He seems to be almost a child. This was Joe Sykes just before he joined up to go off to the First World War.
He never returned and met his death on the front line aged just 18 years and seven months.
The Slaithwaite youngster, decided to become a soldier even though his older brother, 20-year-old Tom, had been killed the year before.
Joe signed for King and country in February 1918 and left for France that July with his regiment, the 2/5th Bn West Yorkshire Regiment.
He lasted just two weeks before he died during a heavy bombardment.
His sergeant wrote to Joe’s parents at Sugden’s Buildings in Slaithwaite,stating: “He was killed instantly and suffered no pain. He died a soldier’s death, remaining at his post to the last during a heavy bombardment. During the time he was with the platoon he was a quiet and willing lad.”
Amazingly, Joe was just one of almost 3,439 from Huddersfield who died during the conflict.
But, thanks to 20 years of work by Elland historian Margaret Stansfield,they will be remembered forever.
For Margaret, who sadly died last year,had compiled amazingly detailed information about all Huddersfield’s fallen which will be published in a book by Huddersfield University next year.
And today we can reveal just a few of those deeply moving stories in this special First World War supplement to mark this year’s Armistice Day.
Our main picture shows British troops negotiating a trench as they go forward in support of an attack on the village of Morval during the Battle of the Somme on July 1, 1916.
