SKELTON - IN - CLEVELAND
IN HISTORY
1918

German attack.
 6th February - The right to vote was extended to men over 21 and women over 30, raising the total number of voters from 800,000 to 16 million.

March - The local 4th Yorks Btn were moved from Ypres to the Somme area where they took part in defending the German offensive in that area codenamed "Michael". 21st March - The cessation of hostilities with Russia allowed the Germans to strengthen their Divisions on the Western Front.

They launched a series of offensives over the next three months.
The plan to capture Amiens and move on to Paris was successful at first and the Germans advanced some 30 kilometres, but, it is said, went so fast that they lost their means of supply.

The Allied forces, which had been under separate command were brought under the control of the French General Foch, who staged a counter-attack, which served to halt this initial German "push".

7th April - The food supply at home had been controlled up to this time by local


Pte William Bennison of 9 Park St, Skelton.
Killed 15th April 1918 near Ypres.
 food councils and now rationing was introduced for the whole country.
Books were issued with detachable coupons allowing each person 1lb of uncooked meat, 6 ozs of butter and margarine, 2 ozs of lard, 4 ozs of bacon, 8 ozs of sugar and 1 and a half ozs of tea.
To save coal and electricity restrictions were brought in to limit public lighting and rail services were reduced.
The great call for wool for Army uniforms and equipment caused a clothing shortage and prices were beyond the means of the poorest.
Bread was never rationed, but the white loaf that people had grown used to disappeared
Bakers had to resort to substitutes for pure wheat flour and produced loaves that were dark in colour and rough in texture.
Women were called upon to do even more "mens work"
More agricultural workers were called up to serve in the forces and the age limit for conscription which had up to this time been 41 was raised to 50 and even to 55 for men with specialist qualifications.

9th April - The local Yorks Battalion were moved from the Somme area to the sector around Armentieres where the Germans were to open up another offensive - Battle of the Lys.

11th April - Near Ypres.
Death of WILLIAM G PAWSEY, 1/6th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers,
of 2 West Tce, Skelton.

13th April - Near Ypres.
Death of WILLIAM J CRIPPS,4th Bn Yorkshire Regiment,
of 61 Boosbeck Rd, Skelton Green.

Ypres.
 13th April - Near Ypres .
Death of JAMES ALLISON , King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry ,
of 31 Wharton St , N Skelton.

15th April - Near Ypres .
Death of WILLIAM BENNISON , 2nd Bn Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) ,
of 9 Park St , Skelton.

17th April - Near Pernes, Somme .
Death of FRANK SCURRAH ,Royal Field Artillery ,
of 17 William St , N Skelton.

22nd April - Base Hospital Rouen .
Death of DANIEL DRURY ,18th (Queen Mary's Own) Hussars ,
of 8 Harker St , Skelton Green.

25th April - Near Ypres .
Death of JOSEPH P WILKS , Royal Field Artillery ,
of 35 Wharton St , N Skelton.

Pte Richard Matthew Thorpe.
[Photograph kindly contributed by his Great Niece, Dorothy Harris of Saltburn by Sea.]
May - After suffering heavy losses on the Somme and Lys in the previous two months the local 4th Yorks Battalion by now made up of many raw recruits were moved to the French Sector on the Aisne, supposedly to rest and train.
Unfortunately it was the area where the Germans had chosen to open their third Spring offensive.
The 50th Northumbrian Division, to which the 4th Yorks belonged, was one of only 4 divisions to take part in all three German attacks.
27th May - Third Battle of the Aisne begins in French sector along Chemin des Dames.
Most of the local Battalion and the rest of the 50th Division were either killed or captured.
The Battalion ceased to exist as a fighting unit.

27th May - Near Soissons, Marne. .
Death of FREDERICK BANNISTER , 4th Bn Yorkshire Regiment ,
of 143 High St , Skelton.

8th June - 200951 Pte RICHARD MATTHEW THORPE, 4th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment died of wounds, as a Prisoner of War, aged 20. Born Carlin How,N Yorks and home at 61 Wharton St, North Skelton, N Yorks. His father Richard Pickles Thorpe, also known as "Pretty Cap", was a mechanic in the Cleveland mines and was a founder member of the White Rose Sword Dancers. His mother was Emma Eliza Leeks and they were living at Fogga when they married 25th December 1883.
Their family history, also says that this was the last wedding at the old Church. Richard is buried in the German extension of the Chambieres French National Cemetery, Metz.

9th June - Germans launch fourth Spring offensive, Battle of the Matz, in French sector between Noyan and Montdider.

1st September - Near Berlin POW .
Death of A THORPE , 4th Bn Yorkshire Regiment ,
of 32 Park St , Skelton.

15th July - Final phase of great German Spring push, the Second Battle of Marne, begins

Allied superiority at sea was making it impossible for the Germans to maintain supplies to its troops and civilian population and they were beginning to weary and revolt against the privations this was causing.

18th July - The Allies mount counterattacks.

8th August - The Amiens offensive - German forces are pushed back to the Hindenburg Line.

10th September - Near Peronne, Somme. .
Death of ALBERT E WINFIELD , 10th Bn West Yorkshire Regiment ,
of 18 Boosbeck Rd , Skelton Green.


FLUCTUATIONS OF THE FOUR YEAR BATTLE, 1914 to 1918.
22nd September - Glageon, 56k E of Cambrai. .
Death of FRANK MORGAN , 1/4th Bn East Yorkshire Regiment , of , Skelton.

27th September - British forces break through the Hindenberg Line at several points.

27th September - Near Peronne Somme. .
Death of FRANK HARKER , 4th Yorks/14th Bn Warwickshire Regiment ,
of 9 Bolckow St , N Skelton.

27th September - Near Arras .
Death of ROBERT H HUSBAND , 7th Bn East Yorkshire Regiment ,
of 21 Harker St , Skelton Green.

29th September - Near Cambrai .
Death of DAVID E JARVIS , 2/4th Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment ,
of 27 Richard St , N Skelton.

17th October - Allied advance taking many prisoners.

Sir Park Goff.
MP for Cleveland 1918 to 1923 and 1924 to 1929.

2nd November - Near Malbork Poland POW .
Death of THOMAS H SELLERS , 13th Bn Yorkshire Regiment ,
of 38 Park St , Skelton.

9th November - German Kaiser abdicates and flees to Holland.

11th November - Armistice Day. Fighting ceases at 11 am.

21st November - Skelton .
Died of wounds HARRY RUDD , 13th Bn Yorkshire Regiment,
of 23 Harker St, Skelton Green.

28th December - GENERAL ELECTION.
The "Coupon" election. The Coalition Government which had run Britain during the war issued MPs who supported them with a "coupon". Bonar-Law's Coalition Conservatives won 332 seats and Lloyd George's Coalition Liberals 127, giving them a 200 majority in the Commons.
In Cleveland the Liberal, Herbert Samuel, who had been the MP since 1902 lost his seat to the Coalition Conservative, Sir Park Goff.

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