John Samuel Barrett had been in France for only 7 weeks when he was killed in action on 2nd September 1918. A friend wrote to his parents: "While helping to get a wounded Tommy away he was shot through the head by a machine gun bullet."
At the time his Battalion was involved in the Battle of Dracourt-Queant. Before the attack German shellfire caused casualties. In spite of this they captured Vauxwood but then lost it in a German counter attack.

A comrade wrote in a letter to his parents:
Your son was in a front line trench dug-out having a sleep after coming off duty when a heavy shell blew in the dug-out killing your son instantly along with another man. A second shell burst burying your son completely so that none of his personal property could be secured. Several attempts were made to get him out although we all knew he was killed but owing to heavy shellfire nothing could be done. His last resting place has been conspicuously marked so that a cross can be placed to mark the spot where he fell.

On 4th September 1916 the Battalion withdrew from Schwaben Redoubt and north Bluff and from there to Hedauville. On 15th September they took forward positions at Leipzig Salient and remained there till 23rd September. Thomas Brogan was killed in action at Thiepval on 22nd September 1916.

The Wharfedale Newspaper reported on 14 March 1920:
"On receiving his commission he transferred to 2/5th Battalion Prince of Wales Own West Yorkshire Regiment and went to France in 1916 with the 9th Battalion. A fortnight later he was seriously wounded in the head at Mocquet Farm near the Somme, a piece of shrapnel smashing his steel helmet and damaging the whole of the left side of his head and face. He managed to crawl back to the nearest Casualty Clearing Station before losing consciousness and later found himself in Boulogne.
After partial recovery he was put on light duty at Catterick Bridge Camp, near Richmond, but his health broke down completely and he had to go into hospital again. Paralysis of the brain rendered his recovery hopeless and for a long period he had received institutional treatment in York."
In the newspaper could be read at a later date:
"The interment on 13th May was preceded by Requiem Mass at the Otley RC Church conducted by Fr. J. J. Saxton. The coffin was draped with the Union Jack and a party of men from the West Yorkshire Regiment at York acted as bearers and provided the graveside firing party. After the firing of three rounds the party presented arms whilst the trumpeter sounded the last post."

Norbert C. Corry was reported missing at the Battle of Bullecourt in 1917. He was eventually posted as "missing presumed killed".

John Currie had been in France twelve months and his column was near Hedaeuville when he was wounded.
Lieutenant H. R. Trippett wrote: ". . . he was seriously wounded owing to an explosion in a gun pit. Three others with him were also seriously wounded."
Following receipt of this letter someone from the War Office wrote to say he had died of wounds on 27 June 1916.

William Currie was wounded in June 1915 by sniper fire and was treated in a Canadian hospital. He then returned to the Front.
On 22nd July, in the Nieuport area, the Battery was bombarded by Germans including many gas shells. William died of wounds from the gas on 29th July 1917 and another Gunner died. As no Roman Catholic Chaplain was available the Church of England Chaplain buried him with the other men.

Joseph Currie was declared missing on 3rd May 1917 at Plouvain near Arras. He was officially rated as killed in action on 28th March 1918.

William Duffissey was killed in action on 9th July 1917. Lt. Baines wrote: "He was killed in action by shell fire and died without pain."

The 12th Battalion, the miners' battalion, was based at the Farnley Camp at Otley from November 1914 - July 1915. He died on the first day of the Battle of the Somme on 1st July 1916.

James McSoley had joined the Durham Light Infantry in 1896 and served eight years in India. He was a reserve for four years. He re-enlisted at the outbreak of the war in South Shields where he was working. He joined the 11th Battalion Durham Light Infantry as a private. He died on 30th September 1915 of accidental injuries.

Thomas Mann enlisted in Otley in 1914 when he was only 16 years old. He was a Private in the 1st/6th Battalion Duke of Wellingtons.
He was killed in action on 17th August 1916 at the Somme. The war diary records that the Battalion was in action between Union Street and Thiepval. Originally he was buried at Paisley Ave Cemetery, 4.5 miles NE of Thiepval, but his remains were transferred to Lonsdale Cemetery, Authuille, Somme, France. He was 18 years old when he died.

Michael Nangle was born in Boyle, Co. Roscommon, the son of an Irish schoolteacher. He worked as an attendant at the Menston Asylum from 1906. He enlisted at Guiseley in October 1914 in the 8th Battalion Duke of Wellington's Regiment.
Michael's Battalion was in action at Gallipoli in August 1915. On 21st August in an attack on Ismail Oglu Tepe it suffered heavy casualties. Michael was injured and a comrade was carrying him to a place of safety when he was struck in the back a second time, which injured his spine. The enemy forced the Battalion back towards the southern slopes of Green Hill. Here the Battalion held this position under heavy shellfire until relieved on 23rd August. Michael died of wounds on 14th September 1915.

According to Wharfedale Observer of 08 January 1915:
"Norman had enlisted as a Private with the 1st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers in Bradford in 1905 when he was 17 years old. He served for six years in the Colours with three years in the reserves. In 1913 he went to Canada and before the war was employed as an engine stoker on the Canadian Northern Railway. He came over with other Reserve men in early September 1914 arriving at the regimental Depot at Newcastle and proceeded to the front almost immediately afterwards. He was not even allowed a furlough to visit his family. In October 1914 he wrote home stating that he was writing the letter in the trenches, with shot and shell falling all round him and adding that he would have some good stories to tell when he came home. Eleven days later he was killed on 1st November 1914."

The Second Battle of Passchendaele began on 26th October 1917 and the 170th Brigade with the 2nd/5th, 2nd/4th and 4th/5th Loyal North Lancashires attacked at 5.40am. The attack came to a stop only a short distance in front of the original line.
Two posts were however established at Rubens and Memling Farms about 350 yards and 200 yards respectively in advance of the original line. Thomas was killed in action on 26th October in the attack. Conditions were deplorable as the Battalions were confronted by an impassable morass. Consequently, along with many others, his body was never recovered.

Prior to the outbreak of war Charles Shaw had for five years been in the Volunteers and Territorials. He enlisted in April 1915 in Ilkley and was a Bombardier in D Battery 245th Brigade Royal Field Artillery (RFA).
He was hard at work on his gun in Passchendaele Village on 23rd November 1917 when he was wounded in the face following heavy German shellfire. Along with several others he went to rest in a pillbox that had been taken from the Germans on the Passchendaele Ridge. It was intended that he should go down the line for treatment but a German shell made a direct hit on the Pill Box and fragments of iron and concrete were driven in all directions. Charles was struck on the temple and was killed instantly.
He had two brothers in the Army, the youngest of whom, Driver Andrew Shaw, was actually behind the lines at the time and heard what happened to his brother.

He had been in France for two years when he died of pneumonia following influenza at Clipstone Camp Farm near Mansfield on 18th February 1919.

Herbert Bona went overseas as a Signaller with the Royal Horse Artillery. Two letters were received by his family but no details of whereabouts were given. A letter posted on 27th February arrived the day after the telegram announcing his death. He was killed in action in the Middle East on 29th April 1941.
Herbert's brother Joseph served in the Duke of Wellington's Regiment. The brothers were called up within a fortnight of each other. One of their uncles, C. S. M. Joseph Bona was killed in World War 1. Their father Frank and their Uncle James also served in that war.

Bernard was the son of Mr. and Mrs. N. Brayshaw, 9, The Crossways, Otley. He was married to Mrs. B. Brayshaw of Hollycroft Cottage, Chevin End, Menston. Prior to joining the forces he was employed as a gardener by Mr. W. Pollard Chevin Avenue, Menston. He was a member of the Otley Charity Players and played cricket with Otley Wesley Club.
He joined the Royal Armoured Corps (RAC) in February 1941 and in May 1942 went to the Middle East where he died 6 months later on 2nd November 1942, aged 30 years, while serving with 3rd Kings Own Hussars RAC.

Private John Brennan was the son of Joseph and Ann Brennan (nee Devine) South View Terrace, Otley. Before joining the Army in 1941 John was employed at the printing works Wm. Walker and Sons (Otley) Ltd, where he had worked since a boy. He was a cricketer of some ability, being a left-arm bowler with the Menston Club, with whom he played up to joining the Army. He won the club bowling average on two occasions. Prior to playing for Menston he was for a period with Otley Wesley.
John was home on leave from an R. A. O. C. unit when he was taken ill. He complained of headaches, which he thought might have been caused by an accident involving an Army lorry some nine months before. Despite seeing a civilian doctor, his condition became worse and he was then seen by a military doctor who gave him pills and left with the intention of visiting him again. Unfortunately John's condition deteriorated and he died in the early morning of 14th June 1943. An inquest was held. The inquest ruled out the possibility that the earlier accident and his death were connected. The verdict given as to cause of John's death was "epileptiform convulsions due to congestion and softening of the brain due to high blood pressure".

At the age of 18 Bernard Brogan joined the navy and was still in training on the Atlantic convoys when he was killed. He was serving on H. M. S. "Polyanthus".
His ship was one of twenty-nine escorts for the forty ships on the Liverpool to New York convoy ON-202. A German wolf pack of U-boats attacked the convoy just before 0500 am on 20th September 1943. The H. M. S. "Polyanthus" K-47, while looking for survivors from another ship, was hit by a German torpedo fired by U-boat 952.
Bernard had been in regular contact with his family and wrote a particularly poignant letter to his cousin’s wife only some six weeks before he was killed. This is still in existence, along with a doll he brought back from America for one of his nieces. Only 19 years old when he died.

Anthony Woods Hutton volunteered for service in the RAF at the outbreak of war and was called up in March 1940. He was promoted to Pilot Officer eight months later and went overseas in June 1941. He was killed in the Middle East on 4th December 1941 at the age of 33 years.

Francis Bertram Kaye joined the RAF in June 1940 and after initial training in England was drafted for 6 months to Canada to complete his flying training. He got his ‘wings’ in June 1941 and had been on home leave ten days before his death. He was killed on 1st November 1941 in a flying accident and was aged 24 years old when he died.

AviationSafetyNetwork tells more about the accident:
Spitfire P8084 was a presentation aircraft, "Garfield Weston VI".
On the 1st of November, 1941, it flew into the ground in bad visibility (rainstorm) and burst into flames. The plane was destroyed and the pilot lost his life.
Crew: Sgt (1058697) Francis Bertram KAYE (pilot), RAFVR, killed.

Hugh McNeice was the son of Mr. and Mrs. H. McNeice, The Green, Otley.
Hugh was active in the Air Training Corps Otley Squadron and held the rank of a Sergeant. He was serving with the RAF in South Wales when he was killed in a motor accident on 20th September 1944.
His brother, George, served in the First Armoured Division and saw fighting in France in the early stages of the war. He was taken prisoner at Rouen on 9th June 1940 and was repatriated in November 1943.
Their father served in the First World War and was a member of the Pioneer Corps in the Second World War.

James Welsh was married to Nora Shackleton, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Shackleton of Croft Ave, Otley.
He served in the army for 24 years, eleven of them in India, where he was awarded the North West Frontier medal. He was permanent staff instructor for the Otley Territorials for three years before the outbreak of war when he was promoted to Battery Sergeant Major. In February 1940 he was commissioned as Lieutenant and was promoted to Captain the same year and served with the Royal Artillery.
He saw active service in North Africa and Italy. He was awarded the Military Cross in 1943 and promoted to Major. He was undertaking a hazardous assignment with the Eighth Army when he came under heavy mortar fire and was severely wounded in the head. He died of his wounds in Italy on 11th September 1944.

James Duffissey had fought in World War 1 in the Royal Field Artillery. He was married to Ethel and had a family when he re-joined the army in World War 2. He was a sapper in the Royal Engineers. He died at the Middleton Sanatorium, Ilkley on 23 September 1946 aged 48 years. His two sons William and Alban also served in the army and survived the war.