The Tragedy of War - James Parkinson (1891-1917)

 

James Parkinson’s first breath of life was experienced in the dour surroundings of the Haslingden Union Workhouse in Rawtenstall, Lancashire. His mother, Alice Parkinson, was a resident in the workhouse with the obligatory “pauper” status. Even though she had employment, as a Drawer of Cotton in a textile mill, the wages were not sufficient to finance a household. Alice had to fight adversity from an early age, having lost both parents and sister before she was 10 years old. What made Alice’s situation more extreme was having children out of wedlock. Towards the end of 1887, aged 21, she had given birth to a daughter, Harriet, father unknown. Despite working as a Card Room Hand for a number of years, being an unmarried mother rendered this impossible and she lost her job, housing and was condemned to seek support of the Parish. It was into this environment that James arrived on Wednesday 9^th December in 1891, also of an unknown father and adding to his mothers now considerable burden.

Grand Façade of Haslingden Union Workhouse, Rawtenstall, Lancashire

The workhouse was not unused to such “immoral” behaviour of its residents. The new Union Workhouse opened in 1870 with a mission to considerably improve the lot of the poor in the area. To counter the feature of the inmates having children out of wedlock they employed child minders who were often only women inmates without employment. It was to be four years following James Parkinson’s birth that they finally employed a dedicated nurse to supervise the children.

The children and their care did, however, impose a further cost on the workhouse Guardians and the Parish. Workhouse children were consequently subject to the question of adoption to mitigate that burden. Again, Alice Parkinson did not ease her situation by continuing to bear children while unmarried, adding a daughter Elizabeth in 1895 and namesake Alice in 1899.

It is perhaps understandable that, in these circumstances, James should find himself up for adoption. By 1901 he had become the adopted son of Gerald Cogley and his wife Martha in Bradford, Yorkshire. Gerald was childless from his first marriage and had been looking to adopt since marrying Martha in 1897. James became their only child.

Bradford is renowned for its woollen textiles and employment in the city is dominated by the industry and linked trades. Gerald Cogley is a mechanic and boiler maker in much demand to power the steam engines which drove the textile machinery. By the age of 19 James was also engaged in the mechanics of the textile industry. He is a Roller Coverer, a skilled trade which involved making and fitting a tube of leather over the core of a roller which enabled it to achieve the right amount of grip.

Love & War

The momentous events which took place in the second decade of the 20^th century were soon to overtake this progression through life in a northern English city but did not disrupt the emergence of love and passion for James.

Beatrice Ellen Barret, known to her friends as Beattie, also worked in the woollen textile industry. She was a “stuff” weaver of coarse worsted cloth notable for its lack of nap or pile. The opportunity was there for James and Beattie to meet at work and the inevitable developed into a serious relationship. Beattie lived with her three sisters and her widowed mother in a 2 bedroomed mid terrace house in the Laisterdyke area. She was four years older than James, diminutive, pretty and knew she wanted to get on with her life after helping to support her mother following her father’s death in 1907.

The outbreak of the world war in August 1914 disrupted so many lives and changed the pathways which had previously seemed almost predetermined. None more so than for the 1000 men that journeyed to the Bradford Mechanics Institute in the final week of September 1914 and signed up to join the 16^th Battalion Prince of Wales Own West Yorkshire Regiment.

James Parkinson was not among these men. He travelled to Leeds and also joined the Prince of Wales Own West Yorkshire Regiment but the 17^th (Service) Battalion, one of three who were to become known as the “Leeds Pals”. The 17^th were also known as “the Bantams” as they recruited small men below the usual army height of 5’3”, which gives us an indication of James’ stature and may indicate why he went to Leeds rather than Bradford to join up.

For reasons unknown James’ experience in the early part of the war was dominated by moving from one training camp to another. Although joining the 17^th Battalion and gaining the service number 17/776 he moved to the 10^th Battalion and finally the 2/8^th (Leeds Rifles) Battalion. Although the 17^th and 10^th Battalions saw active service in France during 1916 and 1915 respectively, James did not. He had to endure training at such locations as Masham, Matlock, Aylesbury, Salisbury Plain and Winchester.

By 1916 James was a member of the 2/8^th (Leeds Rifles) Battalion, who were also part of the Prince of Wales Own West Yorkshire Regiment.

Leeds Rifles Shoulder Badge

The army organisation hierarchy through Armies, Divisions and Brigades had placed the 2/8^th in the 62^nd (2^nd West Riding) Division from March 1915, along with the Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment, the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) and the Yorkshire & Lancashire Regiment. In turn the 62^nd Division was formed of three Brigades, the 185^th, 186^th & 187^th. The Battalions of the Prince of Wales Own West Yorkshire Regiment (2/5^th, 2/6^th, 2/7^th, 2/8^th) formed the 185^th Brigade. The Battalions of the Duke of Wellington’s forming the 186^th Brigade and the KOYLI and Yorkshire and Lancashire Regiment forming the 187^th.

From the end of 1915 through 1916 the 2/8^th moved from Retford to Newcastle, back to Salisbury Plain, to Somerleyton near Lowestoft and finally to Bedford in October 1916. It was from here that James obtained special leave to return to Yorkshire as he and Beattie had arranged to get married prior to him being posted to France.

The sixth of November was a Monday, not the best day for a wedding but in war time and with strict leave timescales to abide by the nuptials were arranged for this day. Saint Mary’s Church, Laisterdyke is 2 minutes by car or carriage from Beattie’s house in Cutler Place. James was waiting for her with Thompson Elsworth his best man and 33 year old miner, who also happens to be Beattie’s cousin. Beattie arrives with older sister Mary, who is also her witness, and her other two sisters. The ceremony proceeds and the couple are pronounced man and wife. James is 24 and Beattie is 28.

Thompson Elsworth’s unrelated namesake is landlord of the Railway Hotel in Laisterdyke, which would have provided a wonderful place to continue the celebrations of a momentous day for the newlyweds. Plentiful supplies of beer from the local Hammonds Brewery and the opportunity to enjoy each others company with family and friends.

It was not long, however, before James had to return to his unit in Bedford. Bedford was where the 62^nd Division had been receiving the final part of its long period of training. Under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir Walter P. Braithwaite K.C.B. they were under orders to proceed to France. This order was carried out for the whole Division during January 1917. James Parkinson and the 185^th Brigade departed from Southampton on 8^th January landing at Le Havre. Within a few days the Division had concentrated around the town of Frevel west of Arras in the Pas de Calais.

It was only two days later when the 62^nd Division became assigned to V Corps as part of the 5^th Army. Resulting in a march of 26 km south to the town of Beauval, followed by a march of 74km east to the town of Bus, completed by the 24^th January. This was a hard miserable slog as the weather was cold with rain, sleet and snow and the roads had turned to mud. Not far from Bus the Royal Engineers had constructed trenches to familiarise the infantry with the new style of warfare.

The majority of the 62^nd, including the 185^th, were employed on construction work, building roads, railways and ammunition dumps. This was difficult in the end of January as the weather was bitterly cold and the ground frozen. Selected men had been to the front lines for training in the use of gas, bombs and Lewis machine guns. Unfortunately it was on these training visits that the Division’s first casualties occurred and some men were killed.

Strategically, following the battles of the Somme in 1916, the Allies held the upper hand. Having gained some ground and considerably weakening the Germans they needed to consolidate their position and take further ground where possible. At the same time they had to replace casualty loss and replenish diminished supplies and munitions to make further advances possible.

This initiative drew the 62^nd Division into the active battle front and to ultimately play a major part in subsequent events.

South of Arras the Germans still held the whole of the Ancre Valley at the beginning of 1917. Initiatives by the 63^rd Division at the end of 1916 and early 1917 pushed the Germans back into the Beaucourt Valley and the British line progressed beyond the town of Beaumont Hamel and Beaucourt village by the end of January. On the 7^th February the Germans made withdrawals from Grandcourt and Baillescourt. Following this the 62^nd Division received orders to the front line for an advance toward Serre le Puisieux and Miraumont.

Between the 13^th and 15^th February the 62^nd Division took up position on the front line north east of Beaumont Hamel and the village of Beaucourt. They relieved the 32^nd Division at night with the 186^th Brigade taking the left sector and the 185^th taking the right sector. However,the 2/8^th Battalion containing James Parkinson was kept in reserve at this point. The 187^th Brigade were held in Divisional reserve. The front line they inherited was nothing more than a series of shell holes strung together with narrow footways. Trenches as such had long ceased to exist. This was also true of the villages of Beaumont and Beaucourt which were mere heaps of stone rubble, with roads obliterated.

From this position the offensive intention of V Corps and the 62^nd  Division was to continue the advance on Miraumont and Serre. Initially this involved sending out patrols to assess enemy positions and strength. Owing to the danger posed by German machine guns this activity was mainly carried out at night.

The opportunity to advance further was soon forthcoming, however, as the Germans began a strategic retreat to the well prepared and designed Hindenburg Line. The Germans were outnumbered in the Arras area of the Western Front by 190 Divisions to 154. Their rationale was to shorten and straighten out their defensive line position to accommodate this inferiority of manpower. The withdrawal was scheduled to begin on 16^th March but began earlier with a strategy to increase the difficulties posed for advancing allied troops by “laying waste” to an area 15 kilometres in front of the Hindenburg Line.

Progress of 62nd Division February 1917

Throughout the remainder of February the 62^nd Division advanced through this wasteland towards the newly prepared German front line. Each Brigade took turns in pushing forward through patrolling and larger advances, held up by dogged German defence from machine gun strong points in key areas. In turn the Brigades alternated between front line and reserve dispositions.

On the 1^st March the 185^th Brigade suffered a number of casualties from the fighting defence of the Germans. A total of seven were killed and nine wounded, including two of James’ comrades from the 2/8^th. The machine gun nests, snipers and continuing artillery ensured that taking the ground left by the Germans became a slow and methodical process.

By the 31st March the Division had lost 35 officers and 300 other ranks killed, missing or wounded as they continued to take ground towards the Hindenburg Line.

The 185^th Brigade relieved the 7^th Division 22^nd Brigade into what was to be the front line facing the Hindenburg Line on the 4^th and 5^th April. Facing the newly constructed defences on a line between the villages of Fontaine and Bullecourt. The 2/8^th Leeds Rifles of James Parkinson formed the centre of this sector with the 2/7^th on their right and the 2/5^th on the left.

6^th to 12^th April 1917 – Bullecourt

The 185^th Brigade of the 62^nd Division took over the front line in front of the village of Bullecourt on the 5^th April.

Ordered to push forward gradually towards the Hindenburg line so that by the  9^th April they would be 300yds from the enemy. But, to confuse this order, they were to stop 500yds from enemy wire so that artillery could continue to cut it.

Bullecourt was a heavily defended salient on the Hindenburg line. Constituting 3 banks of barbed wire, each 15yds wide with machine guns placed to give almost perfect enfilade field of fire.

The Front Lines at Bullecourt 8th April 1917

By the night of 5^th April all three battalions formed the main defence and support line. They were ordered to establish forward posts 500yds further forward in “no mans land”, which they did. Artillery pounded enemy wire but to little effect. In these forward areas men were living in improvised shelters and ruins.

On the 9^th April the 185^th were ordered to attack Bullecourt in line with an action along the rest of the Arras front. But the attack was cancelled before it could be carried out.

The 185^th were ordered to push out patrols on the 10^th April at 4:30am and occupy enemy front line trenches “if vacated”. Three patrols were formed from the 2/7^th and 2/8^th ready to attack, with support being given from the Australian Brigade and tanks. By 4:45 am the 2/7^th had advanced through the first line of wire and enemy machine guns opened up from both flanks. The artillery bombardment had failed to eliminate the machine guns and the Hindenburg line was still as formidable as previously assessed.

Heavy losses were incurred as the 2/7^th withdrew. At which point the 2/5^th and 2/8^th were ordered to occupy the Hindenburg Line. They pushed forward again as far as the wire where they suffered heavy enemy fire. All the while no support was received and much confusion was evident at the absence of the Australian Brigade and the tanks. These were badly needed as the Hindenburg defences were still relatively untouched.

The 185th Brigade had no choice but to withdraw back to their original positions. It was here that they discovered that the mission of the Australians and tanks had been postponed. This had not happened until 4:55 am when the 185^th were already heavily engaged with the enemy at their wire.

Incredibly in mid afternoon the order was given that the attack on Bullecourt was to recommence the following morning of the 11^th April again at 4:30 am. This time the attack would be led by the Australians and tanks who were to occupy Bullecourt and then be relieved by the 185^th Brigade.

This time the attack failed owing much to a continued lack of co-ordination between the constituent forces. The 4^th Australian Division and tanks had attacked Bullecourt from the South East and driven the enemy out, immediately following up to their secondary object villages. It was here that all the tanks were put out of action and the Australians withdrew back to their original positions.

Meanwhile the West Yorkshire Regiment officers, from the South West were reporting no Australians, active machine guns and snipers in the village. Tellingly the wire was also ‘uncut’. Despite attempting to advance it was at this point that the taking of the Hindenburg line would again founder owing to stiff resistance.

The 185^th Brigade were to continue holding the front line up until the night of the 12^th April. They endured persistent enemy shell fire. The front line, as it was, consisted of shell holes and ruined buildings providing little cover to the increasingly exhausted troops. Casualties during this period were heavy.

The 185^th Brigade were due to be relieved by the KOYLI during the night of 12^th/13^th April. Despite this “strong battle patrols” were still being sent out to occupy the Hindenburg Line. They still found opposition from enemy machine guns and were subject to artillery barrage and subsequently ordered to withdraw.

Relief Table from War Diaries 12th April 1917

The hand written Relief Table (above) shows the 2/8th to be relieved from the "Line" to the village of Behagnies by 8pm. Relief provided by 2/4th KOYLI. Completion of the operation to be reported to Brigade HQ using the codeword ADELPHI.

Following the withdrawal two further patrols were sent out to report on the wire in front of the Hindenburg Line. Quoting directly from the War Diary of 12^th April:

“2^nd Lt. A. Holland (of) “A” Company was in charge of one of these patrols & he did excellent work; he thoroughly inspected the whole of the wire on our front & with rare exceptions found the wire intact, where it had been broken it had been repaired. 5 Casualties reported.”

James Parkinson was killed in action on the 12^th April, his body was never found. As with countless other casualties of the Great War their remains were scattered or driven deep into the earth on which they sought shelter. For James, having endured a week of constant enemy fire and shelling he succumbed only hours before his unit was due to be relieved back to the support area.

His name is inscribed on the Arras Memorial: Rifleman James Parkinson 17/776 West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales Own) 2^nd/8^th Battalion – Died 12 April 1917. Arras Memorial Bay 4.

Aftermath

Beattie was living at her mother’s house at eight Cutler Place, Laisterdyke, when the telegram was received informing her of James’ death. Only she could recall accurately the feelings of a newly wedded bride being given such tragic news. To say heartbroken may only touch the surface of emotions.

Someone had to summon the strength to inform James’ adoptive parents Gerald and Martha. Undertaking the twenty minutes walk to their house in Bowling took courage as Beattie journeyed with her mother for support.

Receiving the news of the death of her only child was too overwhelming for Martha to take. In a state of extreme distress and grief she threw herself down the cellar steps of 14 Harrison Street on the 21^st April. Hitting her head on the stone steps as she fell Martha suffered severe bleeding to the brain. She was rushed to the Union Hospital in Bowling. Despite the care she received in Hospital Martha died from the injuries received in the cellar fall. She survived for twenty four days but may never have regained consciousness and passed away on 15^th May.

Inevitably an inquest was held for a death in such circumstances. This was not solely to establish the cause but for the verdict to be declared “accidental”. Suicide was illegal and regarded as self murder. Not only could survivors be imprisoned but family members could also be prosecuted. The Coroner for the City of Bradford, J. G. Hutchinson gave the verdict of accidental death on the 17^th May 1917.

In this short space of time Beattie had lost her much loved husband and Gerald Cogley has lost his son and wife. Reminders of this time continued to arrive.

Managing The Bureaucracy of War

All deaths occurring during the war generated paperwork, record creation and form filling. The Ministry of Pensions received the required notifications that James was a married man on 5^th June 1917 and Beatrice filled in the claim for pension support as a widow. This enabled them to create Case 1838.

Case 1838 triggered a payment of £3 to Beatrice on the 8^th June. Which was standard for widows at that time.

The War Office managed to send James personal effects on the 16^th August, which at £3 7s 3d represented James’ unpaid wages.

By October the Ministry of Pensions had decided the level of payment to which Beattie was entitled and from 29th October she began receiving 13s 9d per week.

The war continued through 1918 Beattie and Gerald slowly started to come to terms with the tragic loss they had suffered. With the armistice of November 1918 there was hope that they could live in the “land fit for heroes”.

During 1919 the government decided that all individuals who had served during the war should receive a payment named the “War Gratuity”. This was based on a sliding scale dependent on length of service and whether that had been served on the home front or overseas. Consequently in July Beattie received form AFW 5070 which asked her where the Gratuity should be sent.

The return of Form AFW 5070 ensured that in October she received the £10 War Gratuity awarded to James.

It was not until 24^th January 1920 that the British War Medal & Victory Medal were officially awarded to James Parkinson in recognition of service in the First World War.