SERGEANT 65137 EDGAR EARNSHAW, 1st BATTALION NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS. DIED (INFLUENZA) 27th FEBRUARY 1919 AGED 25.


SERGEANT 65137 EDGAR EARNSHAW, 1st BATTALION NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS. DIED (INFLUENZA) 27th FEBRUARY 1919 AGED 25.


Edgar Earnshaw was born in West Ardsley, near Wakefield, on 31st October 1893, but moved to Ilkley at the age of 5 to live 31 Middleton Road when his father became the organist and choirmaster at Christchurch on The Grove. His parents John and Annice had 7 children in total but 6 of them had died in infancy leaving Edgar the sole survivor.


A pupil at Ilkley Grammar School where he represented the school at cricket, Edgar was also a musical prodigy. An accomplished violinist, pianist and organist he also had a noted singing voice. During his childhood he won numerous competitions and awards across the north of England for his musical abilities and as an adult would give recitals, especially on the piano, often attended by hundreds of people. After completing his education he remained living with his parents and took a post as a bank clerk at the Yorkshire Penny Bank on Brook Street in Ilkley.

In January 1916 Edgar enlisted into the Northumberland Fusiliers and during training was much in demand to entertain the troops with his piano skills. He rapidly became proficient with the rifle to such an extent he was promoted to sergeant and became a musketry instructor.

Edgar remained in Britain until March 30th 1918 when he was posted to France, probably as a reinforcement after the dreadful casualties experienced during the German Spring Offensive. Joining the 1st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers he was placed in charge of one of the machine gun sections. A shrapnel wound to the temple in August of that year took him out of the front line and back to hospital. In a letter home he related the incident, although, he played down the seriousness of the wound itself. On Armistice day he was still convalescing in hospital but before Christmas returned to his battalion as they moved into Germany as part of the occupying army in the Rhineland.

Given home leave in February 1919 Edgar arrived back in Ilkley on 20th of the month but was now suffering from influenza. Within days his health deteriorated and influenza turned into bronchial-pneumonia from which he died 7 days later.

His funeral took place at Christchurch where he and his parents had worshiped and was buried in Ilkley cemetery. He is also remembered with pride on the town’s war memorial.

Photograph courtesy James Cooper and is from Christchurch Roll of Honour








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