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Volunteers Of The Nineties – Smart Young Darfield Soldiers

April 1939

South Yorkshire Times, April 28th, 1939.

Darfield youths of today may well sit up and take notice when they viewed this picture of a group of Darfield young men of over 40 years ago. For good looks and smart appearance the young men would take some beating, but certainly they do not appear to be as tall as our young Darfielders of today.

The picture depicts a group of the old volunteers who were attached to the Wath volunteers, and they used to meet periodically for practice. The photograph was taken on Quarry Heath, and it would be interesting to know who the little group of young boys are, sitting at the back. Very smart were the uniforms of navy blue with small caps trimmed with brass buttons and white belts.

Several of the men still reside in the district, one or two received wounds in the great War. Some have left the district and several have passed away.

Back row (left to right) are Messrs. J. Smith (deceased), Jack Royston of Pinfold Lane, Sam Howell (whereabouts not name), George Greaves (residing in the Doncaster area), and unknown volunteer, Arthur Hall (wounded in the great War, still residing at Darfield Bridge), B.Brown (living in Edward Street), and another unknown.

Sitting (left to right), are Messrs. Edward Brown (killed while employed at Mason’s work), Alfred Lazenby (a former church warden at the Parish Church, died in Lincolnshire), Rev. Sidney Barnes (son of a former Darfield vicar), not known, the late Mr Victor Taylor of Middlewood Hall. Then comes the late Mr Alec Pepper, a former Darfield blacksmith.