BLUNHAM WAR MEMORIAL World War 1 & 2 - Roll of Honour with detailed information Compiled and copyright © 2001 Martin Edwards

The village memorial sits at the road junction outside the church of St Edmund's, it takes the form of a granite obelisk with a cross carved in relief at the top, this stands on a square plinth with a two-stepped base; the names for World War 2 are on inset into the front of the secodn step. There are 15 names for World War 1 and 6 for World War 2. The memorial was unveiled by Colonel R R B Orlebar on 4th July 1920 (details in the Bedfordshire Times, 1921). Inside the church is a further memorial carved into the oak reredos to the same men as on the external memorial (this is also describe din the Bedfordshire Times 1921). There is also a statue to Our lady of Messines with the story of Ernest Beckley of Leicester and the amazing set of circumstances that followed.

Photographs Copyright © Martin Edwards 2001

IN HONOURED MEMORY
OF THE
MEN OF THIS PARISH
WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES
FOR THEIR COUNTRY
IN THE GREAT WAR
1914-1919
"THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE."

ALLEN	Melville Richard Howard Agnew	Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps who died on Wednesday, 21st March 1917. Buried in Bedford Cemetery, Foster Hill Road, Bedford. Grave E/5. 70v. Was native of Sandy, Bedfordshire. Pilot at the Experimental Aircraft Flight, Martlesham Heath, Suffolk. Son of Richard Allen, grandson of W. H. Allen (owner of the engineerng company in Bedford). Killed in flying accident when his engine failed Wednesday, 21st March 1917, piloting Bristol Scout Type D 5556. See also Bedford Cemetery
BATTLE	Sydney Percy	[listed as Percy Sydney on SDGW and CWGC] Private, 31872, 6th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Died of wounds Wednesday, 18th July 1917 in France & Flanders. Age 20. Born and resident Blunham, enlisted Bedford. Son of Fredrick and Ellen Elizabeth Battle, of High St., Blunham, Bedfordshire. Buried in Hazebrouck Communal Cemetery, Nord, France. Grave III. D. 23.
BROWN	William	Gunner, 124626, 60th Battery, Royal Field Artillery. Died Thursday, 8th November 1917 in Mesopotamia. Age 26. Born Blunham, enlisted Sandy. Husband of Lizzie Joyce Brown, of Berry Cottage, Blunham, Sandy, Bedfordshire. Buried in Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery, Iraq. Grave III. J. 9.
CHAMBERS	Sydney	Private, G/34040, 17th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. Died of wounds Wednesday, 8th May 1917 in France & Flanders. Age 28. Born and resident Blunham, enlisted Bedford. Husband of Mrs. R. M. Chambers, of Southview, Blunham, Sandy, Bedfordshire. Formerly 4047, Essex Regiment. Prisoner of war. Buried in Niederzwehren Cemetery, Germany. Grave IX. E. 12.
CHRISTIE	Wilfrid Sydney	Assistant Motor Engineer, H.M.S. "Sunhill", Mercantile Marine Reserve. Died Tuesday 26 November 1918. Born 15 August 1896. Educated Bedford Modern School (1908-14). In the 1911 census he was aged 14, at school, born Hinwick, Bedfordshire, son of Andrew and Sarah Christie, resident Park Lane, Blunham, Sandy. Buried in BEDFORD CEMETERY, Foster Hill Road, Bedford. Plot/Row/Section E/3. Grave 17. See also Bedford Modern School Extract from England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1919: CHRISTIE Wilfred Sydney of Blunham near Sandy Bedfordshire engineer H.M.S. Egmont died 26 November 1918 at the Royal Naval Hospital Portsmouth Administration London 5 April to Andrew Mackie Christie chauffeur. Effects £536 17s. 3d.
	Jack EKINS	Private, M/333006, 683rd Mechanical Transport Company, Royal Army Service Corps who died on Thursday, 14th November 1918. Age 29. Son of W. Ekins, of Blunham, Sandy, Bedfordshire. Buried in Mikra British Cemetery, Kalamaria, Greece. Grave 817.
GOODSHIP	Bertie	Private, 25134, 6th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action Wednesday, 9th August 1916 in France & Flanders. Born and resident Blunham, enlisted Ampthill. Commemorated on Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 2 C.
GIDDINGS	Horace John	Corporal, 60011, 26th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers. Killed in action Tuesday, 12th June 1917 in France & Flanders. Age 23. Born and resident Blunham, enlisted Biggleswade. Nephew of Mrs. Edith Jeffries, of 2, Council Cottages, Northill, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire. Formerly 3079, 5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 6 and 8
LITTLE	Herbert [Bert]	Private, 128956, 40th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps. Killed in action Tuesday, 9th April 1918 in France & Flanders. Born Bedford, enlisted Biggleswade, resident Sandy. Formerly 48328, Bedfordshire Regiment. Commemorated on Ploegsteert Memorial, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium. Panel 11
MANN	Percy	Private, 8487, 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action Tuesday, 15th September 1914 in France & Flanders. Born and resident Blunham, enlisted Bedford. Commemorated on La Ferte-sous-Jouarre Memorial, Seine-et-Marne, France.
MANN	Walter	Private 2462, 1st/1st, Royal Gloucestershire Hussars, Yeomanry. Died Wednesday, 26th July 1916 in Turkey. Age 31. Enlisted Gloucester, resident Bedford. Son of William and Mary A. Mann, of Blunham, Sandy, Bedfordshire. Buried in Damascus Commonwealth War Cemetery, Syria. Grave A. 83.
ODELL	Ernest Alfred	Private, 33065, 8th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment. Died of wounds Wednesday, 16th October 1918 in France & Flanders. Age 27. Born and resident Blunham, enlisted Sandy. Son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Odell, of Blunham, Sandy, Bedfordshire. Formerly 6197, Bedfordshire Regiment. Prisoner of war. Buried in Hamburg Cemetery, Germany. Grave IV. C. 4.
STEVENS	Walter J	Private, 201369, 1st/5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action Friday, 20th July 1917 in Palestine. Enlisted St. Albans, resident Harpenden, Hertfordshire. Buried in Gaza War Cemetery, Israel. Grave XXX. A. 9.
TUPPEN	Claud Christopher Selby	Senior Wireless Operator, Mercantile Marine who died on Saturday, 5th October 1918. Son of Claud Ernest Tuppen, of The Woodlands, Wisborough Green, Billingshurst, Sussex. Commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London.
WHEATLEY	John	Private, 203292, 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Died of wounds Wednesday, 3rd July 1918 in France & Flanders. Age 32. Born and resident Blunham, enlisted Biggleswade. Son of the late James and Rhoda Wheatley, of Blunham, Sandy, Bedfordshire.; husband of F. Wheatley, of Newton Blossomville, Bedford. Buried in Ribemont Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France. Grave I. L. 3.
1939-1945 WAR
BARTON	James Jeffery	Sergeant, 573423, 83 Squadron., Royal Air Force who died on Tuesday, 13th October 1942. Age 21. Son of James Leslie and Ethel Henrietta Barton, of Buckden, Huntingdonshire. Commemorated on Runnymede Memorial, Surrey. Panel 77.
DALLEY	John	Sergeant, 932761, Pilot, 254 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve who died on Tuesday, 21st November 1944. Age 22. Son of John and Anne Elizabeth Dalley, of Bromham, Bedfordshire. Buried in Ameland (Nes) General Cemetery, Friesland, Netherlands. Plot D. Row 9. Joint grave 27. The British plot is in a prominent position immediately left of the entrance.
GAYLOR	Derek Austin	Driver, T/14774735, Royal Army Service Corps, who died on Sunday, 31st August 1947. Age 21. Son of John William and Edith Kate Gaylor, of Blunham, Bedfordshire. Buried in Phaleron War Cemetery, Greece. Grave 23. D. 6.
HOPKIN	Alan Dunn	Pilot Officer 36220, 59 Squadron, Royal Air Force who died on Wednesday, 10th July 1940. Commemorated on Air Forces Memorial at Runnymede, Surrey. Panel 8.
NORMAN	Thomas Walter	Sergeant 5832734, 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment, Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Regiment who died on Saturday, 11th November 1944. Age 30. Son of Harry and Emily Elizabeth Norman, of Blunham, Bedfordshire. Commemorated on Cassino Memorial, Italy. Panel 5.
SIMS	Joshua John	Private 5950634, 5th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment who was killed in action during the battle for Singapore on Friday, 13th February 1942. Age 31. Son of Joshua and Florence Sims; husband of Ellen Kathleen Sims, of Bedford. Commemorated on the Singapore memorial, Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore. Column 56.

Last updated 14 October, 2019