Dozens of soldiers names to be added at Horsforth war memorial

Members of Horsforth WW1 100 Years group launched the research to find the missing names around six years ago after they were contacted by the family of fallen Horsforth soldier Percy Tuke, of Hopwood House, Horsforth.

Percy Tuke, who worked at the Yorkshire Penny bank in Horsforth, was killed on March 21 1918 aged 35 while fighting with the British Army’s Machine Gun Corps at Pozieres in France

His family wondered why his name was not on Horsforth’s Cenotaph, which includes the names of 211 fallen servicemen and one woman from Horsforth.

Mark Saville, who wrote ‘Horsforth: The Great War’, said Percy Tuke’s family had later discovered his father was a very private man and didn’t want his son’s name included on the memorial.

The omission of Percy Tuke’s name prompted Horsforth WW1 100 Years Group to scour local cemeteries and the War Graves Commission website to find the names of other soldiers’ names missing from Horsforth Cenotaph

Horsforth WW1 100 Years has raised £3,000 of the £4,000 they need to buy two new plaques, which will be inscribed with the 46 names before being placed at either side of the Cenotaph.

Susan Watson, of Horsforth Museum, researched the backgrounds of the 46 men.

She said it was not a surprise to find so many names were not on the Cenotaph, which was unveiled in March 1922, adding: “It was put up in a hurry. People all over the country were desperate to put something up that was a memorial to their men.”

To donate to the appeal, contact Susan Watson on 0113 2613621, or e mail: [email protected]