On that day 19,240 British soldiers died. Many of them from the Pals Regiments from cities such as Barnsley and Sheffield.
Billy Lavender was the brother of Steve and Dave Lavender’s grandfather and at age 22, he sadly died within minutes of the beginning of the battle, which started at 07:30 that morning.
He was born in Penistone and attended Sheffield University before signing up in 1914. His body was never found, but he is remembered on no less than four local plaques and the huge Thiepval monument in France. Billy’s war medals have been passed down through the Lavender family.
Steve and Dave will be taking part in the Penistone commemoration on 1st July and laying a wreath in Billy’s memory at the war memorial outside the church.
