GRID REF: NY39887 55935 Postcode CA3 8DZ
31a - BORDER REGIMENT Memorial
This Memorial, within the Chapel of Remembrance in Carlisle Cathedral, lists the many battles of the Great War in which men of the Border Regiment made the Supreme Sacrifice.
Nearby is the Book of Remembrance, a page of which is turned with reverence each Friday morning.
Should you wish to learn more of the lives of the Officers and Men of the Regiment you are invited to visit the nearby Cumbria Museum of Military Life, in Alma Block of Carlisle Castle.
Or you may visit the website, The Long, Long Trail, or
Border Regiment for more information here
31 b - Theodore Bayley Hardy VC DSO MC Memorial
Theodore Bayley Hardy, VC, DSO, MC (20 October 1863 – 18 October 1918) was a Chaplain in the British Army and English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. In addition to the VC, Hardy had been awarded the Military Cross and the Distinguished Service Order, making him one of the most decorated non-combatants of the First World War.
Hardy was born 20 October 1863 to George and Sarah Richards Hardy of Exeter and ordained in 1898. He was married to Florence Elizabeth Hastings, who died in 1914.
Hardy was aged 51 when The Great War broke out, and was vicar at Hutton Roof in the Lake District. He volunteered at once but was turned down as being too old. Eventually, in August 1916, he was accepted for army service as a Temporary Chaplain to the Forces, 4th Class and attached to 8th Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment. He carried out the following deeds for which he was awarded a series of decorations. First he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) on 18 October 1917. The full citation was published on 7 March 1918:
“ Rev Theodore Bayley Hardy, Army Chaplain’s Dept. For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in volunteering to go with a rescue party for some men who had been left stuck in the mud the previous night between the enemy's outpost line and our own. All the men except one were brought in. He then organised a party for the rescue of this man, and remained with it all night, though under rifle-fire at close range, which killed one of the party. With his left arm in splints, owing to a broken wrist, and under the worst weather conditions, he crawled out with patrols to within seventy yards of the enemy and remained with wounded men under heavy fire”. —London Gazette
This was followed by the Military Cross (MC) on 17 December 1917, the citation following on 23 April 1918:
“Rev, Theodore Bayley Hardy, D.S.O. Army Chaplain's Dept. For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in tending the wounded. The ground on which he worked was constantly shelled and the casualties were heavy. He continually assisted in finding and carrying wounded and in guiding stretcher bearers to the aid post”. —London Gazette
Finally came the VC on 7 July 1918:
“Reverend Theodore Bayley Hardy, D.S.O., M.C., T./C.F., 4th Class, Army Chaplain’s Dept”.
“For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty on many occasions. Although over fifty years of age, he has, by his fearlessness, devotion to men of his battalion, and quiet, unobtrusive manner, won the respect and admiration of the whole division. His marvellous energy and endurance would be remarkable even in a very much younger man, and his valour and devotion are exemplified in the following incidents: —
An infantry patrol had gone out to attack a previously located enemy post in the ruins of a village, the Reverend Theodore Bayley Hardy (C.F.) being then at company headquarters. Hearing firing, he followed the patrol, and about four hundred yards beyond our front line of posts found an officer of the patrol dangerously wounded. He remained with the officer until he was able to get assistance to bring him in. During this time there was a great deal of firing, and an enemy patrol actually penetrated between the spot at which the officer was lying and our front line and captured three of our men.
On a second occasion, when an enemy shell exploded in the middle of one of our posts, the Reverend T. B. Hardy at once made his way to the spot, despite the shell and trench mortar fire which was going on at the time, and set to work to extricate the buried men. He succeeded in getting out one man who had been completely buried. He then set to work to extricate a second man, who was found to be dead.
During the whole of the time that he was digging out the men this chaplain was in great danger, not only from shell fire, but also because of the dangerous condition of the wall of the building which had been hit by the shell which buried the men.
On a third occasion he displayed the greatest devotion to duty when our infantry, after a successful attack, were gradually forced back to their starting trench.
After it was believed that all our men had withdrawn from the wood, Chaplain Hardy came out of it, and on reaching an advanced post asked the men to help him to get in a wounded man. Accompanied by a serjeant, he made his way to the spot where the man lay, within ten yards of a pill-box which had been captured in the morning, but was subsequently recaptured and occupied by the enemy. The wounded man was too weak to stand, but between them the chaplain and the serjeant eventually succeeded in getting him to our lines.
Throughout the day the enemy's artillery, machine-gun, and trench mortar fire was continuous, and caused many casualties.
Notwithstanding, this very gallant chaplain was seen moving quietly amongst the men and tending the wounded, absolutely regardless of his personal safety”. —London Gazette
Hardy was appointed to the honorary position of Chaplain to His Majesty on 17 September 1918.
He was wounded in action when again trying to tend to the wounded and died a week later in Rouen, France, on 18 October 1918, two days before his 55th birthday.
He is buried at St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, France, in block S, plot V, row J, grave 1. There are memorials to Hardy at Carlisle Cathedral, at the former Royal Commercial Travellers School, Pinner, Middlesex (now the Harrow Arts Centre), City of London School and in his old church at Hutton Roof in Cumbria.
His medals are displayed at The Museum of Army Chaplaincy (Amport, Hampshire, England).
His quiet devotion to his duty of care for his comrades endeared him to all he met.
Raw, David (1988). "It's only me": a life of the Reverend Theodore Bayley Hardy, V.C., D.S.O., M.C., 1863-1918, vicar of Hutton Roof, Westmorland. Gatebeck, Kendal: Frank Peters Publishing. pp. vii, 105. ISBN 0948511451.
31 c THE ARTILLERY MEMORIAL
Cumberland Artillery Howitzer Brigade
In glorious memory of the Officers, non Commissioned Officers and Men of the 1st line Cumberland Artillery Howitzer Brigade, 42nd Division who gave their lives for their country in the Great War 1914 - 1918.
The names of the Fallen of the Brigade are appended here:-
MAJOR N Q BURNYEAT CAPT A H BOWMAN LIEUT J BOUCH LIEUT N CLARK 2ND LIEUT J D CARRICK BQMS R EADIE SGT W COULTHARD SGT W FOX SGT J JACKSON SGT J N MCCULLOUGH MM SGT A MASSY DCM SGT H MCKENZIE MM SGT W M SMITH SGT J WILSON SGT A R BANKS RAMC SGT T N BLENKIN CPL/SHOESMTH J MCCLELLAND CPL G HENSMAN CPL R JOHNSTONE CPL J L MCKEOWN CPL J G WILSON BOMBARDIER J BELL BOMBARDIER W J CURTIS BOMBARDIER J EDWARDS MM BOMBARDIER J FELL BOMBARDIER J GAMBLE BOMBARDIER T LAWSON BOMBARDIER R H SANDERSON L/BOMBARDIER A B GRAHAM GUNNER H S ADAMS GNR L ARMSTRONG GNR F BIRRELL GNR C BROPHY GNR J BROWN GNR B O BUSHBY GNR G H CHADWICK GNR J CLARK GNR G DAVIDSON GNR A H DOUGLAS GNR F DOVEY GNR T EDWARDS GNR L FISH GNR T FOWLER GNR H FOX GNR S FRAZER GNR W D GRAHAM GNR F W HODGSON GNR A HOLLIDAY GNR R. HOLLIDAY GNR N E HOMEWOOD GNR N HUNTER GNR J T JENKINSON GNR T JONES GNR C R LIDDELL MM GNR W LIGHTFOOT GNR I MAXWELL GNR S MCCREEDY GNR S MCDOWELL GNR J MCMILLAN GNR P ORMROD SIGNALLER P PARKINSON MM GNR M REED GNR C A ROBERTS GNR T ROBINSON GNR G SIBBALD GNR A SINCLAIR GNR W SOWERBY GNR J STOCKDALE GNR J B VARTY DRIVER J CRICKETT DRVR M DIXON DRVR R HOWE DRVR H JEFFREY DRVR S MCFARLANE DRVR F G MURRAY DRVR J SEWELL DRVR J THORNBURROW DRVR S TYSON DRVR W WHEATCROFT DRVR J H WILSON
A Howitzer was an artillery piece which was designed to fire explosive shells at a high angle to provide "plunging" fire. Various types of shells and fuses would be used. The howitzer was by far the most common of the heavy artillery. As the gunners could not see the target, teams of Forward Observers would accompany the infantry to direct fire as requested. They would communicate with the gun positions by telephone (lines laid at great risk to the Signallers), by Runner, and even by pigeon. Many casualties came from "counter-battery fire" as enemy guns sought to neutralise each other's effectiveness.
31 d The memorial to the Cathedral Choristers
To the Glory of God and in affectionate memory of those who were once Choristers of this Cathedral who died for their Country in the Great War:-
George Allen was a sixteen year old apprentice with the Merchant Navy when he died on 31st July 1917. His ship, the SS Fremona, sailing from Montreal to Leith with a cargo of grain and timber, was approaching the English Channel when she was struck by a torpedo from German submarine U-47. George and most of the crew were lost. He is commemorated on the memorial to the lost at sea of the Mercantile Marine, at Tower Hill, London. George, born in Crewe, was the son of Henry William and Clara Allen, of The Cottage, Carleton, Carlisle.
Pte Harold Bushby was 19 years old when he died on the battlefield on 6th May 1918. He was born in Newcastle to Mr John Carrick Bushby and his wife Ruth Ann. Although originally of the Border Regiment Harold was serving with 55th Machine Gun Corps when he was taken prisoner. However as he was being taken back to what should have been comparative safety one of those unfortunate incidents we call “blue on blue” occurred. A bomb from a British aircraft attacking the rear trenches of the enemy struck the group of prisoners and their escort. Harold was killed. The Germans were at pains to inform the Allies – through channels – that Harold’s death had been “an accident”. His body was not recovered and he is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, panel 136. Harold’s name also appears on the Harraby memorial.
Pte George Crozier was serving with 11th Bn Border Regiment when he died on 4th April 1917 at the age of 22. He was the son of James and Margaret Ann Crozier and the husband of Margaret, of 57 Montreal Street, Carlisle. He is interred in Valenciennes (St Roch) Military Cemetery, grave IV.D.1.
This cemetery has an interesting feature from the 1939-45 War. It is a memorial tablet of white marble affixed to the outside wall of the shelter building, commemorating the Commission's former gardener, the late Robert Armstrong. An ex-Irish Guardsman of the Great War, Mr. Armstrong held an Irish passport and, as a neutral in WW2, was allowed to continue at work in the cemetery after the outbreak of war. His sympathies impelled him to assist Allied soldiers and airmen to escape, and he was arrested by the Germans at the end of 1943. The original death sentence was commuted to 15 years imprisonment, and he was deported to Germany, dying at Waldheim Camp, Saxony, in December, 1944. He was posthumously awarded the Medaille de Resistance Francaise. The tablet is a voluntary token of remembrance from the people of Valenciennes and the surrounding district.
Lt James Watson Potts, serving with the 44th Bn Canadian Infantry, is believed to be the James Watson Potts referred to here. He died in battle on 3rd June 1917 at the age of 28. He was married to Irvena, of Sutherland Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba. James appears on the 1911 census at the age of 22 as a Railway Telegraphist and a native of Carlisle.His grave is8.C.15. in Villiers Station Cemetery, Villiers au bois.
Company Sergeant Major John Sewell was the 40 year old son of Robert and Esther Sewell, of 44 West Tower Street, Carlisle. He was with 11th Bn Border Regiment and had previous service in South Africa. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, panel/face 6A/7C
2nd Lieut Herbert Stanley Turner died on 24th March 1918. He was serving with 15th Bn Durham Light Infantry. His body was not recovered and he is commemorated on the Pozieries Memorial, panel 68/72
