GRID REF: NY38019 68414  Postcode CA6 5SJ

This is the War Memorial of the Parish of Longtown.   It was unveiled and dedicated in 1995 to provide a more focused centre for the annual Remembrance Day ceremony.  Before then the practice was to gather by the Memorial Garden adjacent to the nearby Longtown Community Memorial Hall (see 13b).  The parish memorial lists the names of the Fallen of the district but does not identify the conflict in which they died.  It is suggested that one of these names is selected by anyone who is interested, and researched further.   A short narrative of the service of some is given here.  This does not however indicate priorities.  They are all equally someone’s son, daughter, husband, wife, brother, or sister.   A number of these names appear on other War Memorials.

A surprising number of the family gravestones of nearby Arthuret churchyard bear simple tributes to a husband, son, or grandson whose remains lie far from that peaceful burial ground.  It had become the custom in the early years of the war in particular (when the idea of public memorials was not fully developed) to commemorate a loved one in this way.  

Second Mate Clement Edwin Taylor lost his life when his ship, the S.S. Baku Standard, was torpedoed by U-Boat CC58 off Tod Head, Aberdeenshire on the 11th Feb 1918.  (The reports of the time described the sinking as caused by a mine). The ship was taking a cargo of crude oil from Greenock to the refinery in the Firth of Forth.  Twenty-four crewmen died.   Edwin lost his life at the age of 34.   His body was recovered and he is interred in Arthuret Churchyard.  Although technically a civilian he was given the honour of a Military funeral.   He was the son of Dr Edgar and Mrs Taylor and husband of Jane (Jennie), of 1 Ward St., Longtown.

Pte Thomas Kirkup died of wounds in Longtown Military Hospital on 28th June 1918 at the age of 33 and is interred in Arthuret Churchyard.  It is thought he served with the 11th Bn Border Regiment and was probably wounded in desultory fighting in the previous April.   Thomas was the son of John and Eliza Kirkup. of Albert Street, Longtown.

Private Andrew Alston died on 24th March 1918 while serving with 9th Bn Royal Scots. He was 25 years old.   He is interred in Pargny British Cemetery, Peronne, Somme Region, grave ref I.C.12.  Andrew died in the defensive battles of the Allied forces as they struggled to contain the desperate push by the German Army in their final attempt to break through the line of the Somme Front.  They failed due to the stubborn stand of Andrew and his comrades.   He was the son of William and Janet Alston, of Friar Hill, Roweltown, Carlisle.

The sacrifice of Malcolm and Agnes McKenzie, of Moor Cottage, Longtown, will seem incredible to those untouched by war.  Their three sons, Malcolm, William and John, all became casualties in a little over a year.   Malcolm died on 28th June 1915, at the age of 19 while serving with an anti-aircraft section of the Royal Horse Artillery.  He is interred in grave ref viii.B.52, Boulogne Eastern Cemetery.   William served with 11th Border Regt and died at the age of 24 on 1st July 1916.  He has a grave in Lonsdale Cemetery, ref iv.X.6.   John, a Bombardier with the Royal Field Artillery, died from wounds in a Surrey military hospital on 19th December 1916 at the age of 23.  He is interred in Arthuret churchyard in the family grave.

Pte Thomas Robinson, Military Medal,  died on 13th October 1918 while serving with 19th Bn Lancashire Fusiliers.  He was 21 years old. He is interred in Desault Farm Cemetery, Beugny, Cambrai. ref I.G.10.   His brother James died on 20th October 1918 from pneumonia while a Prisoner of War.  He was 25 and had served with 8th Bn Border Regiment.  He is interred in Berlin South-western Cemetery, in grave ref xvi.C.1.   They were the sons of James and Elizabeth Robinson, 10 Albert Street, Longtown.

Stoker 1st Class Walter Jackson lost his life on 31st May 1916 during that momentous naval encounter between the great battle-fleets of Britain and Germany.  Walter died on HMS Warrior during the Battle of Jutland.  He was 24 years of age.  His body was not recovered and he is commemorated on the Plymouth Memorial to those of the Royal Navy who have “no grave but the sea”.  His name appears on Panel 16 of the Memorial.  Walter was the son of Joseph and Rachel Jackson, of 9 Mary Street, Longtown and an Old Boy of Carlisle Grammar school where he is also commemorated.  

Pte Frank Addison, son of John and Mrs Addison, of Longtown, died in battle at the age of 28, on 7th Sept 1918.  He was serving with 23rd Bn Royal Fusiliers.   Frank has no known grave and is commemorated on panel 3 of the Memorial to the Missing at Vis-en-Artois,  Arras.  Frank fell in those concluding months of the War in what became known as “The Advance to Victory”.

Pte J. Richardson, who served with 1St Bn Border Regt, died from his injuries while a POW in Germany, on 22nd Oct 1918 at the age of 21.  He was the son of Annie Slee (formerly Richardson), 10, Moor Road, Longtown, and is interred in Niederzwehren Cemetery, Germany  Ref x.B.13.

LCpl James Herbert Batey, who died on 16th May 1915 at the age of 21 while serving with 2nd Bn Gordon Highlanders.  He was the son of James and Elizabeth Batey, of Botchergate, and is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial, Panel39.41.

Pte William Thompson died on 29th Oct 1917 at the age of 22 while serving with 7th Bn Border Regiment.   He has no known grave and is commemorated at Tyne Cot on Panel 85-86.  He was the son of Robert and Elizabeth Thompson, of Eskbank, Longtown.

Pte Edward James Deans died at Gallipoli while serving with 1st Bn Border Regt.  He died on 13th Aug 1915 at 36 years of age.   He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli.   He was the son of Archibald and Jane Deans and husband of Janet, of Mary St. Longtown.

Pte John Tinning Graham died at Gallipoli on 9th August 1915 at the age of 21.   He was serving with 6th Bn Border Regiment.   He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial to the Missing.  John was the son of Walter and Mrs Graham, of Yules Croft, Easton, Longtown.

Pte Walter Kirkpatrick, of 2nd Bn Border Regt died on 26th October 1917 at the age of 21.  He is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing, panel 85/86.   Walter was the son of Robert and Mary Kirkpatrick, of 21 English Street, Longtown

13b  LONGTOWN MEMORIAL HALL  Postcode CA6 5SJ

ACCESS Open Monday to Saturday. Contact 01228-791739

While other communities were deciding on a traditional symbol such as a cross, obelisk, or cenotaph the Community of Longtown was considering other options to honour their lost sons and daughters.

Their deliberations produced the Longtown Community Memorial Hall, a facility managed by and for the people of Longtown and beyond.   The land was gifted by the local Graham family and work commenced soon after hostilities ended.   Unfortunately finances were stretched and it was some time before the project was completed.  However in 1924 the hall was dedicated to the perpetual memory of those who died and for the use of the district at large.   It is still managed by a committee of local people.

The facilities it provided were so popular that in the 1990’s the complex was considerably expanded.

A Garden of Remembrance was placed alongside the Hall but when the new Parish War Memorial became the focus of the annual commemorations this garden was permitted to return to a natural state.   However there are plans to reinstate a formal Memorial Garden.

The Hall contains a Memorial Scroll of the Fallen of the district of various conflicts.  Most of the names can also be found on the Parish Memorial or on the panels in nearby Arthuret Parish Church.

Among those named are; 

Pte John Crozier died on 15th July 1916 at 23 while serving with 8th Bn Border Regiment.  His brother Peter died of wounds on 15th April 1918 at the age of 19 while serving with 1st Bn Border Regt.  John has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, on Pier/Face 6A/7C. Peter is interred in Eblinghem Military Cemetery, by Hazebrook, having died in the Field Hospital there. (“Bandaghem” to the troops).  They were the sons of Peter and Hannah Crozier, of 12 Albert St, Longtown.

Rifleman John Palmer died of wounds while in a military hospital at Etaples, Boulogne.  John was 30 years old and had been serving with the 2nd/5th London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade).  He died on 28th Sept 1917 and is interred in Etaples Military Cemetery, grave ref XXVI.E.3A.  He was the son of David and Ann Palmer of Longtown, and husband of Marian Palmer of Carlisle.

Pte Robert Butler died on 30th Oct 1918 while a Prisoner of War.  He was 27 years of age.  He had served with 5th Border Regiment.  Robert is interred in Chambieres French National Cemetery, at Metz, Moselle, grave ref 347.   He was the son of John and Mrs M Butler, of 15 Albert Street, Longtown.