The events of October 1916
The dominant story was still the effects of the Battle of the Somme and the men who were wounded, missing or killed. And alongside
the toll of grief came stories from those who had taken part and news of those who had been honoured for outstanding bravery.
From some of these stories we catch a glimpse of the large number of men who had emigrated, many to Canada, before the war but
returned to fight for the homeland. And we also see, in reports like the one from a Thackley soldier writing from Cape Town, that the
war had provided some young men with adventures they had never imagined.
The large number of casualties needing care or whose dependants needed financial help now their breadwinner was dead, produced a
new crisis in fund-raising and created tensions between local and national funds.
The tug-of-war between companies wanting to hang on to as many of their now depleted staff as they could and the army that wanted
to enlist more and more recruits, continued to be played out in the Military Tribunals which, as we look back, provide some fascinating
insights into the nature of work 100 years ago.
We also get glimpses of how the war created hardships at home. Prices were rising, street lighting restricted so that many felt unsafe
going out at night, and the sick in Baildon were no longer able to have their prescriptions filled locally because the chemist had shut his
shop when his son was conscripted. And with warnings that the chaos could be even greater after the war, some politicians were
starting to plan how they would manage the transition to peace and the return of serving men.
The links here will take you to pages containing stories published exactly 100 years before. The headlines shown are only a taste of the
stories that appear on that page.
6 October 1916
- Windhill vicar writes from the Front Line
- Letters home from “Eccleshill Road”
- Serving men condemn striking miners
- Pension granted to wife of a German
- Windhill cricketers seek exemption
- Evening school closes its doors
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Tribute to a man of push and go
- Committee to plan against post-war chaos
- Choir overcomes loss of male singers
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- D.C.M. for protecting trench
- Idle sailor captured by the Germans
- Soldier lost speech due to shell shock
13 October 1916
- Windhill vicar writes from the Front Line
- Letters home from “Eccleshill Road”
- Serving men condemn striking miners
- Prescription problems for Baildon’s sick
- Untimely death of a multi-talented curate
- Two Shipley weddings in the USA
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Deserving families missing out
- Mentally ill woman dies of burns
- Presentation to Upper Chapel choir
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Recently married soldier dies of wounds
- Details of war from the men who were there
- Only so much Volunteer Force can do
20 October 1916
- Windhill vicar writes from the Front Line
- Letters home from “Eccleshill Road”
- Serving men condemn striking miners
- Looking after servicemen’s dependants
- Boys birched for stealing biscuits
- Sir James denies he wants to sell Saltaire
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Thackley lad’s impressions of Cape Town
- Jailed for stealing gifts for girl
- Belgian refugee dies in exile aged 23
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- First-hand accounts from the Somme
- Parcels from home even better than tanks
- Willie killed, let sister know
27 October 1916
- Windhill vicar writes from the Front Line
- Letters home from “Eccleshill Road”
- Serving men condemn striking miners
- Things will change markedly after the war
- Youth badly hurt in mill accident
- Plan to knock down Old Chapel, Idle
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- MP seeks cash for Low Moor victims
- Work 10 hours per day for 34s a week
- Elderly woman killed after losing bearings
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Medals for three Somme heros
- Brothers in arms
- More news of killed and wounded
