GREAT
OAKLEY WAR MEMORIAL
World
War 1 & 2 - Roll of Honour with detailed information
Compiled and copyright © John Mayhew, Researched Martin Edwards 2006
This
Memorial stands in the center of the village and is made from portnald
stone. It takes the form of of a base surmounted by an obelisk, the
lower half of which is encased by a set of four columns. Flower holders
stand at the foot of each side. The inscription is in relief on two
sides. The whole monument stands on a paved area which is bordered by
10 cast posts. There are wreaths in relief on the sides. The names held
are listed with surname, rank, Regiment, forename, decorations. There
are 24 names for World War 1 and 11 for World War 2. The original memorial
was unveiled and dedicated by local dignitaries and clergymen on 30th
January 1920, the architect was Mr Vincent Brown. Irionically the memorial
was erected on the spot where the first recruiting meeting was held
in 1914.
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Photograph
(above) Copyright © John Mayhew 2006 |
(above)
From an old postcard 1920's |
LEST
WE FORGET
TO
THE MEN OF GREAT OAKLEY
WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR
THEIR COUNTRY IN THE WORLD WAR
1914-1918
BARKER |
Frederick
[William] |
[Listed
as Sergeant on the memorial] Corporal 8730, 1st Battalion, Northamptonshire
Regiment. Killed in action 20th June 1916. Aged 30. Born Great Oakley,
enlisted Harwich. Son of Walter and Amelia Barker, of Great Oakley,
Harwich; husband of Mary Barker, of "Sunnyside," Potland,
Beaumont, Essex. Buried in MAROC BRITISH CEMETERY, GRENAY, Pas de
Calais, France. Plot I. Row G. Grave 1. |
BURROWS,
DSM |
Allan |
Able
Seaman 219730, H.M.S. Oumana, Royal Navy Died 18th March 1916. Awarded
the Distinguished Service Medal (D.S.M.) for services during the
advance on Kut-el-Amara 27th and 28th September 1915. Buried in
KUT WAR CEMETERY, Iraq. Plot/Row/Section F. Grave 3. |
COLEMAN |
James |
Private
276077, 1st/6th Battalion, Essex Regiment. Died in Palestine 30th
December 1917. Born Captel St Mary, Suffolk, enlsited Colchester,
resident Great Oakley. Buried in RAMLEH WAR CEMETERY, Israel. Plot/Row/Section
G. Grave 46. |
COOK |
[William]
Alfred |
Ordinary
Seaman J/13460 (CH), H.M.S.
Formidable, Royal Navy. Killed or died as a direct result of
enemy action 1st January 1917. Aged 18. Born 10 May 1895 in Manningtree.
Son of Eliza Cook, of 32, Colegrave Road, Stratford, London. Stepson
of E. C. Dean, of 126, Frith Rd., Leytonstone, London. Butcher's
Boy by trade. Enlisted 10 May 1913 for 12 years, aged 18, heght
5 feet 6½ inches, chest 38 inches, dark brown hair, hazel
eyes, fresh complexion. No known grave. Commemorated on CHATHAM
NAVAL MEMORIAL, Kent. Panel 9. |
COOK |
Cecil |
Private
3/2342, 1st Battalion, Essex Regiment. Killed in action 14th April
1917. Born and resident Great Oakley, enlisted Harwich. No known
grave. Commemorated on ARRAS MEMORIAL, Pas de Calais, France. Bay
7. |
GARNHAM |
Ernest |
Sapper
and Shoeing Smith 13076, 12th Field Company, Royal Engineers. Died
of wounds 12th August 1915. Boren and enlisted Ipswich, Suffolk.
Husband of R. Garnham, of Queen St., Great Oakley, Harwich. Buried
in ETAPLES MILITARY CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France. Plot IV. Row
A. Grave 2. |
GOOCH |
Bertie
[Allen] |
Private
G/423812, 1st Battalion, Duke of Csmbridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment).
Killed in action 23rd April 1917. Aged 20. Born and resident Great
Oakley, enlisted Warley. Son of James and Elizabeth Gooch, of Barn
Houses, Gt. Oakley, Essex. Buried in HENINEL-CROISILLES ROAD CEMETERY,
Pas de Calais, France. Plot II. Row C. Grave 33. |
HAMILL |
William
[Weatherburn] |
[Listed
as HAMIL on CWGC] Private 10660, 1st Battalion, Essex Regiment.
Died of wounds 23rd April 1917. Born Stevenstone, Ayrshire, enlisted
Harwich, resident Great Oakley. Son of Mrs. J. Hamil, of Springhouse,
Corringham Hope, Essex. Buried in DUISANS BRITISH CEMETERY, ETRUN,
Pas de Calais, France. Plot IV. Row A. Grave 21. |
HYNARD |
Charles |
Private
9561, 1st Battalion, Essex Regiment. Died of wounds at sea 8th May
1915. Born Levenheath, Suffolk, enlisted Harwich, resident Great
Oakley. No known grave. Commemorated on HELLES MEMORIAL, Turkey.
Panel 144 to 150 or 229 to 233. |
KEEBLE |
Frank
Cooper |
Private
G/15898, 6th Battalion, Queen's OWn (Royal West Kent Regiment).
Killed in action 7th October 1916. Aged 36. Born Great Oakley, enlisted
Colchester. Son of Thomas Cooper-Keeble, of Stone's Green, Great
Oakley, Harwich, Essex. No known grave. Commemorated on THIEPVAL
MEMORIAL, Somme, France. Pier and Face 11 C. |
KING |
Ezra
[Carrol] |
Leading
Telegraphist J/1600, H.M.S. Turbulent, Royal Navy. Lost when his
ship went down 1st June 1916. Aged 24. Son of Sarah King, of Willesden,
London; husband of Grace Mary King, of Stones Green, Great Oakley,
Harwich, Essex. No known grave. Commemorated on CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL,
Kent. Panel 17.
Note:
HMS TURBULENT was sunk 1st June 1916 in the North Sea by German
naval forces during the Battle of Jutland. She was serving with
10th DF, Harwich Force as part of Battlecruiser Fleet. She was completed
on the 12th May and less than 3 weeks later went down. Hit by gunfire
from the dreadnought "Westfalen", and other battleships,
and then possibly finished off by a torpedo from German destroyer
"V.71". There were 96 men killed, and 90 men lost.
|
MANN |
Bert |
Private
1632, Essex Yeomanry. Killed in action 14th May 1915. Enlsited Colchester,
resident Great Oakley. No known grave. Commemorated on YPRES (MENIN
GATE) MEMORIAL, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 5. |
MILLS |
John
aka Jack |
Private
7317, 2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment. Died of wounds 12th January
1915. BornLeyton, enlisted Warley, resident Greak Oakley. Buried
in STRAND MILITARY CEMETERY, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium.
Plot X. Row L. Grave 3. |
OFFORD |
Charles |
Able
Seaman J/20199/CH, H.M.S. Conquest, Royal Navy. Died 29th March
1916. Aged 19. Buried east of the church in ALL SAINTS CHURCHYARD,
GREAT OAKLEY, Essex. |
OFFORD |
Frederick
Percy |
Gunner
102408, 234th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Killed in
action 10th July 1917. Born and resident Great Oakley, enlisted
Warley. Buried in VLAMERTINGHE NEW MILITARY CEMETERY, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen,
Belgium. Plot IV. Row G. Grave 10. |
OFFORD |
Frederick |
Private
43793, 1st Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Killed in action 27th
May 1918. Aged 18. Born Bow, Middlesex, enlisted Harwich. Son of
Mr. and Mrs. Offord, of 27, Gale St., Devons Rd., Bow, London. No
known grave. Commemorated on SOISSONS MEMORIAL, Aisne, France. |
ORVIS,
DCM, MSM |
Henry |
Sergeant
18825, 29th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Killed in action
between 14th and 15th May 1918. Aged 29. Born and resident Stones
Green, enlisted Warley. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Orvis, of Stones
Green, Great Oakley, Harwich, Essex. Fomerly 8364, Essex Regiment.
Awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (D.C.M.). and the Meritorious
Service Medal (M.S.M.). No known grave. Commemorated on PLOEGSTEERT
MEMORIAL, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium. Panel 11. |
POLLEY |
Frederick |
Private,
Essex Regiment there is no Frederick POLLEY listed for the Essex
Regiment but this is probably Amos POLLEY, Private 40098, 9th Battalion,
Essex Regiment. Died of wounds 28th September 1918. Aged 40. Born
Tolleshunt, Essex, enlisted Colchester, resident Great Oakley. Son
of David and Mary Polley, of Tolleshunt D'Arcy. Three times wounded
in France. Born at Tolleshunt Knights. Buried in ALL SAINTS CHURCHYARD,
TOLLESHUNT KNIGHTS, Essex. |
RIVETT |
Frederick |
Private
41182, 9th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment. Killed in action 21st March
1918. Born Great Oakley, enlisted Harwich. No known grave. Commemorated
on ARRAS MEMORIAL, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 3. |
ROWLAND,
MM |
Arthur
[John] |
Company
Serjeant Major 5414, 1st Battalion, Essex Regiment. Died of wounds
21st October 1916. Born Upper Dovercourt, Harwich, resident Great
Oakley. Awarded the Military Medal (M.M.). Buried in BERNAFAY WOOD
BRITISH CEMETERY, MONTAUBAN, Somme, France. Plot/Row/Section D.
Grave 30. |
SIMONS |
Alfred |
Private
G/43077, 4th Battalion, Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment).
Killed in action 23rd April 1917. Born Wesley, Essex, enlisted Colchester,
resident Great Oakley. Previously G/10576, Queen's Own (Royal West
Surrey Regiment). No known grave. Commemorated on ARRAS MEMORIAL,
Pas de Calais, France. Bay 7. |
SMEE |
John |
[Listed
as Lance Corporal on memorial] Private 3/3029, "D" Company,
10th Battalion, Essex Regiment. Died of wounds in United Kingdom
20th August 1916. Aged 19. Born Custom House, Essex, enlsited and
resident Harwich. Commemorated on the Screen Wall in ALL SOULS'
CEMETERY, KENSAL GREEN, London. Reference 213. 5. 10. |
WRYCRAFT |
Benjamin
aka Ben |
Private
40254, 2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment. Killed in action 23rd October
1916. Born and resident Great Oakley, enlisted Colchester. No knoiwn
grave. Commemorated on THIEPVAL MEMORIAL. Somme, France. Pier and
Face 10 D. |
YOUNGMAN |
Frank
[Christopher] |
Lance
Corporal G/60248, 4th Battalion, Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex
Regiment). Died of wounds 25th AUgust 1918. Aged 19. Born Hadleigh,
Suffolk, enlisted Colchester, resident Great Oakley. Son of Frederick
Henry and Gertrude Elizabeth Kate Youngman, of Sparrow's Farm, Great
Oakley, Harwich, Essex. Buried in BAGNEUX BRITISH CEMETERY, GEZAINCOURT,
Somme, France. Plot VI. Row C. Grave 2. |
AT
THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN
AND IN THE MORNING WE WILL
REMEMBER THEM
TO THE MEMORY OF THE MEN OF
THIS PARISH WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES
FOR KING AND COUNTRY IN THE
SECOND WORLD WAR 1939-1945 |
ATKINSON |
John |
Flight
Sergeant, Royal Air Force. Son of the headmaster of the village
school. Cannot positively identify from the CWGC records. |
BONSEY |
George |
Flying
Officer 138647, 143 Squadron, Royal Air Force. Died 25th August
1943. Aged 32. Son of the Rector, the Rev. Richard Yerborough Bonsey
and Gertrude Mary Bonsey; husband of Betty Joan Bonsey. No known
grave. Commemorated on RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL, Surrey. Panel 123. |
BRADBROOK |
Robert
[George] |
Sapper
2161822, Royal Engineers. Died 10th December 1944. Aged 31. Husband
of Ivy Lillian Bradbrook, of Harwich, Essex. No known grave. Commemorated
on ATHENS MEMORIAL, Greece. Face 4. |
BYFORD |
Horace
[Walter Sydney] |
Gunner
950073, 3 Super-Heavy Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. Died 12th
June 1945. Aged 26. Son of Horace George and Phylis Byford; husband
of Rose Louise Byford, of Harwich, Essex. Buried in REICHSWALD FOREST
WAR CEMETERY, Kleve, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. Plot 61. Row
B. Grave 11. |
CLARKE |
Eric
[Wilfred] |
Lance
Corporal 6024619, 5th Battalion, Essex Regiment. Died 2nd November
1943. Aged 29. Son of the local butcher, Ambrose James Clarke and
Edith Elizabeth Clarke, of Great Oakley, Essex. Commemorated on
family gravestone in ALL SAINTS CHURCHYARD, GREAT OAKLEY, Essex.
Buried in SANGRO RIVER WAR CEMETERY, Italy. Plot XVII. Row B. Grave
13. |
COLE |
Edward
[Frank] |
Aircraftman
1st Class 1175158, 211
Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Died 19th January
1944. Buried in LABUAN WAR CEMETERY, Malaysia. Plot U. Row B. Grave
14. |
EASTAUGH |
Stanley
[Francis] |
Flight
Sergeant 534856, Royal Air Force. Died 19th November 1945. Son of
one of the two village grocers. Buried in ST. JOHN CHURCHYARD EXTENSION,
LLANGOLLEN, Denbighshire. Section B. Extension. Row 3. Grave 19. |
EDWARDS |
Patrick
[Charles] |
Lieutenant
232602, 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade. Died 17th August 1943. Aged
20. Son of Lt.-Col. Patrick Edwards, D.S.O., and Catherine Margaret
Edwards, of South Kensington, London. Buried in ALEXANDRIA (HADRA)
WAR MEMORIAL CEMETERY, Egypt. Plot 5. Row D. Grave 1. |
HARVEY |
Eric
[Owen] |
Stoker
2nd Class P/KX 114349, H.M.S. Hood, Royal Navy. Lost when his ship
was sunk by the German Battleship Bismark 24th May 1941. Aged 17.
Son of Percy and Phillis Harvey, of Stone's Green, Essex. No known
grave. Commemorated on PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL, Hampshire. Panel
56, Column 1. |
HOLBROOK |
James
[Charles] |
Sergeant
(Flight Engineer) 1300859, 166 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer
Reserve. Died 26th February 1944. Aged 23. Son of Thomas Henry Holbrook,
and of Florence Ann Holbrook, of Great Oakley, Essex. Buried in
RANRUPT MIXED NATIONAL CEMETERY, Bas-Rhin, France. Grave 8. He was
reported killed in action flying in Lancaster I, serial ME639, Code
AS-A, from 166 Squadron that took off from RAF Kirmington at 18:30
on the evening of 25th February 1944 on Ops to Augsburg; the plane
crashed near Colroy-la-Roche (Bas-Rhin).
Note:
166 Squadron had been reformed in November 1936, as a heavy-bomber
squadron equipped with Handley Page Heyford aircraft. It became
part of an air observers' school in June 1938, than a Group pool
squadron about May 1939 and by the outbreak of the Second World
War was flying Whitleys. Soon after the outbreak of war it became
a No. 6 Group training squadron. It remained as such until April
1940, and then merged with No. 97 Squadron and SHQ Abingdon to form
No. 10 OTU.
No.
166 was re-formed in January 1943, at Kirmington, Lincolnshire again
as a bomber squadron. It remained based at Kirmington throughout
the remainder of the war and, flying Wellingtons and Lancasters,
participated in many major raids, and also played an active part
in Gardening (minelaying). The squadron won at least two DSOs, two
CGMs, 117 DFCs and 108 DFMs in the Second World War and was disbanded
on the 1st September 1946. |
LITTLEWOOD |
Arthur |
Lance
Corporal, Royal Engineers probably
Arthur Henry LITTLEWOOD, Sapper 1887892, 1002 Docks Operating Company,
Royal Engineers. Died 31st March 1943. Buried in SUEZ WAR MEMORIAL
CEMETERY, Egypt. Plot 2. Row F. Grave 12. |
OFFORD |
Charles
[Stanley] |
Sergeant
(Air Gunner) 1877334, 166 Sqadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.
Died 12th October 1944. Aged 19. Son of Stanley William and Ethel
May Offord, of Great Oakley. Buried in ALL SAINTS CHURCHYARD, GREAT
OAKLEY, Essex. Grave 152.
For
details of 166 Squadron see above. |
PATMORE |
Douglas
[Archibald] |
Driver
2330232, III Indian Corps Signals, Royal Corps of Signals. Died
21st September 1944. Aged 25. Son of Archibald Patmore, and of Audrey
Florence Patmore, of Great Oakley, Essex. Commemorated on family
gravestone in ALL SAINTS CHURCHYARD, GREAT OAKLEY, Essex. Commemorated
on SINGAPORE MEMORIAL, Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore. Column 46.
|
WRYCRAFT |
Derek
[A] |
[Spelt
Derrick on CWGC] Stoker 2nd Class P/KX113003, H.M.S. Cameron, Royal
Navy. Died when German Luftwaffe bombers attacked Portsmouth 5th
December 1940. Aged 24. Son of Arthur H. Wrycraft and Annie M. Wrycraft,
of Great Oakley. Buried in ALL SAINTS CHURCHYARD, GREAT OAKLEY,
Essex.
Note:
HMS Cameron was a Town Class Destroyer, pennant: I 05, built by
Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp. (Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S.A.) She
was laid down on 13th November 1918, launched 8th May 1919 and commissioned
9th September 1940. She started life as the USS Welles and was renamed
HMS Cameron being placed in commission on 9th September 1940 by
Lieutenant Commander P. G. Merriman, R.N. She was delayed in sailing
from Halifax for Britain shen she suffered problems with a generator.
Having finally got underway, the destroyer made port at Plymouth
on 13th November 1940 then relocating to Portsmouth three days later.
She was placed in dockyard hands to receive her first major overhaul
since coming under the White Ensign. During this refit on 5th December
1940, German Luftwaffe bombers attacked Portsmouth while she lay
defenseless in drydock no. 8. A high explosive bomb severely damaged
the ship, capsizing her. She was deemed unsuitable for return to
active sea service and was eventually refloated on 23rd February
1941 and allocated for use as a hulk. |
Last
updated
28 October, 2022
|