Tricia Platts tells the stories of the men who went from the classroom to the theatre of war

HOW did Bradford’s schools manage when their teachers went off to fight in the First World War?

The National Union of Teachers’ War Record, published in 1920, describes how retired teachers and married women were recalled to duty and a general increase in class sizes.

The War Record also lists nearly 90 Bradford school masters who served in the forces. Half a dozen of these men were awarded medals for gallantry and eight of them died whilst serving.

Nothing is known about Henry Schofield who taught at Usher Street School and died whilst serving with the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, but the other listed names tell stories of exceptional variety and interest, writes Tricia Platts, secretary of Bradford World War 1 Group.

“The best-known name to Bradfordians is Lt EH Lintott who was the first professional soccer player to be commissioned in the British Army. Despite being found a job by Bradford City at the club’s shirt making company, Lintott preferred to continue as a teacher.

“He left his post at Dudley Hill School on September 14, 1914 and was no doubt much missed by the boys’ football team which he had coached. Frustrated by recruitment delays in Bradford, Lintott signed up with the Leeds Pals and his war record closely shadows that of the Bradford Pals.

“Lintott’s death on the first day of the Somme was graphically described in a brief report by Private David Spink: ‘Lt. Lintott killed by machine gun at 3pm in the advance. He was struck in the chest.’ “More detail was revealed in a letter to the Yorkshire Post. “Lt. Lintott’s end was particularly gallant. Tragically, he was killed leading his platoon over the top. He led his men with great dash and when hit the first time declined to take the count. Instead, he drew his revolver and called for further effort. Again he was hit but struggled on but a third shot finally bowled him over.’ “His body was not recovered and he is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.

“Three Bradford school teachers transferred to the Royal Engineers from other regiments. Each of them had some scientific knowledge which was much needed in the Special Gas Companies.

“Pioneer William Cartwright Forryan was headmaster of St Jude’s School in Manningham. He was to die in a tragic accident on October 5,1917 at the age of 38.

“A group of highly trained Royal Engineers were instructed to retrieve a supply of arms and ammunition from an abandoned German dug out. It is probable that the cache of arms was booby trapped for, as the eleven men approached, there was an explosion.

“Forryan’s body parts were recovered and are buried alongside some of his companions at Nine Elms Cemetery near Arras. Two of William’s brothers also died in the war and his widow Gladys and three young daughters left their home on Grosvenor Terrace for Alberta, Canada.

“Sergeant Reuben Mitchell was a farmer’s son from the Rooley Lane area. He had taught at Carr Lane School, Low Moor and initially joined the Coldstream Guards. His transfer to a Special Gas Company also ended tragically.

“On Good Friday, 1917 during preparations for the Canadian attack on Vimy Ridge, perhaps while laying Livens projectors for firing gas shells or perhaps when a tunnel collapsed, 12 men in Reuben Mitchell’s company died. They are buried in Ecoivres Military Cemetery with many Canadian soldiers who were to die in the successful attack on Easter Monday.

“Details of two teachers from Marshfield School have been uncovered by Ray Greenhough of the Bradford WW1 Group. Sgt John D Vaughan lived at Cornwall Place, Manningham and taught at Marshfield prior to joining the Pals at the age of 33.

“In the summer of 1915 Vaughan transferred to ‘Q’ Special Company, REand was given the where his good work was recognised by the award of the Military Medal.

“Another former teacher at Marshfield was Captain George Henry Brook MC, KOYLI. Brook’s training of the Marshfield football team had led them to become winners of the Bradford Schools’ Challenge Shield in 1911. He won high praise in the Marshfield School log book and In 1912 he was appointed Head of Ryan Street School.

“However, his connections with Marshfield were not severed. The school log book reports that, in 1921, George Brook chaired a meeting of Marshfield Old Boys and ‘told amusing stories of his experiences in France’, and he no doubt described the action for which he was awarded the Military Cross.

“However, George Brook also acknowledged that one of the greatest rewards he received during the war was the numerous letters from old boys on active service in all parts of the world.

“The oldest of the Bradford teachers to die was 48-year-old Richard Pendlebury of Belle Vue School. He died on home service with the City Volunteers, 4th West Yorkshire Regiment and is buried in Nab Wood Cemetery. He had married a fellow member of staff in 1901 but they had no children.

“Wilfred Manley from Lorne Street School was the youngest of the Bradford teachers to die. The Manley family lived at 106 Lonsdale Street and the father had been an army sergeant-instructor, of the 13 children, four of his sons were to serve in WW1.

“Wilfred had been a signaller in the Royal Navy Reserves but elected to accept his discharge as ‘unsuitable’ and joined the army. He was ‘assumed to have died’ on April 3, 1918 and is remembered on the Arras Memorial. He was 22.

“Three years earlier his brother Leo died in Flanders but the other two brothers survived with George Francis Manley (RAMC) living to the ripe old age of 93.

“Many years later, the Lorne Street and Dudley Hill Schools were combined and formed Lowerfield Primary School.

“After gaining a BSc in London, John William Tindle trained to teach at St John’s college, York. He lived with his widowed mother and two spinster sisters at 35 Dalton Terrace, Bradford and taught at Great Horton National School.

“Originating from the Selby area, he enlisted with the Harrogate Territorials (5th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment) and died on July 25, 1917 from wounds sustained in trenches near Nieuport, northern Belgium.

“The History of the Bradford Territorials tells us that on July 22, the West Yorks men had suffered ‘one of the great and terrible experiences’ of the war: a bombardment with a new kind of gas which smelled ‘not unpleasantly’ of burnt mustard.

“On that day and in the days following, the 5th Battalion was to lose 250 men (killed or wounded) from this ‘mysterious and stealthy German frightfulness’.

“John W Tindle is buried in Coxyde Military Cemetery alongside 22 men from Bradford killed by the gas attackof which the following died as a result of the gas attack: Tom Benn (Princeville), Alfred Booth and Joe Perkins (Queensbury), Hamer Illingworth (Girlington), Simeon Fletcher and Willie Booth (Ripleyville), Willie Lambert (Manchester Road), John W Hutton (Leeds Road), Harry Ingham (Allerton), Willie Onion (Laisterdyke), Arthur Pratt (Thornbury).

“While we might assume from the NUT War Record that 70 Bradford teachers returned to their classrooms when the war was over, we can only wonder how many of them would ever be quite the same again?”