Born: 1888, Idle
Died:
Buried:
Address: 3 Garth Fold, High Street, Idle
Parents:
Spouse:
Siblings: Mrs Frank Bedford
Occupation: Esholt Sewage Works
Organisations/clubs:
Military
Rank: Pte
Medals/awards:
Rolls of Honour:
Children:
Regiment: 3 West Yorkshire
Herbert Alexander Ogden
In the 1901 census
Herbert was a 13 year-
old worsted spinner
living with his
grandfather John Ogden
at 42 Brickyard, Idle. It is
not clear who his parents
were.
Ten years later, he is
working as a driver and
living as a lodger at 9
Railway Place, Idle with Benjamin
Berry’s family.
By the outbreak of war he has
moved in with his sister Mrs Frank
Bedford at 3 Garth Fold, High
Street, Idle.
It is there they receive the news
published in the Shipley Times &
Express on 4 June 1915.
Pte Herbert Alec Ogden
of Idle and of 3rd West
Riding Regt, has died
from gas poisoning
He was 27 years of age
and had previously
served for several years
as a Territorial
Physically unfit
When war broke out he was
anxious to do his bit for King and
Country but on presenting himself
at a recruiting station he was
rejected as physically unfit.
He was not to be said nay, however,
and later succeeded in getting
through at another recruiting centre.
It was only about seven weeks ago
he went to the Continent.
The deceased resided with his
sister, Mrs Bedford, of 5 Garth
Fold, High Street, Idle, whose
husband is serving in the 2nd West
Yorkshires.
Previous to joining the forces, Pte
Ogden was employed at the Esholt
Sewage Works.”
Six weeks later, however, the
newspaper announces:
Pte Alec Ogden of 5 Garth Fold,
High Street, Idle had been
announced as killed in action but
now sent a letter to his sister to say
that it was an Alec Ogden of
Keighley who had been killed.
The Idle soldier had been out of
action for four days but then
returned to the trenches.
He said, “We had a very rough time
of it in the operation in the vicinity
of Hill 60 but after much
perseverance we reached our
objective.”
Memorial
Despite this let-off, he appears on
the Idle War Memorial and there is
a L Cpl W H Ogden from West
Yorkshire Regiment who was killed
on 12 October 1916 and buried in
the Guards’ Cemetery, Lesboeufs,
but strangely no mention in the
local paper.
