Pudsey Remembers: Lost and Found War Memorials – Part 1

Pudsey Remembers: Lost and Found War Memorials – Part 1

The Great War Hand Painted Tile Memorial from Pudsey Congregational Church

Walk through Pudsey and you will probably notice the Cenotaph. Most people do. It stands at the heart of remembrance in the town, the focal point every November where we gather, bow our heads and remember the fallen.

 

But what many people don't realise is that the Cenotaph is only one of many war memorials from the old Borough of Pudsey, that also includes Farsley, Calverley and a big chunk of Stanningley.

This blog series is about tracking down those numerous and fascinating memorials across Pudsey, Stanningley, Farsley, Fulneck and the surrounding area. Some are in churches and chapels, others in schools, social clubs and former workplaces, while a few are tucked away where the public rarely see them.

And the people recorded on them are every bit as fascinating.

Grave of L/Cpl William Hylbert Allum at CWGC Connaught Cemetery

Among the names we will encounter are an England international cricketer, fathers and sons, two boys who were only sixteen years old, and hundreds of ordinary Pudsey people caught up in extraordinary events.

There are also women who served – but amongst all the memorials and Rolls of Honour I've studied so far, I've found only one woman commemorated by name who died in Service.

Who was she? We'll meet her later in the series.

Why this matters

Our heritage records the lives and experiences of people in their own time. War memorials are not simply monuments; they are historical documents.

They record Pudsey's involvement in global events and the part our local people played in them. Every name carved in stone, written in ink or carefully inscribed into a Roll of Honour represents a real person and, behind them, a family and community affected by war.

They are, in many ways, Pudsey's link to world history.

What exactly is a War Memorial?

A war memorial is a monument or object created to remember those who served or died in war.

That can mean something as imposing as Pudsey Cenotaph, but memorials can also be plaques, stained-glass windows, books, gates, halls and other objects created specifically as acts of remembrance.

After the First World War, communities across Britain created memorials of their own. The conflict had reached into almost every corner of society, and people were determined that the service and sacrifice of their generation should not be forgotten.

And what is a Roll of Honour?

This is an important distinction we'll encounter throughout this series.

A memorial to the fallen generally records those who died, while a Roll of Honour can record everyone who served and survived as well as those who didn't return.


Some Pudsey memorials actually do both.

That makes Rolls of Honour particularly valuable historical records. Depending on how they were compiled, they can contain names, regiments, service numbers and sometimes addresses or occupations.

Put that information alongside military records, newspapers, census returns and family history and suddenly a name becomes a person again.

We can discover where they lived, what they did before the war, where they served and, sometimes, what became of them afterwards.

That is what this series is really about.

Not simply finding Pudsey's memorials, but finding the people behind the names.

And our story begins with perhaps the greatest collection of those names of all.

Next: Part 2 – The Pudsey Roll of Honour: the remarkable book recording a town that went to war.

🌺 Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day 2026 | Pudsey & Farsley

Remembrance is an opportunity for our whole community to come together, regardless of age or background, to reflect, pay our respects and ensure that the sacrifices made by previous generations are never forgotten.
For more details of this year's services and more information on our
fallen please visit:



We will remember them. 🌺

Special thanks and remembrance must go to the late, lovely Margaret Ford
of Pudsey & District Civic Society, whose patient and painstaking work transcribing our local war memorials has left an invaluable historical record. Her dedication helped preserve the names of those who served and sacrificed, ensuring their stories could continue to be researched and told by future generations.

Enjoyed the blog? Found a connected story you need to tell us about?
Please leave some feedback in the comments. Wait – there’s more! Follow for future blogs on a wide range of local interest topics.

All views my own unless specifically quoted, or clearly promoted on behalf of an organisation, group or individual. To avoid stepping on copyright toes I generate and edit my own images, credit given where others work is used.
©damosblogspot 2026

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