Below are details of men connected with Clayton who lost their lives during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.
Private Albert Briggs
16/1040, "B" Coy. 16th Bn., West Yorkshire Regiment
(Prince of Wales's Own) who died on 01 July 1916
On the Somme Age 22
The ' 16/ ' prefix to Albert's army number and the date of his death give a clue as to how he died — Albert was another of the 1st Bradford Pals who went over the top on that fateful July day. He had quit his job as a warehouseman and enlisted at the same time as all the others of his battalion in September 1914, leaving his family and friends back in Bradford.
His parents Timothy and Frances Briggs lived at 16, Gaythorne Terrace, Clayton while Albert himself lived on Lavinia Terrace. He was closely associated with Clayton Parish Church and was a regular member of the Parish Church Mutual Improvement Society, as well as being a SundaySchool Teacher.
Private John Martin
4654, 1st/6th Bn., West Yorkshire Regiment
(Prince of Wales's Own) who died on 14 July 1916 on the Somme age 25
Johnny and his brother George moved to Clayton after they had left school in their home county of Kent. They came to try to find employment, which at the time was in abundance in the mills of Bradford and eventually both secured permanent jobs. Johnny was employed by Messrs. J. Benn and Co. and the pair managed to rent a house on Crestville Terrace.
In the middle of 1915 Johnny decided to quit his job and enlisted into the lst/6th West Yorkshire Regiment in Halifax. He was posted to France in early 1916 as a re-enforcement and was another soldier to go over the top on July 1st 1916. Unlike so many other soldiers he survived the ordeal and managed to return to his trench by nightfall.
For the next couple of days, most activity at the front ground to a halt while dead and wounded were brought in from no-man's land, and Johnny would have been removed from the front line. The rotation of soldiers at the front effectively meant that men went from a three-day period in the front line to a base camp to get cleaned and washed then effectively had a few days of reduced duties with social activities such as sports tournaments or film showings. After this, the soldiers would return to do a stint in the reserve trenches which, although safer from the front line, were still prone to artillery bombardments or later on in the war, air raids.
The Somme Offensive 're-started' on the 4lh July and for the next three weeks sporadic and fierce fighting occurred for every available square foot of ground in front of the British lines. It was two weeks into this that Johnny was killed in action and like so many of the other soldiers who fell in the Somme Offensive, his body was never recovered.
According to some sources the cost of Allied soldier's lives at the end of the campaign in October 1916 was 120 men for every square foot taken - a horrendous figure if precise.
Lance Corporal Benjamin Abbott
202180, 1st/4th Bn., York and Lancaster
Regiment who died on 14 September 1916 on the Somme age 19
Born in Clayton, grew up in Pudsey. Enlisted in Attercliffe, Sheffield into the 1st/4th (Hallamshire) Battalion, York & Lancaster Regiment and was working in Rotherham. Died in the Somme Offensive and remembered on Thiepval Memorial.
Private William Edward Lister
18/1300, 18th Bn., West Yorkshire Regiment
(Prince of Wales's Own) who died on 01 July 1916
on the Somme Age 22
William's fate can be clearly seen by his serial number and date of death: again, he was another of the luckless Pals who suffered so greatly for their King and country. He belonged to the 2nd Bradford Pals, and he and his fellow Pals had the misfortune to know the fate about to befall them as the 18th West Yorkshire's were set to advance about thirty minutes after the 16th battalion at 8.20am. By the time they reached the front trench before no-man's land, the full and immense scale of the tragedy would have been on view to them all. As well as having to contend with what they knew to be virtual suicide, the German forces had begun to retaliate with what one observer described to be "...an intense bombardment on our front line and support trenches” Canister bombs, high explosives and shrapnel catching all men as they reached the support line. This curtain of fire was extended to our support trenches." (extract taken from Hudson's Bradford Pals)
These were to be conditions that the 2nd Pals had to make their way through, as well as trying to pass over the wounded and shattered forms that once comprised the 1st Bradford Pals and the 1st Leeds Pals. Needless to say, not one man on that morning from either of the Bradford Pals battalion was branded with the label of being a coward, as every single soldier did his duty and his best to reach the German trenches.
William was the son of Albert and Nelly Lister, and at the time of his enlistment had lived at 69, Stanacre Road (near Wapping Road, BD3).
Private Herbert Vincent Rawnsley
16/1133, 16th Bn., West Yorkshire Regiment
(Prince of Wales's Own) who died on 01 July 1916 on the Somme age 23
A further Pals casualty, Herbert went over the top on the 1st like so many other men and was never seen again. He originally lived on Station Road until the time of his enlistment and had been employed at Laycock & Sons, Wood Merchants on Sunbridge Road. In his free time Herbert was the Assistant Secretary of the Parish Church Mutual Improvement Society, the organisation to which Alfred Briggs also belonged. After news of his death reached Clayton, Herbert's parents tried to find out details of his fate by getting a 'high ranking church official' to make discreet enquiries about their son. Unfortunately, no news was ever forthcoming. In his time in the Pals Herbert belonged to No.5 Platoon, 'B' Company of the Pals and appears on their group photo taken in late 1914 outside the town hall just after enlistment.
Private Tom Thackray
26127, 16th Bn., West Yorkshire Regiment
(Prince of Wales's Own) who died on 29 July 1916 on the Somme Age 22
Tom's military career was a remarkably short one in comparison to many of his other comrades. Having joined the Bradford Pals in January 1916 Tom was posted to France in late May and upon reaching there was transferred to the 9th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment. This decision probably saved Tom's life at that point as if he had stayed with the Pals he would have had to go over the top on the 1st July and would most likely have been killed.
This was only to be for a few extra weeks though, as Tom was killed in the fierce fighting for the area known as Caterpillar Valley, near Guillemont, four weeks into the Somme campaign. Before joining the army Tom had worked in the family business, Thackray Bros. Manufacturers of Clayton.He was the son of Andrew and Eliza Ann Thackray, of 13 Gordon Street Clayton.;
In his spare time Tom was a keen footballer and played as a regular member of Clayton Association Football Club as well as for Queensbury F.C.'s first eleven.
Second Lieutenant John William Worsnop
18th Bn., West Yorkshire Regiment
(Prince of Wales's Own) who died on 30 June 1916 on the Somme Age 23
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Worsnop, of 16, Redburn Rd., Shipley, Bradford, Yorks. Born into a relatively prosperous family in Great Horton, John completed school and began his career as a solicitor's clerk in the city centre. When the war began, however, he decided to join up into the newly formed Bradford Pals Battalion. Unfortunately, the 1st Bradford Pals were already up to full complement so he became a member of the 2nd Bradford Pals and started his military life as a Private.
At some point during training, it was decided that he had either relevant previous experience (such as time in the Territorial Army or leading scouts) or alternatively, that he showed good leadership qualities and he was given an officer's commission to 2nd Lieutenant.
On completion of their training the Pals travelled out to Egypt in January 1916 to be stationed near Kantana and the Suez Canal, but this was to be short-lived as they were sent to France within a couple of months. Between February and June the Pals had a relatively quiet time in comparison to what the following few months would be, and John would have adjusted gradually to the ways of the trenches.
During the afternoon of June 30th, the day before the Somme Offensive began, it was decided to send a raiding party into no-man's land in order to determine the state of the German trenches after a week long artillery bombardment, and additionally to check that the barbed wire was cut in readiness for the attack. The 2ntl Bradford Pals selected four officers and 38 other ranks for this mission, under the command of a Lieutenant Clough; John Worsnop was one of the other three officers going. At this point it is probably easier to allow Lt. Clough's report (published in Hudson's Bradford Pals book) to explain exactly what happened:
"Part left our front line trenches as scheduled at 12.28pm, 30'1' June 1916. Advance was slow owing to numerous shell holes and flares. Apparently our party was seen as soon as we had left our own trenches for they seemed prepared for us and we were met by bombs when between 25 and 30 yards from their trenches. They sent up a single green rocket and fanned a barrage of hand grenades in front of us and trench mortars and artillery behind us. The trenches seem fairly knocked about and the wire was cut where we were, in sufficient quantity to allow the passage of troops. Their trenches seemed very full of men and apparently very deep.
Finding we could not get forward, I brought my party back as well and as soon as I possibly could. This took some two hours. As far as I can judge, my casualties at present are about ten killed and 12 wounded, out of 38 men and four officers. At present two officers, Lieutenant F. Watson and 2nd Lieutenant ]. W. Worsnop are missing. I have been slightly wounded myself in two places. Our Heavy Explosive shells were all dropping a little over half way between our line and the German line and quite 20yards short of the wire, and this was taking place during our scheduled hour for the raid. My watch, sent by Colonel Craven, was synchronised with our artillery officers.
Had John Worsnop survived this raid it would have been doubtful that he would have lasted for another day, as by the end of the morning of July 1st, the Bradford Pals Battalions had suffered-something in the region of seventy percent casualties over a period of less than three hours. The Germans in the trenches that 'seemed full of men' had come out at the start of the morning with their machine guns and had mown down much of the advancing British force, leaving entire battalions dead or wounded.
He was a keen sportsman and played for the 2nd Pals battalion cricket team. John was affectionately known in his unit as 'Puff, not meant in any derogatory way but because of his stature (a mere 5'2") as he was always 'out of puff in keeping up with the men. Many surviving pals refer to him in the Bradford Pals book and remember his kind nature and good heart. He was about to start ordination training and had been a well known preacher for several years: this would go some way to explaining his inclusion on Clayton memorials and also in his native Great Horton.
Private Walter Jordan
16/1186, 16th Bn., West Yorkshire Regiment
(Prince of Wales's Own) who died on 01 July 1916
on the Somme
No records survive about Walter Jordan.