Situated in Church Lane approximately 1½ miles from Dewsbury town centre.
A stone cross situated in the lawned area to the right of the main entrance to the church.
The periods commemorated are 1914-1918 and 1939-1945.
There are seven war graves in several sections of the burial grounds of Thornhill Parish Church.
Inscriptions
The inscription reads:
To
Plaques and names
1914-1919
For King and Country. To the Glory of God and in affectionate Remembrance of the Men of Thornhill who gave their lives in the Great European War 1914-1918. Make them to be numbered with the Saints in Glory Everlasting.
Rank First Name Last Name Suffix
Corporal Gordon Brown
Lance Corporal Alexander Bruce
Private Willie Chambers
Private Norman Cleveland
Private Willie Croft
Private Harry Denton
Lance Corporal Alfred H. Dixon
Sapper Benjamin Gaines
Lance Corporal Arthur Garfitt
Private Harold Grace
Private Leonard Halstead
Private Herbert Heaton
2nd Lieutenant Frank B. Hinchliffe
Private Percy Holmes
Private Eric Johnson
Private Samuel H. Jubb
Private Willie Jubb
Captain Edward Kaye
Private James Ed. Kaye
Lance Corporal Norman Kitson
Captain Christopher Laycock
Private John E. Lee
Private Gilber Lewis
Bombadier Ernest Asquith MM
Private Arthur Mallinson
Private Wilson Marshall
Private Clement Micklethwaite
Private Thomas Newton
Private Wright Ouldridge
Lance Corporal Hubert Peace
Private Wm. Henry Peace
Private Wm. George Russell
Private James Scargill
Private Leonard Shackleton
Lance Corporal Ernest Sheard
Private John Simmons
Private Harold Smith
Private Herbert Summerscales
Major Frank Taylor
Bombadier Thomas Thornton
Lance Corporal Frank Tomlinson
Private Norman Tomlinson
Private Fred Vickers
Bombadier Jack Weate
Lance Corporal Sam Wilson
Private Edgar Winterflood
Private George A. Lightowler
1939-1945
Also in Gratitude to the Men of Thornhill who gave their lives in the World War 1939-1945.
Service Number First Name Last Name
Ernest Atkinson
Richard Ayrton
George Baxter
Harold Beaumont
Herbert Bedford
10539073 Reuben Blakeley
Walter Boot
Jack Booth
Arnold Brook
Ronald Brook
Richard Brown
Joseph Clarkson
John Collomosse
Joseph Douglas
Raymond Dyson
Donald Fitton
Christopher Hayman
Norman Hemingway
George Hodgson
Raymond Jefferson
Arthur Lilburn
Gibson Peace
James Pickering
Jean Scargill
Rufus Senior
Horace Sheard
Raymond Shires
Leonard Smith
Chas. Summerscales
Nelson Sykes
Arnold Whitworth
Rayner Winterburn
1917 War grave.
Service Number Rank First Name Last Name Suffix Died
31046 Private J.A. Windle King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry 24th September 1917, Age 20
1918 War grave.
He did his duty nobly and died that we may live. Also in Memory of George and Ernest Littlewood.
Service Number Rank First Name Last Name Suffix Died
37840 Private P.R. Littlewood Leicestershire Regiment 13th December 1918
1942 War grave.
In Loving Memory of Emil William Pickering of Netherton Hall near Wakefield, 1882-1942. Also his younger son James Kenneth Alexander Pickering who gave his life in the service of his country.
Rank First Name Last Name Suffix Died
Colonel Emil William Pickering DSO, TD, DL, JP, Royal Artillery 14th March 1942
Flying Officer James Kenneth Alexander Pickering Royal Air Force 31st December 1942, Age 20
1943 War grave.
Hartley Hayman. And in proud memory of their grandson Christopher Hartley Hayman, St John's College Cambridge, killed gallantly leading his troop into action in North Africa.
Rank First Name Last Name Suffix Died
Captain Christopher Hartley Hayman 9th Queen's Royal Lancers Easter Monday 1943, Age 25
1944 War grave.
To Faithful Warriors Cometh Rest, Sweet is the calm of Paradise the blest.
Service Number Rank First Name Last Name Suffix Died
4540630 Private J. Clarkson West Yorkshire Regiment 6th May 1944, Age 44
1944 War grave.
Worthy of Remembrance.
Rank First Name Last Name Suffix Died
Flight Lieutenant C. Summerscales DFC, Wireless Op / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force 22nd December 1944, Age 28
1945 War grave.
Service Number Rank First Name Last Name Suffix Died
10539073 Craftsman R.E. Blakeley Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 7th November 1945, Age 39