The War Memorials of Armathwaite, Cumbria
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| 1. Entrance to Armathwaite Parish churchyard, Cumbria Beside the village hall which was erected in 1854 [The church is dedicated to Christ and Our Lady] |
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| 2. British Legion standard mounted inside the church |
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| 3. Stained glass window honouring a local WW1 casualty [Second Lieutenant Charles Rushton Turner, R.F.A.] |
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| 4. Framed WW2 'Roll of Honour' for Armathwaite parish [Wall mounted inside Christ and Our Lady Parish Church] |
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| 5. The framed WW2 'Roll of Honour' of Armathwaite. [Commemorating four locals who died during WW2] |
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| 6. Headstone of Corporal T.F. Gasgarth, R.A.F.V.R. [Armathwaite Churchyard, Cumbria] ____________________________________ |
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posted by ritsonvaljos at 8:59 pm
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Additional information
Introduction: Armathwaite village
Armathwaite is a picturesque village in the Eden valley in the historic county of Cumberland (now Cumbria). The historic Settle – Carlisle railway line passes through the village. There is still a railway station, although the original station building is now a private dwelling.
While it has a relatively small population, as with almost all communities during the First and Second World Wars there were men and women who served in the Armed Forces, some of whom made the ultimate sacrifice. Those who died are remembered by memorials in the village, as outlined below.
Within the village is Armathwaite Castle, traditional home of the Skelton family. In the 15th Century one of this family, John Skelton, who it is believed was born at Armathwaite, was poet laureate and tutor to Prince Henry, second son of King Henry VII who later succeeded his father as King Henry VIII.
In the 16th Century, during the years of the Commonwealth of Oliver Cromwell, the small church of Armathwaite fell into disrepair and was used as a cattle shed. Following the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660, the former building was restored as a church by Richard Skelton of Armathwaite Castle. Although the present church building has had some minor changes to it since then, it remains much as it looked following this 17th Century restoration. It is also within the church that Armathwaite’s war memorials are located. It is dedicated to Christ and St Mary.
Armathwaite’s village hall is the old school hall, presented to the community in 1854 and is situated adjacent to the main entrance to the church grounds [Photograph No. 1]. The village hall is where many of the community’s social activities still take place. Armathwaite’s war memorials are found inside the church. The local Royal British Legion standard is also mounted in the church [Photograph No. 2].
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WW1 casualties connected to Armathwaite
Armathwaite’s small parish church was originally a chapel of ease for the nearby ecclesiastical parish at Hesket-in-the forest. In fact, Armathwite is still in the same civil parish as Hesket-in-the forest.
Only one local WW1 casualty, Second Lieutenant Charles Rushton Turner, is commemorated at Armathwaite Parish. Lieutenant Turner has a stained glass window dedicated in his memory [Photograph No. 3]. It depicts the Roman ‘soldier saint’, St Martin of Tours, dividing his cloak with the beggars and the imagery is after a painting by Peter Paul Rubens and was made by A. L. Moore and Son of London.
The dedication is as follows:
“Saint Martin dividing his cloak with the beggars.
To the Glory of God and in/loving memory of Charles Rushton Turner, Lieut.
RFA born June 16th 1875
At rest, October 31st 1915”
This is the C.W.G.C. citation for Lieutenant Turner:
Name: TURNER, CHARLES RUSHTON
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Date of Death: 30/10/1915
Age: 40
Regiment/Service: Royal Field Artillery, 3rd C. Res. Bde.
Grave Reference: Consecrated Old Grave F77
Cemetery: CHRISTCHURCH CEMETERY, Dorset
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According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, there was at least one other WW1 casualty born at Armathwaite but was living at Kirkbride, Cumberland before the war: Private Thomas Bird Robinson. Private Robinson is not commemorated at Armathwaite although he is remembered on the village war memorial at Kirkbride. Below is his C.W.G.C. citation:
Name: ROBINSON, THOMAS BIRD
Rank: Private
Service No: 19484
Date of Death: 01/07/1916
Regiment/Service: Border Regiment, 11th Bn.
Panel Reference: Pier and Face 6 A and 7 C.
Memorial: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, Somme, France.
Additional information: Born Armathwaite, Cumberland;
Living Kirkbride, Cumberland.
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WW2 casualties connected to Armathwaite
There are four local casualties of the Second World War commemorated inside Armathwaite church on a framed ‘Roll of Honour’ [Photographs No. 4 and 5].
The memorial plaque reads as follows:
“THEY shall grow not old
As we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them
Nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun
And in the morning
We will remember THEM”
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Frederick Gasgarth
Ronald Little
George Rowlandson
John Usher
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission citations
Below are the C.W.G.C. citations for the WW2 casualties of Armathwaite:
(1) Frederick Gasgarth
Name: GASGARTH, THOMAS FREDERICK
Rank: Corporal
Service No: 1505987
Date of Death: 25/06/1944
Age:40
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Grave Reference: Near N.W. corner of church.
Cemetery: ARMATHWAITE (ST. MARY) CHURCHYARD, Cumberland
Additional Information:
Son of Thomas and Mary A. Gasgarth, of Armathwaite;
husband of Margaret J. Gasgarth, of Armathwaite.
……………….
(2) Ronald Little
Name: LITTLE, RONALD
Rank: Sergeant
Service No: 754893
Date of Death: 28/09/1940
Age: 22
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 238 Sqdn.
Panel Reference: Panel 16.
Memorial: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL, Surrey
Additional Information: Son of Robert and Marian Ruth Little, of Armathwaite, Cumberland.
…………………….
(3) George Rowlandson
Name: ROWLANDSON, GEORGE H.
Rank: Private
Service No: 3782800
Date of Death: 12/10/1944
Age: 21
Regiment/Service: Suffolk Regiment, 1st Bn.
Grave Reference: III. C. 3.
Cemetery: OVERLOON WAR CEMETERY, Netherlands
Additional Information: Son of Philip and Nellie Rowlandson, of Low Hesket, Cumberland.
……………………..
(4) John Usher
Name: USHER, JOHN R.
Rank: Second Radio Officer
Date of Death: 20/05/1941
Age: 20
Regiment/Service: Merchant Navy M.V. British Security (London)
Panel Reference: Panel 20.
Memorial: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL
Additional Information:
Son of James Usher, and of Maria Gertrude Usher, of Armathwaite, Cumberland.
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Only one of these, Corporal Frederick Gasgarth, R.A.F.V.R., is buried in Armathwaite churchyard, marked by a C.W.G.C. headstone [Photograph No. 6]. The epitaph on the headstone reads as follows:
“Beloved husband of Margaret of Folly Brow, Armathwaite.”
“He never fails who dies in a great cause”.
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Additional WW2 casualty
The following WW2 casualty is commemorated on a family gravestone in the churchyard but is not listed on the framed ‘Roll of Honour’ inside the church:
(5) Norman Warwick
Name: WARWICK, NORMAN
Rank: Flight Sergeant
Trade: Air Gnr.
Service No: 1103095
Date of Death: 11/09/1944
Age: 30
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 156 Sqdn.
Grave Reference: 30. D. 5.
Cemetery: REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY, Germany
Additional Information:
Son of Isaac William and Ann Warwick;
husband of Norah Warwick, of Wetheral, Cumberland.
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Dedication
Dedicated to Armathwaite’s ‘Fallen’ of the two World Wars:
From the banks of one earthly Eden
To the eternal garden beyond.
May they rest in peace!
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
[1 Corinthians 15:55]
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