RYEDALE Family History Group’s latest book in the War Memorial Series is ‘Bossall, Buttercrambe, Claxton, Sand Hutton and Howsham War Memorials’ which was researched and written by volunteer Martin Knight.

The book includes mini biographies of 30 men who are commemorated on the local five memorials for both World wars.

Peter Braithwaite, Project Manager said, “One of the most unusual Memorials we have come across doing this whole project is at Howsham where a former field roller has been set into a stone base and sited near to the Church at the side of the street, to commemorate John Midgley.”

The inscription reads ‘Great War 1914 – 1918 This stone is erected to commemorate the supreme sacrifice made by John Midgley and in grateful acknowledgement of service rendered by his companies’.

Peter added: “On a personal note I found a remarkable co-incidence. My wife’s maiden name was Spavin whose family came from the Sand Hutton area; one of the soldiers in the book was a Richard Braithwaite Spavan who served with the Canadian Field Artillery as he had emigrated there. Years ago the spelling of the surname was intermixed but as yet no family connection has been found.”