Neil York

Neil York

@johncopse.bsky.social

Born and raised in Barnsley. Glassworker turned Traffic Officer. Great Grandson of Henry York, Barnsley Pals who fell at Serre on the 1st July 1916. Western Front Association member.

202 Followers 202 Following 20 Posts Joined Nov 2023
1 year ago
Samuel Chapman

In 2019, I submitted a case to the CWGC, that the Unknown Lance Corporal of the East Yorkshire Regiment in Plot 2, Row F, Grave 8 in Tyne Cot Cemetery, Belgium was the grave of 201107 Lance Corporal Samuel Chapman of the 1st/4th Bn East Yorkshire Regiment

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1 year ago
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#OTD in 1918, Waterloo Farm, near Broodseinde, Belgium. A British soldier standing inside a group of iron stakes which were to be the framework of a German pillbox. #WW1 #HISTORY

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1 year ago
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Walking the Somme: Mailly-Maillet We begin Season 8 back on the Somme Battlefields of 1916 and walk the ground around the village of Mailly-Maillet, located just behind the British trenches in front of Beaumont-Hamel and Serre and …

Great podcast from @sommecourt.bsky.social The Barnsley Pals were billeted in Mailly before 1/7/16. Ernest Bell 13/Y&L - "We got to Mailly & were billeted all over the place. Some houses with half a roof on, some with none. Of course, we were among the shells then"
oldfrontline.co.uk/2025/01/11/w...

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1 year ago
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Questions and Answers Special: WW1 Ancestors In this special edition we look at how trace to service men and women who fought and died in the Great War. We cover a number of questions covering different aspects of how to trace your WW1 Ancest…

Ever wondered how to research your Great War ancestors? Try this comprehensive guide by @sommecourt.bsky.social. It brought back memories of early morning trips down the M1 from Barnsley to the PRO for a tiring day trawling papers and microfiche.
oldfrontline.co.uk/2024/12/28/q...

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1 year ago
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From my collection - a stunning 18ct gold war workers badge from the La Bassee shell factory, which was located at Elliot Street, Cranstonhill in Glasgow. #WW1

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1 year ago
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Another painting based on a Fortunino Matania picture. British bombers in 1915 attack a German trench.
#ww1 #painting #history #1915 #britishsoldiers #digitalart #procreate

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1 year ago
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Five Iconic Objects of Trench Warfare In this episode, we examine five iconic objects from the First World War which came to define the experience of Trench Warfare. These objects include barbed wire, helmets, duckboards, and trench pe…

oldfrontline.co.uk/2024/12/21/f... #WW1

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1 year ago

'The Witchfinder General' comes to mind!

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1 year ago
Two examples of Lady Rawlinson’s card, depicting a hand drawn soldier in a trench at ‘Xmas 1914’, looking to hope for 1915 represented by sunrise on the horizon.

First World War Christmas, number 17. ‘From Lady Rawlinson and Friends of the 4th Corps’. General Rawlinson’s Corps was heavily engaged in the developing Ypres Salient in 1914, suffering accordingly. Lady Rawlinson’s card, drawn by her husband, accompanied a Christmas pudding for all at the front

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1 year ago
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Battlefield Vlog: York Cemetery, Haspres In their final major battle of the Great War, the 1/4th (Hallamshire) and 1/5th Battalions of the York and Lancaster Regiment made an advance towards the Selle River valley at Haspres. Trench warfa…

A cemetery that sees very few visitors. Well worth five minutes of your time to learn about the men of the York & Lancaster Regt who fell here in 1918. Unusually these men are remembered by name on the Haspres town war memorial. Thanks for telling their story, Paul
oldfrontline.co.uk/2024/12/16/b...

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1 year ago
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#OTD 1914 a fleet of German warships shelled Hartlepool, Scarborough & Whitby from the North Sea. British coastal artillery returned fire & hit two enemy ships. 130+ civilians died & notably it was the first time in #WW1 that Kitchener's Army came under enemy fire with men of the 18/DLI being killed

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1 year ago
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Walking Arras: Point du Jour We return to the Arras Battlefields of April 1917 and walk from Athies to the high ground at Point du Jour, seeing where men of the 9th (Scottish) Division, including troops from the South African …

Walking Arras: Point du Jour. In this Old Front Line podcast we walk from Athies to the high ground at Point du Jour, seeing where men of the 9th (Scottish) Division, including troops from the South African Brigade fought in April 1917.
oldfrontline.co.uk/2024/12/07/w...

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1 year ago
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Indian war bonds poster, WW1.

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1 year ago

Wingfield Park in Derbyshire. The article is from the Ripley and Heanor News.

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1 year ago

Yes, instance.

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1 year ago
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I believe so. His Bond of Sacrifice entry mentions Warren House that is still standing in West Wickham. Incidentally it was used as a hospital during the Great War.

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1 year ago

South-east of Paris I think, Paul. He died following an operation to repair his wounds. He was pat of a wealthy banking family. I'm presently unable to find the MiD in the London Gazette and the headstone personal inscription 'Of Hayes, Kent' isn't mentioned in online CWGC papers relating to him.

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1 year ago
Story: Julian Martin Smith's Bravery | Lives of the First World War

Additional information here mentions the award of Mentioned in Dispatches for his part in rescuing a Royal Field Artillery battery at Elouges. The same action at which Captain Grenfell was awarded the Victoria Cross? livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/story/97623

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Photo credit: Isabelle Perrot and Guillaume van der Wende. With thanks also to Pierre Vandervelden of inmemories.com Photo credit: Isabelle Perrot and Guillaume van der Wende. With thanks also to Pierre Vandervelden of inmemories.com Post image Post image

2/Lt. Julian Martin Smith. Probably the first British Army #WW1 volunteer to die on the Western Front. He worked at the London Stock Exchange & volunteered on the 4/8/14. Served as Intelligence Corps Interpreter, attd. 9/Lancers. He saw action with 9/Lancers at Elouges. Wounded 7/9/14 & died 9/9/14.

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1 year ago
Lettow surrendering his force, by an African artist

On this day in 1918, the last German force of #WW1 finally surrendered.

Two weeks after the armistice was signed, on November 25, General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck formally surrendered his East African forces to the British at Abercorn, ending a long campaign spanning four years.

#HISTORY

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1 year ago
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Liquid fire - Footsteps of the fallen In the early hours of the 30th July 1915, men of the Rifle Brigade and Kings Royal Rifle Corps were attacked near Hooge by German soldiers using a new and appalling weapon of war - liquid fire.  ...

The latest podcast is out!

www.buzzsprout.com/1300675/epis...

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1 year ago
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Somme Winter Walk As the seasons change along The Old Front Line we take a winter walk across one part of the Somme battlefields, walking along the tracks from near Courcelette to Thiepval and the Ancre Valley. The …

Somme Winter Walk: As the seasons change, in the latest Old Front Line #podcast we take a winter walk across one part of the Somme battlefields, walking along the tracks from near Courcelette to Thiepval and the Ancre Valley. #WW1

oldfrontline.co.uk/2024/11/23/s...

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1 year ago
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One of the beauties of this new place is that I can share things from years ago again - this is probably the most popular tweet I’ve ever sent: a lockdown project that got out of hand. It now lives at the front of my classroom, students love it!

#history #fww #ww1 #tanks #trenches #landship #mkv

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1 year ago
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Questions and Answers Episode 17 We begin at the Battle of Loos in 1915, looking at the casualty figures for the opening stage of the attack and comparing them to the Somme, we then discuss what units formed in WW1 were still part…

Questions and Answers Episode 17: In the latest Old Front Line #podcast we look at casualties in the Battle of Loos, what units formed in #WW1 still existed in #WW2, was there 'stolen valour' in the FWW and examine collectables of the Great War.

oldfrontline.co.uk/2024/11/16/q...

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1 year ago
My Great Grandad, Henry York. 2nd Barnsley Pals. Euston Road Cemetery, France.

My hero. Swallowed up in victory. #Somme #WW1 #Barnsley

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1 year ago

Thanks for the mention, Paul.

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1 year ago
Deal Barracks, November 1914. Deal Barracks, April 1915. Jack pictured first left, middle row.

Remembering Jack Clegg of the 1st Royal Marine Battalion, RND. He was posted missing at the Ancre 13/11/16 then later assumed dead. Jack was a Dodworth lad and a pit electrician on enlistment working at Church Lane Colliery, Barnsley. Remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.

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1 year ago

A lovely trio there, John. I see he's buried alongside the CO of Nelson Battalion, Lt. Col. Burge, KIA 13/11/16.

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Honoured to have become the custodian of these medals. Will visit his grave in the New Year.

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1 year ago
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At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, We will remember them #ArmisticeDay

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