Saturday 5th September 1914



A recruitment meeting was held in Addingham. The men who volunteered at this meeting did not become part of Tunstill's Company; they instead joined 9th Battalion Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment. However, one of these volunteers, Willie Waggitt, was later (in January 1916) posted to 'A' Company, 10th Battalion (Tunstill's Men) after being wounded in August 1915; in doing so he re-joined many of his fellow Addingham men.

Willie Waggitt was the eldest son of the six children of John and Jane Ann Waggitt. The family was originally from Catterick but by 1911 was settled at Moorside Farm, Addingham. Willie worked alongside his father on the farm. His brother, John George Waggitt, had also worked as a labourer on local farms but on 14th March 1914 he had emigrated to Canada; leaving from Liverpool on board the SS Alsatian bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The meeting was reported in the West Yorkshire Pioneer:

ADDINGHAM - A LOCAL COMPANY FORMED - Enthusiastic Scenes

A very enthusiastic and largely attended open-air meeting was held on Saturday evening, presided over by Mr. A.V. Mason, C.C., for the purpose of asking for men willing and able to give their services for the safety and well-being of their country.  

Mr. Mason said:-"We are engaged in a life and death struggle with a strong and merciless foe. Thank God, we have a strong fleet, strong enough to protect our shores and keep open the source of our food supplies, but we need a larger army to crush the power of Germany. We want young men to join the Army, to fight for their country." Married men could be perfectly sure that their wives and families will be well looked after. Messrs. Lister and Co. had offered to keep open the place of any man who volunteered and take him back at the same wages. 

Captain Mercer**, who gave a splendid address, reminded them that our army was suffering loss, and men were wanted to take their places. He had served his country 48 years; therefore he was entitled to stand aside for younger men. Yet when his country needed him he was ready to say "Here am I, take me." If it had not been for our Navy where should we have been now? We should have been where the Belgians are to-day. If German troops were to land here what would they do? They would drive our women and children before them, just as they had done in Belgium. Savages would not treat their prisoners worse than the Germans had done. He believed all the German Army had been located except three corps, which he thought were in readiness to invade this country if by any chance the German Fleet were to be successful or we were to suffer any great damage through floating mines. He had every confidence in our Navy, although it had not been in battle for a great number of years. We wanted young men to rise as one man, to be ready to fight for their country's sake. It was the men of the country who alone can fight their country's battles. "Join the Army now and fight for your freedom" (applause). 

Mr. T.H. Humphrey, J.P., said 153 men had been sworn in and he hoped he would be busy that night and every night; he did not mind if he sat all night. 

Captain T.H.S. Tee** also spoke, exhorting the young men to join the Army and defend their country's honour. He announced that the company would be called the Ilkley and Addingham Company, and as far as possible the men would be placed where they wished. 

The Ilkley recruits sworn in marched to Addingham, accompanied by the Ilkley Brass Band, and all attended the meeting, after which hearty cheers were given as the men came up to join. Twenty-one recruits were sworn in on Saturday; several had been sworn in earlier at Ilkley and a few on Sunday and Monday. The following is a list of men from Addingham and Bolton Abbey who have gallantly joined the army:-

Addingham-Corporal Hy. Horsman, F. Burke, W. Hall, C. Moulding, H. Spencer, H. Leech [sic Leach], G. Thompson, J. Hargreaves, R. Townson, F. Hartley, A. Wade, H. Wade, G. Bailey, F. Chaplin, W.H. Young, J. Lister, J.W. Fisher, F. Fisher, W. Spenceley, W. Wroe, C. Fisher, H. Tunnicliffe, J. Kettlewell, W. Waggott [sic Waggitt]. 

Bolton Abbey-N. Nelson, C. Binns, J. Mitchell, G. Robinson, W. Nelson, E. Woolston, J.T. Roberts, A. Nelson.

 

Captains Mercer and Tee would both have a role to play in the recruitment of Tunstill's Company.

 

Stephen Minchin Mercer (aged 59) had been a career soldier, spending many years in the Indian Army. Following his retirement he had recently moved to Ilkley where he was also secretary of local branch of the National Service League, which had for many years been campaigning in favour of the idea of compulsory military service in order to strengthen Britain's armed forces. During the war he was attached to the Army Service Corps, with the rank of Major.

 

James Henry Stanley Tee (aged 37) was a veteran of the Boer War, during which he had served, among other postings, as Quartermaster Sergeant in the Commander in Chief's Bodyguard. After leaving the regular army he had served as a Captain in the Territorials (6th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment). Like Mercer, he too would serve with the Army Service Corps, rising to the rank of Acting Lieutenant Colonel.