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ELTISLEY WAR MEMORIAL

World War 1 & 2 - Roll of Honour with detailed information
Compiled and copyright © 2000 Martin Edwards

The war memorial is to be found outside St Pandionia and St John's Church, St Neots Road, Eltisley. The World War 1 memorial consists of two plaques inside the lych gate entrance inset into the limestone walls all set in an oak frame structure. There is an inscription across the lintel. There are 14 names listed for World War 1. THe memorial is maintained by the Eltislery parish Council and the lychgate was restored in 2005 (it is a Grade II Listed building). The Bishop of Ely dedicated the gate in 1920 after the Women’s Institute organised fund raising for its creation. The World War 2 memorial is in the form of a concrete plaque.

EltisleyLychGate.jpg - 37714 Bytes
Pictured in the lych gate memorial is Vic Smith-Chappell a relative of both Chappell's recorded here.

Photograph Copyright © Martin Edwards 2000

DEATH IS SWALLOED IN VICTORY

TO THE EVER GLORIOUS MEMORY OF
ELTISLEY MEN WHO GAVE
THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR
FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH

1914-1919

SMITH-CHAPPELL Albert John
[Listed as CHAPPELL, S A J on CWGC and SDGW and Medal Card] Private 122988, 59th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Killed in action on the first day of the German Spring Offensive 21st March 1918. Aged 20. Born in and resident Eltisley, enlisted Cambridge. Next of kin, residents of Eltisley. Formerly 21761, Bedfordshire Regiment. Buried in ONTARIO CEMETERY, SAINS-LES-MARQUION, Pas de Calais, France. Plot III. Row D. Grave 16.

In the 1911 census Albert is the son of G and Mary Ann Chappell-Smith, brother of William (below). He is aged 12, a schoolboy, born Eltisley, resident The Green, Eltisley, St. Neots, Hunts.

SMITH-CHAPPELL William George
Private, 328240, Lewis Gun Section, 1/1st Cambridgeshire Regiment. Killed in action (Gassed) 29th October 1917. Aged 21. Enlisted Huntingdon. Eldest son of Mrs Smith-Chappell, of Eltisley. Married, wife living St Neots. Formerly 1536, Huntingdonshire Cyclist Battalion. Buried in VOORMEZEELE ENCLOSURES NO.1 AND NO. 2, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Special memorial 1.

In the 1911 census William is the son of G and Mary Ann Chappell-Smith, brother of William (below). He is aged 15, a Farm Labourer, born Eltisley, resident The Green, Eltisley, St. Neots, Hunts.

CHILDERLEY George
Gunner 1905 "A" Battery, 235th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died on Tuesday, 15th August 1916. Aged 32. Landed in France 15th March 1915. Buried in DANTZIG ALLEY BRITISH CEMETERY, MAMETZ, Somme, France. Plot VII. Rowe N. Grave 2.

Mametz is a village about 8 kilometres east of the town of Albert.

In the 1911 census George CHILDERLEY, was aged 26, an Agricultural Labourer, born Eltisley, resident with his parents, Lydia and Charles, in Caxton End, Eltisley, St Neots, Hunts.

CRANFIELD Harry
Lance Corporal 681454, 58th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Central Ontario Regiment) 9th Brigade. 3rd Canadian Division. Killed in action at Ypres 26th October 1917. Aged 36. Born 7th May 1888 in Cambridgeshire. Son of Edith Campbell, of Eltisley, Cambridgeshire. Labourer by trade. Unmarried. Enlisted and passed fit 14th March 1916 at Toronto, Ontario, Canada, aged 27 years 10 months. height 5 ft 7¼ ins, girth 37¾ ins, complexion fresh, eyes brown, hair dark brown; relgion Church of England. Commemorated on YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 18 - 24 - 26 - 30. National Archives of Canada Accession Reference: RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 2113 - 40

In the 1911 census Harry is aged 30, unmarried, a Farm Labourer, born Eltisley, living with his parents, Charles and Charlotte. in Potton End, Eletisley, St Neots, Hunts.

HAYDEN Harry Edward
Private 17752 6th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Died of wounds on Monday, 21st August 1916. Aged 20. Born and resident Eltisley, enlisted Bedford. Son of Alfred C. and Ellen Hayden, of The Green, Eltisley, St. Neots, Hunts. Landed in France 30th July 1915. Buried in BOULOGNE EASTERN CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France. Plot VIII. Row B. Grave 150.

Boulogne Eastern Cemetery is one of the Town Cemeteries and stands on high ground on the eastern side of Boulogne, on the road to St. Omer.

In the 1911 census Harry was aged 14, a Farm Labourer, born Eltisley, living with his parents, Alfred and Ellen, on The Green, Eltisley, St Neots, Hunts. Brother of Sidney George (below)

HAYDEN Sidney George

Private (Signaller) 326847, 1/1st Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment. Killed in action, in France and Flanders 25th March 1918. Aged 23. Born Eltisley, Cambridgeshire, enlisted St. Neots, Huntingdonshire. Formerly 4630, Cambridgeshire Regiment. No known grave. Commemorated on POZIERES MEMORIAL, Somme, France. Panel 84 and 85.

In the 1911 census he is known as George, aged 16, a Farm Labourer, born Eltisley, living with his parents, Alfred and Ellen, on The Green, Eltisley, St Neots, Hunts. Brother of Harry (above).

KIDMAN Arthur

Private 16782, 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action on Sunday, 19th December 1915. Aged 27. Born and resident Eltisley, enlisted Bedford. Landed in France 30th August 1915. No known grave. Commemorated on YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 31 and 33.

Ypres (now Ieper) is a town in the Province of West Flanders.

KIDMAN Walter
Private 47709, 7th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Killed in action on Monday, 26th November 1917. Aged 29. Born Eltisley, enlisted St. Neots. No known grave. Commemorated on CAMBRAI MEMORIAL, LOUVERVAL, Nord, France. Panel 4.

The small village of Louverval is on the north side of the N30, Bapaume to Cambrai road, 13 kilometres north-east of Bapaume and 16 kilometres south-west of Cambrai.

in the 1911 census Walter is aged 22, born Eltisley, a Farm Labourer, living with his parents, George and Mary, in St Ives Road, Eltisley, St Neots, Hunts.

KING Henry
Private 8912, 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action on Wednesday, 1st December 1915. Aged 26. Born London, enlisted St. Neots, resident Eltisley. First landed in France 16th August 1914. Buried in CITADEL NEW MILITARY CEMETERY, FRICOURT, Somme, France. Plot V. Row A. Grave 8.

Fricourt is a village about 5 kilometres east of Albert and Citadel New Military Cemetery is approximately 2.5 kilometres south of Fricourt on the east side of the road to Bray-sur-Somme.

In the 1911 census he was with "A" Company, 2nd BAttalion, Bedfordshire Regiment resident at Prospect Barracks, Bermuda;m he was 22, a Soldier, born London, Middlesex.

PAYNE James
Corporal 16791, 2nd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. 8th Division. Killed in action at Ypres, 4th October 1917. Aged 35. Born in Eltisley and enlisted in Lincoln, resident Peterborough. First landed in France 10th September 1915. No known grave. Commemorated on TYNE COT MEMORIAL, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 35 to 37 and 162 to 162A.
RISELEY Frank
Private 326846, "A" Company, 1/1st Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment. Killed in action, in France and Flanders, 26th September 1917. Aged 22. Born Eltisley, Cambridgeshire, enlisted St. Neots, Huntingdonshire. Gardener employed by Countess of Dysart, at Eltisley. Son of William and Annie Riseley, of Eltisley, St. Neots, Hunts. Formerly 4629, Cambridgeshire Regiment. No known grave. Commemorated on TYNE COT MEMORIAL, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 148.

The Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing forms the north-eastern boundary of Tyne Cot Cemetery, which is located 9 kilometres north east of Ieper town centre, on the Tynecotstraat, a road leading from the Zonnebeekseweg (N332).

In the 1911 census Frank was aged 16, a Domestic Gardener, born Eltisley, living with his parents, William and Annie, in Church End, Eltisley, St Neots, Hunts.

RISELEY Martin
Lance Corporal 201890, 95th Battalion, Canadian Infantry. Died 31 July 1916. Aged 39. Son of Henry & Elisabeth Riseley, Eltisley; husband of Mary Ann Riseley, of 1212 King St, Toronto. Born 21 February 1977 in Eltisley. Labourer by trade. Previously served 12 years in the Grenadier Guards as a Private. Enlisted and passed fit 8 November 1915 in Toronto, Canada, aged 38 years 9 months. Height 5 ft 9½ ins, girth 39 ½ ins, complexion fresh, eyes light brown, hair brown; religion Church of England. Buried at the North-West end of the church in ELTISLEY (SS. PANDIONIA AND JOHN THE BAPTIST) CHURCHYARD EXTENSION, Cambridgeshire. National Archives of Canada Accession Reference: RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 8295 - 49

In the 1891 census Martin is aged 13, a Farm Labourer, born Eltisley, living with his parenst, Henry and Elizabeth, in Eltisley Village.

SEWELL Henry George
[Also known as George Henry] Private 40818, 8th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Died in France of Spotted Fever (Cerebro-spinal meningitis) Tuesday 15th May 1917. Aged 33. Born Eltisley, Hunts, enlisted Croxton, Cambs. Formerly 4175, Suffolk Regiment. Buried in LONGUENESSE (ST. OMER) SOUVENIR CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France. Plot IV. Row B. Grave 82.

Extracted from Local War Committee paper Found in Eltisley Church.

Enlisted 22nd March 1916. A private in the 8th Suffolks army number given as 40418. Employed at the time of enlistment as labourer by Fowler of Great Gransden, was single earning 17 shillings. His address is given as Eltisley St Neots. Died in France of Spotted Fever (Cerebro-spinal meningitis) 14th May 1917 aged about 30.

Extracted from the St Neots Advertiser.

Friday 20th April 1917. - Mr G. SEWELL of Eltisley has received news from a hospital in France that his eldest son Henry is seriously ill. Source - St Neots Advertiser.

Extracted from the St Neots Advertiser.

Friday 18th May 1917 - Death of Pte Henry SEWELL of Eltisley. Mr G. SEWELL of Eltisley has received the sad news that his son Henry has died in a Hospital in France, after several weeks illness from Spotted Fever, he was highly regarded in the village.

In the 1911 census Henry is aged 27, a Farm Labourer, born Elisley, living with his brother-in-law Arthur James Childerley in Croxton, St Neots, Hunts.

TOPHAM Herbert
Private 560, 2nd/1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Yeomanry. Died in the United Kingdom on Friday, 7th January 1916. Aged 35. Born Tempsford, enlisted and resident St Neots. Son of Mr. and Mrs. George How Topham, of College Farm, Eltisley. Buried, near the North boundary, in ELTISLEY (SS. PANDIONIA AND JOHN THE BAPTIST) CHURCHYARD EXTENSION, Cambridgeshire.

Listed in the 1911 census as Hubert Topham, aged 30, Assisting in the Family Farm Business, born tempsford, living with his parents George How and Martha, at Jews College Farm, Eltisley, St Neots, Hunts.

1939-1945
HALL Charles John
Private 5956297, 5th Battalion, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment. Died as a POW 2nd September 1943. Aged 30. Born and resident Cambridgeshire. Buried in THANBYUZAYAT WAR CEMETERY, Myanmar. Plot B1. Row F. Grave 8.
MITCHELL Ronald Harry

Leading Seaman P/JX 144354, HMS Abel Tasman, Royal Navy, Died 13th June 1940. Aged 20. Son of Walter and Beatrice Mary Mitchell, of Northampton. No known grave. Commemorated on PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL, Hampshire. Panel 38, Column 1.

Extract courtesy of World Naval Ships:

ABEL TASMAN was a Dutch coaster, built at Groningen 1937; 314 tons; 126.6ft x 24ft. In May 1940 she was taken over by the Admiralty to assist with the evacuation of troops from northern France with a small naval crew under the command of Lieutenant Edward Terence Mudie. She took part in Operation Dynamo, (evacuation from Dunkirk), and was then assigned to Operation Cycle, (the lifting of troops from other French ports). She sailed from Poole on 11 June to proceed to St Valery in company with several other naval manned coasters, but became detached from the main force in fog. Attempting to return to Poole, she was in the Swash Channel when she detonated a mine and sank. There were no survivors, with all twelve men onboard killed

Last updated 21 February, 2022

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