WAR MEMORIALS OF ELLAND

BY TIM PATTERSON

(PART 3)
 

THE CHURCHES (PART 1)
 

1 THE CHURCH OF ST. MARY THE VIRGIN
 

(original water colour by C.Lamb. Courtesy Victoria Patterson)
 

THE GREAT WAR 1914-19
OF YOUR CHARITY PRAY FOR THE SOULS OF THE GALLANT DEAD ESPECIALLY
THE FOLLOWING FROM ST.MARY’S – ALL SAINTS & ST.MICHAELS - ELLAND
(NAMES)

AND IN THE WAR 1939 - 1945
(NAMES)

*********
 

THE SPITFIRE PLAQUE
 

The Spitfire Plaque takes pride of place on the wall beneath the main War Memorial.
It belonged to the Royal British Legion who kept it in the Elland Council offices when they held their meetings there but after they
moved to another venue it was Albert Rinder who famously rescued it and asked for it to go in to St.Mary's Church.
It was originally ‘Free-standing’ until Father David Burrows placed it in its existing position.
(courtesy Mr Fred Williams)

 

******************

THE CHOIR STALLS
 

This tiny plaque sits relatively unnoticed on the back of a pew in the choir stalls of St Marys church
as a tribute to ‘one of their own’ Rifleman Leonard Sutcliffe. His name also graces the main War Memorial
within the church and serves as a reminder of the senseless slaughter of the young and innocent men of
this parish who gave their lives for God and Country.
(courtesy Mr Geoff Scott- Church Warden)

*********************************
 

2  ALL SAINTS
 

The War Memorial at All Saints Church resides on the West wall of ‘All Souls Chapel’.
It replaced a temporary ‘War Shrine’ around 1936 and in 1947 the memorial was extended to include
the names of those who fell in the 1939 – 45 war.
(courtesy Mr David Weston – Church Warden)


+
‘REMEMBER THE FOLLOWING WORSHIPPERS OF THIS CHURCH
WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-18 +(names)
ALSO IN 1939-45(names)’
JESU + MERCY






‘The War Memorials of both the Parish Churches of St Mary’s and All Saints continue to
form a focus for services of remembrance-tide and all the names from both Memorials are
read out each year’.
(Father David Burrows – Rector of Elland)
 

3   BETHESDA
 

ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE ALTAR
The Sunday School Memorial


 

ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE ALTAR
The Church Memorial



These two marbled War Memorials were unveiled on October 3rd 1920


*******************************
 

THE ROLL OF HONOUR 1914-19




 

These two beautiful pictorial ‘Roll of Honour’ plaques are situated on the wall of a staircase at the back of the
Bethesda Methodist Church. In 1999 the War Memorials trust donated £180 towards the
blinds to protect the photographs of the ‘War Dead’ from the sun.

(Thanks to the Reverend Stephen Barnett)


************************




4   SOUTHGATE METHODIST
(formerly St.Pauls)
 

(painting courtesy of Southgate Christian Centre)
 

Southgate Methodist Church has a War Memorial book situated on the back wall of the main Church
which holds the names of Church members who died in the two World Wars of 1914-18 and 1939-45
 

1914-18


 

1939-45



*******
 

5   HAROLD SAVAGE HALL
(opened 23rd January 1932)
(5th Halifax (Elland) Co.)
BOYS BRIGADE
 

The Old Boys Association presented this memorial brass in memory of 21 old boys
Killed in the Great War 1914-18 unveiled on the 9th October 1932
 

In 1956 the Harold Savage Hall was renovated by the Old boys association.
At the Jubilee Celebrations Weekend on 14th April 1956 a plaque in memory of
Old Boys who died in the 1939-45 war was unveiled by Mr.C.L.Whidlake.F.C.A.
(member of the Boys Brigade Executive Sheffield)
 

As a result of the decommissioning of the Harold Savage Hall in 1974 these plaques are now
in storage in Southgate Methodist Church.
(Many thanks to Captain Richard Wilkinson for allowing me access to the memorials)
 

In January 2011 the Boys Brigade War Memorial plaques were mounted onto the front of
the balcony wall in the Southgate Christian Centre



Tim Patterson
Greater Elland Historical Society
 

(Thanks to Father David Burrows, Mr Geoff Scott, Mr David Weston
Mr Alan Blackburn, Mr Fred Williams, Rev. Stephen Barnett, Capt. Richard Wilkinson)