Harrogate Herald - 3rd January 1917

W H Breare letter

Yesterday (Saturday) Sergeant J A Atkinson, who you will remember won the DCM, looked in on me at my office. He is of the Machine Gun Corps, and the son of Alfred Atkinson, Corporation Baths Engineer. You will be sorry to learn that the father has been ill for a fortnight. He has had a slight stroke, from which, however, he is recovering. Sergeant Atkinson has been out for two years next April. I found him very well and quite cheerful. He had seen John Waddington, son of Mrs Waddington, Craven Street, and Deaden, whose nickname (and you know they all have such in the Army) is "Bodger". He worked for W B Atkinson, engineer, Tower Street. He has also seen Ben Archer, who got those socks he wanted all right. Atkinson's unit is that which contains so many Harrogate boys. My visitor has been well throughout, except for an attack of tonsillitis. he was to report in London Tuesday, that was the 2nd of January.

Harrogate Herald - 4th April 1917

Driver H Aubin, who is with the Salonica Field Forces, writes : I am going on all right. I have received the Harrogate Herald and like to hear about the old town and the boys. I see that a lot of the Harrogate boys are winning honours. I have passed the Harrogate Herald on to Private Read, who is in the Royal Army Medical Corps. We are still keeping Johnny Bulgar busy. I saw by the paper that Sergeant Atkinson, whom I know quite well, is joining the Tanks. He will have a chum in Raworth. I know a lot of Harrogate lads out here, but I have not dropped across any of them yet. You remember that Harrogate lad whose name I did not know. I found out that they call him F Purchase. The way I did so was by seeing his photo in the Harrogate Herald. I see you are having plenty of frost, and I bet the boys are having plenty of skating and sledging.

Harrogate Herald - 5th December 1917

W H Breare letter

Second Lieutenant G V Dalby is the son of Company Sergeant Major Dalby, of the West Yorks, who was 11 years sergeant-instructor of the old Volunteers and Territorials at Harrogate, now seen 30 years' service. The son was district scoutmaster and went to Canada with General Baden-Powell in 1910. joined the Lovat Scouts Yeomanry, and was promoted Trumpet-Major the day after he joined. In January last was commissioned to the Tanks, and was in the great tank advance near Cambrai. Now home on 14 days' leave. Second Lieutenant Walter Ogden, son of Mr J R Ogden, is also in the same Corps, and commanded the Tank named "Harrogate". You boys will be proud to know that one of these monsters is names after our town. The first action in which Dalby took part his crew NCO was Sergeant Atkinson, DCM, of Swan Road. On one occasion Dalby walked into a strange Officers' Mess and on the table saw the "Harrogate Herald". The man to whom it was addressed was Private Newton, Granville Terrace, father of one of Dalby's old boy scouts. I may tell you chaps that the tank "Harrogate" came safely out of that great action. Dalby saw it on its return. By the way, the tank was so named at the request of the Colonel because Ogden came from Harrogate. On returning a few days after the action Dalby saw German guns which had been captured by 6 Platoon, B Company, 1st West Yorks.