There is a memorial plaque to this man in the bell tower. Inscription reads: “In memory of John Allen of the Queens Surrey Regiment. For fourteen years a bell ringer of this church killed in action in France on the 29^th September 1918. Faithfull unto death.”7^th Battalion. Died 20^th September 1918 (SDITGW and CWGC) Born Brampton. Enlisted Huntingdon. Resident Brampton. Died of wounds. G/30039. Private.Villers-Faucon Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France. 11.C.7.

W G Allen – See W Allen at end of this list

Guardsman 18298, aged 27, 4th Batt., The Grenadier Guards. Contracted meningitis while in training, died in 2nd London Hospital, Chelsea, 19th February 1915. Born in Brampton and enlisted in Cresswell. Son of William & Alice Mary Allen of West End, Brampton. Buried in Brampton Cemetery.

Extract from the Hunts Post, Feb 1915:

SOLDIER BURIED

Military Funeral at Brampton

The news of the death of Private William Allen, of the Grenadier Guards, and son of Mr William Allen, of Brampton, which took place in Chelsea Hospital on Friday, was received with feelings of deep regret in the village.

Deceased, who was 27 years of age, and the eldest son of Mr. Allen, was engaged as a railway porter at the Midlany Railway station at Cresswell, near Burton-on-Trent, up to the time when war broke out. He then joined the Grenadier Guards, and as a soldier was making good progress until he was laid aside by serious illness a week before his death. Much sympathy is felt with the family, who are well-known in the village.

The funeral took place on Wednesday afternoon in the presence of a large number of mourners including about thirty of the Brampton members of the Hunts Reserve Cycle Battalion. The Rev. A. T. Thompson conducated the service at the conclusion of which two buglers of the Hunts Cyclists sounded the "Last Post."

The family mourners were MR. and Mrs. William Allen (father and mother), John, Alfred and Joe Allen (brothers), Mabel and Alice Allen (sisters), Mrs. J. Allen (sister-in-law), and Mr. C. Sutor.

The coffin was inscribed:-

WILLIAM GEORGE ALLEN
Died 19th February, 1915.
Aged 27 years.

The following is a list of the wreaths:-

........

Photograph Courtesy & Copyright Lucy Smith 2008

From The National Roll of The Great War 1914-1918, Section XII, Bedford & Northampton.

CLARK, A., L/Corporal, 8th Bedfordshire Regt.
He volunteered in September 1914, and later in the same year proceeded to the Western Front. In this theatre of war he fought in the Battles of La Bassée, Neuve Chapelle, Hill 60 and Loos, and was unfortunately killed in action at Beaumont-Hamel in September 1916. He was entitled to the 1914 Star, and General Service and Victory Medals.

"Great deeds cannot die."

Buckden Road, Brampton, Hunts.

Z1684/B.

From The National Roll of The Great War 1914-1918, Section XII, Bedford & Northampton.

CRICK, J.W., Private, Buffs (East Kent Regt.).
He joined in May 1916, and later in the same year was drafted to the Western Front, where he took part in severe fighting in various sectors. After serving in engagements at the Somme, ypres, Albert, Vimy Ridge and Beaumont-Hamel he was unfortunately killed in action on April 5th, 1917, near Arras. He was entitled to the General Service and Victory Medals.

"While we remember, the sacrifice is not in vain."

Thrapston Road, Brampton, Hunts.

Z1858.

On the Elliot grave memorial, a cross on a stepped base, there are inscriptions to W R Elliot and his wife E on the east side, a daughter M J on the west side, William (see below) on the north side, and James Dale on the south side. The four-line inscription for the latter reads 'Pte JAMES DALE ELLIOT / died of wounds in / Mesopotamia 22nd April 1916 / aged 22 years'. - These details from Viv Jenkins of the Brampton Historical Society.

From Andy Pay's research into the Marquis de Ruvigny's Roll of Honour, Volume 1, Part 1, Page 134, the following:

FISHER, Leslie Benito. Lieutenant, 12th (Service) Battalion, Kings Royal Rifle Corp. Only son of the late William Edgar Fisher, Accountant, by his wife Emma Louisa(Brampton Park, Brampton, Huntingdonshire), dau of Benjamin Beasley.

Born Fulham S.W. 25-6-1885, educated privately. Went to the Federated Malay States (Klang) in 1910 to take up a post with the North Hummock Rubber Co. Here hi promotion was rapid and at the time of his return home on leave in 1914 he was making an excellent position for himself.

He arrived in England in August of that year and three weeks later joined the Royal Fusiliers (Empire Battalion). In Nov he was offered a commision in the 12th Service Battalion of the Kings Royal Rifles, which he accepted and was gazetted 2nd Lieut 17-11-14, and promoted Lieutenant and machine gun officer 14-4-1915.

He was killed instantaneously by a shell in action at Bois Grenier, France 14-8-15.

As a schoolboy his great hobby was physical culture and he was an ardent follower of Sandow, being remarkable for his splendid athletic physique and physical fitness. In 1909 he competed in a marathon race at Bapton, Wiltshire, the course being 20 miles, and out of 32 entries only three ran the whole course, Lieut Fisher being one of them. He was a brilliant Hockey player, playing for Sussex and Dorset and obtaining his colours for the latter county.

In 1908 he joined as a trooper the Dorsetshire yeomanry and was offered a commision which however he declined.His grandfather, the late Mr. Benjamin Beasley, was a noted shot, and in 1862 competed at Wimbledon for the Echo Challenge Shield becoming one of the famous " English Eight ".

Lieut Fisher was unmarried and was buried at Bois Grenier, France. A Monument was erected to his memory in the chancel of St Marys church, Brampton, Hunts, Brampton being the village in which a great part of his life was spent.

From The National Roll of The Great War 1914-1918, Section XII, Bedford & Northampton. ** NOTE the date differences ***

JOHNSON, P., Private, Bedfordshire Regiment.
Having enlisted in January 1914, he was already in the Army when war broke out in August of that year, and in the following January proceeded to the Western Front, where he took part in the Battles of Neuve Chapelle and Hill 60. He fell fighting at Festubert on August 16th, 1915. He was entitled to the 1914-15 Star and General Service and Victory Medals.

"A costly sacrifice upon the altar of freedom."

Thrapston Road, Brampton, Hunts.

Z3131/B.

British War Medal awarded to P Johnson 15078, Bedfordshire Regiment

From The National Roll of The Great War 1914-1918, Section XII, Bedford & Northampton.

SUTER J., Private, Sherwood Foresters.
He joined in 1916, and underwent a period of training prior to his being drafted to France. There he took part in much heavy fighting in the Somme sector, and was wounded. Whilst being conveyed to hospital he was unfortunately killed by a shell explosion on June 1st, 1917. He was entitled to the General Service and Victory Medals.

"Thinking that remembrance, though unspoken, may reach him where he sleeps."

West End, Brampton, Hunts.

Z4342.

There are four small (Great War) memorial windows in the church. Details from left to right as follows:

1. “Here General Allenby entereth Jerusalem on December 11^th 1917 and initiates under Christian government a rule of justice and freedom for the holy city.” Features soldiers presenting arms welcoming Allenby.
2. “Remember ye those men from Brampton who died for righteousness, freedom and peace in the Great War honouring whose memory their relatives and friends have dedicated this window.” Features these words ringed by a laurel wreath.
3. “Here behind the trenches on the eve of battle the soldier receives the most blessed sacrement and the body and blood of Christ.” Soldiers at prayer surrounded by smashed buildings and broken trees.
4. “Here he relieves his comrades in the trenches, the soldier passeth a wayside crucifix and is reminded of the great sacrifice offered for him at Calgary.” Soldiers with sloped arms around a crucifix with ambulances.

1939-1945

Marble plaque underneath the WW1 Memorial Window:

Mrs. Bruce, of Lodge Farm, Brampton, has received information from the War Office that there is reason to believe that her son, Pte. G. Bruce (Cambs. Regt.) is alive and in Japanese hands.

The letter says that a member of his unit escaped and stated that he saw Pte. Bruce being taken to hospital slightly wounded.

Pte. Bruce has been missing two years and six months and this is the only news Mrs. Bruce has received of him. It is very heartening to the family and to his many friends.

Pte. Bruce has been in the Forces since the outbreak of war and fought in the Singapore campaign.

Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Carter, of the school House, Brampton, have receivednews that their eldest son, Bombardier Thomas J. Carter, RA., has been killed in action on the Burma front.

Bdr. Carter was an old Huntingdon Grammar Sehool boy, and worked in the London Stock Exchange before the war. He was a Territorial in the London Rifle Brigade and was called to the Regulars at the outbreak of war, seeing much active service with the A.A. Command during the Battle of Britain. He had been in India for the past two years.

The sympathy of the whole village will go out to the parents of this quiet, unassuming and cheerful lad. His brother William is serving at sea with the Navy.

Sgt. English who was killed on the landing beaches had been in the Army since October, 1939, and had served right through the North African campaign with the English Army. He was 25 years of age and leaves a widow and baby daughter, who are at present living at Perry. His father, Mr. W. English, of Brampton, served in the last war and he has three brothers and two sisters in the Forces. Sgt. English was employed by Mr. H. Butters, the Huntingdon bucther, before enlistment. He holds the Africa Star.

Pte. Ronald Peter Sellens, second son of Mr. and Mrs. Sellens, Thrapston-rd., Brampton, who was serving with the Army in Italy, has been killed in action this month. He was only 19 and before enlisting a few months ago (he had been abroad only five months) he was employed, first, by Mr. W. E. Driver, grocer, Huntingdon, and later by Messrs. F. T. Thackray and Co., the Huntingdon builders. He was a very popular lad and his commanding officer, in a letter to his parents, says he was “an example of cheerfulness and much liked.”

F/Lt. Eric Woodward, of Brampton, who was posted missing on D-Day, has now been officially presumed killed.

Formerly a pupil at Brampton village school, he won a County Junior Scholarship to Huntingdon Grammar School in 1934 and so commenced a secondary school course in which he was an outstanding pupil, particularly in art.

He passed his School Certificate examination in 1938 and the Higher School Certificate in 1940. In the latter he gained a distinction in Advanced Art? the only distinction gained by any candidate in Art in the Cambridge Higher Certificate examination in that year. In recognition of this achievement he was awarded a deferred County Major Scholarship to enable him to pursue his studies at an Art School on his return from military service.

Although Eric Woodward was known chiefly through his promise as an artist, he was a good all-round pupil and he held school colours for athletics and swimming and half colours for football. He was, too, for two years a school prefect.

When the Air Defence Cadet Corps was formed in February 1939 he became one of the first N.C.O.’s and before he was called to the R.A,F. he had become a most efficient Cadet Sergeant.

In the short period between his leaving school and his enlistment in the R.A.F. he gave valuable help as a temporary instructor in physical training at his old school, at a time when the school had lost two instructors to the Forces.

His promotion in the R.A.F. was rapid and those who knew him at school were not surprised that he became a fighter pilot.

By his death the county has lost another young man of great promise.