The Sowerby War Memorial is on the village green outside St Oswald's Church, Sowerby, Thirsk, North Yorkshire. There are also war memorials inside St Oswald's Church and Sowerby Methodist Church.
The lists of men who died in the First World War are slightly different on each memorial, but the lists of men who died in the Second World War are identical on all memorials.
Sowerby War Memorial is a red granite cross and lists the initials and family name of men who died in both World Wars.
In St Oswald’s Church there are two marble memorials. One lists the full name of men who died in the First World War, although two are not in alphabetical order which probably indicates that these were added after the memorial had been erected. The other lists the full name of men who died in the Second World War.
In Sowerby Methodist Church a brass memorial lists the initials and family name of men who died in the First World War and two oak chairs list the full name of men who died in the Second World War. There is also evidence of a First World War memorial in Sowerby Methodist Church that no longer exists.
First World War
| Men listed on the local memorials | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sowerby War Memorial | Memorial inside St Oswald's Church | Memorial inside Sowerby Methodist Church |
| J Addison | Joseph Addison | J Addison |
| A Andrew | Arthur Andrew | |
| R Annakin | Robert Annakin | R Annakin |
| H Appleton | Henry Appleton | H Appleton |
| R C Appleton | Robert Crudas Appleton | R C Appleton |
| J R Atkinson | John Richard Atkinson | J R Atkinson |
| F Ayre | Fred Ayre | F Ayre |
| T E Banks | Thomas Edward Banks | |
| H Bell | Herbert Bell | H Bell |
| F Bendelow | Frederick Bendelow | F Bendelow |
| S C C Bramley | Sidney Clement Carr Bramley | |
| W E Bramley | William Edward Bramley | W E Bramley |
| A Briggs | Arthur Briggs | A Briggs |
| T W Brown | Thomas William Brown | T W Brown |
| A Buchannan | Alexander Buchannan | A Buchannan |
| W T Bulmer | William Thomas Bulmer | W T Bulmer |
| P Cartwright | ||
| P S Clarke | Percival Suffell Clarke | P S Clarke |
| A Close | Arthur Close | A Close |
| T H Coope | Thomas Henry Coope | T H Coope |
| E Crisp | Errol Crisp | E Crisp |
| C Dale | Charles Dale | C Dale |
| H Dale | Harry Dale | H Dale |
| C Danby | Cyril Danby | C Danby |
| E G Daynes | Edward George Daynes | E G Daynes |
| F B Dent | Frank Bousfield Dent | F B Dent |
| G W Dickinson | George William Dickinson | G W Dickinson |
| G A Dixon | ||
| R E Dixon | ||
| F G Freeman | Frederick George Freeman | F G Freeman |
| W S Garbutt | Wesley Shaw Garbutt | W S Garbutt |
| W A Gilling | William Aubrey Gilling | W A Gilling |
| T Grainger | ||
| H Greenwood | Harry Greenwood | H Greenwood |
| J Hardy | John Hardy | J Hardy |
| J W Hardy | ||
| A Hesp | Arthur Hesp | A Hesp |
| H Hodgson | Herbert Hodgson | H Hodgson |
| H Holmes | ||
| G H Horner | George Henry Horner | G H Horner |
| F Hutton | Fred Hutton | F Hutton |
| H Kendrew | Harry Kendrew | H Kendrew |
| E Lascelles | Edmund Lascelles | E Lascelles |
| J H Lofthouse | John Henry Lofthouse | J H Lofthouse |
| J H North | John Henry North | |
| Herbert Paul | ||
| H Pollington | Herbert Pollington | H Pollington |
| A Rogers | Albert Rogers | A Rogers |
| W T Seavers | William Thomas Seavers | W T Seavers |
| W Skipsey | Waldo Skipsey | W Skipsey |
| A Spence | Albert Spence | A Spence |
| E Spence | Ernest Spence | E Spence |
| W T Thornton | William Thomas Thornton | W T Thornton |
| T Todd | ||
| T W Trenholme | Thomas William Trenholme | T W Trenholme |
| J C Walker | John Chinnery Walker | J C Walker |
| W Ward | William Ward | W Ward |
| H Wardman | Harry Wardman | H Wardman |
| John Western Warner | ||
| C H Watson | Cornelius Herbert Watson | C H Watson |
| G Watson | George Watson | G Watson |
| W P Watson | Wilfrid Percy Watson | W P Watson |
| T Webster | Thomas Webster | T Webster |
| Men not listed on the current local memorials |
|---|
| Harold Marwood |
| Jack Ashley Renton |
| Thomas White |
| John William Willey |
| Samuel Wood |
| Sydney Herbert Henry Wright |
Second World War
| Men listed on the local memorials |
|---|
| John Norman Payne Arkle |
| Cyril Taylor Atkinson |
| Arthur Brown |
| Alec (Alick) Reginald Camburn |
| John Robert Francis Conder |
| Edward Handshaw |
| Joseph Gunson Handshaw |
| John Herbert Hemingway |
| Reginald Albert Hudson |
| Wilfred (William) Huson |
| Clyde Ibbetson |
| Brian Holroyd Watts Jackson |
| Robert Edwin Metcalf |
| Mark Middleton |
| Harry Norminton |
| James Wesley Rooke |
| John Francis Slater |
| Joseph Hepton Walker |
| Men not listed on the current local memorials |
|---|
| George Hepple |
| Civilian War Dead Roll of Honour | ||
|---|---|---|
| James McNulty | Died 15 April 1944 aged 36. Son of Martin and Catherine McNulty, of Curradraish, Foxford, Co. Mayo, Irish Republic. Died at Topcliffe Road Bridge, Sowerby. | Information about James McNulty on Civilian War Dead Roll of Honour |
| Albert George Grimwood Stone | Died 15 April 1944 aged 48. Of Topcliffe Road Bridge, Sowerby. Husband of Clara Stone. Died at Topcliffe Road Bridge, Sowerby. | Information about Albert George Grimwood Stone on Civilian War Dead Roll of Honour |
| Clara Stone | Died 15 April 1944 aged 62. Of Topcliffe Road Bridge, Sowerby. Wife of Albert George Grimwood Stone. Died at Topcliffe Road Bridge, Sowerby. | Information about Clara Stone on Civilian War Dead Roll of Honour |
These three deaths were the result of an aircraft (a Halifax EB205) crashing at about 23.05 hours on 15 April 1944 whilst trying to land at Topcliffe airfield after a training exercise. Albert Stone and Clara Stone were inside their cottage at Topcliffe Bridge Road; James McNulty was cycling on the road on the way home from the pub. Six of the seven airmen also died. Two external sites have more information about the aircraft crash www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk and aviation-safety.net.
Other men buried or remembered in St Oswald's churchyard
| Other men buried or remembered in St Oswald's churchyard |
|---|
| Andrew Richard Barker |
