PATRIOTIC fervour in Keighley inspired men from many local schools and other organisations to club together to join the military on the same day as each other.

In September 1915 the Keighley News reported on "A group of Keighley young men patriots", who were part of the same All Saints' Church bible class.

The group consisted of the Reverend John Wood, curate in charge of the church, and seven men from the bible class, who all enlisted together in the early days of the war.

Of the seven younger men, three were already dead by September 1915.

Two of these men, sergeant JE Robinson and corporal W Nelmes, were killed in action, while the third, private Albert Gill, died of dysentery while he was based in Malta.

A fourth member of the group - private Rowland Eyre - was discharged on medical grounds.

Another bible class member who enlisted in the armed forces alongside his fellow students was private Ivor Tempest Greenwood of the West Riding Regiment, who has only just been officially recognised as a casualty of the war.

17-year-old Private Greenwood was a former pupil of Keighley and Trade Grammar School. A few days after joining the army in 1914 he contracted pneumonia and typhoid fever while training at Grantham, and died shortly afterwards at Lincoln Military Hospital.

He received a military funeral in Keighley, which featured a company of ambulance men and cadets, as well as a troop of boy scouts, who formed the procession to the cemetery.

Private Greenwood's status as a war casualty was secured last month thanks to the Men of Worth group, who submitted his name for consideration 18 months ago, along with evidence that he was in British Army service when he died.

Ian Walkden, of Men of Worth, said: "No army service records exist for Ivor, but it has been proven beyond doubt due to his death certificate having his regiment's name written on it, along with newspaper reports and burial records.

"He has now been accepted by the Ministry of Defence and will receive a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone."