Harrogate Herald - 28th March 1917
Roll of Honour
Private George Holgate, West Yorks, son of Mr E
Holgate, of 131 Cold Bath Road, Harrogate, is, we regret to say, a
prisoner of war at Dulmen, West Germany. Nothing has been heard of
Private Holgate for several weeks, and it was a relief the other day
to the family to learn that he was alive and well, although he had
had the misfortune to be taken a prisoner of war. In reply to
enquiries from his sister, Miss Holgate, Lieutenant Hanley
Hutchinson wrote : "In reply to your letter of 7th March, I
much regret that since my last note to you (enclosed to you with T
Ketson's), I have heard nothing of your brother. I still think that
he and Lance Corporal L Jewitt were taken prisoners; if so, they
will be with you again ere long, I hope. One dead body of another of
my men was found near, and, as no signs of your brother or his gun
were found, I am all the more convinced that he is alive. Enquiries
have been made, and will be made of course, with pleasure, and I am
only glad to think you have written to me. Anything I can do will be
done gladly. Your brother was an excellent fellow in every way, and
he is a great loss". Since that letter was received, Mr Holgate
got a card from his son from the Dulmen internment camp, saying he
was well. Private Holgate, who is 22 years of age, was in the employ
of Messrs Hudson Bros, ironmongers, Harrogate. He is a twin brother
of Private ? Holgate, who is with the ? Herts, and an elder brother
of Private S D Holgate, is also in the Army.
Harrogate Herald - 28th March 1917
W H Breare letter
If I wrote to you of "Lawrence" Jewitt,
you would not know to whom I was referring. Jewitt is generally
known by the name of "Pop" Jewitt. Private intimation came
to me that Pop was missing. As usual in these cases, Harrogate was
full of rumours about him. The stories that reached his mother and
father were very alarming and various. It even went about that he
was blown to pieces. After a period of suspense Jewitt's wife heard
from her husband, and this is what she received :
"Dulmen (Westf.),
February 22nd, 1917. I am a prisoner of war and stationed at Dulmen
(Westf.). My address is - Lance Corporal Lawrence Jewitt, 2627,
2/5th West Yorks, Gefangenenlager, Dulmen, Gruppe iii, Comp.
51". Mrs Jewitt had no information from our war authorities
until a few days after she received the postcard from her husband in
Germany. The War Office notice was that Jewitt was missing. It is a
very alarming word that "missing", isn't it? It gives so
much room for anxiety, and feelings are so constantly wrung by
misleading private reports. You will be glad to know that Jewitt is
alive. One of the last accounts received was that Jewitt had been in
a shell hole, which he had left to go within 50 yards of the enemy
to tale Lieutenant Smith, his officer, a cup of tea. After that
nothing was heard of him. Pop Jewitt is the son of Mr and Mrs
Jewitt, of 24 Mount Street, Oatlands Mount, Harrogate. They have
three other sons serving - Private Harold Jewitt, who is now in
hospital in Halifax; Gunner Walter Jewitt, RFA; and second air
mechanic George Jewitt, RFC.
Harrogate Herald - 4th July 1917
W H Breare letter
His Sergeant-Major announced Sergeant J W Abbott as a prisoner of
war. The military authorities returned him as wounded and missing on
the 3rd of May. He is a Beechwood Boy. Today (Tuesday) his mother,
Mrs J F Abbott, of 26 Spring Terrace, Oatlands Mount, Harrogate,
called with a letter from Abbott saying he was a prisoner in
Germany. Good news, you see! A letter from him appears in another
column. Pop Jewitt, another Oatlands boy, is in the next camp to
Abbott, and Sergeant Wharton is in the same as Abbott.
