213225 Pte. Joe Gleaden British Army Army Cyclists Corp from:Barnsley My grandfather, Joe Gleaden, was born in what was then known as New Scarboro' near Barnsley in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Having enlisted with the East Yorkshire Regiment, and the then Army Cyclist Corp, he was sent to France on 14 July 1915.
Although I can see from his medal record that he was awarded the Victory Medal and the Star, as well as the Silver War Badge following his discharge through injury in December 1918, this tells me nothing of what he and his comrades in the Cyclists Corp must have endured in France and on the Somme in particular.
Having survived the war, Joe worked as a miner in Darfield Main Colliery for many years. He was a very quiet man who really never talked about his experiences during WWI. Sadly, Joe died in early 1953 without having ever passed on to his family his memories.
His great-grandson, Benjamin Hutchinson Kurczij (12 years old) who is so proud of his ancestors who served in WWI will mention Joe at the commemorative service at The Beacon School Amersham on Monday 11 November to ensure that Joe's memory lives on.
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