James Francis Laherty (1899-1983) [4610643, Sergeant, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry] ✓
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Posts
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- married Annie Elizabeth Doherty
- lived at 19 Ruskin Grove, Sheepridge
Records:
- 1939 Register (FindMyPast) – 19 Ruskin Gardens, Sheepridge (wife & children)
Link:
Huddersfield Examiner 6 July 1940, page 3:
NEWS OF MEN IN THE FORCES
Sheepridge Soldier Missing
Official notification has been received by his wife that Sergeant Laherty (40), of 19 Ruskin Grove, Sheepridge, is missing in France. Sergeant Laherty, who is serving in the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, was in the Royal Engineers in the last war. He has been in the Territorials, with the 5th Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, for about twelve years, and has been a Section Sergeant in that regiment for a number of years. He was called up at the beginning of the war and in January was transferred to the K.O.Y.L.I., with whom he went to France in April. Sergeant Laherty worked in the Corporation Electricity Department and played in the cricket team for their sports club. He attended Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Woodhouse.
Huddersfield Examiner 10 August 1940, page 3:
NEWS OF MEN IN THE FORCES
MORE PRISONERS OF WAR
Sergt. J. F. Laherty, Sheepridge
Official notification has been received by his wife, that Sergeant James Francis Laherty (40), of 19, Ruskin Grove, Sheepridge, who was previously reported in “The Examiner” to be missing, is a prisoner of war in Germany.
Sergeant Laherty, who was serving in the King’s Own Royal Regiment, was in the Royal Engineers in the last war. He has been in the Territorials, with the 5th Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, for about twelve years, and has been a section sergeant in that regiment for a number of years. He was called up at the beginning of the war, and in January was transferred to the King’s Own Royal Regiment, with which he went to France in April.
Sergeant Laherty worked in the Corporation Electricity Department, and played in the cricket team for their sports club. He attended Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Woodhouse.
Huddersfield Examiner 17 October 1942, page 8:
NEWS OF MEN IN THE FORCES
A Letter of Thanks from a Prisoner
A lot of good and charitable work is done by the Huddersfield Prisoners of War Committee, and members are often rewarded by grateful letters from local men. prisoners in Germany and Italy, who have received parcels of comforts through this society.
A letter has been received by Mrs. Firth, of Wood Lea, Shepley, who with friends sent a parcel of cigarettes through the Huddersfield Prisoners of War Committee to Sergeant James Laherty, of 19 Ruskin Grove, Sheepridge, now a prisoner of war in Germany. He says: “Please accept my very sincere thanks for the very welcome gift of cigarettes which I have received from you through the Prisoners of War Association. It is a very pleasing thought in a position like ours to know that our townspeople have not forgotten us. With the help of the British Red Cross Society we are enabled to live, but oh for a portion of Denby Dale pie!
“I would ask you, if you will, through ‘The Huddersfield Examiner,’ give my good wishes and regards to the officers, N.C.O.s and men of the 5th Duke’s, as I served with that battalion until transferred to my present battalion, the King’s Own Royal Regiment, to go to France. I was in Belgium and Flanders until wounded and taken prisoner near Dunkirk.
“Any news you could send about things in general in Huddersfield will be very much appreciated by the few Huddersfield men here, and I hope you will accept my brief thanks, and I extend them also to those friends of yours who are helping in the good work.”
Huddersfield Examiner 23 September 1944, page 7:
HUDDERSFIELD MEN BACK FROM GERMANY
St. Valery Prisoner Returns Home
There was a happy family re-union at 19 Ruskin Grove, Sheepridge, on Monday night, when Sgt. James Laherty, of the King’s Own Royal Regiment, returned home. Waiting to greet him, in addition to his wife were his three daughters, including one on leave from the W.A.A.F., two sons — another son in the Army was due on leave on his father’s return — and his sixteen-month-old grandchild, Patricia, who was born while he was a prisoner of war.
Sergeant Laherty, who was wounded and taken prisoner at St. Valery in May, 1940, arrived at Liverpool in the Arundel Castle, and was taken to hospital in Shropshire.
His soldier son, Patrick, who is stationed in Lancashire, was on the landing stage at Liverpool and was allowed to go aboard ship for a few hours to see his father. In addition to his lad in the Army, Sgt. Laherty has a daughter, Margaret, in the W.A.A.F., and she was at home when her father returned. His granddaughter, Pat, whom he saw for the first time, is the child of another of his daughters, Mrs. William Bergin, whose husband is in the Army.
Before the war, Sgt. Laherty was employed by Huddersfield Corporation. He served an apprenticeship as a cable-jointer with the G.P.O., Bradford. and came to Huddersfield about seventeen years ago. In the last war he enlisted under age and served with the Royal Engineers in France and Egypt. He was one of the “Terriers” who went to London for the Coronation of the present King. He is forty-four years old.
Huddersfield Daily Examiner 23 June 1945, page 4:
MARRIAGES
CROSBY — LAHERTY — At St. Patrick’s Church, New North Road, Huddersfield, June 21, 1945, by the Rev. Fr. Russell. W/O. George Robert Crosby (R.N.Z.A.F ), son of Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Crosby, Auckland, New Zealand, to Margaret Laherty (W.A.A.F.), daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Laherty, of 19, Ruskin Grove, Sheepridge, Huddersfield.
Huddersfield Daily Examiner 9 July 1951, page 5:
MARRIAGES
LAHERTY — MURGATROYD — On July 7, 1951, at St. Patrick’s Church, Huddersfield, by Canon J. Grogan, James Laherty, second son of Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Laherty, of 19, Ruskin Grove, Sheepridge, Huddersfield, to Beryl, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. Murgatroyd, of 106, Oxley Road, Sheepridge, Huddersfield.
Huddersfield Daily Examiner 6 June 1953, page 2:
IN AND ABOUT
POLISH MEETING
My note on “Far-Flung Huddersfield” has reminded Mr. James Laherty, of Sheepridge, of a similar incident that befell him during the last war, and he has written to tell me about it.
He was in a P.O.W. hospital in Poland. One day a German medical orderly whom the patients had not seen before came over to Mr. Laherty and asked him if he came from Yorkshire. “I said I did,” my correspondent states. “He then asked me if I knew Huddersfield, and I said I actually came from Huddersfield. He also asked me if I knew where Leeds Road football ground was, and I said I did because I followed both teams. I then asked him why he was putting all these questions and he told me.
ON THE TERRACE
“He was a member of the Y.M.C.A., and was taking a course at the London […?]technic in, I think, 1937; and while he was there he made friends with a Mr. Robinson whose father was a school teacher in Huddersfield and lived at Marsh.
“Mr. Robinson brought this young man to Huddersfield for a few weeks to look round and see our way of life. It was while he was in our town that he saw a few matches at Leeds Road.
“It was quite a surprise to me (concludes Mr. Laherty) to meet a German soldier who had perhaps stood alongside me on the terrace side at Leeds Road shortly before hostilities broke out.”
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