The total number of military and civilian casualties in World War I was more than 41 million: there were over 18 million deaths and 23 million wounded, ranking it among the deadliest conflicts in human history.
The total number of deaths includes from 9 to 11 million military personnel and about 5 to 6 million civilians. The Triple Entente (also known as the Allies lost about 6 million military personnel while the Central Powers lost about 4 million. At least 2 million died from diseases and 6 million went missing, presumed dead. This pre-amble lists the casualties of the belligerent powers based on official published sources. About two-thirds of military deaths in World War I were in battle. Nevertheless, disease, including the 1918 flu pandemic and deaths while soldiers were held as prisoners of war, still caused about one third of total military deaths.
Those who did not return
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Private 25877 A. Allison, 20
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Private 18269 John Baxter, age 19
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Private 28253 William Covell, age 37
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Private 12/2033 John Thomas Presley Ellis, age 36
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Warrant Officer George Henry Field, age 35
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Private 14654 Alan Joseph Featherstone, age 27
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Private 23369 Robert Henry Featherstone, age 24
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Private 17768 Harold Gay , age 20
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Private 21832 Alexander (Alec) Jones, age 23
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Lance Corporal 11820 Richard Jones, age 21
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Driver T2/11405 Frederick Henry Moseley, age 36
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Private 764847 Edward Eric Renshaw, age 34
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Private 18306 Albert Arthur Smith, age 22
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Private 18793 Herbert Smith, age 32
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Private 10910 George Waplington, age 19
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Buried in All Hallows Churchyard, Harthill
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Gunner 3690 George Bennett (alias White), aged 47
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Leading Seaman J/4716(PO) James Horace Wainscoat C.G.M., age 23
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ALSO KNOWN TO HAVE SERVED
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Albert Bennett
Private, 3rd Battalion, West Riding Regiment - Enlisted at the age of 19. Son of William and Elizabeth Bennett of Firvale. He worked as a blacksmith before signing up on 26th April 1918.
Ethel Bennett
Nurse 9851, Red Cross Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) - Volunteered at the age of 24. Daughter of William and Elizabeth Bennett of Firvale. Ethel was the sister of Albert Bennett. She was posted to the south coast after training, and kept a look out for her brother, and his friends, as the casualties were brought back from France for treatment.
George Bilham
Private, Royal Field Artillery - Enlisted at the age of 23. He was born around 1891 in Harthill. Son of George and Elizabeth Bilham. Prior to enlisting, he worked at Kiveton Park Colliery.
William (Billy) Drabble
Private, York and Lancs Regiment - Enlisted at the age 22 on the 12th December 1915, at Worksop Police Station. He did his initial training at Cannock Chase under canvas. On finishing his training he volunteered for the Machine Gun Corps and went to France on the 8th May 1916.
Edward Froggatt
Private 25486, York and Lancaster Regiment - Enlisted at the age of 21, and was later attached to the 27th Northumberland Fusiliers. He was born in Waleswood, and lived at New Cottages, Woodall. He was posted to France 24th July 1916, accidentally wounded on 7th August 1916 to forefinger of left hand. He was placed in the reserve.
Clifford Leslie Harrison
Black Watch and Northumberland Fusiliers - Enlisted initially with the Black Watch, and later transferred to the Northumberland Fusiliers. Baptised at All Hallows Church 8th September 1895. Son of Sam Harrison (Schoolmaster), and Mary Harrison of Harthill.
Clement Howard Hill
Corporal, York and Lancaster Regiment - Enlisted at the age of 22. He was born on 23rd August 1893 to Jacob and Fanny Hill of Firvale. He was seriously wounded - shot in the right thigh - on 1st July 1916.
Frank Hydes, MM
(Gunner 23343) Royal Field Artillery - Enlisted at the age of 18. He was the son of John William and Mary Ellen Hydes of Woodall. He served in the Royal Field Artillery, Trench Mortar battery, where he was awarded the Military Medal in November 1916 for “conspicuous gallantry and bravery in keeping to his post under heavy bombardment”. He worked at Kiveton Park Colliery.
Horace Laking
Royal Navy - Enlisted before the First World War. in June 1913, he was transferred to the Collingwood Battalion of the Royal Naval Division on 17/9/1914 with the service number PO/SS 103350. He fought in the defence of Antwerp; on the 8th of October the Royal Naval Division were ordered to withdraw; of the 700 men of the Collingwood Battalion only 22 got back to England the rest were either captured by the Germans or interned in Holland: Horace was one of those interned in Holland. - Horace was baptised at Harthill Church 3rd January 1886. Son of Thomas and Elizabeth Laking, Firvale. He was taken prisoner and spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner in Holland.
Laking, Thomas
Driver/Gunner in the Royal Horse and Royal Field Artillery (Regimental number 63478) - Thomas served as a Driver/Gunner in the Royal Horse and Royal Field Artillery in France and Salonika where he contracted Malaria, which remained with him all his life. He was discharged on 14/3/1919: Thomas the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Laking, Firvale, was baptised at Harthill Church 17th November 1884.
Zilphah Mary Nicholls
Women's Royal Air Force - Enlisted on 12th June 1918 at the age of 20. She was born at Normanton Barracks, and was employed sewing fabric to airplanes.
Cass W. Smith,
Second Lieutenant, Durham Light Infantry - Enlisted in the early days of the war, and was wounded in France.
Horace Stone
Royal Navy, HMS Hydra - Enlisted at the age of 19. Baptised 11th July, 1886 at Harthill Church. He was the son of William and Sarah Stone of Firvale.
Wilfred Storey
Private 241783, York and Lancaster Regiment, 2/5th Battalion - Enlisted 10th March 1916 at the age of 23. Son of William and Elizabeth Ann Storey and stated his occupation as a painter at the time of his enlistment. He was seriously wounded which resulted in his leg being amputated.
Frank Wainscoat,
Private - Age and regiment not known. Invalided home through illness via the Leicester War Hospital.
Ernest Walker
Able Seaman, Royal Navy, age 23.
James Walker
Private, (regiment not known), age 24
Joseph Waplington
Private 6173, Coldstream Guards - Joseph had previously served as a soldier, and was a reservist at the time of the outbreak of war and was recalled to his regiment at the age of 27. He was wounded in the leg. He lived at Firvale. Joseph was the elder brother of George Waplington - Private 10910, 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards aged 19 who was reported missing in action on the Western Front on 22nd December 1914, and was reported as having been killed in action some 14 months later on the 4th February 1916.
William Weston
Private 52207, East Yorkshire Regiment - Enlisted at the age of 18. Son of William and Gertrude Weston of Firvale. He worked at Kiveton Park Colliery and married Annie Parker in February 1917.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Laura Gardiner, Archives & Local Studies Assistant, Archives and Local Studies Service, Clifton Park Museum, Clifton Lane, Rotherham S65 2AA. For her assistance in solving the puzzle of Private 18793 Herbert Smith, and to Anthony Laking for his corrections to the information listed regarding Horace and Thomas Laking..
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this record. We would be obliged if any mistakes or discrepancies are pointed out to us by contacting the Website Editor.
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