VILLAGERS are on the hunt for photographs of four soldiers who died in World War Two to join the seven images they have of local servicemen who were killed in World War One.

Lothersdale people want to honour the 11 men with their photographs and details of their service on the village war memorial.

Stephen Cohen, who is helping spearhead the campaign, said: “We’ve been successful in finding a great deal of information about the World War One soldiers - where they lived and worked before joining up and where they fought and are buried or commemorated.

“But information about the four World War Two soldiers is proving more difficult to obtain. We have their names and their regiments but do not have any photographs.”

The idea to honour the 11 men in a new display around the memorial came when photographic portraits of the seven World War One soldiers was discovered recently in a former mill in the village.

“It led a group of us to think there should be a more personal memorial created which provided greater detail than the simple names carved on the stone obelisk,” said Mr Cohen.

“When the memorial was originally created in 1922, most villagers would have known the men who enlisted and went to fight. Now that the years have passed, those memories have almost vanished.”

Anyone who can help locate photographs of the World War Two soldiers are asked to telephone Mr Cohen on 01535 630135.

THE seven World War One servicemen are:

Stephen Bell, a Lance Corporal in the Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment, who enlisted in December 1914. He died in France aged 20 in July 1917 when an aerial torpedo burst over his head. He was from Rook Street and is buried in the Pas de Calais in France.

Francis John Kay was a private in the same regiment. Before joining up he was a stone-breaker in the Raygill Quarry, a member of the Bethel Chapel Choir and a keen sportsman. He lived at Whitting Hall Farm in the High Fold. He was reported to have been killed in action in April, 1918, but a letter from a comrade said he had been electrocuted accidentally while laying cables. He is buried in Belgium. He was 25.

William Robert Smith and his friend Alvin Smith joined up together in the same regiment on January 29, 1916. In July, William died at the Battle of the Somme. He was the first soldier from Lothersdale to be killed in action. His body was never found and he is commemorated by name at the Thiepval Memorial in France, along with more than 72,000 others who have no known grave. He was 21.

Alvin was aged 20, and lived at Burlington Farm. He died nine weeks after William during a successful attack on the German trenches. His name is also on the memorial. His family believe he was killed by British mortars which fell short of the German lines and exploded a store of hand-grenades in his trench.

Thomas Whitney Smith lived at Rose Cottage and was a bright and cheerful lad, a keen chapel member and a good athlete. He enlisted in the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment shortly after the war began. In June, 1916 he was slightly wounded in the jaw. On April 16, 1918, he was badly wounded during heavy fighting on the Western Front and died the next day. He is buried in Haringhe Military Cemetery in Belgium. He was 24.

Alec Wilson was a Captain in the Herefordshire regiment and son of mill-owner Fred and Hannah Wilson of The Willows on Quarry Road. He was killed in action at Gaza in Egypt on March 26, 1917, aged 21. He is commemorated at a memorial in Jerusalem along with 3,314 other casualties who have no graves.

William Smith, was a Private in the Bedfordshire Regiment. He was born in Lothersdale in 1899 to Jonathan and Henrietta Smith and lived in Gas Street (now renamed as Garden Terrace) and then Kirk Sykes Farm on White Hill Lane. He was reported wounded during the March 1918 offensive on the Somme and assumed killed in action on 30 March 1918. He is commemorated on the Pozières Memorial in France.

THE World War Two soldiers:

Herbert Todd was an Aircraftsman (1st class) in the RAF Volunteer Reserve. His parents, Leslie and Mary Todd, lived in the village. He died on March 12, 1941 aged 20 and is buried at Bethel Methodist Chapel opposite this memorial.

Clarence Todd was Herbert’s older cousin and a Private in the 16th battalion, The Durham Light Infantry, son of Charles and Elizabeth Ann Todd of Leeds. He died in North Africa January 26, 1943 and is buried in the Tabarka Ras Rajel War Cemetery, Tunisia. He was 30 years old.

Denis Hudson Walker was a Leading Aircraftsman in the RAF Volunteer Reserve. As a child, he lived on Peel Terrace. His wife was Catherine Walker of Cross Hills and his parents were William and Elsie Walker. He died on July 28, 1943 at the age of 22. He is buried in Kolkata, India, where his gravestone says: “He lived for those he loved”.

Cecil George Phillips was a Signalman in the Royal Corps of Signals. The son of Charles and Mary Phillips of Cross Hills, he lived at the bottom of Calfe Wood Lane. He died November 10 1940. He is buried in Cross Hills Methodist Chapel yard, but there is no visible gravestone.