BLACKIE

James Stewart

Lieutenant, 5th (Reserve) Bn attached 1st Bn, Rifle Brigade Born about 1897. Son of the late Mr & Mrs JA Blackie of Glasgow. Died 18th October 1916. Commemorated on Pier and Face 16B & 16 C of the Thiepval Memorial.

The battalion moved to the front line west of Lesboeufs on 16th October. Over the next two days it was in action east of Lesboeufs on the northern slopes of the Morval Spur towards Le Transloy, suffering 261 casualties before being relieved.

BRADSHAW

Richard Edward Knynaston

Lieutenant 1/12th (Country of London) Bn London Regiment (The Rangers). Richard was born in the village of Little Parndon in Essex about 1895. He was the third child and elder of two sons of William Graham and Dora Sophia Bradshaw. By 1905 William had moved to Crawley Down where both Kelly’s Directory and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission state they lived at Down Park which is between the village of Crawley Down and Copthorne. He was also Deputy Chairman and a Director of the London City and Midland Bank.

His brother William Douglas Bradshaw served with the Royal Field Artillery and was killed nearly four months later on 31st October, also on the Somme. Both brothers are included on the War Memorials at Copthorne and Crawley Down.

Richard was killed on 1st July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme. His remains were not found for burial and he is commemorated on Pier and Face 9C of the Thiepval Memorial.

BRADSHAW

William Douglas

Second Lieutenant 88th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. He was born in the village of Little Parndon in Essex about 1896 and was the fourth child and younger of two sons of William Graham and Dora Sophia Bradshaw. By 1905 William had moved to Crawley Down where both Kelly’s Directory and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission state they lived at Down Park which is between the village of Crawley Down and Copthorne. He was also Deputy Chairman and a Director of the London City and Midland Bank.

His brother Richard (above) served with the 1/12th Battalion London Regiment and had been killed almost four months earlier on 1st July. Both brothers are included on the War Memorials at Copthorne and Crawley Down and he is recorded on both war memorials as Douglas.

He was killed in action on 31st October 1916 and is buried in Grave L 49 in Aveluy Communal Cemetery Extension. Aveluy is a village just north of Albert in France. He is one of forty members of the Royal Field Artillery buried here.

DANIELL

Archibald Steuart Lindsey

Second Lieutenant 1st Bn Rifle Brigade Born about 1895. Son of Marion Hamilton-Field Richards (formerly Daniell) of 4, Draycott Place, London and later of 35. Wellington Square, Chelsea and the late Lindsey I-A Daniell (died in 1914). Grandson of Sir Steuart Colvin Bayley, GCSI. Gazetted to the 5th (Reserve) Battalion, Rifle Brigade in June 1914. Joined the 1st Bn in August 1914. Killed in action 19th December 1914. Buried in Grave IV G 5 in Rifle House Cemetery near ‘Plugstreet Wood’, Ploegsteert.

DOUGLAS

Brian Charles O’Driscoll

Captain, Connaught Rangers and Royal Air Force. Born about 1894. Only son of James and Eva Douglas of 96, Inverness Terrace, Hyde Park, London. Killed in a flying accident on 21st October 1918. Buried in Grave 23 & 24 F New Extension at St Leonard’s Church, Heston, Middlesex on 24th October 1918.

HAYWARD

Edward Ronald

Second Lieutenant, 99th Battery, Royal Field Artillery. Born about 1897 at Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Son of Mr R F & Mrs Freda Hayward of 1865, Barclay Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Educated at Winchester. Entered Royal Military Academy, Woolwich in October 1915 and Gazetted to the Royal Horse Artillery. Killed in action 20th December 1916. Buried in Grave 1882 at Mikra British Cemetery, Kalamaria, Greece. 

HEDLEY

Joseph Walton

Captain 2/5th Bn Lancashire Fusiliers. Joseph was born in Langho, Lancashire about 1880, the youngest son of Matthew and Jane Hedley. His father was the Vicar of Langho Hospital for Infectious Diseases.

Joseph was educated at Clitheroe School followed by the Merchant Taylor’s School at Crosby before going to Brasenose College, Oxford and qualifying a Batchelor of Arts in 1903. He became an Assistant Master at ‘Mr Rendall’s School, Copthorne’. He was gazetted as a Second Lieutenant in December 1914 and went to the Front in May 1915.

Joseph died of wounds on 12th September 1916 and is buried in Grave IV F 6 in Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt L’Abbe.

On the 7th September 1916 the battalion moved to trenches between Delville Wood, Trones Wood and Ginchy. Although attached to the 16th (Irish) Division for the assault on Ginchy that took place by this division on 9th September they did not take part until the following day and attacked Hop Alley and Ale Alley. Some troops entered Hop Alley but were forced out by German shelling and machine gun fire at a cost of 350 casualties.

He is also listed on the Copthorne War Memorial

HENDERSON

Andrew William

Captain, 1st Bn Rifle Brigade. Elder son of the late William Henderson of 4, Windsor Terrace West, Glasgow. Attended Balliol College, Oxford. Killed in action 1st July 1916. Commemorated on Pier and Face 16B & 16C of the Thiepval Memorial.

This was the First day of the Battle of the Somme. The battalion attacked the Redan Ridge. Despite being held up by fire from the Ridge Redoubt and The Quadrilateral it entered the German trenches by 10.00 AM. It became involved in heavy close quarter fighting and a German counter attack drove them back. In a few hours the battalion suffered 474 casualties and was almost immediately relieved.

Brother of Thomas Harvey Henderson (below) 

HENDERSON

Archibald Wright

Second Lieutenant 223rd Bn Machine Gun Corps. Died 30th December 1917. Commemorated on Pier and Face 5C & 12 C of the Thiepval Memorial 

HENDERSON

Thomas Harvey

Captain 6th (Reserve) Bn attached 10th (Service) Bn Rifle Brigade. Younger son of the late William Henderson of 4, Windsor Terrace West, Glasgow. Would have followed his brother to Balliol College if he had not enlisted. Commissioned into the Rifle Brigade in December 1914. Severely wounded in February 1915. Died 30th November 1917. Commemorated on Panel 10 & 11 of the Cambrai Memorial, Louverval. Awarded the Military Cross 1915 and bar in August 1917 as well as being mentioned in despatches in May 1916. Battalion Adjutant at the time of his death. Brother of Andrew William Henderson (above). 

INNES

Donald McLeod 

Second Lieutenant attached 14th (Fife & Forfar Yeomanry) Bn The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders). Born about 1899 at Cambridge, younger and only surviving son of Hugh McLeod Innes and his wife, Margaret (Nee Bird) of 6, St Elegius Street, Cambridge. Also attended Repton School; Exhibitioner in Classics of Trinity College, Cambridge. Joined the Cambridge University OTC in January 1917, was commissioned the following June and in France two months later.

Grandson of Lieutenant General James John McLeod Innes VC, Royal Engineers. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for shooting the crew of a field gun while under enemy fire and single handedly keeping the enemy troops away during the Indian Mutiny. His VC is now in the Royal Engineers Museum, Chatham Scholar of Repton School. Exhibitioner of Trinity College, Cambridge. Died 6th October 1918 from wounds received on 22nd September. Buried in Grave IV G 16 in Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension. He is 1 of 13 members of the regiment buried here.

Also commemorated on the Cambridge St Paul War Memorial.

His brother, Patrick, served in the RGA and was killed in action on Vimy Ridge on 30th May 1917. He is buried in Grave I A 3 in La Targette British Cemetery, Neuville-St. Vaast.

LAWRENCE

Guy Francis

Lieutenant 2nd Bn Grenadier Guards. Born about 1893. Second son of the Honourable Mrs Hildegarde Lawrence of ‘The Orchard’, Norton, near Worcester and later of ‘Kingston Cottage’, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire and the late George Lawrence. Killed in action 27th August 1918. Buried in Grave VIII L 36 in Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez. 

LITTLEDALE

Willoughby John

Captain 2nd Bn Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Born about 1895. Only son of Willoughby Aston Littledale and his wife, Violet, of 21, The Boltons, South Kensington, London. Later educated at Eton. Accepted fro Trinity Collage, Oxford, but went to the RMA, Sandhurst on the outbreak of war. Commissioned in December 1914, to France in May 1915. Wounded at Beaumont Hamel in November 1916 during the latter stages of the Battle of the Somme. Killed in action ‘in the front line’23rd March 1918. Buried in Bancourt British Cemetery. Officer commanding ‘A’ Company.

 MAY

Herbert Cecil

 Second Lieutenant, 6th (Reserve) Bn attached to 18th (Service) Bn (Arts & Crafts), King’s Royal Rifle Corps. Born about 1899. Son of Nathaniel Alfred & Eugenie Angela May of 20, Wetherby Gardens, Earl’s Court, London. Also educated at Winchester College. Died 29th September 1918. Buried in Grave V C 19 in Zantvoorde British Cemetery.

MENZIES

William Allan 

Second Lieutenant 163rd Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Born in 1897 in Ootcamund, India. Son of Dr JA Menzies of 6, Castle Hill Avenue, Folkestone. Later educated at Rugby School. Enlisted into the London Scottish in October 1914. Commissioned in the Royal Garrison Artillery in January 1916. To France on 26th December 1916. Killed in action 14th June 1917. Buried in Grave III C 33 in Dickebusch New Military Cemetery Extension.

The London ‘Times’ contained a quote from his Battery commander ‘Killed instantly, extremely promising and a gallant young officer’. 

PATON

John Edward

Second Lieutenant, 2nd Bn Monmouthshire Regiment. Born about 1895. Son of John and Susan Paton of Waun Wern, Pontypool, Monmouthshire. Killed in action 31st December 1914. Buried in Grave I B 12 in Calvaire (Essex) Military Cemetery, south of Ploegsteert.

RODOCANACHI

Paul John

Second Lieutenant, 53 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. Paul was born on 7th August 1898, the second son of John Matthew Rodocanachi and his wife Nettie Clough. John Rodocanachi died in Calcutta at the early age of 58 in April 1912, Nettie later returned to England. She remarried, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission notes her becoming Mrs Nettie Hulme King and living at Park Farm, Holbrook; which is just to the north east of Horsham. Paul was killed in action on 27th July 1917 while serving with 53 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. He is buried in Grave C 6 in Torreken Farm Cemetery No 1.

Also listed on the Crawley Down War Memorial.

No 53 Squadron was formed at Catterick, North Yorkshire on 15th May 1916. It was a reconnaissance unit, carrying out artillery spotting duties. Initially equipped with a variety of aircraft, in December 1916 it adopted the BE 2 which it flew for the next few months and moved to St Omer in France on Boxing Day. In February it began to re-equip with the RE8 which it flew for the rest of the war. It changed bases numerous times until settling at Clairmarais South in April and stayed until September.

STAINTON

Walter Adam 

Lieutenant 3rd Bn Grenadier Guards. Younger son of Mr & Mrs Stainton of 1, Wyndham Place, London. Later educated at Eton and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. Commissioned in January 1916 and to the Front the following July. Commemorated on Pier & Face 8 D of the Thiepval Memorial. Originally ‘Missing’ and later confirmed Killed in action on 14th September 1916

The battalion reached its assembly positions east of Ginchy on the 14th September for an attack towards Lesboeufs the following day. Lt Stainton was killed during these preparations. A further 412 men were killed during the attack.

TOTTIE

Eric Harald

Lieutenant, 1st Bn Northumberland Fusiliers. Born about 1895. Son of Mr W H Tottie and Mrs Mary Barron Tottie (Nee Blake) of ‘Sherlocks’, Ascot, Berkshire. Her grandfather was Commodore George Blake of the United States Navy. Died 22nd September 1914 from wounds received two days earlier. Buried in Grave II D 16 in Vailly British Cemetery.

His brother, Oscar William Tottie, was a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy who was serving on ‘HMS ’Aboukir’. This was one of three old cruisers sunk by a U boat on the same day. This was the 22ne August 1914; he died on the same day as his brother.

TUDOR

P B

Second Lieutenant 26th (Jacob’s) Mountain Battery, Indian Mountain Artillery. Died 1st November 1918. Buried in Grave VII K 2 in Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery, Iraq.

WALLER

Richard Alured

Second Lieutenant, 5th (Reserve) Bn., Royal Fusiliers. Richard was born in Little Packington near Coventry in Warwickshire about 1884, the son of the late Canon Ernest Alured Waller and of Mrs Mary Waller of St Bartholomew’s Church, Little Packington, Warwickshire. Mrs Waller later lived at ‘The Stone House’ Allesley, Warwickshire. Ernest Waller was the grandson of Sir Jonathan Wathen Waller (formerly Phipps), Groom to the Bedchamber to King William IV. Richard was educated at Marlborough and University College Oxford. He was married and lived at The Cottage, Crawley Down with his wife Ethel (Nee Drake). She was the youngest daughter of Mr & Mrs John Tippet Drake of Plumstead, Kent. They had one daughter, born in September 1917. He was a master at Copthorne School.

He enlisted at a Private in one of the ‘Public Schools’ battalions of the Royal Fusiliers, service number PS/10728 and served in France from August 1916. He returned to England in December that year and was commissioned in May 1917, returning to France the next month. He was wounded in August and had only just gone back again when he died. He died of pneumonia on 1st November 1917 and is buried in Grave II D 3 in Tincourt New British Cemetery.

There are a number of family memorials in the church at Little Packington.

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