Robert John COLES

19 October 1917

SKIPTON STATION-MASTER’S SON KILLED – CORPORAL JACK COLES

With regret we have also to record the death in action of Corporal Robert John (Jack) Coles, the third son of Mr. Wm. Coles, station-master at Skipton.

In a letter of sympathy to Mr. Coles, Captain Foster, of the Yorkshire Hussars, says:– “I am very sorry to have to inform you that Corporal Coles was killed on October 9th in the early hours of the morning. He should have taken part in the attack that dawn on the 9th, but he was hit by a sniper through the lungs and died very soon afterwards. As you will probably know, we have just joined the West Yorkshires. We were at a reinforcement camp waiting to join the Battalion when they asked for 50 volunteers to go up and make this attack, and Corporal Coles, with his usual keenness, was one of the first to volunteer. I have known him ever since the beginning of the war, and I can assure you we shall all miss him very much. He never got very excited, but he always got things done. Please allow me to express my deepest sympathy on behalf of all of us. We only hope it will be some consolation to you to know that he died for his country.”

In a postscript, the Captain adds:– “I have been speaking to Pte. Hutton, who saw your son just before he died, and he said that he lived for about half an hour after he was hit, but suffered very little pain. He died in one of our advance posts in the trenches of the battlefield.”

Twenty-seven years of age, Corporal Coles joined the Bradford Squadron of the Yorkshire Hussars five years ago last November, and was of course mobilised when war broke out, and had been at the Front about two and a half years. His time expired last November, but he rejoined and had the usual leave in July last. When he returned to the Front he was transferred to the West Yorkshires, as indicated in the above letter. He was educated at the Keighley Trade and Grammar School (where he was a keen football player, both as a scholar and an ‘old boy’), and afterwards entered the goods office at Keighley Station as a clerk.

His two brothers are also serving: Lieut. Willie Cole with the Yorkshire Regiment, and Sapper Arthur Cole, with the Royal Engineers.

04 January 1918

SKIPTON STATIONMASTER’S SECOND WAR BEREAVEMENT

The sympathy of all Skipton people will go out to Mr. William Coles, the Skipton Stationmaster, in the great loss he has sustained by the death in action, on December 28th, of another son – Second-Lieutenant William H. (Willie) Coles, of the Yorkshire Regiment. The distressing news was telegraphed by the Records Office to the deceased soldier’s widow, who has been residing at Oxford, on Tuesday night, and no details have yet been received. Twenty-eight years of age, Second Lieutenant Coles was, prior to the war, attached to the West Riding Territorials, and afterwards served for five years in the Yorkshire Hussars, attaining the rank of Quartermaster-Sergeant. In November 1916 he was offered and accepted a commission, and was posted to the Yorkshire Regiment. He had taken part in a good deal of fighting, and was wounded in the left elbow last Easter. After leaving the Keighley Trades and Grammar School he entered the service of the Midland Railway, and was for some time a clerk in the goods office at Bingley. Later he accepted a position in the office of Messrs. Bradley and Jacques, chartered accountants, Keighley, and when war broke out his future was full of promise. Of a studious nature, he had made great progress in his profession, and had passed with distinction in all the examinations for accountancy except the final, which he was ready to sit for when war broke out. Mr. Coles third son, Corporal Jack Coles, was killed on October 9th, and another son, Sapper Arthur Coles, is serving with the Royal Engineers on the Italian Front.

28 June 1918

SKIPTON STATIONMASTER’S THIRD WAR BEREAVEMENT – SAPPER ARTHUR COLES, R.E.

We regret to say that news was received on Wednesday from an officer to the effect that Sapper Arthur Coles, the eldest son of Mr. Wm. Coles, the Skipton Stationmaster, had paid the supreme sacrifice during the recent Austrian offensive on the Italian Front. This is Mr. Coles’ third war bereavement, and the sympathy of the public of Skipton will go out to him in his great trouble. Corporal Jack Coles was killed in action on October 9th 1917, and Second Lieutenant William. H. Coles fell in action on December 28th last. Mr. Coles’ only remaining son, Charles, is serving in the Navy. Sapper Coles, who was about 35 years of age, had served in the Army prior to the war, and enlisted again on the outbreak of hostilities, and had served in France.

02 January 1920

PENDING RETIREMENT OF SKIPTON’S STATION-MASTER

Mr. William Coles, the Skipton Stationmaster, having reached the age limit, has been notified of his retirement from the Midland Railway Company’s service after March 31st, 1920.

Mr. Coles entered the service of the Company in 1878 at Cheltenham as a porter, and was transferred to Bradford as a passenger guard in 1882, to Hellifield as a foreman in 1885, and in 1888 when the Midland Company began to run their Scotch trains over the L. and Y. line he was sent to the Exchange Station, Liverpool, to take charge of the Company’s business there. Here he remained for twelve years, and in 1900 was transferred to Keighley as station master. He removed to Skipton in October, 1908, to succeed the late Mr. A. Norman, on his retirement 10½ years ago. Mr. Coles has been in the Midland service nearly 42 years.

Mr. Coles is a Wesleyan, and connected with the Skipton Water Street Church, where he has held the office of leader, steward, Sunday School superintendent, and representative to District Synod; has served two terms as president of the Skipton Free Church Council and delegate to the National Council several times, and is a life member of the Executive Committee. He has been a Sunday School worker for 45 years, and at the present time is the president of the Skipton Sunday School Union.