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Burley In Wharfedale Census
Newspaper Articles
Yorkshire Evening Post : Thursday June 15th 1944
19 of 21 Soldiers Killed in Burley Lorry Crash
'Nineteen out of 21 soldiers were killed at Burley-in-Wharfedale in the early hours of this morning when an Army lorry in which they were travelling crashed into a house on failing to take a sharp bend in the road.
The canvas-topped lorry was coming from Ilkley, and is said to have contained the members of a picket and a mixed party of soldiers.
Instead of taking the bend in the main road at the Malt Shovel Hotel, the lorry appears to have gone almost straight forward and hit the house, No. 26, Main Street, the home of Miss Florence Rowe.
It turned onto its side and most of the men were found with head injuries.
When neighbours, hearing the crash, turned out to give assistance they found that many of the men were still inside the lorry.
A Fatal Corner
Four men were still alive and were taken to a wardens' post nearby, but two of them died there. The other two were taken to a hospital in a serious condition. One of these is said to have been the driver of the lorry.
First-aid ambulances and medical assistance were secured from the surrounding district.
So far as can be ascertained at present there does not appear to have been anyone in the immediate vicinity who actually saw the accident.
The corner has been the scene of many previous motor accidents, but never one so serious as this.
Early on the scene were Mrs. Jessie Nelson and Mrs. Madeleine Ewen, both of the same address, 5, Whitehead Buildings, Burley, and they had an experience for two or three hours which they will never forget, trying to help in every way possible.
This particular house also has been hit in the same way before. It stands at rather an acute bend in the road.
House Occupant's Story
Miss Florence Rowe, its occupant, who lives alone, in spite of her alarming experience, went to work as usual today at a spinning factory.
Of the accident itself she knows very little. She says there was a loud bump which woke her, but when she went down to investigate she was advised to go back again as the spectacle was not a pleasant one. She followed that advice.
Mr. and Mrs. Brear, who live next door, thought that it was a specially loud bump even in a village where loud noises had become common. Mrs. Brear said she thought it was a plane crash.
Mrs. Storey, who lives further up in Main Street, took it for an explosion.
Soon on Spot
Mr. Ernest Butcher, licensee of the Malt Shovel, adjacent to the house where the crash occurred, said "It was a terrific bump, but we have had so many strange noises lately that this bump appeared only somewhat louder than usual."
"We got up and looked out of the window, but you couldn't see anything much because of the haze hanging about. In a few minutes all the village seemed to have gathered on the spot. It was amazing how they got there so soon."
Mrs. Wilkinson, who lives nearby, heard a crash and saw some girls running towards the scene. She dressed and came down, and saw a lorry overturned and bodies being extricated.
A memorial plaque, dedicated to the 20 Canadian soldiers that died in crash, can be found at Burley's Village Green, close to the site of the original accident. Images of the memorial plaque are shown below.
Click on a thumbnail image to see the full size image.
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