Harrogate district soldiers given military burial 104 years after death

Two Harrogate district soldiers killed during World War One have finally been laid to rest today with full military honours.

Their bodies were among nine sets of human remains found during civil engineering works in the Belgium town of Beselare three years ago.

Archaeologists from the Flanders Heritage Agency subsequently discovered the remains of the trench, a bomb pit and a separate bomb pit outside the trench.

Eight of the nine bodies found inside the trench are believed to have died at the same time as the result of an explosion in October 1917. The ninth was found separately.

Through a combination of military research, anthropology and DNA, Ministry of Defence ‘war detectives’ managed to identify seven of the nine soldiers by name.

The men included 21-year-old Lance Corporal Stanley Blakeborough from Pateley Bridge and 28-year-old Private Harry Miller, who worked as a farm labourer in Burton Leonard.

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An eighth casualty, who remains unknown, is believed to have served with the same regiment (11th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers) whilst the ninth and final casualty is unknown by name or regiment.

The service in Belgium today. Credit: Ministry of Defence

Nicola Nash, from the Ministry of Defence said:

“After working on this case for nearly three years, it gives me an immense feeling of pride to see these men finally being laid to rest. It has been wonderful to share this emotional day with so many of the family members, who have travelled as far as Australia to attend.

“The sacrifice these men made will never be forgotten.”

Today’s service was organised by the MoD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre and was held at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Tyne Cot Cemetery near Ypres in Belgium.

The MOD war detectives also traced the relatives of some of the men, with five different families attending the service.

The Duke of Kent attended the service in his capacity as the Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Police cordon lifted after hand grenade discovered in Harrogate

A Harrogate street has returned to normality after bomb squad officers dealt with a hand grenade in a garden.

Police cordoned off three streets in Bilton after the discovery on Gordon Avenue, just off Bilton Lane, late this morning.

A bomb disposal unit from the Ministry of Defence rushed to the street, which is between Richard Taylor Church of England Primary School and Bilton Cricket Club.

The team departed at about 1.40pm and the police cordon was lifted and people allowed to return to their homes.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:

“An explosive device was found by a member of the public in their garden at a property on Gordon Avenue today.

“Police evacuated a small number of houses whilst the MOD made an assessment on the device.

“The MOD recovered the device and the cordon is now lifted.”

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A resident on Gordon Avenue told the Stray Ferret about the “mad moment” police knocked on their door.

The resident, who requested anonymity, was evacuated at around 12.30pm, said:

“This is obviously not something that happens everyday, it is quite mad really. Definitely rare for Harrogate.

“We saw that the police were on the street. The next minute the officers were knocking on my door.

“They said that they had called in the bomb squad because the neighbour had found a bomb.

“Not everyone was evacuated, just the residents who live quite close by. Police were quick to get people away.”

Union’s covid concerns about army recruits returning to Harrogate

A trade union has said it still has concerns about young soldiers from around the country spreading covid when they return to the Army Foundation College in Harrogate.

Unison North Yorkshire last week called for a halt to any new recruits joining the college until covid safety is guaranteed.

Shadow Armed Forces minister Stephen Morgan sought similar assurances after hearing there had been more than 100 infections.

The Ministry of Defence said fewer than 40 of the 2,000 personnel working and training at the college on Penny Pot Lane had tested positive for covid and none required medical treatment.

It added trainee soldiers would remain at the college over half-term.

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Union leaders welcomed the MOD’s statement but still have fears about the ongoing impact of the movement of recruits in January.

A spokesperson for Unison North Yorkshire said:

“The MOD has still not provided answers as to why they thought it was appropriate to move hundreds of young recruits to Harrogate from across the country during a lockdown.

“Thankfully the MOD have confirmed that none of the young soldiers are seriously ill with covid, but that is a point that we have never raised.

“We know that young, healthy recruits would not be expected to get ill. We also know that a third of people with covid do not have symptoms.

“Our concern is that our members come into contact with young people from across the country who may have covid, then our members are the ones who take it home to their families and communities.”

Junior soldiers returning to training last month were tested twice with lateral flow tests, which are used to test people who may be asymptomatic.

The MOD said those who tested positive isolated at a purpose built 96-bed accommodation unit for the mandated period of time.

A MOD spokesperson said:

“Fewer than 40 personnel at the Army Foundation College are isolating after testing positive for covid. None of these individuals currently require medical treatment and it is incorrect to suggest we are not coping with the situation.

“The British army takes the health and wellbeing of our personnel very seriously and have been providing lateral flow testing, robust social distancing and hygiene measures in place to protect personnel and prevent further infections.”