-16
THEOBALD ROBERT 26-07-16
LAMBERT WILLIAM 14-09-16
TAYLOR ROBERT 16-09-16
DIXON HENRY EINAR 19-09-16
REED ( READ) JOHN JOSEPH 24-09-16
ETHERINGTON RICHARD 14-02-17
HINDMARSH WILLIAM 22-04-17
DAWSON JOHN 23-04-17
CROSBY ARTHUR BERNARD LIFFORD 24-04-17
BAINES JOSEPH NICHOLS 09-05-17
STOKIL (STOCKIL) THOMAS RICHARD 05-08-17
TREMBATH WILLIAM A 26-09-17
BOTTOMLEY ALBERT 21-10-17
COATES JOHN OSCAR 30-10-17
CRAIG JAMES IRWIN 05-11-17
GRIERSON DENNIS 20-11-17
COCKERILL WILLIAM 02-01-18
CROSBY TIMOTHY HUGH STOWELL 03-02-18
JOHNSON THOMAS BINLOW 02-03-18
FEATHERSTONE HARRY 25-03-18
SURTEES HAROLD 10-04-18
COCKERILL LESLIE VALIE 12-04-18
WILKS WILLIAM 19-04-18
WILDMAN CHARLES 25-06-18
ARUNDEL PHILIP WALTER RIVERS 08-08-18
WISE EDWIN 03-10-18
ORD JOHN 24-10-18
ROBINSON THOMAS WILLIAM SCALES 08-11-18
LAMBERT FRANK 19-12-18
BRADLEY SAMUEL SPRENTALL 06-02-19
ALLEN ERNEST 07-10-19
