A MAN who joined up twice in the First World War is to be commemorated in the refurbishment of a North Yorkshire village’s war memorial.

Cyril Judson, a young groom from Brookside, in Hovingham, volunteered into the Royal Artillery at the outbreak of war, but was invalided out just weeks later, without seeing active service.

Still determined to do his bit, he then re-enlisted, finishing his war in Mesopotamia in 1919 in the elite Machine Gun Corps. Again discharged on ill health, he died at home in January 1920.

Royal British Legion (RBL) branch secretary Rob Thompson said: “Although officially recognised with a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone in Hovingham graveyard, he was not listed on the village’s war memorial.

“This is thought to be an administrative error made in the short weeks between his death and March 1920 – the official cut-off date after which those who died of wounds did not appear on Britain’s memorials.”

Mr Thompson said the RBL planned to add Cyril’s name to a new memorial and were appealing to members of the Judson family, and relatives of other local families who served in both world wars to share their information at a special stand at Hovingham Market on Saturday.

Mr Thompson said: “Seventy nine Hovingham men went off to the First World War. Sixteen never came back and many were never the same again.

“Some families lost all of their soldier menfolk – two families lost three. One family sent off six who all returned – but with such losses among their neighbours their stress and worry must have been unimaginable.”

Mr Thompson said the current lettering on Hovingham’s War Memorial was almost completely eroded and gives just a name and initial.

“A new stone is to be laid on a gravel bed in front of the memorial, sponsored by the Hovingham branch of the Royal British Legion,” he said. “It will summarise more information, including full names, regiment, place and date of death and age.

“In addition, a revised book in the church, written by the Ryedale Family History Group, will give much more detail on both those who fell and those who returned in both world wars and will cover their families, occupations, addresses and war service.”

The families who lost sons are: Bowes, Coultas, Dawson, Dunning, Galtry, Hickes, Hutchinson, Judson, Pemberton, Ward, Watt, Wray and Goodwill. Families of those who served include Bean, Bilton, Blackwell, Brayshaw, Brown, Carass, Coatesworth, Craike, Foster, Gibbins, Harrison, Harwood, Heath, Hodgson, Hoggard, Holdsworth, Hopkins, Hopwood, Hornsey, Johnson, Land, Magson, Moore, Oldfield, Phillips, Plowman, Potter, Pryor, Robson, Sawyer, Skelton, Skilbeck, Stainsby, Wilkinson, Worsley and Wright.

The RBL stand will be at Hovingham Market on Saturday from 9.30am to 12.30pm, or call Rob Thompson on 01653628640 or email ardnamurchan75@btinternet.com for more details.