Ministry of Defence
Lest We Forget
The Royal British Legion
| Ministry of Defence |
Lest We Forget |
The Royal British Legion |
 |
Photograph
Copyright © Barry Burnham 2012 |
1914 – 1919
IN
HONOUR OF THE MEN OF HOLY TRINITY CHURCH &
PARISH, WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR KING AND COUNTRY
The men of Holy Trinity are recorded in the order of appearance on the Memorial.
| ADAMS | Charles Joseph |
Lance-Corporal
220501, 2nd Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment, formerly Oxfordshire
and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Born in Oxford at Pensions Gardens,
St. Ebbes on 23 of September 1890, Charles Joseph Adams was one
of nine children born to Frank and Sarah Adams, and the husband
of Maud Maria Adams who he married during the autumn of 1910. Employed
as a stableman in civilian life, Charles Adams saw the birth of
four children. Enlisting in January 1915, Charles Adams almost survived
the Great War, and was killed in action on 7 October 1918. After
the war, Charles Adams was commemorated on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial,
(Panel 7) France. |
| ALDER | Sidney | Private
8175, 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
Sidney Alder was wounded in the head on 26 October 1914, and later
died of his wounds at the Victoria Hospital in Cork; Southern Ireland
on 28 November 1914 aged 20. One of eleven children, Sidney Alder
was born in Oxford at 15 Friars Street St. Ebbes on 31 August 1894,
the third son of William and Jane Alder. A Holy Trinity Schoolboy
in his youth, Sidney was buried in the Cork Military Cemetery, but
as his grave could not be maintained at that site, the name of Sidney
Alder was later commemorated on the Grangegorman (Cork) Memorial
Headstones, Ireland. |
| ARKELL | Ernest John |
Private
3514, 1/4th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
A Holy Trinity Schoolboy and baker’s assistant before the war, Ernest
Arkell enlisted in October 1914 and was posted to France the following
year. Ernest Arkell was killed in action on the Somme near to Pozieres
on 23 July 1916, aged 22. Ernest was the youngest son of John and
Kitty Arkell, and was born in Oxford in the parish of Holy Trinity
(Blackfriars Road) on 14 October 1893. Ernest was buried in the
Pozieres British Cemetery, (Grave Ref I.G.24) France. |
| ALLDAY | John | Private
163589, 1st Battalion, Royal Hampshire Regiment, formally Pte 11459
Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. John Allday enlisted at the end
of August 1914 and was wounded, and later died of his wounds on
23 April 1918. Born at Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire on 1 February
1882, John was the son of George and Jane Allday who both originated
from London. Employed in a local brewery, John Allday married Nellie
Jane Fletcher in 1908, and went on to have four children, the last
of which was born just a few months after his death. John was one
of seven Allday brothers who saw service during the Great War. John
Allday was buried at the Pernes British Cemetery, (Grave Ref I.D.31)
France. |
| ALLEN | James |
Private
41673, 1st Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, originally posted as
missing, James Allen was recorded as killed in action on 22 March
1918. The son of Walter (a carpenter) and Mary Allen, James was
born in the Oxford parish of St. Thomas in 1880. Later employed
as a bricklayer, James married Mary King in the village of Harwell
on boxing day 1903, and after moving to the parish of Holy Trinity,
the Allen family had a total of six children. James Allen was later
commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial, (Panels 23/24) France. |
| BENNETT | Albert Edward | Trooper
1932, Queens Own Oxfordshire Hussars. Whilst serving in Belgium,
Albert died of wounds on 23 May 1915. The son of George and Rosa
Bennett of 28 Blackfriars Road, St. Ebbes, Albert Bennett was born
at 30 South Street in Osney in 1896, and joined the Oxfordshire
Hussars at the same time as his brother Stanley, who was awarded
the Military Medal towards the end of war. Employed by the County
Education Offices, Albert was sent to France in September 1914,
and now lies buried in the Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension,
(Grave Ref I.F.46) France. |
| BRICKNELL | Thomas Abel |
Lance-Corporal
6785, 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
A veteran of the Boar War (1899-1902) Thomas Abel Bricknell was
a reservist recalled to the colours on the outbreak of war, and
was killed in action on 25 September 1915, just four months after
his arrival in France. One of fourteen children born to Thomas and
Harriett Bricknell of Oxford, Thomas was born in Blackfriars Road
on 9 September 1882, and originally joined the army at the age of
eighteen. After marrying Maud Emily Nutt at SS Mary and John Church
in Cowley on 1 October 1910, Thomas only had one child with his
wife, however he did have an adopted child and a stepdaughter. Thomas Bricknell was remembered on the Loos Memorial (Panels 83-85) in France. |
| BLAY | Leonard | Private
10225, 5th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
Leonard Blay was still only seventeen years of age when he was posted
as missing in action, and later recorded killed in action on 25
September 1915. The son of a clerk, Leonard Blay was born in Oxford
on 28 November 1897, and was second youngest of eleven children
born to David and Kate Blay of Oxford. Enlisting in August 1914,
after the war, Leonard was commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate)
Memorial, (Panels 37 and 38) Belgium. |
| BRADLEY | Henry Charles |
Private
16909) 5th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment. Henry died of wounds
on Christmas Day 1915 aged 23. Born at Trinity Street in St. Ebbes
on 23 September 1892; seemingly well known by his middle name of
Charles, Henry Bradley was the second eldest of nine children born
to Louisa and William Bradley, a railway worker and general labourer
from Reading, Berkshire. Henry Bradley was later buried at the Longuenesse
(St Omer) Souvenir Cemetery, (Grave Ref II.B.2) France. |
| BOSWELL | Harry | Private
17402, 1st Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
Harry Boswell originally served with the 2/1st Battalion which was
deployed to Mesopotamia, in an attempt to relieve Kut. Unsuccessful,
the 2/1st became the 1st Battalion and was placed on line of communication
duties at Amara (Iraq) where Harry died of disease on 28 June 1916.
Born in the Oxford parish of St. Thomas on 12 July 1880, Harry Boswell
married Eliza Drinkwater in 1902, and was employed at the local
gas works before the war. Harry left a wife and four children, and
was buried at the Amara War Cemetery, (Grave Ref VIII.C.15) in present
day Iraq. |
| BULTITUDE | Reginald Charles |
Lance-Corporal
S/11065, 11th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Killed
in action at the battle of Flers-Courcelette on 15 September 1916
aged 36. Born in Speedwell Street as Reginald Charles Edmund Bultitude
on 29 November 1880, Reginald was the eldest of three children born
to college servant Alfred Bultitude and his wife Annie. Before the
war, Reginald worked as a tailor’s cutter, and for a time at least
he had lived in Cheshire, although seems to have returned home to
Oxford before his enlistment. Later commemorated on the Thiepval
Memorial, (Pier and Face 15A and16C) France. |
| BROWN | George Alfred | Private
306608, 1st Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, George Brown
was killed in action on 15 April 1918, at the age of 30. One of
six children, George Brown was born in Oxford at Friars Street,
St. Ebbes on 2 August 1887, the second of three sons born to Emma
and Charles Brown, a gas-works labourer from Oxford. Formerly employed
as an office boy and bar assistant, after the war, George Brown
was commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial, (Panel 2-3) Belgium. |
| BROOKER | George |
Private
252125, 3rd Battalion, London Regiment (att Royal Army Ordnance
Corps) George Brooker died of wounds on 29 June 1918, aged 30. Born
in London on September 23, 1886, George Brooker was one of four
children born to Henry Brooker, a bricklayer, and his wife Eliza.
Employed as a chimney sweep, George Brooker married Louisa Hemmings
at the Oxford Registry Office in May 1910. George and Louisa had
four children (one of which died in infancy), and at the time of
his death, the Brooker family was living at Friars Wharf, St. Ebbes.
As a result of his injuries, George Brooker was moved to the Tidworth
and Fargo Military Hospitals in Wiltshire and after his death he
was laid to rest at the Tidworth Military Cemetery. (Grave Ref D.14) |
| BAXTER | Leslie | Boy
2nd Class, J/89840, Royal Navy, Leslie Baxter had only recently
joined the Royal Navy when he died of Pneumonia on 29 June 1918,
aged 16. Born in the village of Potton in Bedfordshire on 15 September
1901, Leslie Baxter moved to Oxford soon after his parents died;
and shortly before his own death, had been living with his only
brother, Wilfred Stanley, who was living in Blackfriars Road with
his young wife. After his death, Leslie was buried at the Ford Park
Cemetery, (Grave Ref S6.16) Plymouth. |
| BROGDEN | Percival Edward Arthur |
Private
43689, 2/8th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment. The eldest of six
children, Percival Brogden was born at Summerfield Road, New Hinksey
(Oxford) on 9 June 1889, to Joseph Brogden a Police Constable with
the City of Oxford Police, and his wife Charlotte Hamilton. Employed
by A.R Mowbray in St. Aldates, Percival Brogden joined the Army
in 1917, and was wounded in action on 27/28 May 1918. He later died
in hospital in Calais (16 June) and was buried at the Les Baraques
Military Cemetery, (Grave Ref IV A.3) Sangatte, France. |
| BEST | John Thomas | Private
316422, 24th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, formally 2939 Oxford
and Bucks Light Infantry. The son of Thomas and Eliza Best, John
Best was born in Oxford on 28 May 1887. Employed at the Oxford University
Press, John married Mabel Day in 1911, and together they had one
daughter. John Best died in a Norwich Hospital of Pneumonia on 3
August 1918, and was later buried near to his home in Oxford. Although
he enlisted early in September 1914, John Best served exclusively
with home service units in England. |
| BROOM | John Richard |
Private
2944, 1/4th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
Born in Oxford on 1 October 1887 as Richard John Johnston Broom
Carter, John Broom was the son of Fanny Carter, a widow, and Richard
Broom, a bricklayer and publican by trade. Later employed as a builder
and painter, John enlisted in September 1914, and was wounded in
May/June 1915. He was accidentally killed later the same year (3/12/1915)
when a dug-out he was sheltering in with five other men collapsed
due to heavy rain. John Broom was buried in the Hebuterne Military
Cemetery, (Grave Ref I.D.12) France. |
| COWLES | John Arthur | Private
73647, 28th Battalion, (Saskatchewan Regiment) Canadian Infantry.
One of seven children, John Cowles was born in Sadler Street in
1894, the youngest son of William Cowles, a stableman, and his wife
Rose West. Employed as a fish-mongers porter, John Cowles emigrated
to Canada in May 1913, but returned with the Canadian Infantry (enlisting
in October 1914) in May 1915. John Cowles was killed in Action near
to Ypres in Belgium on 6 June 1916 aged 21. With no known grave,
his name was later commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial,
(Panels 18-26-28) Belgium. |
| CHURCH | Arthur |
Private
200453, 2/4th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
Born in the then rural village of Cowley near to Oxford in 1896,
Arthur Church was the second youngest of nine children born to James
Church, a traction engine driver, and his wife, Emily Jane Higgins.
Employed by the Church Army Press in Temple Cowley, Arthur Church
enlisted early in September 1914, and arrived in France in May 1916.
Arthur Church was killed in action near to Foucaucourt in France
on 28 February 1917, but with no known grave his name was later
Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, (Pier and Face 10A and 10D)
France. |
| CLACK | William Charles | Private
66598, 101 Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps. Born in Oxford,
at the long since demolished Jericho Gardens on 10 September 1897,
William Clack was one of three children born to Sarah and Phillip
Clack. The eldest child, William was educated at Holy Trinity School,
and soon gained employment at the Oxford University Press. Enlisting
in September 1915, William Clack first arrived in France in November
1915, and was killed by an exploding shell on 22 April 1917. William
Clack was buried at the St. Leger British Cemetery, (Grave Ref E.13)
France. |
| COX | William Walter |
Private
201655, 2/4th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
Born at 2 Turner’s Yard St. Ebbes on 3 December 1890, William Cox
was one of six children born to Susan and William Cox Snr, a musician
and gasworks stoker. William himself soon gained employment at the
Church Army Press in Cowley, and was living in Blackfriars Road
at the time of his death. Enlisting in May 1915, William was posted
to France in May 1916, and was killed in Action fifteen months later
on 22 August 1917. With his body not recoverable, William Cox was
later commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, (Panels 96
- 98) Belgium. |
| CECHINI | Peter | Italian
Infantry. Reputedly born near to the town of Castelvecchio in Northern
Italy, Peter was born as Argustine Cechini c 1885. Arriving in the
UK early in the twentieth century, Peter Cechini moved to Oxford,
where he gained employment working for Carlo Marchetti (also an
Italian immigrant) who owned a fresh fish and confectionary shop
in Commercial Road, St. Ebbes. Peter Cechini returned home to Italy
in July 1916, and was recorded as killed in action on the Trentino
Front, on 14 June 1917. His final resting place is unknown. |
| COWLES | Reginald William |
Lance-Corporal
24887, 2nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment. The second of three
sons born to William and Rose Cowles, Reginald was born at 5 Sadler
Street, St. Ebbes on 6 August 1892. Employed as a grocer’s assistant
by the local Co-operative society before his enlistment, Reginald
later married Agnes Stowell in June 1916. Possibly first arriving
in France after his marriage, Reginald Cowles was posted as missing
in action on 27 February 1917, and later confirmed as killed in
action on that date. Reginald was later commemorated on the Thiepval
Memorial, (Pier and Face 5A and 6C) France. |
| COULING | Sidney Charles | Private
2128940, 78th Battalion (Manitoba Regiment) Canadian Infantry. The
son of Charles Couling and his second wife, Susan Worth, Sidney
Couling was born at English Row, St. Aldates on 27 May 1895. Employed
as an errand boy, Sidney emigrated to Canada soon after the 1911
census, and eventually arrived in Saskatchewan in Canada where he
gained employment as a farm labourer. Conscripted in November 1917,
Sidney Couling was killed in action at Amiens on 11 August 1918,
aged 23. As his body was never recovered, Sidney’s name was later
honoured on the Vimy Memorial, France. |
| CLEMENTS | John Henry |
Private
22873, Royal Defence Corps, 60th Protection Coy, formerly Oxford
and Bucks Light Infantry. Born in Islington on 6 March 1866, the
son of a carpenter, John Clements originally joined the Oxfordshire
Light Infantry in December 1883. After his arrival in Oxford, John
married Beatrice Glenn at Holy Trinity Church in August 1891. Later
employed as a college kitchen porter, John Clements saw the birth
of six children, and lived in Blackfriars Road. It’s unknown exactly
when he enlisted but John only served at home in the UK, and later
succumbed to Influenza and Pneumonia at a military hospital in Chichester
on 2 December 1918. He body was returned home to Oxford, followed
by internment at the Osney (St. Mary) Cemetery, west of Oxford.
|
| CALCUTT | (William) George | Private
M2/102347, 910th M.T.C, Royal Army Service Corps. Born at Lee Green
in Kent as William George Calcutt, George Calcutt was the eldest
son of Mary and William Calcutt who was employed as a baker. Recorded
as living in Kilburn (London) in 1914, George Calcutt joined the
Territorial Army in October, later joining the Regular Army in May
1915. George was stationed near to Abingdon in Berkshire when he
married Frances Walter at Holy Trinity in December 1915. Arriving
in France in April 1916, George was accidentally injured in November
and returned home to England. Later deployed to Salonica, George
was serving with the MTC when he died of Broncho Pneumonia at Kalamaria
on 4 December 1918, aged 23. George Calcutt was buried at the Mikra
British Cemetery, (Grave Ref 983) Kalamaria, Greece. |
| DEAN | Arthur Ernest |
Private
4276, 2/4th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
One of two brothers on the Memorial, Arthur Dean was killed in action
on 23 July 1916. Born in Oxford at King Street, Jericho, on 31 December
1894, Arthur Dean was one of seven children born to James (a general
labourer) and Kate Dean. Formally employed as a grocer’s assistant,
Arthur Dean enlisted in February 1915, and was later deployed to
France early in 1916. Arthur was later buried at the Pozieres British
Cemetery, (Grave Ref I.B.28) France. |
| DREWITT | Dick | Private
8969, 1st Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
A pre-war regular soldier, Dick Drewett originally enlisted in November
1908. Born in Oxford at 9 Church Street, New Hinksey on 30 October
1890, Dick Drewett was the third of four sons born to former soldier
and carpenter Arthur Drewett, and his wife Mary Cudd. Formerly employed
at a cycle shop in Broad St, Oxford, Dick Drewett served in India
before the Great War, and arrived in Mesopotamia with the 6th Indian
(Poona) Division in December 1914. Involved in the siege at Kut-al-Amara,
Dick Drewett was taken prisoner by Turkish Forces, and died of Dysentry
at the Afion Kara Hissar prisoner of war camp in Turkey on 7 October
1916. Initially interred at Afion Kara Hissar, his body was moved
after the war to the Baghdad (North Gate) Cemetery, (Grave Ref XXI.K.27)
Iraq. |
| DEAN | William Arthur |
Private
16065, 8th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
Born at 25 High Street in the Oxford parish of St. Thomas on 26
February 1891, William Dean was the fifth of six children born to
James and Kate Dean. Enlisting in November 1914, William joined
the ranks of the OBLI, and went to France in September 1915. Trans-ferred
to Macedonia in November 1915, William remained on this front for
the remainder of the Great War. As a member of the Bulgarian occupation
force, William contracted Pneumonia and died on 25 November 1918
aged 27. His body now lies in the Plovdiv Central Cemetery (Grave
Ref F.1) Bulgaria. |
| FISHER | John Thomas | Private
285047, 1/1st Bucks Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light
Infantry. Born in Oxford, at 7 Union Street, St. Ebbes on 25 April
1896, John Fisher was one of fourteen children, and the third son
of George and Mary Ann Fisher. A Holy Trinity Schoolboy, John Fisher
was employed at Jones Bros (mineral water manufacturer) in St. Aldates
before the war, and enlisted in September 1914. Wounded in August
1916, John Fisher was possibly killed in action by an enemy shell
burst on 28 February 1917. His body was laid to rest at the Hem
Farm Military Cemetery, Hem-Monacu, (Grave Ref I.L.10) France. |
| FISHER | George William Henry |
Private
203197, 2nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment. George Fisher was
the elder brother of John Fisher, and he was born in London (Southwark)
on 25 April 1894. The eldest son of George, a former soldier, upholsterer
and shoe and boot-maker, and Mary Ann Fisher, George William was
educated at Holy Trinity schools, and was initially employed as
an errand boy. Enlisting in October 1915, George Fisher was posted
as missing in action on 17 April 1918 and later confirmed as having
died on that date. His body was never recovered, and he’s now remembered
on the Ploegsteert Memorial, (Panel 5) Belgium. |
| FINCH | George Sidney | Sergeant
8333, 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards. Born in Oxford at 45 Nelson
Street, Jericho on 22 November 1892, George Finch was another pre-war
regular. Enlisting in November 1910, George Finch was stationed
at Aldershot at the outbreak of war in August 1914. Arriving in
France the very same month, George Finch saw action on the Somme,
and was killed in action at Ginchy on 16 September 1916, aged 24.
Previously awarded the Croix de Guerre, George Finch was lost on
the Somme battlefields, and was later commemorated on the Thiepval
Memorial, (Pier and Face 7D and 8D) France. |
| FRENCH | William |
Sergeant
20783, 6th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
Born in St. Ebbes, at 83 Blackfriars Road on 5 March 1885, William
was the fifth of nine children born to Susan and Harry French, a
general labourer from Witney; Oxon. Educated at Holy Trinity Schools,
William French left school and soon gained employment as an engine
cleaner. Joining the militia in September 1901, William French joined
the 3rd Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment for a six year period.
Employed as a maltster in 1907, William French married Annie Louisa
Fruin at St. Mary’s Church in Great Milton on 1 April. Setting up
home in St. Ebbes, William and Annie had just two children, both
sons. Employed as a carter (driver) at Morrells Brewery in Oxford,
William enlisted in October 1914, and joined the OBLI in October
1915. Awarded the Military Medal in 1916, William was slightly wounded
early in 1917. Killed in action on 20 September 1917, William was
killed by a snipers bullet. With the loss of his remains, William
was later commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, (Panels 96-98)
Belgium. |
| GRACE | Henry | Private
9333, 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards. Born in or near to the market
town of Bicester in 1889, Harry Grace was the youngest son of Susan
and George Grace, a bricklayer for Bicester. After the death of
his father in 1897, the Grace family moved to Oxford, with Harry
educated at St. Aldates School. Employed as a chimney sweep, Harry
joined the local Militia in 1906, joining the 4th Oxfordshire Light
Infantry. Again employed as a chimney sweep, Harry joined the Coldstream
Guards in November 1911. Deployed to France in August 1914, Harry
Grace must have seen action in the opening encounters of the Great
War, and was wounded in action east of Ypres in November 1914. Taken
to the 3rd British Red Cross Hospital at Abbeville, Harry Grace
died of his wounds on 14 November. His body was later interred at
the nearby Abbeville Communal Cemetery, (Grave Ref I) France. |
| GREENWOOD | George |
Private
18730, 5th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
One of at least ten children, George Greenwood was born in Oxford,
at 25 Thames Street St. Aldates on 26 May 1889, the son of Edward
Greenwood, a painter and decorator, and his wife Harriett Waldron.
Sometime after leaving school, George Greenwood moved west to Gloucestershire,
where he gained employment in the village of Oddington. Employed
as a hay-cutter, George Greenwood married Annie Elizabeth Williams
at St. Nicholas Church in Upper Oddington in September 1910. After
the birth of a daughter and two sons, George Greenwood enlisted
in in May 1915, joining the OBLI. Arriving in France in December
1915, just three weeks later he was wounded in the head on 14 January
1916, and died the following day. After his death, George Greenwood
was buried at the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, (Grave Ref II.D.34)
Belgium. |
| GARDINER | Thomas Henry | Private
5979, 1/4th Battalion, [listed 2/4 Battalion GWGC] Oxfordshire and
Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Born in Oxford, at 18 Speedwell
Street, St. Ebbes on 15 November 1877, Thomas Henry Gardiner was
one of seven children born to Emily and William Gardiner, a clothes-cleaner
from Jericho. After completing his formal education around 1890/91,
Thomas Gardiner gained himself employment as a tailor’s apprentice,
and continued in the clothing trade (tailor) until his enlistment
in December 1915. Arriving in France in May 1916, Thomas Gardiner
was severely wounded on August 16, and succumbed to his wounds at
the 44th Casualty Clearing Station at Puchevillers on 22 August
1916. Thomas Gardiner was finally laid to rest at the Puchevillers
British Cemetery, (Grave Ref II.F.43) France. |
| GILES | Percy Charles Gregory |
Private
10403, 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
Born near to the picturesque village of Wytham in Berkshire, Percy
Charles Gregory Giles was born in 1889, the eldest of seven children
born to Louisa and William Giles. Arriving in the Oxford parish
of St. Ebbes by 1894, Percy was educated locally and became a builder’s
labourer in his teens. Originally enlisting in December 1910, Percy
was discharged 61 days later as physically unfit for military duty.
Re-enlisting at the outbreak of the First World War, Percy Giles
again joined the Oxford and Bucks in August 1914, and saw action
throughout 1915, and he was wounded during the summer of 1916. Returning
to the front early in 1917, Percy Giles was killed in action during
the Arras offensive on 17 April 1917. As his body was not recovered
from the battlefields, Percy Giles was later honoured on the Arras
Memorial, (Bay 6 and 7) France. |
| GASKINS | Thomas | Private
30876, 11th Battalion Machine Gun Corps, formerly 11th Garrison
Battalion, Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. Born in the village
of Arncott, south of the market town of Bicester in January 1895,
Thomas Gaskins was one of fourteen children born to Louisa and Arthur
Gaskins, a farm labourer. Initially employed as a farm labourer,
Thomas Gaskins appears to have remained in the Bicester area until
shortly before his enlistment, when he gave his home address as
57 Blackfriars Road in St. Ebbes. Enlisting on 10 December 1915,
Thomas originally joined the OBLI, but was soon transferred to the
Machine Gun Corps in April 1916. After just eight days at the front,
Thomas Gaskins was killed in action on 14 July 1916, with his body
laid to rest at the Sucrerie Military Cemetery, (Grave Ref I.I.65)
France. |
| HILL | George Thomas Ballington |
Private
2334, 1/4th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
The eldest son of Salvation Army Preacher Thomas Hill, and his wife
Jane, George Thomas Ballington Hill was born in the Norfolk market
town of North Walsham on 17 February 1890. One of six children,
George Hill arrived in Oxford with his family during the early years
of the twentieth century, and by 1911, he was employed as a house
porter. Like his parents, George became involved in the Salvation
Army, who after his death held a memorial service in his honour.
Following his enlistment in September 1914, George Hill was sent
to France in March 1915, but was killed by a snipers bullet just
a month later on 30 April. George Hill was buried at the Rifle House
Cemetery, (Grave Ref III.E.2) Belgium. |
| HOLLOWAY | Christopher | Private
201432, 1/4th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
Born in the Oxford parish of St. Ebbes on 1 May 1898, Christopher
Holloway was the second youngest of six children born to Annie and
William Holloway, a local coal and general dealer. A former Holy
Trinity schoolboy, Christopher Holloway was employed by the local
corporation as a labourer before he enlisted under-age in February
1915. Suffering from shell-shock in the summer of 1916, Christopher
Holloway was one of forty-three Oxford and Bucks men killed in action
at the battle of Langemarck on 16 August 1917. With his remains
lost on the battlefields of Flanders, Christopher Holloway was later
commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, (Panels 96 to 98) Belgium.
|
| HUTCHINGS | Frederick William |
Private
201343, 1/4th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
The eldest of four children, Frederick William Hutchings was born
in Oxford, at 4 Sadler Street, St. Ebbes on 15 June 1898, the son
of Alice and Fred Hutchings, a plasterer by trade. Educated at the
Holy Trinity Schools, Frederick Hutchings enlisted under-age on
20 January 1915, and arrived in France just a few months later.
Wounded near Ovillers in August 1916, Frederick returned to the
Front in July 1917. The following month he was killed in action
at the battle of Langemarck on 16 August 1917. As his body was lost
on the battlefields of Flanders, Frederick Hutching was later commemorated
on the Tyne Cot Memorial, (Panels 96 to 98) Belgium. |
| HUNT | Frank William B | Private
201205, 2/4th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
Born in New Street St. Ebbes on 10 March 1894 as Frank William Broadway,
Frank Hunt was the eldest son of Elizabeth Broadway and Archibald
Hunt. One of four children, Frank Hunt was educated at the nearby
Holy Trinity Schools, and was initially employed as a fish-mongers
porter, before his enlistment in November 1915. Arriving in France
in 1916, Frank saw the full horrors of war at Passchendaele, and
died of his wounds at the 32nd Casualty Clearing Station at Brandhoek.
After his death, Frank Hunt was laid to rest at the Brandhoek New
Military Cemetery, (Grave Ref I.D.21) Belgium. |
| HALL | Frederick William |
Corporal
40241, Y12 Trench Mortar Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. The
eldest of five children born to Frederick and Rose Hall, Frederick
William was born in Oxford at 8 Albert Street on 28 September 1894.
Employed as a machine boy at the Oxford University Press, Frederick
joined the R.G.A, early in 1914, and first arrived in France in
August. Wounded during the late summer of 1915, Frederick was awarded
the Military Medal in April 1917. A few months later, Frederick
was killed in action on 16 September 1917, aged 23. Frederick was
later buried at the Windmill British Cemetery, (Grave Ref I.E.9)
at Monchy-Le-Preux, France. |
| HIGGINS | Albert Daniel | Lance
Corporal 201480, 2/4th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire
Light Infantry. Killed in action 21 March 1918. Albert Daniel Higgins
was born in Oxford, at 20 Albert Street, St. Ebbes on 20 April 1897,
the eldest of four children born to Ada and James Higgins. Employed
as a grocer’s assistant during the spring of 1911, Albert Higgins
enlisted in February 1915, just short of his eighteenth birthday.
Possibly arriving in France in May 1916, Albert was killed during
the opening of the German Spring Offensive in March 1918, with his
body lost on the battlefields of France. Albert Higgins was later
commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial, (Panel 50-51) France. |
| HOPKINS | John Charles |
Private
41652, 7th/8th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, formerly
Duke of Cornwall Light Infantry. Born in the village of Shilton,
(south-west Oxon), John Charles Hopkins was born on 21 May 1887,
one of six children. The only son of Charles and Ann Hopkins, John
was employed as a plough boy at the age of thirteen, and a carter
(waggon driver) during his early twenties. Possibly conscripted
early in 1916, John served with both the D.C.L.I and the Devonshire
Regiment before joining the Inniskilling Fusiliers. Killed in action
at St. Quentin on 21 March 1918, John Hopkins was laid to rest at
the Ste. Emilie Valley Cemetery, (Grave Ref I.E.15) Villers-Faucon,
France. |
| HITCHMAN | Wilfred | Driver
186941, ‘A’ Battery, 123rd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, formerly
Army Veterinary Corps. Born in the Cowley area of Oxford, Wilfred
Hitchman was born during the spring of 1895 at 16 Temple Street,
the second of two sons born to Percival Hitchman, a tailor and merchant,
and his wife Rosa. Initially employed as a compositor (printer),
Wilfred moved to South Wales where he gained employment in the coal
industry. Enlisting during the autumn of 1914, Wilfred arrived in
France with the A.V.C in January 1915, and was soon transferred
to the R.F.A. Killed in action on 25 April 1917, aged 22; Wilfred
Hitchman was buried at the Bucquoy Road Cemetery, (Grave Ref I.B.26)
France. |
| INGRAM | Thomas Charles |
Private
267191, 2/1st Bucks Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light
Infantry. Born just off the Cowley Road in Oxford during the spring
of 1884, Thomas Charles Ingram was one of nine children born to
Charles Ingram, a carpenter and joiner from Wiltshire, and his wife
Amelia who originated from Somerset. Initially employed as a carpenter’s
apprentice Thomas was working as a grocer’s assistant at the time
of his marriage in 1908. Thomas and Lydia (Mayo) Ingram only had
two children the second born more than two years before his enlistment
in December 1915. Seeing action at Third Ypres (Passchendaele) in
1917, Thomas was wounded, and later died of his wounds on 14 September
1917. Following his death, Thomas Ingram was buried at the Mendingham
Military Cemetery, (Grave Ref IV.D.22) Belgium. |
| JONES | Harry | Private
33530, 1st Battalion, Devonshire Regiment. Possibly born in Nottingham
(the 1901 census shows Oxford), Harry Jones was born in 1881, one
of twelve children born to James Harry Jones, a bricklayer from
Coventry, and his wife Ann Maria from Oxford. Employed as a labourer
in 1901, Harry Jones married Ellen Robinson in December 1901, and
saw the birth of eight children, mostly in the St. Ebbes area of
Oxford. Employed as a gas-works labourer, Harry Jones enlisted on
24 August 1914, and went to France in June 1915. Seeing action on
the Somme, Harry Jones died of wounds at a Base Hospital on 10 October
1916, and was buried at the Etaples Military Cemetery, (Grave Ref
VII.B.2A) France. |
| JAYCOCK | Charles Henry |
Private
201408, 2/4th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
The third of nine children born to James & Elizabeth Jaycock, Charles
Henry Jaycock was born in New Street, St. Ebbes on 11 July 1894.
Employed as an errand boy at a "6 ½ penny bazaar" in 1911,
Charles was living in Blackfriars Road when he enlisted in January
1915. Arriving in France in May 1916, Charles was wounded in July
1916, and wounded again during a trench raid in April 1917. Charles
Jaycock died of his wounds at the No 8 General Hospital at Rouen
on 4 May, and was later interred at the Bois Guillaume Communal
Cemetery Extension, (Grave Ref A.8.B) France. |
| JACKSON | Alfred Victor | Private
28595, 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire
Light Infantry. Born at 33a Pembroke Street in Oxford on 2 February
1898, Alfred Jackson was the youngest son of painter and labourer
Charles Jackson, and his second wife Fanny Walker. Probably due
to the death of his mother in 1903, Alfred spent the majority of
his formative years at the Workhouse Industrial Schools in Cowley.
At the age of fourteen, Alfred Jackson entered service in Witney,
but had returned to Oxford by 1917, when he was most likely conscripted.
Serving on the south coast, Alfred Jackson died of illness (Gonorrhoea
and bladder disease) on 8 January 1918. Alfred was finally laid
to rest at the Portsdown (Christ Church) Military Cemetery. (Grave
Ref C.7A) |
| KILBEE | Henry |
Lance
Corporal 6886, 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light
Infantry. One of five brothers who served in the Great War, William
Henry Kilbee was born in Oxford (possibly Lower Fisher Row, St.
Thomas) on 2 July 1885, the fourth of ten children born to Abel
and Jane Kilbee. Aged sixteen, Henry Kilbee joined the militia of
the Oxfordshire Light Infantry in September 1901, joining the regular
Battalions a few weeks later. Employed as a kitchen porter in 1910,
Henry married Elizabeth Church in September 1910, and they had just
the one child, a son named Cyril. Recalled as a reservist, Henry
was posted to the OBLI, and arrived in France in August 1914. Henry
Kilbee was killed in action during the defence of Ypres on 25 October
1914, with his name later recorded on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial,
(Panels 37 & 39) Belgium. (His younger brother Charles was also
killed during the Great War, serving with the Grenadier Guards) |
| KNIBBS | Richard Charles Frederick | Driver
614520, 2/1st (Warwick) Battery, Royal Horse Artillery. The second
of two children born to Richard and Mary Knibbs, Richard Charles
Frederick Knibbs was born at 1 Browns Yard, George Street in Oxford
on 28 December 1891. Educated at St. Frideswide School, Richard
was working as a farm labourer in 1911, and employed as a carman
for a local coal merchant at the time of his marriage. Richard married
Myrtle Bennett in the village of Old Marston in August 1914, and
saw the birth of a son two years later. Richard enlisted in October
1915 and saw action at Passchendaele in August 1917. Richard Knibbs
was killed in action on 18 August 1917, and was later buried at
the Track ‘X’ Cemetery, (Grave Ref D.29) Belgium. |
| LONG | Albert Victor |
Sergeant
15744, 7th Battalion, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. The second
son of Henry and Martha Long, Albert Victor Long was born in the
St. Giles area of Oxford on 28 September 1880. One of nine children,
Albert was employed as a clerk in his early twenties, when he married
Alice Flegg in 1904. Later recorded as a publican, Albert had two
children and may have lived in Wales before the war. Possibly enlisting
in November 1914, Albert Long arrived in France in December 1915,
and was killed in action on 13 May 1916, aged 35. After his death,
Albert was buried at the La Clytte Military Cemetery (Grave Ref
II.B.37) Belgium. |
| MARCHETTI | Albert Edward | Private
9290, 2nd Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment. Born in Gloucester
on 10 February 1890, Albert Edward Marchetti was the eldest son
of Carlo and Carmella Marchetti, both Italian immigrants from Northern
Italy. One of six children, Albert Marchetti arrived in Oxford with
his family during the 1890s, where his father opened an ice-cream
and fish and chip shop in Commercial Road, St. Ebbes. Following
an argument with his father, Albert joined the army in 1909, changing
his name to Albert Merritt. Serving in India at the outbreak of
war, Albert returned with his unit and arrived in France in November
1914. Albert Merritt died of wounds at the 13th General Hospital
in Boulogne on 11 January 1915, and was buried in the Boulogne Eastern
Cemetery, (Grave Ref III.C.59) France. |
| MURPHY | John |
Private
6485, 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
A veteran of the Second Boar War (1899-1902) John Murphy was recalled
to the colours as a reservist, and killed in action on 11 November
1914. Born at Winstanley Road in Battersea (London) on 13 February
1882, John was the son of Emma and John Murphy, who may have originally
been of Irish descent. Joining the Oxfordshire Light infantry in
October 1900, John served in South Africa, and was still in the
army at the time of his marriage in 1907. John Murphy married Florence
Kate Boyce in September 1907, and saw the birth of four children,
with his last and fifth child born after his death. Employed as
a gas-works labourer, with the outbreak of war, John Murphy was
recalled to the colours, arriving in France in August 1914. Taking
part in the battle of Nonne-Boschen Wood in November 1914, John
was killed in action, and with his body lost in the fighting, his
name was later added to the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial (Panels
37 and 39) Belgium. |
| MASTERS | Albert Edward | Corporal
15712, 6th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
Born at Rewley Place in the parish of St. Thomas during the autumn
of 1881, Albert Edward Masters was one of thirteen children born
to Daniel and Annie Masters. Raised in the parish, Albert had moved
to Reading by the age of nineteen, but soon returned to Oxford,
where he gained employed as a printers labourer, and a builder and
decorator. Albert married Ethel Hainge in October 1902, and saw
the birth of eight children, mostly born in Blackfriars Road, St.
Ebbes. Enlisting in October 1914, Albert was originally posted to
France in July 1915, and took part in the battle of Le Transloy
(part of the Somme campaign) where he was killed in action on 9
October 1916. As his body was never recovered from the battlefields,
Albert Masters was later commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial,
(Pier & Face 10A and 10D) France. |
| MOULDER | William Frederick |
Lance
Sergeant 21981, 25th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps, formally 1st
Battalion Hertfordshire Regiment. The fifth of six children, William
Frederick Moulder was born in Oxford at 20 Percy Street on 5 March
1894, the son of Ellen and Frank Moulder, a cricket ball maker.
Employed at the long established firm of Jewellers and Silversmiths,
Payne and Sons, William joined the Territorial Army, and moved to
St. Albans before the war. After joining the Hertfordshire Territorials,
William was sent to France in November 1914, where he was gassed
once, and wounded twice. Transferring to the MGC, William was awarded
the Military Medal in June 1917. Reported missing on 21 March 1918,
William Moulder was later recorded as having been killed that day,
with his body later interred at the Mons (Bergen) Communal Cemetery,
(Grave Ref VI.C.5) Belgium. |
| MARKHAM | Walter Henry James | Second
Lieutenant 45144, 1/5th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, formerly
Army Cyclist Corps. Born on 26 August 1897, Walter Markham was born
at 5 Blackfriars Road, St. Ebbes, the eldest of two children born
to Catherine and Henry Markham, a local butcher. A former South-Oxford
School-boy, Walter Markham was employed as a clerk when he enlisted
in Oxford in May 1916. Recommended for a commission in May 1917,
Walter was gazetted in November, and returned to the Front. Recorded
as missing in action on 22 March 1918, Walter died of wounds on
27 March 1918, and as his burial site must have been lost in later
fighting, he was later commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial, (Panel
16 and 18) France. |
| NORGROVE | Reginald James |
Rifleman
R/24058, 7th Battalion, Kings Royal Rifle Corps. Born at 12 Edith
Road, Oxford, on 13 May 1897, Reginald James Norgrove was one of
three children born to Helena and John Norgrove, a clerk in a clothing
firm. A member of the church choir, and a Sunday school teacher,
Reginald may have enlisted in 1915, and certainly didn’t see action
until 1916 at the earliest. It’s unknown when he was wounded, but
Reginald Norgrove died of wounds on 21st March 1918, and with the
loss of his final resting place, Reginald was later commemorated
on the Pozieres Memorial, (Panels 61 and 64) France. |
| PALMER | John Brough | Private
15024, 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards. A pre-war regular soldier,
John Palmer was amongst the first men to be sent to France in August
1914. Born in the Lancashire town of Southport, in 1894, John Brough
Palmer was the eldest of four children born to Ellen and Harry Palmer.
Joining the Grenadier Guards circa 1910, John Palmer was serving
in the trenches at Klein-Zillebeke in Belgium when he was killed
in action on 5 November 1914. As his body and grave was lost in
subsequent fighting, John Palmer was later commemorated on the Ypres
(Menin Gate) Memorial, (Panels 9 and 11) Belgium. |
| PIPER | Walter James |
Private
PS/1852, 16th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. The eldest of five
children born to Emily and Charles Piper, Walter James Paper was
born at 27 Cambridge Street, Oxford on 21 August 1887. Employed
as a clothes cleaner, Walter Piper spent the majority of his life
living in Speedwell Street, St. Ebbes; yet had moved to Green Street
in Cowley when he married Cecily Howe in September 1912. Enlisting
in Kent in April 1915, Walter was sent to France in November 1915,
and was killed by shell fire on 5 January 1916. As his burial site
was lost, Walter Piper was later honourer on the Loos Memorial,
(Panels 99 and 100) France. |
| PURVEY | Frank | Corporal
12622, 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards. Born at 99 Blackfriars Road,
Oxford during the autumn of 1888, Frank Purvey was the youngest
son of Robert Purvey, a stableman, and Rose Shepherd. Later employed
as a general labourer, Frank Purvey joined the Grenadier Guards
in March 1906. Discharged seven years later with the rank of Lance
Sergeant, Frank was mobilised in August 1914, and arrived in France
in October 1914, being wounded just three weeks later. Initially
thought to have been killed, Frank Purvey was held a prisoner of
war, and after a spell in Germany, was sent home as unfit for military
service in June 1915. Discharged from the army a month later, Frank
Purvey was suffering from Tuberculosis contracted in Germany, and
died in the Oxford Isolation Hospital on 21 May 1916, aged 28. Frank
Purvey was buried at the nearby Osney (St. Mary) Cemetery, with
his name added to the CWGC Roll of Honour as late as 2008. |
| RADBURN | Alfred Edwin |
Lance
Corporal 19721, 1st Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment, formally Oxford
and Bucks Light Infantry. The son of a local Police Constable, Alfred
Edwin Radburn was born at 69 Church Street, New Hinksey (Oxford)
in 1898, one of six children born to Edwin and Elizabeth Radburn.
Enlisting in August 1914 aged sixteen and three quarters, Alfred
Radburn was originally posted to France in May 1915, and killed
in action during the Somme campaign on 6 July 1916, aged 18. Alfred
Radburn was buried at the Serre Road Cemetery No 2, (Grave Ref XX.A.2)
France. |
| RADBONE | (Harold) James | Lance
Corporal 201427, 1/4th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire
Light Infantry. Known as Jimmy Radbone, Harold James Radbone was
born at 90 Blackfriars Road, St. Ebbes, during the summer of 1898.
One of nine children, James Radbone was the third son of William
Radbone a general labourer, and his wife Rachel Silvester. A Holy
Trinity Schoolboy, James was later employed by the Electric Light
company in Osney, before joining the army in February 1915. Arriving
in France in May 1916, James saw action at the battle of Langemarck,
and was recorded as killed in action on 16 August 1917, aged 19.
Another body lost on the battlefields of Flanders, James Radbone
was later commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial (Panel 96 and 98)
Belgium. |
| READ | Edward John |
Trooper
841, Household Battalion, formerly 2nd Life Guards. The only Holy
Trinity man to be buried in Germany, Ernest Read died whilst a prisoner
of war. Born in the Oxford parish of St. Frideswide on 5 February
1893, Edward John Read was one of seven children born Charles and
Hannah Read. Raised at Friars Wharf in the parish of Holy Trinity,
Edward served an apprenticeship as a tin and coppersmith at the
long established firm of Gill and Co (Ironmongers) on the Oxford
High Street. Enlisting in November 1915, Edward joined the Household
Battalion in September 1916, and was seriously wounded 3 May 1917.
Posted as missing, Edward Read was held a prisoner of war at a Reservelazarette
(German Military Hospital) near Hamburg in Germany, where he died
of his wounds on 3 June 1917. Following his death, Edward Read was
buried at the ‘Ohlsdorf’ Hamburg Cemetery, (Grave Ref I.D.4) Germany.
|
| RIVERS | Herbert Frederick | Private
19446, 5th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
The third of eight children born to lamplighter William Rivers and
his wife Mary, Herbert Rivers was born at 34 Nelson Street, Jericho,
Oxford on 2 January 1872. Initially employed as a ‘printer’, Herbert
Rivers joined the local militia in 1888, and was employed as a labourer
when he first entered the Oxford Workhouse in 1897. Regularly appearing
on workhouse records between 1897 & 1915 as an inside poor, Herbert
continued to serve with the Oxfordshire militia until 1907, and
was again employed as a labourer at the time of his marriage to
Sophia Wilkins in the summer of 1915. Herbert Rivers joined the
OBLI in August 1915, and was posted to France the following January.
After seeing action on the Somme, Herbert Rivers was posted as missing
in action on 3 May 1917 during the Arras offensive, and later confirmed
as having been killed on that date (aged 45) with his name later
recorded on the Arras Memorial, (Bays 6 and 7) France. |
| RAWLINGS | William |
Private
9081, 2nd Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment. Possibly born in
Oxford as Francis Rawlings on 14 March 1890, at the time of his
death, William Rawlings was the son of Mrs Ann Rawlings of English
Row, St. Aldates, Oxford. A pre-war regular who enlisted in January
1909, William had served in India prior to the outbreak of war,
but returned to England where he was posted to France in November
1914. Killed during the battle of Loos, William Rawlings was killed
in action at Bois Grenier on 25 September 1915, aged 25. With his
remains lost on the battlefields, William Rawlings name was later
commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial, (Panels 7 and 8) Belgium.
|
| SUTTON | Gilbert John | Rifleman
R/14021, 12th Battalion, Kings Royal Rifles Corps. One of three
killed during the Great War, Gilbert Sutton was killed by an enemy
shell-burst alongside his younger brother George in February 1916.
Born at 27 Pensions Gardens, St. Ebbes, Oxford, on 27 February 1883,
Gilbert was one of nine children born to Gilbert and Clara Sutton.
Later employed as a plumber, Gilbert married Elizabeth Belcher at
Woburn Green in Buckinghamshire in December 1906, and saw the birth
of a daughter in January 1908. Living at Albert Street, St. Ebbes,
Gilbert enlisted in June 1915, and was posted to France in November.
Just three months later, Gilbert Sutton was officially killed in
action on 13 February 1916 (strangely his brother’s death was recorded
on the 12th) and with the loss of his remains, Gilbert was later
commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, (Panels 51 and
53) Belgium. |
| SLATTER | Stanley |
Able
Seaman J/18394, HMS ‘Southampton’, Royal Navy. One of two naval
casualties on the Holy Trinity Memorial, Stanley Slatter was killed
in action at the battle of Jutland. Born in Gas Street, St. Ebbes
on 1 October 1894, Stanley was one of seven children born to Elizabeth
and Frank Slatter. Initially employed as an engine cleaner on the
Great Western Railway, Stanley joined the Royal Navy in October
1912 as a Boy II. Serving aboard HMS Southampton during the Battle
of Jutland, Stanley was later recorded as having been killed by
an enemy shell, with his body buried at sea. After the war, Stanley
Slatter was commemorated in the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. |
| STROUD | James | Private
3185, 1/4th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
A native of St. Ebbes, James Stroud was born at 1 Bridport Street
on 10 May 1895, one of ten children born to James and Emily Stroud.
A former holy Trinity Schoolboy, James Stroud was employed as a
salesman at Duce’s the fishmongers in St. Aldates. Enlisting in
mid-September 1914, James Stroud arrived in France in June 1915,
and was killed in action during the Somme campaign at Pozieres on
23 July 1916. Initially posted as missing in action, James was later
recorded as having been killed on that date. James Stroud was later
buried at the Pozieres British Cemetery, (Grave Ref I.D.1) Ovillers-la-Boisselle,
France. |
| STEFF | Thomas Edward |
Private
201412, 6th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
The eldest of three sons born to Edward and Emily Steff, Thomas
Edward Steff was born at 23 Blackfriars Road, Oxford on 2 February
1896. Thomas Steff was educated at the South Oxford Schools, and
after completing his education trained as a ‘tailor’. Employed by
the long established firm of ‘Walter and Co’ (high class outfitters
of Turl Street) Thomas enlisted in January 1915, and was wounded
on the Somme in 1916. Recovering from his injuries, Thomas married
Emma Morgan (from Oxford) in Worcestershire in December 1916. Returning
to the front in April 1917, Thomas was killed in action during the
battle of Arras on 3 May 1917. With his body lost on the battlefield,
Thomas was later remembered on the Arras Memorial, (Bays 6 and 7)
France. |
| SAUNDERS | Percival George | Private
285037, 2/1st Bucks Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light
Infantry. The second son of Albert and Mary Ann Saunders, Percival
George Saunders was born at 37 Bridge Street in Osney, (Oxford)
on 28 January 1882. Employed as a coach painter and labourer in
his youth, Percival Saunders married Helen (or Ellen) Hainge in
March 1906, and saw the birth of five children. Later employed as
a motor engineer and a ‘smith’. Percival Saunders enlisted at the
outbreak of war, and first served with the 2/4th Battalion OBLI
arriving in France in 1916. Later transferred to the 2/1st Bucks
Battalion, Percival Saunders was killed in action following the
battle of Langemarck on 28 August 1917. His body was later laid
to rest at the New Irish Farm Cemetery, (Grave Ref XXI.F.11) Belgium. |
| STOCKFORD | Harold John |
Corporal
G/76156, 1/4th Battalion, London Regiment, (Royal Fusiliers). Born
at Burnt Oak in Hendon, Middlesex, on 4 April 1897, Harold John
Stockford was the second son of Maggie (nee Bayliss) and Joseph
Stockford, a jobbing black-smith. By the 1911 census, Harold and
his family had moved to the township of Old Woodstock near to Blenheim
Park, where he gained himself employed as an errand boy. Later recorded
as living at Bossoms Yard, St. Ebbes, Harold Stockford initially
served with the South Wales Borders, but at the time of his death
near to Arras on 8 June 1918, he had been transferred to the London
Regiment. After his death, Harold Stockford was finally laid to
rest at the Dainville British Cemetery, (Grave Ref I.E.15) France.
|
| SIMMONDS | William Thomas | Private
285663, 1st/1st Middlesex Hussars, County of London Yeomanry. The
eldest son of nine children born to Elizabeth and William Simmonds,
a general labourer, William Thomas Simmonds was born (possibly at
Eyles Cottages, Blackfriars Road) in Oxford on 24 July 1897. A Holy
Trinity Schoolboy in his youth, William Simmonds was initially employed
as an errand boy for a local coal merchant, yet at the time of his
enlistment in May 1915, he had gained employment with the Great
Western Railway. Serving in Palestine as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary
Force, William Simmonds died of Pneumonia on 23 October 1918, aged
21, with his body later interred at the Damascus Commonwealth War
Cemetery, (Grave Ref B.117) in modern day Syria. |
| STEVENS | Ronald William |
Second
Lieutenant 200152, 8th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, formerly
4th Battalion, Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. One of only four
Holy Trinity men to be awarded the Military Medal; Ronald William
Stevens was born in the neighbouring parish of St. Aldates on 13
July 1893, and was an only child born to William and Sarah (Miriam)
Stevens. Privately educated in his youth, Ronald gained employment
in the offices of Elliston and Cavell, a well-known Oxford department
store, before joining the Territorial Army in 1912. Mobilised in
August 1914, Ronald Stevens was first posted to France in March
1915, and was awarded the Military Medal near to Pozieres on 18
August 1916. After returning home in February 1917, Ronald was commissioned
to the Worcester Regiment in August 1917, and almost immediately
returned to France. On a reconnoitring night patrol, Ronald Stevens
was shot through the shoulder, and died at a Regimental Aid Post
of the Sherwood Foresters on 30 October 1917, aged 24. After his
death, Ronald Stevens was eventually laid to rest at the Sucrerie
Cemetery, (Grave Ref II.A.3) France. |
| TEDDER | Alfred Alexander | Gunner
359, 58th Battery, Royal Field Artillery. A veteran of the Anglo
Boar War (1899-1902), Alfred Alexander Tedder was born in Oxford
(Blackfriars Road) on 13 September 1874, the second eldest son of
eight children born to George and Charlotte Tedder. Formerly employed
as a Soda water bottler, Alfred originally enlisted in 1899, serving
with the Royal Garrison Artillery. Later employed as a labourer
for a building firm at Leamington in Warwickshire, Alfred Tedder
was recalled to the colours on the outbreak of War, and was sent
to France in October 1914. Within three weeks, Alfred Tedder was
died of wounds received in action on 31 October 1914, aged 40. After
his death at the 7th Stationary Hospital in Boulogne, Alfred Tedder
was buried at the Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, (Grave Ref III.B.16)
France. |
| TRINDER | James |
Private
R4/127849, Royal Army Service Corps, Remount Depot (Romsey), formerly
Queens Own Oxfordshire Hussars. Born in Headington near Oxford in
1883, James Trinder was the second eldest son of Thomas and Susannah
Trinder. One of eight children, James was employed working with
horses from an early age, and joined the QOOH prior to the outbreak
of War. Employed as a riding master in Chelsea, James Trinder enlisted
in August 1915, joining the Army Service Corps. Serving at the remount
depot at Romsey, James was violently jammed against a fence post
whilst out riding, and following a fall from his horse, James Trinder
died of his injuries at the Hartley University College Hospital
in Southampton on 22 October 1915, aged 32. After his death, the
body of James Trinder was returned home to Oxford, where his remains
were interred in Osney Cemetery. |
| THOMPSON | James Fielding | Private
20317, 1st Battalion, Essex Regiment, formerly Royal Horse & Field
Artillery. Born in the centre of Oxford, at 4 Treadwell Yard, Cornmarket
St, James Fielding Thompson was born in the autumn of 1894, the
third son of Annie and Tom Thompson, a house painter. Employed as
an errand boy and later a College Servant, James Thompson enlisted
at the outbreak of the Great War. Posted to the Gallipoli theatre
of war in October 1915, James was eventually moved to France after
the evacuation of Gallipoli, and was killed in action near to Gueudecourt
on 12 October 1916. Originally posted as missing in action, the
body of James Thompson was never recovered from the battlefields
of France, and his name was later commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial,
(Pier and Face 10D) France. |
| TURNER | Walter Bertie |
Sapper
207820, Royal Naval Division. One of seven brothers who all served
during the Great War, Walter Bertie Turner was born at 30 Bridport
Street, St. Ebbes on 15 May 1887. One of eight children born to
Bricklayer Thomas Turner, and his wife Elizabeth, Walter was often
in trouble as a young man, spending time on the training ship Clio
in 1901, serving an 18 month prison sentence in 1905, with a much
longer sentence (3 years) handed down in 1909. Later employed as
a motor mechanic, Walter joined the RNVR in October 1915, and joined
the Royal Marines a few days later. Posted to the RND in February
1916, Walter Turner was severely wounded and later died of his wounds
at Wimereux on 30 March 1918, aged 32. The body of Walter Turner
was later buried at the Wimereux Communal Cemetery, (Grave Ref IX.B.2)
France. |
| TURNER | William | Lance
Corporal 174215, Royal Engineers. The elder brother of Walter Turner,
William Turner was born at Thames Street, Oxford on 5 August 1884,
the third eldest son of William and Elizabeth Turner. Like his younger
brother, William had been in trouble with the police during his
early teens, and was later discharged from the Royal Navy with his
character described as bad. Joining the army in 1903, William Turner
spent eight years serving with the Royal Engineers before his discharge
in February 1911. Re-enlisting twelve months later, William was
moved to the reserves again in 1913. Soon after his re-enlistment,
William married Rose Burridge at the Bromley Registry Office on
20 March 1912. Later seeing the birth of three children, William
was employed by the Great Western Railway before his recall to the
colours in August 1914. Again discharged as a result of ‘completion
of his term of service’ in February 1916, William Turner again enlisted
in July 1916, and was again sent to France in March 1917. Returning
home to England in June 1917, William was sent to the 2nd Birmingham
War Hospital, where he died of heart failure complicated by diabetes
on 29 June 1917 aged 33. William Turner was buried at the Birmingham
(Lodge Hill) Cemetery, with his name later commemorated on the nearby
Memorial Screen Wall. (Ref B10.6.471C) |
| TYRRELL | Charles George |
Private
3527, 1/4th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
Born in Oxford on 4 August 1895, Charles George Tyrrell was the
eldest son of Charles Tyrrell, a clerk at the local gas-works, and
his wife Sarah Ann (nee Crowson). Educated at the New College School
(a Preparatory School founded in 1379), Charles was a chorister
at Queens College Oxford, and worked for a local solicitor. Later
employed on the Oxford High Street by Barclays Bank, Charles Tyrrell
enlisted in October 1914, and was sent to France in March 1915.
After spending Christmas at home on leave, Charles returned to the
front on December 28, and was killed by an enemy shell burst just
three days later on 31 December 1915 aged 20. Following his death,
Charles Tyrrell was interred at the Hebuterne Military Cemetery,
(Grave Ref I.D.5) France. |
| TRINDER | Harry | Private
SE/10125, Army Veterinary Corps. Born in the then Berkshire village
of Cumnor, Harry Trinder was born on 7 January 1869, the second
son of the long since widowed Sarah Trinder (nee Floyd). Employed
in his adult life as a manual labourer, Harry Trinder married Cecilia
Brooking at the parish church of North Hinksey on 9 December 1888.
Following the birth of a son at Osney in 1895, Harry became a ‘maltster’
at Rotherfield Greys, and later work for the local corporation in
Oxford. Possibly enlisting late in 1914, Harry Trinder was posted
to Egypt in October 1915, and after a move to Salonika, died of
dysentery aboard HMS Asturias (a hospital ship) on 5 December 1915.
With his body buried at sea the very same day, the name of Harry
Trinder was later commemorated in Greece on the Doiran Memorial.
|
| WEBBER | Thomas Frederick |
Staff
Sergeant 98544, 37th Ammunition Column, Royal Field Artillery. Born
at Oxford Terrace, Tilehurst near to Reading, on 3 January 1886
as Frederick Thomas Webber, Thomas was one of six children and the
second son of Edwin Webber, a plumber, and his wife Kate (nee Wooldridge).
Raised at New Hinksey, then on the outskirts of Oxford, Thomas later
worked as both a carpenter and blacksmith prior to his enlistment
in 1914. Thomas also married in 1914 when on 19 April he married
Beatrice Hearnden at Holy Trinity Church in Maidstone. Already serving
in France when his only child was born in Oxford in September 1915,
Thomas Webber died of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis on 30 December 1915
aged 29. Following his death, Thomas was later buried at the Villers
Bocage Communal Cemetery Extension, (Grave Ref B.10) France. |
| WILKINS | Albert Edward | Rifleman
S/274, 10th Battalion, Rifle Brigade. One of six children (4 of
which died in infancy), Albert Edward Wilkins was born at Friars
Street on 11 May 1898, the youngest son of John and Sarah Wilkins.
A former Holy Trinity School-boy, after spending time at Rugby in
Warwickshire living with his grandmother, Albert Wilkins enlisted
in the autumn of 1914, aged sixteen. Arriving in France in July
1915, Albert was wounded in 1916, and killed in action around Metz
on 4 April 1917 aged 18. Albert Wilkins was buried at the Fins New
British Cemetery, (Grave Ref I.A.A.17) Sorrel-le-Grand, France.
|
| WAKELIN | Reginald Justin William |
Private
26694, 5th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
The second son of George and Emily Wakelin, Reginald (Reg) Justin
William Wakelin was born at Abbey Place St. Ebbes on 31 October
1897, one of nine children. Educated at the South Oxford Council
Schools, Reginald was employed as a milk boy aged 13, and worked
for Wigmore’s Diaries until his enlistment in February 1916. After
seeing service with both the 2nd and 6th Battalions OBLI, Reginald
Wakelin was posted to the 5th Battalion before he was killed in
action in the vicinity of Tilloy-les-Mofflaines on 9 April 1917
aged 19. Following his death, Reginald Wakelin was buried at the
Tilloy British Cemetery, (Grave Ref III.H.1) France. |
| WHITE | Clarence Charles | Private
6934, 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
The first man on the Holy Trinity Memorial to die; Clarence White
was killed in action on 14 September 1914. Born in Oxford on 1 October
1884 as Clarence Charles War White, Clarence was one of at least
eight children born to George (a bricklayer) and Elizabeth White.
Serving with the Oxfordshire Light Infantry through-out the Boar
War, Clarence was also employed as a railway contractor’s labourer
in his mid-twenties, and was recalled to the colours in August 1914.
Posted to France on 14 August 1914, Charles survived just four weeks,
before he was killed in action, with his name later commemorated
on the La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial in France. |
| WALTON | William Edward |
Private
28996, 1/4th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
Born at Jericho in Oxford on 13 December 1884, William Edward Walton
was one of ten children born to Christopher and Amelia Walton. An
apprentice carpenter in his youth, William later married Jane Parrott
at the Oxford Registry Office in the autumn of 1907, and saw the
birth of four children before his death in 1918. Moving to Canada
in 1913, William soon returned home, and later joined the army in
1915. After seeing service in France, William was sent to Italy
in November 1917, and was killed in action on the Asiago Plane near
to Vicenza on 15 June 1918 aged 34. William Walton was eventually
buried at the Boscon British Cemetery, (Grave Ref, Plot 2, Row B,
Grave 19) Italy. |
| WATTS | William | Private
276699, 15th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry. Born in the St. Thomas
parish of Oxford in the summer of 1876, William Watts was the eldest
of four children born to John and Mary Watts. A printer’s labourer
in his youth, William also spent time working as a general labourer,
and was later employed a cellar-man for Halls Brewery. Marrying
for the first time in his late thirties, William married Alice Carter
in June 1915, and enlisted six months later in December 1915. Posted
as missing in action between 2 – 6 October 1917, William was finally
posted as killed in action on 2 October 1917 aged 41. As his body
was never recovered from the battlefields of Flanders, William was
later commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, (Panels 128 to 131,
162 and 162A) Belgium. |
| WOOD | William George |
Private
43525, 6th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, formally Oxford and
Bucks Light Infantry. Born in Oxford at 89 Friars Street, St. Ebbes,
William George Wood was one of three children born to farrier and
publican John Henry Wood, and his wife Flora (nee Harris). Employed
as a page-boy in1911, it seems William Wood remained in private
service until his enlistment in 1915. Killed in action on the final
day of the Cambrai campaign (10 October 1918) William’s body was
lost on the battlefields of France, with his name appearing on the
Vis-En-Artois Memorial, (Panel 4) France. |
| WILKINS | Joseph Richard | Private
6589, 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
The last man to appear on the Memorial, Joseph Richard Wilkins was
born in Oxford at 53 Friars Street, St. Ebbes on 6 July 1882, one
of two sets of twins born to George Wilkins and his wife Sophia
Jane (nee Mitchell). One of eight children, Joseph was a veteran
of the Anglo Boar War after enlisting in December 1900. Later employed
as a tram conductor in Oxford, Joseph Wilkins married Hannah Acock
in the Oxon village of Idbury on 28 October 1911. Following the
birth of his only child, a son in February 1913, Joseph was employed
as a groom in Idbury when he was recalled to the colours in August
1914. First arriving in France in September 1914, Joseph Wilkins
was killed in action on 16 May 1915 aged 32. With his remains lost
on the battlefields, Joseph Wilkins was later honoured on the Le
Touret Memorial, (Panel 26) France. |
“Greater love hath no man”
The Second World War Memorial was also found in the rear garden of Holy Trinity Rectory and like the Great War Memorial, was moved to the nearby St Aldates Parish Centre before later being transferred to St Ebbes Church along with the Great War Memorial. Moved at an unknown date, the Second World War Memorial is now displayed on the southern wall of St. Ebbes Church in Oxford, alongside the First & Second World War Memorials of that Church and parish.
 |
Photograph
Copyright © Barry Burnham 2012 |
In
Memory of those from Holy Trinity Parish
who gave their lives in the Second World War
1939-1945
| ANDREWS | Frank Alfred |
Private
6103139, 2/6th Battalion, The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
who died on 21 January 1944, aged 23. Son of Alfred Cecil and Alice
R. Andrews, of Oxford. Remembered with Honour, - Minturno War Cemetery |
| HATHAWAY | Herbert Thomas | Sergeant
Air Bomber 1322131, 199 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died on 28 August 1943, aged 19. Son of Herbert and Margaret
Hathaway, of Oxford. Remembered with Honour, - Durnbach War Cemetery |
| LAMBOURNE | William Ernest |
Gunner
1519899, 89th Battery, 35 Lt. A.A. Regiment, Royal Artillery who
died on 08 July 1943, aged 37. Son of William Thomas Lambourne and
Mary Lambourne; husband of Doris Grace Lambourne, of St. Ebbes,
Oxford. Remembered with Honour, - Yokohama War Cemetery |
| LANGSTONE | Frederick Henry George | Private
5387893, 2/7th Battalion, The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
who died on 26 January 1945, aged 26. Son of Harry and Violet Langston,
of Oxford. Remembered with Honour, - Forli War Cemetery |
| MOLD | Harry Walter |
Lance
Corporal 7940609, 3rd, Royal Tank Regiment, R.A.C. who died on 25
October 1942, aged 33. Son of Alfred and Esther Mold, of Oxford;
husband of Audrey Olive May Mold, of St. Ebbes, Oxford. Remembered
with Honour at the El Alamein War Cemetery |
| PIKE | Frank | Possibly
- Private 14627882, 5th Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
who died on 24 October 1944, aged 22. Remembered with Honour, -
Eindhoven (Woensel) General Cemetery |
| READ | Douglas John |
Private
14695332, 5th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment who died on 16
July 1944, aged 18. Son of Harry and Mabel Annie Read, of Oxford.
Remembered with Honour, - Bayeux Memorial |
| SIMMS | Joseph | Wireman
P/MX 69729, H.M.S. Acheron, Royal Navy who died on 17 December 1940,
aged 21. Son of Edward William and Hannah Mary Simms, of Oxford.
Remembered with Honour, - Portsmouth Naval Memorial |
| SLOPER | Kenneth John |
Possibly,
Private 14496191, 1st Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment who died
on 27 February 1945, aged 18. Remembered with Honour, - Reichswald
Forest War Cemetery |
| STEWART | Albert Harry | Private
5387631, 5th Battalion, Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry who died
on 19 August 1944, aged 25. Son of Charles and Elsie Stewart, of
St. Ebbes, Oxford. Remembered with Honour, - Ranville War Cemetery |
| WATTS | Leonard Percy |
Corporal
796548, 7th Battalion, Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry who died
on 30 October 1943, aged 31. Son of Leonard and Rhoda Watts; husband
of Gladys May Watts, of Oxford. Remembered with Honour, - Minturno
War Cemetery |
| WELLER | George Edward | Gunner
1780636, Royal Artillery who died on 13 February 1942 aged 21. Son
of Sidney and Florence Ada Weller, of Oxford. Remembered with Honour,
- Singapore Memorial |
| WOODWARD | John Charles |
Possibly,
Sergeant Air Bomber 1316223, 103 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer
Reserve who died on 16 February 1943, aged 28. Son of William and
Helen Sarah Woodward. Remembered with Honour, - Guidel Communal
Cemetery |
“They
shall grow not old as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.”
Last updated 10 August, 2016
 War Memorials Trust |
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