Walter Davidson was born. 3 March 1924, in Shipley to widow Sarah Annie (nee Jarvis), with father unknown.His mother married Walter Leek in 1930.

In the 1939 Register, Walter was living with his mother and stepfather at 2 Caroline Street, Saltaire.

Walter served in WW2.

From before 1951 to after 1956, Walter lived with his brother, John Morrow Davidson, at 4 Shirley Street, Saltaire.

Walter died, 2 August 2001. He was buried/cremated in Nab Wood Cemetery, Shipley, with his brother John, and sister Edith. John had died, 17 June 1978, aged 67 at 4 Shirley Street; Edith died, 9 August 1980, aged 64, also at 4 Shirley Street.

 

Roy Dearden was the son of Joseph Henry Dearden. Joseph was born 18 May 1887 in Baildon. In 1911 working as a scourer he married Nellie Clarke,

Roy was born 19 December 1912. He was a joiner’s apprentice living with his parents at 11 Edward Street when he married Annie Thackray 4 February 1933 at Bethel Chapel in Shipley. Roy was a lifelong member of chapel. The couple had daughters Sheila, Wendy & Kathleen. From before 1936 they lived at 26 Herbert Street in Saltaire.

Working as a joiner for W Stephenson & Son, Ostler Road Shipley, Roy joined the Army and served as a trooper in the Royal Engineers in WW2.

Having survived the war, Roy and his family moved to 41 Norwood Terrace around 1948. Then by 1959 they were living 14 Midland Road in Baildon. The advert below is from the Shipley Times 18 March 1959

Roy was a member of the Saltaire Cricket Club and of the Airedale Harriers.

Roy died in 1975.

 

Ronald Dickinson was born 30 January 1913 at 16 Rigton Street in Bradford to Jane Tankard Rochfort & John William Dickinson.

In the 1921 Census, Ronald and his mother were living at 16 Rigton Street, with Jane’s twice widowed mother, Emily Rotheray. Jane was working as a burler & mender for E.H. Gates & Co., at Brick Lane Mills, Thornton Road, Bradford.

Jane died 12 February 1935 at 16 Rigton Street. She was laid to rest in Undercliffe Cemetery, Bradford. By 1936 Ronald was working at Saltaire Mills.

Living at 66 Barrett Street, Shipley, Ronald married Amy Llewellyn, 1 October 1938, at Saltaire Wesleyan Chapel. Amy was born 12 December 1907 in Millom, Cumberland.

Image: Ronald Dickinson (left, who married Amy Llewellyn) with his brother-in-law, Ellis King (who married Esther Llewellyn).

Ronald and Amy had two children: Dinah born in 1942 and John in 1947. They initially lived in Wilmer Road, Shipley. When Amy’s mother, Esther, died in 1947, Amy inherited her house at 15 Titus Street, Saltaire, where she and Ronald would live the rest of their lives. Previous to that they were at 26 George Street, Saltaire. Amy had met Ronald at the St John Ambulance Division Shipley. Later Ronald would be the Superintendent of the Saltaire Division. After the war Ronald briefly worked as a male nurse at St Luke’s Hospital in Bradford, he was a volunteer fireman at Shipley and a special constable. Later he worked at Keighley Lifts, where he was a first aider, a role he continued until his death.

Ronald served his county in WW2.

The following has been kindly written by Ronald’s son, John Dickinson: -

After Mum and Dad’s marriage, they lived with Grandma Esther – Mum had been living at 15, Titus Street, Saltaire before the marriage. On the 7 th October 1939, after the outbreak of WW2 on 1 September there was a register taken of the UK population and this listed Mum and her mum, Esther Llewellyn, at 15, Titus Street - Dad had already been “called up” prior to this register.

In keeping with a history of high aspirations for Dad by his mother he had joined the “Senior Service”, i.e., the Royal Navy. With his First Aid qualifications from St John, his rank was Sick Berth Attendant which continued throughout the war.

He served between 11 September 1939 and 22 January 1946, but this period was split between two distinct forms of that service. His first appointment was to the ship RMS Aurania, a Cunard cruise liner which had been requisitioned by the Royal Navy on 30 August 1939. Its duty was to act as part of the escort of convoys in the North Atlantic.

Initially she was assigned to the Northern Patrol followed by the Bermuda and Halifax (Nova Scotia) Escort Force and then, the North Atlantic Escort Force. Dad’s appointment on the Aurania ended on 24 April 1942.

As I recall from him, one, or more, of these assignments meant passing close to Iceland. This period of Dad’s duty included several hair-raising incidents.

During July 1941, his ship was escorting a convoy bound for Reykjavik (presumably on to the UK) when it ran into ice fields during thick fog. On 14 July it emerged from a fog bank to see a large iceberg ahead. Despite evasive action the Aurania struck the iceberg bows on – a bit reminiscent of the Titanic!

The rest of the convoy was forced to continue whilst the Aurania slowly made its way back to Halifax, Nova Scotia. From there it moved to Newport News, near Richmond, Virginia in the USA, for repairs, which were completed on 12 September.

The ship then returned to Bedford Basin at Halifax by late September. Bedford Basin is a huge inland lake not far from the sea (actually the Atlantic Ocean) but inland with Halifax to the west and Dartmouth to the east.

I recall a story of Dad sending a letter to Mum, sometime during this period, where he wrote something like “…. I’m where your uncle lives ….”, this because of censorship. The uncle in question was her uncle Fred Llewellyn who lived in Halifax, Yorkshire!

On 13 October, the ship left Halifax, bound for the Clyde, with another convoy. On 21 October she was struck by two torpedoes and immediately listed to port. The captain righted the ship and increased speed. Despite heavy damage it was decided that it would be able to reach the Clyde, and it sailed, with the help of aircraft reconnaissance, to the Isles of Bute, arriving on the 23 October 1941.

Dad told us that there were temporary repairs made to ensure the voyage to the Clyde using, what he described as, venetian type blinds under the ship to cover the holes. It all sounds rather bizarre and a bit “Fred Karno”.

A keepsake of this event is a piece of twisted steel (shrapnel) in one of the family tins. As the ship was hit, he was dashing up a companionway (ladder), but he never got to the top, he was hit by the shrapnel which knocked him back down the steps.

Ian King (cousin) told me that there was someone in the family (not sure who) who heard, on a German radio late night broadcast, that it was claimed that the Aurania had been sunk. Fearing the worst, the family decided not to tell Mum until this had been officially confirmed. Imagine the dropped jaws when dad turned up in Saltaire, some days later, casually walking down the street. 

Between November 1941 and March 1942, the ship served with Plymouth Command. The Royal Navy then purchased the ship, which was then withdrawn from duty for refurbishment, and returned to service, as HMS Artifex, a Heavy Repair ship. This withdrawal, and a brief service on HMS Pembroke marked the end of Dad’s sea-based service and he was transferred to HMS Ganges on 24 June 1942.

HMS Ganges was a land based Royal Navy base at Shotley, near Ipswich, in Suffolk which served as a naval training centre and medical base. His role was to tend and escort injured sailors to HMS Ganges for medical treatment. This duty involved travel to far reaching locations in the UK including Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands.

On 26 January 1946, Dad was demobilised complete with the goodies given to all servicemen – new suit, packets of fags, etc. He also got an incredibly good write up from the Royal Navy as a very commendable person.
[Written by John Dickinson]

Ronald died 9 January, 1971, at St Luke’s Hospital, Bradford. Amy remained at 15 Titus Street until she died 5 November, 1985, at St. Lukes Hospital.

 

Arthur Dovener was the son of George Willie Dovener. George was born 4 May 1884 in Middlesbrough. George married Edith Annie Thompson 9 May 1906 at Saltaire Congregational Church. They had two children. In 1911 they were living at 3 Melbourne Street, Shipley, where George worked as a plumber. He was a member of the Saltaire Angling Club. From 1912 to 1934 they lived at 6 Queen Street, Shipley. From 1935 they lived at 59 Albert Road, Saltaire,

Arthur, who had an older sister, was born 19 November 1919. He served his country in WW2.

Report from the Shipley Times 27 January 1943: -
Sapper Arthur Dovener, only son Mr. and Mrs. G.W. Dovener, 59 Albert Road, Saltaire, has served in the Royal Engineers three years. He served in France, then in the Shetlands and is now in the Middle East. Before Joining the Army he was an apprentice plumber with Messrs. W. Toothill and Son, Bradford. He was an enthusiastic badminton player and also holds the bronze medallion for swimming.

Having survived the war, Arthur married Edith M. Clayton in 1950. Edith died in 2006. Arthur died in 2012 in Skipton.

Dowgill, Arthur Reginald
6 July 1924 – 1985

Arthur Reginald Dowgill was the son of Harry Dowgill. Harry was born 2 August 1879 in Calverley. He married Helena Parker in 1908 in Hunslet. They had seven children. In 1911 they were living in Idle with Harry working as an iron moulder.

Arthur, their youngest child, was born 6 July 1924. He married Miriam Lee in 1943. They lived with Miriam’s family at 47 Albert Road, Saltaire. Arthur served his country in WW2. Miriam and Arthur had two children – Elaine born in 1949 and Richard in 1954. By 1953 they were living at 52 Glenside Road, Shipley; in 1954 at 12 Edward Street, Saltaire, and in 1955, at 33 Titus Street, Saltaire.

Arthur died in 1985.

 

Harold Robinson Doyle was the son of Thomas Francis & Ada Doyle.

Harold, the youngest of eight children, was born 1900 in Bradford. In 1901 the family were living in Horton. Ada died in 1903. Widower, Thomas Francis, married Ellen Priest, 22 December 1904, at Gomersal Parish Church.

By 1911 they were living at 30 George Street in Saltaire. Thomas Francis worked as a worsted spinning overlooker and he served as a councillor on Shipley Council. The family lived at 30 George Street throughout WW1.

Harold survived the WW1 having served with the Leicestershire Regiment. In the 1921 Census he was a Private with 2nd Battalion Highland Light Infantry in Palestine. After he was discharged, he lived at 15 Hirstwood Crescent in Shipley. Harold also served in WW2 as a Lance Corporal. He was awarded the D.C.M.

Harold married Lily Greenwood on 5 February 1944.

Report in the Shipley Times 9 February: -

At the Frizinghall Parish Church, on Saturday (5 February), the Vicar (the Rev. J. R. M. Johnstone) officiated at a wedding between L/Cpl. Harold R. Doyle. D.C.M., of 46, St. Paul's Road, Shipley, son of the late Mr. T. F. Doyle, the well-known Shipley Councillor, and Miss Lily Greenwood, daughter of Mr, J. Greenwood, Clare Street, Frizinghall. The bride was given away by her father, and wore a two-piece Royal blue dress, and carried a spray of carnations. The bridesmaids were Miss F. Greenwood, Miss E. Kenny and Miss R. M. Seevers. Miss Greenwood wore a dress of dusky pink and Miss Kenny and Miss Seevers wore dresses of Air Force blue, and carried Victorian posies of white chrysanthemums.

The best man was Mr. Harold Kenny, and the groomsman was Mr. Arthur Doyle. (brother of the groom)

A reception was held at the Schoolroom, and 30 persons sat down to tea. The relatives and friends who attended were Mr. and Mrs. H. Kenny. Mrs. H. Baker, of Shoreham, Sussex (sister of the bridegroom), Mrs. Arthur Doyle, Mrs. N. Stead. Mrs. W. Bell.

Lily & Harold lived at 8 Clare Street, Frizinghall. Harold died in 1969.

Harold had three brothers who also served their country and fought in the WW1; Arthur, Thomas Henry and Albert Richard.

 

Kenneth Percy Doyle was the son of Arthur Doyle. Arthur was born 8 May 1894 in Bradford. He married Alice Lancaster in 1920.

Kenneth was born 5 October 1923 in Shipley.

He lived with his family in numerous houses: -

1923 to 1926 – 15 Hirstwood Crescent, Shipley
1927 – 18 Albert Road, Shipley
1928 to 1929 – 54 Titus Street, Saltaire
1930 to 1933 – 55 Albert Road, Saltaire
1934 – 57 Hirst Wood Road, Shipley
1935 to 1948 – 45 St. Paul’s Road, Shipley
1949 – 7 Rockcliffe Avenue, Baildon

In the 1939 Register his father was working as a manufacturer’s clerk and Kenneth as an apprentice printer.

Kenneth attended Saltaire Congregational Sunday school. He played football for Windhill Crag Road and cricket for Salts (Saltaire) Club. He served in the R.A.F. in WW2.

Kenneth married Annie Moylan in 1949. They lived at 29 Rhodes Street, Shipley. By 1955 they had moved to 47 Thornacre Road, Shipley, they then moved to No. 50 around 1958.

Kenneth died in 2002. He had a brother, Thomas Francis Doyle, who also served in the R.A.F. in WW2.

 

Thomas Francis Doyle was the son of Arthur Doyle. Arthur was born 8 May 1894 in Bradford. He married Alice Lancaster in 1920.

Thomas was born in 1921 in Saltaire.

He lived with his family in numerous houses: -

1921 to 1922 – 21 Amelia Street, Saltaire
1923 to 1926 – 15 Hirstwood Crescent, Shipley
1927 – 18 Albert Road, Shipley
1928 to 1929 – 54 Titus Street, Saltaire
1930 to 1933 – 55 Albert Road, Saltaire
1934 – 57 Hirst Wood Road, Shipley
1935 to 1948 – 45 St. Paul’s Road, Shipley

Thomas played football for Shipley Albion Football Club. He was a keen cyclist and was a member of Bradford Pennine Club. He served as a Leading Aircraftman in the R.A.F. in WW2. In 1942 he was stationed in Egypt.

He had a brother, Kenneth Percy Doyle , who also served in the R.A.F. in WW2.