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About 250,000 Belgian Refugees came to the UK during WW1, more than 10,000 came to Yorkshire and homes were found for them in various towns and villages.

Gomersal in West Yorkshire was home to about 30 Belgian refugees. The villagers were extremely generous – some donating money on a weekly basis, providing them with rooms, clothing and food. The local churches helped out too and held collections and had boxes for donations in the porches.

The Gomersal Colliery offered free coal and there are reports found in newspapers of the time about the local hairdressers providing free haircuts to anyone who could prove they were a refugee.

At the end of the war in one of the local history books is a letter from a Belgian family thanking the people of Gomersal for all the kindness they had showed to the people of Belgium.

Location: Gomersal, West Yorkshire BD19 4JB
Image: Belgian refugees in Gomersal, courtesy of Kirklees Museums and Galleries
The story is told by the people of Gomersal who have been researching their WW1 history

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