Great Uncle Reginald Ormondroyd. Lance Corporal, 9th Battalion Kings own Yorkshire Light Infantry

The Ormondroyds come from the Bradford / Leeds area of the West Riding of Yorkshire and it was in Bradford that my Great Uncle enlisted to fight in the Great War. He was one of two brothers.  John was my Grandfather, my mother's father.

In a way it is curious that Reginald joined up in Bradford because in 1912 he had emigrated to Australia.  I know this because I have the Bible given him when he went with its illuminated dedication.  Coming back was a mistake. He was killed on the 4th October in 1917 at the Battle of Passchendale. His name is inscribed on the Tyne Cot Memorial at Zonnebeke in Belgium. He is one of the many with no known grave - missing in action.

In fact four Ormondroyds are listed as killed in the First World War and they all enlisted in Bradford or nearby in Wakefield.  One day I will discover how closely related they were - if at all.  Certainly, Private William Ormondroyd was also in the 9th Battalion and was killed in April 1918 - his name is also on the Tyn Cot memorial, missing in action.  Surely the two men knew each other?

The following URLs lead to sites concerned with the First World War and are a good starting point for anyone interested in the event which did more to shape the politics, art and culture of our century than anything else.