The Friends of Gainsborough Cemeteries and Chapel hope local people may be able to help them. Firstly, they are looking for information about WWI soldier, Private Joseph Herman Smith, who lived in Alexandra Cottages. He served in the Sherwood Foresters and was severely wounded in the jaw in 1917. He died following an operation in 1920. He is buried in an unmarked grave and the friends are hoping that it may be accepted as a war grave.
Secondly, during WWI, several thousand soldiers from Yorkshire were billeted with Gainsborough families during their training here. After they went out to France in April 1915, the local paper published many of their letters describing life in the trenches and breaking news of injuries and deaths. The Gledhill family, from 4 Cromford Street, had four sergeants billeted with them and several of their letters were published in the paper, one of them said: “We often talk of the happy days we were lucky enough to spend with you.” Then in October, the Gledhill’s received a letter saying that sergeant Dick Simon had been killed in action by a sniper. Another of the sergeants was killed in 1918. It is hoped to produce a book about these Yorkshire soldiers including their letters published in the newspaper. If any Gainsborough people know that during WWI their families had soldiers billeted with them, the friends will be delighted to hear from them. One of the West Yorkshire soldiers who was billeted here was Captain Maurice Lupton, killed in action in June 1915. He is related to the Duchess of Cambridge.
Please contact Susan Edlington on 01427 612030, or Peter Bradshaw on 01427 610507.