| Description | Work completed by one of the volunteers includes the following information
Oscar James Addyman was born in Starbeck, Harrogate in Feb 1891, the eldest son of James and Edith Addyman. He was educated at Aldenham, Leeds University and Sandhurst, joining the East Yorkshire Regiment in 1911. He was gazetted Second-Lieutenant, 1st Bn. East Yorkshire Regiment, but transferred to the 2nd Bn, arriving in Calcutta in time for the King's visit. A keen young officer, he entered the Signalling School at Kasauli, and was personally complimented upon the excellent way in which his signalers passed their examination. Stricken with malarial fever, he was invalided home in the spring of 1914, but was fit for duty by early autumn. On 7 Sep 1914 he was promoted to Lieutenant.
After preparation at Winchester Addyman was sent to France with the 28th Division. The regiment took its first turn in the trenches at St Eloi, south of Ypres, Belgium in Feb 1915, and on the 4th Addyman was observation officer and was observing the German trenches when a shell burst immediately in front of him, killing him instantly.
Oscar James Addyman is remembered in panels 21 and 31 of the Ypres, Menin Gate. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal, Victory Medal and the 15 Star.
It is possible that Addyman's connection with Beverley comes from his time convalescing in 1914, before his return to duties, perhaps residing with the 3rd Battalion at Victoria Barracks whilst awaiting transfer between Battalions, though there is no documentary evidence that he ever visited Beverley, and no service record has been found.
Includes photographs, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |