Gospel Family History

By Peter Gospel

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Bishop Wilton School, 1919
Centre Row, middle, Bertha Gospel
Front Row, left, Stan Gospel. Front Row, right, Wilf Gospel

Some people in the village may remember, or merely know, that in World War I there was no conscription. People volunteered. Often by the village the men would meet and go off to war. Harry and Eric volunteered and went to war in 1914. Eric was only 17 years old at that time but lied about his age in order to gain access to the Army. Both names are shown on the War Memorial in the grounds of the church.

There is no doubt that Harry could have avoided War Service a) due to his age (he was nearly 40 years old) and b) because of the number of children who were dependent on him.

Those historians who know about World War I will remember that there was a 'big push' to defeat the enemy in the October of 1917. Harry was serving, because of his construction expertise, with The 111 Pioneer Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment. He and a colleague were loading shells onto a transporter during the battle of Passchendaele when one exploded killing them both instantly. What remained of him is buried in the Menin Road South Military Cemetery, Belgium.

Amy, his youngest child, never saw her father. She is still alive today and is a very endearing lady. Eric returned unscathed and returned to the construction industry. Through contacts he had made in the Army he learned that a new council estate was to be built at Mirfield, near Dewsbury in West Yorkshire. Eric went and worked on the site. One of the 'perks' of the job was that the construction workers were able to get the pick of the houses being built if they so wanted. Eric took one and Sarah moved the family over there to 10, Wilson Terrace. She lived there for the rest of her life. She died in 1968 aged 93 years. She never remarried although she did receive several proposals of marriage.

Eric emigrated to America with his wife and son and lived out his life in contentment seeing grandchildren arrive on whom he doted. He died of lung cancer in 1969. He always maintained contact with his family and indeed his mother flew out to the weddings of his grandchildren.

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