Mexborough and Swinton Times, May 6th, 1932
Denaby and Cadeby War Heroes
An Old Debt Paid
Six Addresses Presented: Five Outstanding
What of the 300 Dead ?
A number of worthy schemes have at one time and another originated from the Denaby and Cadeby Main collieries and not the least laudable was the War Heroes’ Fund which, inaugurated in 1917 was wound up on Tuesday evening when at the Denaby Main Hotel illuminated addresses were presented to six men who enlisted from the collieries and gained military distinctions.
History Of A Unique Fund
Mr. W. L. Worsley, then a local Y.M.A. branch official, was the originator of the scheme which was to present all the Denaby and Cadeby war heroes with gold watches and illuminated addresses. Mr. Henry “Bunt” Humphries who came home on leave in 1917, having won the D.C.M. was the first to benefit the proceeds of a concert at the Reresby Arms Hotel being expended on a gold watch to commemorate his gallantry. The colliery Company added to this gift an illuminated address and subsequently a committee was formed with Mr. Worsley as secretary and a fund entitled “The Denaby and Cadeby Main War Heroes’ Fund” started under the War Charities Act for the purpose of making similar presentations to all the men from the two collieries who won distinction of any kind during the war. The men at the collieries agreed to be levied for this purpose and the Colliery company offered to make a grant to the fund equivalent to 50 per cent of the levies. From the funds thus acquired gold watches (value £14 each) and illuminated addresses, most of which were executed by Mr. R. Catterall, chief draughtsman at the collieries, were presented to the men as they came home on leave. In this way presentations were made to 59 men, the last being made at a re-union dinner at the Denay Main Hotel just after the armistice. On this occasion, however, six men did not receive their illuminated addresses and owing to a difficulty in getting the addresses done the men had to wait until last Tuesday before receiving them. Actually, eleven men are entitled to addresses but, as Mr. Worsley was only informed of the claims of five these last weeks it was impossible to get the addresses done in time for them.
The Presentations
The six who took part in Tuesday’s ceremony were ex-Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant David Shelton (Italian Cross of War and Mentioned in Dispatches), York and Lancaster Regiment; ex-Sergeant James Parker, K.O.Y.L.I.; ex-Private John. W. Miller, York and Lancaster Regiment; ex-Lance Corporal William Charles Goodship, South Wales Borderers; ex-Private George Osborne, Coldstream Guards; and ex-Sergeant Francis A. Westlake K.O.Y.L.I.; all of whom won the Military Medal.
A summary of the distinctions gained by the 59 men includes one V.C. with Military Medal and Cross of Legion (Sergeant Lawrence Calvert), one M.C. one Military Service Medal, one Serbian Cross of War, one Italian Cross of War, one Russian Cross of St. George, two French Crosses of War, 47 Military Medals, one Military Medal with Bar, and six D.C.M.’s.
Mr. H. C. Harrison, a former general manager of the Denaby and Cadeby Collieries handed over the addresses, and Mr. Alfred Davies, chairman of the War Heroes’ Fund, presided.
The Divine Spark
Mr. Davies said they knew they were often classes as an ignorant illiterate set of people but as a miner with forty years’ experience of miners, he could say there was a spark of humanity in every one of them. They reigned supreme in 1912 when, during the Cadeby Disaster, many of them made the supreme sacrifice in an effort to save their comrades. The same spirit was evident in 1914 when the call came for service to King and Country. They sent 2,019 men from Denaby and Cadeby, and 300 of them gave their lives. They also sent 59 men who were decorated for gallantry in the war.
How The Fund Was Spent
Mr. W. L. Worsley apologised on behalf of Mr. H. Watson Smith of Beighton, formerly manager of Denaby Main, who was unable to be present. “I feel I ought to make an explanation because of rumours which are going about,” he said. “It was always our intention to treat all the men alike. This has been done with the exception of these six men, and the five others who came along last week. I think everyone was thinking the Heroes’ Fund was dead, but we were determined that these men should have their addresses. We shall endeavour to see that those other five men get their addresses in due course.”
Mr. Worsley explained that in all, eight stoppages were made at the pits, making atotal of 4s. per anna bd 2s per boy. This together with the Colliery Company’s grant amounted to £953 14s. 4d. Subscriptions realised £38, and the total income was £1004 18s. 10d.. The largest items of expenditure were £756 8s. for gold watches and £80 granted for the purpose of feeding miners’ children during the 1926 stoppage. The fund was now entirely expended.
The Dead Next
Mr. Tom Hill said that all the men who went to the war were heroes, and the greatest bravery was sometimes unrecognised. He hoped no one would be jealous of those to whom addresses were to be presented. “We have not yet paid our tribute to those 300 men who paid the supreme sacrifice” he went on. “I hope the time is not far distant when we shall pay that tribute by a public memorial. A place has already been reserved in your Memorial Park and steps will soon be taken to raise money to erect a suitable memorial.”
In introduction Mr. Harrison who was greeted with enthusiastic applause by the large company, the chairman said “His name is honoured, respected and esteemed in every home in Denaby.
Denaby’s Original Touch
Mr. Harrison spoke a few words to each of the men as he presented the addresses. He thanked Mr. Worsley and those responsible for granting him the privilege of being present that night. “I look upon an invitation to come to Denaby as a very great privilege indeed.” He continued. “What I feel so pleased about is that during the war we had one of those ‘brain-waves’ which occasionally occur at Denaby when we do something different from, and a lot better than anyone else. When we decided to give these men who covered themselves with glory a gold watch and an illuminated address, we were the leaders in that respect.” He hoped they would invite him to present the remaining five addresses when they were ready. He had the honour of presenting nearly all the other address and appreciated being asked to come back that evening
The addresses which had been framed by the Colliery Company were signed by Messrs. H. C. Harrison, H. Hulley, H Watson Smith, the Rev. Harry Lee (formerly Vicar of Denaby Main) and the presidents and secretaries of the Denaby and Cadeby Y.M.A. branches. Mr. Worsley explained that he had obtained permission from Mr. Norman Hully to use the late Mr. H. Hulley’s stamp in place of his signature.
A concert arranged by Mr. Percy J. Dinsdale and presided over by Mr. W. H. Hingley brought the function to a close. The artists were Mr. Fred Melburn and his concert party.