World War Two veteran Derek Whitwam lives in New Zealand but would be thrilled to share this photograph with other descendants of these three Huddersfield soldiers.

The studio photo of the three local Huddersfield lads in army uniform was taken in Aldershot in 1914.One of the men is Derek’s uncle, George Walshaw, who lived at 271 Leeds Road and was killed at the battle of Loos in October 1915. The battle involved six divisions and was a mighty offensive referred to at the time as The Big Push but it became bogged down as the British reserves were held too far back to exploit early gains.

Derek, 89, is not sure if the other two soldiers survived the war.

They were Sam Ridgeway and Willie Read and their names do not appear in Huddersfield’s Roll Of Honour 1914-1922 compiled by Margaret Stansfield which listed all 3,439 from Huddersfield killed in World War One.

Derek said: “They appear to be friends and may have lived in the Leeds Road area. If there are any descendants who would like a copy I would be most happy to supply one.”

He added: “George was the only brother of my mother and her five sisters. Prior to enlisting he worked for J W E Seaton Fartown Confectionary Works located in Flint Street. I have his recipe book so if anyone wants to make a couple of hundredweight of treacle dabs I’m the man!

“He and 79 others killed in World War One were commemorated on two honours boards in St Andrew’s Church on Leeds Road . Unfortunately these have apparently disappeared, probably vandalised.”

Derek was born in Mill Hill Maternity Hospital in 1925, attended St John’s in Hillhouse and Huddersfield College but left in 1939 when his father was appointed weaving manager for a branch of John Crowther’s Ltd, Milnsbridge, in Workington, Cumberland.

He recalls: “We were the first tenants at 25 Town Crescent as it was near to where my father worked at Ralph Woods just over the bridge from the old Town ground. I was a scorer for Bradley Mills cricket club “A” team for a while, aged 11 or 12, and I was paid 1 penny per player plus one from the club ie 1 shilling. I also scored several times for the annual Town v Fartown cricket match which was played at Bradley Mills .

Derek joined the Royal Navy in May 1943 and served on HMS Berwick on several Russian Convoys and then on a minesweeper, HMS Circe, in the Mediterranean. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1949 and is Vice President and life member of the Russian Convoy Club of New Zealand and editor of its website www.russianconvoyclub.org.nz .

Derek said: “As HMS Berwick was a heavy cruiser we were mainly used as a covering force in case Tirpitz was sent forth to create havoc with the slow-moving merchant ships in the convoy . Luckily this didn’t happen. The one convoy we did escort to Russia, together with an escort carrier and several destroyers, consisted of two fast liners RMS Empress of Australia and SS Scythia which, between them, carried over 10,000 Russians who had been captured in France working for or as forced labour for the Germans.

“At the same time we had taken on board in Rosyth a battalion of Norwegian mountain troops who were to fight with the Russians through Finland to ensure the sovereignty of Norway . We landed them in Murmansk .

“Prior to this we escorted RMS Queen Mary which had Prime Minister Winston Churchill on board as well as many American wounded, to Halifax , Nova Scotia. He was to attend the Quebec Conference. The reverse journey was to Greenock at the same speed , 35.5 knots. Later, shortly after VE day, we took over the port of Trondheim from the Germans.”

Derek has been married to Rita for 60 years and they have two sons.

He was weaving manager for the Wellington Woollen Manufacturing Company until it closed and retired as Woolmark Manager for the New Zealand Wool Board.

His eldest son, David, is executive director for Mace Consulting Ltd in Hong Kong and is also the Chairman of the NZ-HK Chamber of Commerce. He is married to Caroline who works for the Hong Kong Tourism Board. Youngest son Peter is a cabinet maker.

Contact Derek at derekw@paradise.net.nz.