At first glance, Gerald Kirk appears to be from a lost world of privilege and position. Son of a wealthy land-owning family, public school educated and a ‘gentleman’ amateur footballer. However, scratch the surface and you’ll find a man held in genuine esteem in his community and one who worked his way through the ranks to gain a commission during the Great War.

Born Headingley, Leeds, July 14th 1883, son of Alfred and Isabella of Greenwood Leghe, Ingleton, North Yorkshire. From 1895 he attended, as a boarder, Pocklington Grammar School, East Yorkshire, where he played for the second XI at both football and cricket. Gerald appeared at centre forward and inside left. He left the school in December 1900.

Gerald’s family owned a great deal of property and land in the Ingleton area, presumably after leaving school Gerald helped to manage the estate. In the 1901 census, the family are classed as ‘living on their own means’.

A keen sportsman, Gerald captained Ingleton Football Club. In April1903 they won the Lancaster and District League Championship, the whole village wildly celebrated as the team returned home to a heroes welcome. The following season they were beaten finalists in the Lancaster Senior Cup.

This photograph of Ingleton’s championship winning football team of 1903 hung for many years in the Three Horse Shoes which was the headquarters of the club. The team were: W. Howson, W. Fisher, E. Tomlinson. Middle: J. Walker, Dr. J. Mackenzie, A. Howson, J. Chapman, W. Slinger, J. H. Cragg, E. A. Howson. Front: J. Worthington, W. Atkinson, G. Kirk, L. C. Marquand, T. Walker.

The Craven Herald - Friday May 1st 1903:

'LANCASTER AND DISTRICT FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP - Ingleton beat the Freehold Athletic at Morecambe on Saturday by 2 goals to 1 in the Lancaster and District League Championship and great was the jubilation thereat. As the train steamed into the station with the footballers their aproach was heralded by the report of fog signals. A crowd gathered and gave them a hearty welcome. The brass band escorted them to the headquarters, the Three Horse Shoes Inn, where congratulatory speeches were given. In the game on Saturday both sides played with determination, and although Ingleton played a winning game all through the match, it was not until a few minutes before time was called that the winning goal was notched. Both teams have had a good season, and is fitting that one should secure the Infirmary cup, and the other the championship of the Lancaster and District League.'

Gerald joined Bradford City after impressing as a trialist in a friendly against Dundee on 25th April 1905 and again in a friendly against Blackburn Rovers. He made his first team debut on 28th October 1905, when City defeated Blackpool 2-1 in a Second Division game at Valley Parade. He established himself at centre-half and was a virtual ever-present thereafter.

However, Gerald was transferred to Leeds City in December 1906. At Elland Road he only played seven games – scoring one goal – before returning to Valley Parade in September 1907. Back at Bradford City he was mainly a reserve, playing a mere three games during the 1907/08 season. City’s promotion to the top flight of English football brought about fairly widespread changes in personnel and Gerald was one of many who left Valley Parade during the summer of 1908. In all, Gerald had played 43 games for City, scoring twice.

Although Gerald was only approaching his 26th birthday, he turned his back on ‘professional’ football and returned to his old club Ingleton. Off the field of play Gerald was instrumental in forming Ingleton Conservative Club and was its first Honourable Secretary. Clearly an active citizen, he was also on the board of the Ingleton National School. In line with his social standing he regularly hunted with the Vale of Lune Harriers. He married Sarah Jane Capstick at Holy Trinity Church, Casterton, Westmorland on 21 April 1909. They set up home at Hazel Mount, Warton near Carnforth.

At the outbreak of the Great War the 1/5th battalion King’s Own Lancaster Regiment moblised. The battalion was a territorial unit and it was found that 200 soldiers were unfit for service. The local paper, the Lancaster Observer, appealed for volunteers to fill the gaps in the ranks. On 1 September 1914 Gerald Kirk joined up and became one of what the paper called the ‘Gallant 200’. On his enlistment form Gerald gave his occupation as a ‘gentleman’.

Despite his undoubted social status, Gerald initially served as a Private (service number 2132), but was quickly marked out for promotion. He was duly promoted to Lance Corporal on 31 October. Gerald’s Battalion were initially involved in Home Defence duties around Lancaster and Barrow. From 14 August 1914 the battalion was used to guard the Great Western Railway line between Didcot and Oxford. In November they left Didcot for Sevenoaks in Kent, where they combined with other troops from the Territorial West Lancashire Division. During that time Gerald was offered a commission and eventually attained the rank of Second Lieutenant on 31 January 1915. In February 1915 they sailed for France and by the 17th first elements of the battalion began disembarking at Le Havre. They were one of the first Territorial units to be sent overseas.

On 2 March they were at Bailleul, prior to gaining their first experience of trench warfare at Neuve Eglise. They were relived on 23 March by the 1st Monmouthshire’s and slowly marched away from the tumult of the front line for a period of well-earned rest in billets. All too soon, they moved to the infamous Ypres Salient and on 12 April the battalion were in the front line trenches at Polygon Wood. In just five days they lost 14 killed and 44 wounded. The badly battered battalion moved to St Jean and dug in as Ypres suffered from yet another spell of heavy shelling.

On the afternoon of 22 April 1915, the German’s launched the first gas attack in the history of warfare, at nearby St Julien. It descended on a portion of front held by French Colonial troops. Terrified by the strange yellow cloud enveloping them, the ‘Zouaves’ retreated in disarray. Gerald’s battalion watched as the retching and green-faced troops passed through their ranks. A Canadian Division somehow plugged the gap and – though heavily outnumbered – checked the ensuing German advance.

The following day Gerald’s platoon was ordered to support the Canadians, as part of a hastily assembled counter attack. At 1pm they moved forward towards Pilkem and once again dug in. The attack commenced at 3.45pm and at 5pm Gerald’s battalion, acting as reserve, joined the fray. With ‘C’ company leading they immediately came under heavy machine gun and rifle fire from three sides. Suffering numerous casualties they pulled back a couple of hundred yards. With no artillery support their position was almost hopeless. The Colonel in charge witnessed soldiers trying to find cover wherever they could, some hid behind a pile of manure, but the bullets cut through and they were all killed. The Colonel made his way to Brigade HQ but was simply told to ‘hold his position’. When he returned he found that ‘Kirk is seriously wounded’.

The desperate assault blunted the German attack, but at great cost. Over half the troops involved were killed. The battalion alone lost 26 killed, 102 wounded and 1 gassed. Gerald, leading his platoon forward at Wieltje, was shot through the chest. Badly wounded, he was taken to Poperinghe behind the lines. He died the next day - 24 April 1915 - at Number 3 Casualty Clearing Station, Poperinghe. Gerald is buried at Poperinghe Old Military Cemetery - plot 2, row K, grave 28.

The news was met with great shock and sadness back in Ingleton. Gerald was the first, but sadly not the last, villager to die in the conflict. The flag on St Mary’s Church flew at half-mast and many a prayer must have been said as Gerald’s three brothers were also serving King and Country. On 9 March 1916 his wife Sarah erected a tablet to his memory in St Mary’s Church. The Vicar - Rev. J Llewellyn - unveiled the tablet. Not many villagers attended as his widow wanted a small family ceremony and therefore there was little or no prior notice given. The plaque reads:

‘In loving memory of Gerald Kirk, 2nd Lieut. 5th Battalion, King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, son of Alfred and Isabella Kirk of Geenwood Leghe, Ingleton. Born July 14th 1883, died at Poperinghe, Belgium, April 24th 1915, of wounds received at St. Julian the previous day. This tablet is erected by his wife.’

On 20 November 1920 the village of Ingleton dedicated its war memorial. The intricately carved Runic cross stands outside St Mary’s Church. Gerald Kirk’s name appears among the 41 men of this small community who gave their lives in the Great War. In the same year Gerald’s wife received a £5 War Gratuity and later a War Widows pension of £100 per year. By this time she had left the marital home and was residing at 9 Thorny Hills, Kendal. Gerald is also commemorated at Pocklington Grammar School, on an ornate memorial erected during the 1920s in the school library. In 1955 the school dedicated its new sports pavilion to its former pupils who fell in both World Wars, Gerald’s name also appears on a memorial plaque in the pavilion.

Today, the site of his family home is a caravan park on the outskirts of Ingleton. The house was demolished in the 1980s after years of neglect. The estate was sold off bit by bit and the only trace of this once powerful family is a scattering of graves in the churchyard and Gerald’s brass plaque inside St Mary’s Church.

Plaque in St. Mary's Church

Ingleton War Memorial in front of the church

Further reading: ‘The Ingleton War Memorial’ by Andrew Brooks.

Gerald Kirk’s story was pieced together using information from several sources, our thanks to: Chris Ambler; Andrew Brooks; G Brown; Peter Donnelly, The King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regimental Museum; Gayle Rouncivell, Lancaster Guardian; David Smith, Pocklington Grammar School.

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