The Halifax Evening Courier, on Monday 24/9/1923, printed a long and detailed report of the unveiling of the memorial, opening: 'A BEACON MONUMENT. Wadsworth's War Memorial. Impressive Unveiling Ceremony. Built by public subscription on Smeaking Hill the memorial which has been raised to the memory of the lads from Wadsworth township who fell in the war takes the form of an obelisk 41ft. 2in. high. Designed by Mr. D Parker, local surveyor, it is in style similar to Stoodly Pike. Calder Valley stone has been used, the work having been carried out by the firm of Mr. Oldfleld Watson, Hebden Bridge. The unveiling and dedication of the memorial took place on Sunday afternoon in the presence of a crowd which, in numbers, will probably rank as the biggest ever seen in the district. Residents from all parts of the scattered township swarmed onto this prominent windswept eminence, which, with the newly constructed monument stands like a sentinel amidst the rugged Calderdale hills. There is a fine appropriateness about the type of memorial chosen for the district, and for generations it will stand out as a noted landmark and a lasting and silent tribute to the fallen. The ceremony was wonderfully impressive. In addition to the big crowd on Smeaking Hill itself groups of people were assembled on the surrounding points of vantage. Headed by Hebden Bridge band, a procession marched from Old Town Green to the memorial site. Joining the ranks were the scholars and worshippers from all the places of worship in the parish, a group of ex-servicemen, members of the Parish Council and members of the War Memorial Committee and prominent local residents. Rev. J. Fielding, chairman of the Memorial Committee, presided'. The report included a transcript of the speech given by Major R.H. Barker before he unveiled the memorial; Reverend J.B. Foster pronounced the Benediction. The report also stated that: 'The Chairman [of the War Memorial Committee] formally handed over the monument, the ground generously given by Mr. Wear, and probably, he said, the surrounding land, to the care and keeping of the Parish Council for all time. It was accepted by Mr. C. H. Bricknell, Chairman of the Parish Council'. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003295/19230924/033/0003#

The Yorkshire Pot and Leeds Intelligencer 22/8/1924 reported: "WADSWORTH WAR MEMORIAL. A final report prepared by the War Memorial Committee at Wadsworth, near Hebden Bridge, shows the cost of erecting the monument at Smeaking Hill to have been £624, the whole of the money having been raised by voluntary subscriptions. The land surrounding the memorial was given by Mr. Wear, of Crimsworth Farm, a Bradford businessman. The deeds relating to the conveyance of the land have been handed over by Mr. Wear to the Parish Council. A roll of honour for the district is to be placed the Council Room".

The Halifax Evening Courier on 18/11/1947 reported: 'Parish Memorial. It was reported that, so far as is known, six names are to be added to the Wadsworth War Memorial - D. K. Greenwood, F. Robertshaw, G. Adams, J. Crabtree, J. Shepherd and T. Murgatroyd. Coun. K. Greenwood hoped the Council would consider holding a service at which the further tablet could be unveiled and dedicated, and suggested a date in August, about the anniversary day of the dedication of the memorial on Smeaking Hill'. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003295/19471118/027/0002

Halifax Evening Courier 17/2/1948: Report of Council meeting at which mention was made that: 'After it had been reported that the estimated cost of erecting an additional stone slab on the war memorial at Smeaking Hill, and adding the names of those who fell in the last war, was over £2O. it was decided to open a subscription list'. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003295/19480217/179/0004

Halifax Evening Courier 23/3/1948: 'It was reported that between £4 and £5 had been subscribed to the Wadsworth War Memorial Fund, and the meeting agreed to organise a house-to-house collection, despite a statement made that permission will probably be given for the costs of such memorials to be met out of rates'. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003295/19480323/068/0004

Halifax Evening Courier 17/8/1948: 'Wadsworth plans for war memorial tablet. At the monthly meeting of the Wadsworth Parish Council last night, further plans were made for the unveiling of the additional tablet, to be inserted in the War Memorial on Smeaking Hill. Arrangements were made for the repair and painting of seats and bridges under the control of the Council'. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003295/19480817/039/0002

Halifax Evening Courier Monday 8/11/1948: 'AT Smeaking Hill, Wadsworth. an additional tablet has recently been added to the parish memorial, erected after the first world war. The names of six local men who fell in the last war have been inscribed on the new tablet, which was unveiled and dedicated at a service yesterday afternoon, attended by residents and public representatives in the parish, and by members of the British Legion, Coun. R. P. Hope, Chairman of the Parish Council, presided and unveiled the tablet. The Rev. A. C. Durrant also took part, and the dedication address was given by the Rev. P. Edmondson. The singing was led by a combined choir, in charge of Mrs. R. Ashworth. Wreaths were laid by representatives of the various organisations'. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003295/19481108/049/0002

The War Memorials Trust's record of this memorial can be found at https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/195924/

Historic England's listing of the memorial on 8/9/2019, and the reasons for it, can be found at https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1464951

Hornshaw and Fowler, Calderdale War Dead, published privately in 1995, their memorial 628