Born:1896, Hunslet
Died: 27 October 1918, Italy
Buried: Tezze British Cemetery
Address: 14 Spring Place, Valley Road, Shipley
Parents:Dick & Ann Elizabeth
Spouse:
Siblings: Fred, Ethel, William, Elsie
Occupation: G Hodgson, loom maker, Frizinghall
Organisations/clubs:
Military
Rank: Sgt
Medals/awards: D.C.M.; MM, Certificate of Merit
Rolls of Honour:
Children:
Regiment: Duke of Wellington’s
Richard Everson
Richard Everson was born in
Hunslet in 1896, the son of Dick
and Ann Elizabeth. Sometime
between 1901 and 1911 the family
moved to 14 Spring Place, Valley
Road, Shipley and it was from
there, shortly after war was
declared, that Richard joined up.
On 3 December 1915, the Shipley
Times & Express reported:
“L Cpl R Everson, Duke of
Wellington’s Own, writes from the
Front asking if some kind person in
Shipley will send him a small
melodeon, ‘just to help to keep me
and my comrades cheerful during
the cold winter months.’
“They have been out three months,
he says, and have had
some pretty hard
times. He expresses
pleasure that so many
Shipley lads have
joined the Forces and
regrets the loss of
those who have made
the supreme sacrifice.”
The next we read of
Richard is on 20
September 1918 and
he has been promoted
in the meantime:
“The Military Medal has been
awarded to Sgt Richard Everson,
Duke of Wellington’s West Riding
Regt, son of Mr and Mrs Everson
of 14 Valley Road,
Shipley, for taking
command of a platoon at
a critical stage when his
commander was
wounded, and re-
organising the platoon
under heavy machine-
gun fire.
“Now 22 years of age, he
enlisted in September
1914 and won the
Certificate of Merit on
September 2nd, 1917. He
was wounded last year.
“He worked at G Hodgson’s Ltd,
loom makers, Frizinghall.”
According to the Commonwealth
War Graves Commission website,
Richard was killed in Italy on 27
October 1918 and buried at Tezze
British Cemetery. He is given as
acting sergeant major and his
parents’ address is given as back in
Hunslet which might explain why
the Shipley Times & Express didn’t
report his death.
However, on 10 January 1919 they
did carry a short paragraph reading:
“Sgt R Everson, M.M. Duke of
Wellington’s West Riding Regt, of
Shipley, has been awarded the
Distinguished Conduct Medal for
valuable services in Italy.”
