MILLBROOK WAR MEMORIAL

1914 - 1918

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SHARPIN

Frank Lloyd

Second Lieutenant, 9th Battalion attached 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Died 14th Ocotber 1916. Age 33. Son of Archdeacon F. L. Sharpin (late of Bombay) and Helen Georgina, his wife, of 37 Eversley Rd., Bexhill-on-Sea. Volunteered for H.A.C. from the staff of the London County and Westminster Bank in Aug., 1914. Wounded March, 1915 at St. Eloi. Gazetted Sept., 1915. Born at Bombay. Buried in GROVE TOWN CEMETERY, MEAULTE, Somme, France. Plot I. Row B. Grave 4. See also Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex

Extract from Bexhill-on-Sea Chronicle - Saturday 21 October 1916, page 14:

The Ven. Archdeacon and Mrs Sharpin, of Merridew, Eversley Road, have received information of the death from wounds of their youngest son, Sec. Lieut. Francis Lloyd Sharpin, of the Bedfordshire Regiment. The wounds had been received in the great battle that is still raging in France. Lieut. Lloyd was educated at the Bedfordshire School, and afterwards entered into commercial life in London. At the outbreak of the war he enlisted in the Hon. Artillery Company, and went out with the first drafts from that regiment, but was wounded in the jaw and had to return home. On his recovery he obtained a commission in the Bedfordshires, the old county regiment, and went abroad during the latter part of last year. The deceased officer was highly esteemed by his many friends. The Archdeacon and Mrs. Sharpin have received from the colonel in command of their son's regiment a sympathetic letter of a touching character.

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Second Lieut. Frank Lloyd Sharpin, of the Bedfordshire Regiment, who died on the 14th inst. of wounds received in action in the battle of the Somme, was the youngest son of the Rev. F. L. Sharpm, M.A Bexhill-on-Sea, late Archdeacon of Bombay, and Rector of Millbrook, Beds, grandson of the late Henry Sharpin, 4th Light Dragoons, of Blofleld, Norfolk, and General George Prince Senly, Royal Artillery. He was educated at the Bedford Grammar School. At the outbreak of the war he was serving on the staff of the St. James' branch of the London County and Westminster Bank, and immediately enlisted in the Honourable Artillery Company. After four months' training he was sent to the front at Christmas, 1914, and spent the winter in the trenches, when at the end of March of the following year he was wounded in the jaw by shrapnel and sent home. He made a good recovery, and soon after received a commission in his old County Regiment, the Bedfordshire. After serving at the Training Depot in Ampthill Park, and later at Sittingbourne, he was again sent to the front, where on the night of the 12th inst. he received a mortal wound, dying in hospital in the early morning of the 14th. His Colonel writes of him thus:— “I do so sympathise with you. He had so recently joined us, but he was showing every promise of making a most valuable and useful officer, apart from his personal attraction.”

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BUNKER

Albert Edward

Private G/48221, 1st Battalion, Royal Fusiliers. Killed in action Tuesday 31st July 1917. Age 23. Born Millbrook, enlisted Luton, resident Ampthill. Son of Mrs. Ellen Mary Goodman, of 12, Millbrook, Ampthill, Bedfordshire. Commemorated on YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 6 and 8

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GILLETT

Arthur James

Private 22809, 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action Friday 27th September 1918. Born Wootton, enlisted Bedford, resident Millbrook. Buried in MOEUVRES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION, Nord, France. Ref. I. A. 22.

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NEAL

William Thomas

Private 18626, 6th Battalion, [listed as 3^{rd Battalion on memorial],} Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action Monday 23rd April 1917. Age 35. Born Millbrook, enlisted Bedford, resident St Neots, Huntingdonshire. Son of the late William and Lucy Neal; husband of Fanny Neal, of Wilden, Bedford. Commemorated on ARRAS MEMORIAL,Pas de Calais, France. Bay 5.

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PEPPER

Frederick Charles

Private 235296, 2nd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Died of wounds Wednesday 24th April 1918. Born Millbrook, enlisted Keighley, Yorkshire, resident Ampthill. Formerly 205114, West Yorkshire Regiment. Buried in ROISEL COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION, Somme, France. Ref. III. A. 7/19.

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PEPPER

Frederick George

Private (Corporal on Memorial) 8200, 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action Sunday 8th November 1914. Born Lidlington, resident and enlisted Ampthill. Commemorated on LE TOURET MEMORIAL, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 10 and 11

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PUTMAN

Horace

Private 22192, 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action Wednesday 27th September 1916. Enlisted Ampthill, resident Millbrook. Formerly 5275, Machine Gun Corps. Commemorated on THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, Somme, France. Pier and Face 2 C

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ROBERTS

Herbert

Private 25490, 6^th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment. Died of wounds Monday 30th April 1917. Born Lidlington, enlisted Bedford. Buried in ROOKERY BRITISH CEMETERY, HENINEL, Pas de Calais, France. Grave C. 21.

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COLES

Bertie John

Stoker 1st Class SS/112091. H.M.S. "Natal.", Royal Navy. Died Thursday 30th December 1915. Age 25. Son of Alfred John and Emma Coles; husband of the late Clara Alice Coles. Commemorated on CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL, Kent, United Kingdom. Ref. 11. (Special Note: The armoured cruiser Natal was a unit of the 2nd Cruiser squadron. On December 30th 1915, she was lying in Cromarty harbour when a fire broke out on board. Within a short time her magazine exploded and she sank almost immediately. 421 of her complement of 815 officers and men were lost)

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MONEY

George

Acting Serjeant 23251, 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action Tuesday 29th May 1917. Born Maulden, resident and enlisted Ampthill. Commemorated on ARRAS MEMORIAL, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 5

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ROWBERRY

Alfred Charles

Petty Officer Stoker 293134. (RFR/CH/B/8046). H.M.S. "Cressy.", Royal Navy. Died Tuesday 22nd September 1914. Age 34. Son of George and Sarah Rowberry; husband of Ada Rowberry, of 29, Millbrook, Ampthill, Bedfordshire. Served in the South African War. Commemorated on CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL, Kent, United Kingdom. Ref. 4. (Special note: In the early hours of the morning of 22 September 1914, HMS Cressy along with HMS Aboukir & HMS Hogue were sunk by torpedoes from a U-boat under the command of Otto Weddigen, in the North Sea.)

1939 – 1945

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BRIGHTMAN

(P) A

Private 5^th Beds & Herts Regiment. probably Arthur Charles Brightman, Private 5952642, 5th Battalion, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment. Died Sunday 15th February 1942. Age 22. Son of Walter and Sally Brightman; husband of Edna Brightman, of Maulden, Bedfordshire. Buried in KRANJI WAR CEMETERY, Singapore. Collective grave 31. B. 16-18.

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HALL

Leonard George

Ordinary Seaman P/JX 256371. H.M.S. Neptune, Royal Navy. Died Friday 19th December 1941. Age 30. Son of Frank and Mabel Emily Hall; husband of Rose Hall, of Millbrook, Bedfordshire. Commemorated on PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL, Hampshire, United Kingdom. Panel 50, Column 3. (Special Note: 20 miles from Tripoli, HMS Neptune triggered a mine. Shortly afterwards, she triggered two more mines. Heroic attempts were made over the next three hours to save the ship, but she struck yet another mine and sank within a few minutes. All but one of her crew of 758 officers and men aboard lost their lives.)