| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
James William Meek, the son of David Meek, an agricultural labourer, and his wife Rose Anna (nee Hope) was born at Wawne in 1889. His father David died in 1900, leaving Rose a widow with five children under the age of ten years old. By Mar 1901 they lived in Trinity Lane, Beverley where Rose took in lodgers.
In 1911 aged 21 James was employed as a house painter. He lived at home with his mother and two younger sisters at 18 Eastgate, Beverley. James joined the Territorial Army. At the outbreak of the Great War he was mobilized as 2700 Private Meek of 'B' Company, 5th Battalion, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment (The Green Howards). 5th Yorkshires were in 150th Brigade of the 50th Division and arrived at Boulogne on 18 Apr 1915. They were sent straight to the trenches at St Julien, where their ferocious fighting earned them praise from Sir John French, Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force, and from other troops, the name 'The Yorkshire Gurkhas'. Between Jul and Dec 1915, the 5th Battalion was based in and around Armentieres where they were involved in holding the line in that sector. Then in Dec 1915, the 50th Division was ordered to take over trenches south-east of Ypres. 150th Brigade was positioned in the front line facing towards Shrewsbury Forest, near Zillebeke. It was in these trenches James was killed.
Lieutenant R Green, 'B' Company Commander wrote a letter to Mrs Meek informing her of the death of her son and sending deepest sympathy for her loss from her son's officers and fellow soldiers. He said James was seriously wounded in the side and leg by the bursting of a shell on 3 Jan 1916. James never regained consciousness and died that night. He was buried in Maple Copse Cemetery.
James was unmarried although back home in Beverley he left behind a girl friend. She placed an 'In Memorium' in the Beverley Guardian on the first anniversary of his death in 1917 describing how she missed him and mourned him "in silence unseen, to dwell on the memories of joys that have been". The Beverley Guardian of 4 Jan 1919 carried another memorial message from her, with the words "Not forgotten". Both messages were signed - 'Ethel' - without a surname. The identity of this young lady who loved him is now unknown.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |