Victims of war at sea recalled in display at centre
COMMUNITIES ACROSS Yorkshire have pledged to honour the region’s fallen after the former head of the British Army condemned the sluggish uptake of a First World War commemorative campaign.
A ‘There But Not There’ campaign, designed to signify the loss of a communities’ war dead, has seen more than 1,000 life-size soldier silhouettes sold.
But, while there has been a huge uptake from individuals and community groups as well as overseas, just a third of local councils across the country are said to have installed one of the six-foot tall statues.
Patron General Lord Dannatt, writing personally to every local authority leader, called on them to back the project, but many have reportedly refused or ignored his pleas.
“The campaign gives communities and individuals a chance to connect with their past and the role that their cities, towns, villages and loved ones played in the First World War,” General Lord Dannatt said. “It is the responsibility of local councils to play a central role in this, paying tribute to their constituents who gave so much in one of the defining periods of this country’s history.”
More than 1,000 of the sculptures have been sold in the UK and overseas, including installations in New York, San Francisco, Ottawa and Toronto. In Leeds, silhouettes have been installed at the city’s Minster, to represent the 76 men associated with the church whose names are recorded on its war memorial. And in Scholes, a six-foot-tall aluminium Tommy was unveiled by local members of the Royal British Legion at the start of this month.
But of all UK authorities, just 160 have reportedly installed the Tommies, with 250 yet to do so.
“This is something we all should remember and give thanks for,” said Barwick and Scholes branch standard bearer Martyn Simpson, a 56-year-old RAF veteran yesterday. “There are no veterans left – no wives to remember them. Local coun- cils should get behind this. This is a reminder of the huge losses, not just in our village, but in every village and every town and city across the country.”
The campaign’s director, Rowley Gregg, said: “When city authorities all over the world are getting on board but our own local councils aren’t, you have to wonder why. It is frustrating that many local councils have yet to acknowledge Lord Dannatt’s letter and we urge the remaining 63 per cent to get involved in what is a hugely important campaign. Some councils have been incredible. Driffield being one example, where they have erected a powerful installation in support, but it is disappointing more haven’t come on-board.”
Across Yorkshire, some of the biggest city councils have confirmed they are funding support including at Ripon Cathedral, in Beverley, Northallerton, and Sheffield. In York, a Tommy sculpture is to be installed while in Hull, 10 silhouettes have been funded for Sutton village.
Leeds City Council, meanwhile, said it would be commemorating the sacrifice of those who served. “We are fully supportive of the Royal British Legion’s work and the enormous contribution our armed forces make, both in peacetime and war,” a spokesman for Leeds City Council said. EVERYONE HAS heard about the horrors of trench warfare but few appreciate the dreadful loss of life among ordinary fishermen in the First World War.
History books have largely ignored their sacrifice, but research by a group from Grimsby has come up with some startling figures about the huge numbers of men and ships lost, and the massive risks they faced when they set out to sea.
Over the last four years a group funded by the Heritage Lottery have been researching and diving wrecks as far as 40 miles offshore.
Their research has revealed that from Grimsby alone 1,200 fishermen lost their lives during the war and 300 vessels were sunk. Most met a violent end after hitting a mine while some were sunk by German submarines,.
The group has located 25 lost wrecks and are now putting some of the finds on display in a new exhibition at the National Fishing Heritage Centre, opening today.
Incredibly some skippers would deliberately steam into known minefields.
Kevin Smith, chairman of the Lost Ships of the River Humber, said: “There are stories of them towing mines back to Grimsby in 1914. There was a £50 reward, around £5,000 to £6,000 today, and one of the boats towed one 70 miles back to Grimsby – they were either very reckless or very brave.”
It was particularly risky for fishing boats because they had no defence against a U-boat sneaking up on them.
U-boat commander Karsten von Heydebreck sent 60,000 tonnes to the bottom, including seven from Grimsby on just one day, until he himself was sunk in 1917.
Von Haydebreck allowed the crew to climb back onto one of the trawlers after wrecking its engine, but later in the war he was not so magnanimous.
“It all changed when they started sinkings subs with Q-ships and armed trawlers – they then started sinking them without warning,” said Mr Smith.
“Nobody knew where the fishermen were, the skipper was the only one who knew where they were going. They effectively disappeared and never came back.”