George Harrison:
2nd Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire).  Private 23212
Born: 1894 (Mapperley).
Killed in action, no known grave.
Died:  25th September 1916, aged 22
Son of Thomas and Sarah Harrison, Mapperley Brook, Derbyshire.

Note: Sarah died and Thomas moved to Yew Tree Farm, Stanley, Derbyshire.

Memorial: Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 10C, 10D AND 11A

Britus Martin:
7th Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps. Rifleman R/10877
Born: 1890 (Mapperley).
Killed in action, no known grave.
Died:  30th July 1915, aged 25

Son of late Henry and Mother of Fanny Martin, Park Hall, Mapperley, Derbyshire.

Note: Brother of Luther Martin (below).  Also named on Lych Gate Memorial and named on Mapperley Colliery Memorial (Church Gates) West Hallam, Derbyshire.

Memorial: Ypres Menin Gate Memorial, Leper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 51 and 53.

Luther Martin: 
34th Division Ammunition Column Royal Field Artillery.  Driver L/8152
Born: 1882 (Mapperley)
Killed in action.
Died:  23rd March 1917, aged 35, Buried in Calais

Son of late Henry and Mother of Fanny Martin, Park Hall, Mapperley, Derbyshire.

Note: Brother of Britus Martin (above).  Also named on Lych Gate Memorial and named on Mapperley Colliery Memorial (Church Gates) West Hallam, Derbyshire.

Memorial: Buried. St. Pol Communal Cemetery Extension. Pas de Calais, France. Plot/Row E. Grave 25.

Just two of the sixty-six men who worked for the company and died in the war. Miners were required in the war for their tunnelling expertise, which were needed when tunnelling under enemy territory and placing explosives.

- War Graves by Alan Wood -

I had a desire to visit some of the war graves of Mapperley men, mentioned on the memorials under the church lych gate in Mapperley, who died in the 2 World Wars and when we were nearby, Kay and I visited the grave of Luther Martin at the town of St Pol sur Ternoise, and it is about 20 kilometres from Arras.

There are 2 sites in St Pol where there are British war dead:- The community cemetery at the top of the Rue du Cimetiere and slightly to the right. Here there are civilian, usually French graves, plus French military graves with Christian and Moslem soldiers lying side by side, unsegregated, with their appropriate religious symbols on their headstones, and, separately, British soldiers. This is where Luther Martin is buried. Here are also the graves of 3 soldiers of the Durham Light Infantry who broke, after years of shellfire, and threw down their weapons. They were shot at dawn for this offence!!! Nowadays this condition would be recognised as shell shock! This site eventually reached full capacity and a further military cemetery was started in, I think 1918, in St Pol. The cemetery is definitely not in Calais as, I believe, is stated on or in connection with the Colliery Memorial. However.it takes less than 1 1/2 hours to get to St Pol sur Ternoise if one travels on the Autoroute des Anglais from Calais.

Luther's brother, Britus, who fell in the same war!!!!, does not have a known grave but he is, I believe named on the Menin Gate in Ypres, where there is a commemorative service with bugles, etc., every evening.

Alan Wood February 2013

Following the last war the names of the fallen from the village were placed on an additional tablet, also situated inside the gate.

In Memory of:-

William Joseph Cliffe, Oxd. and Bucks. Lt. Infantry - Age 20. Died 22nd August 1944. Son of Annie Cliffe and stepson of Ernest Albert Moorhouse of Jersey.

Thomas Earnest Bridges, Sherwood Foresters - Age 25. Died in a Japanese POW camp 12th September 1944. Son of John and Hannah Bridges of Mapperley.

Desmond Martin - He went to war and later came back home injured. He recovered and went back to war. Albert Hartshorne believes Desmond was killed in France in a transport lorry which was blown up by a landmine.

Who gave their lives for their Country 1939 - 1945
All They Had "They Gave".

WILLIAM JOSEPH CLIFFE

I was very pleased to receive an email from the half brother of William Joseph Cliffe. His name is Anthony William Cliffe and he lives in Rugeley Staffordshire, but was born in a small village called Kings Bromley.

Last year he visited Mapperley to take photographs of the Memorial tablets on the wall under the Lych Gate, at the church, as his half brother is remembered there.

William Joseph was born in 1924 and died so young, at 20 years of age, during World War 11. He died in Vauville in France on the 22nd August 1944.

His last known address was Head House Farm, Mapperley.

His father was William Cliffe who was born in 1904 and died in 1985.
He married Annie Dale, they had William Joseph, Joyce and Betty Cliffe.

In 1946 William then married Anthony’s mother Roseiltha Yates born 1919 died 1984.

My sincere thanks to Anthony for his contribution

Elaine Sarson
11 November 2012

William Joseph Cliffe

William's sisters.... Joyce Cliffe born 1925 died 2000, married William Johnson of Belper Derbyshire. Born 1923 - died 2001 Their family was two sons and two daughters, all live local. Frances Betty born 1928 and married Roy Moorhouse born 1928 died 2010 in Australia. Their family was two sons. The photo of William Joseph, left, and his birth certificate above. William Cliffe 1948 (Joseph's father) Anthony William Cliffe (Joseph's  half brother)

New Information and Photographs May 2022

Dear Sir / Madam
I found your website today and was interested in the article on William Joseph Cliffe (WJC).
My connection to WJC is somewhat tenuous! A friend of mine, Shaun Caveney, for many years accompanied his Uncle, 'Chum' Budds to the battlefields of Normandy. 'Chum' was WJC's Captain and he always visited the grave on his annual visits. 'Chum' was unable to visit Normandy in his latter years but Shaun and I continued to visit and commemorate him.
Shaun is now unable to attend so the baton is passed to me.

I will be laying a wreath on 4th June.

Paul F
France

My sincere thanks to Paul for this information and photographs. Also for continuing to commemorate William, one of our lost men who gave his life for us.
Elaine

William Cliffe Grave 2022

Further up date July 2022

I visited Vauville and it went very well indeed.   I organised with the Mayor and the Souvenir Français a super ceremony. I was asked to make a speech in French during the ceremony, here is what I said:

“We are here to commemorate Private William Joseph Cliffe who died on 22nd August 1944. He was serving with the Ox and Bucks and acted as Captain Chum Budds’ batman. William Cliffe was delivering a message from his Captain when he was shot and died instantaneously. Chum visited the grave each year until 2004, his last visit. Since then his nephew, Shaun Caveney, took on the rôle and now the honour has been passed to me. Thank you to Kerry Ricketts (Kerry is the grand-daughter of Major John Howard) and Sue and Ray Wilson for joining us today. In particular I would like to thank the Mayor and Laurent Poelaert for all they do to commemorate the sacrifice made by William Cliffe.”

Paul Foster
France
www.remembering1418.com

A selection of photographs are shown below. Sincere thanks once again to Paul for his involvement and his wonderful photographs.  You will find his website extremely interesting too.

June 2023.  With Many Thanks to Paul in France

The commemoration in Vauville for William Cliffe went very well. There was a good turnout including Penny Howard-Bates, daughter of the war hero Major John Howard, DSO, and Emma Brown a mezzo soprano, (https://ejebrown.com/) who is a friend of mine, performed during the ceremony. She sang 'Amazing Grace' at the grave and led everyone in the national anthems.  Speeches were made, and I did the English translation for the village and made a speech in French.

Paul

Paul is in the centre of this photograph in a light-coloured suit and red spotted tie.

Both Britus and Luther Martin worked at the colliery and their names also appeared on the former Station Road Company's War Memorial. (Now erected in West Hallam village beside the main memorial. Sixty-six men from the colliery company are named on this memorial).