Roll of Honour - Essex - Great Horkesley

Ministry of Defence

Lest We Forget

The Royal British Legion

GREAT HORKESLEY WAR MEMORIAL

World War 1 - Roll of Honour with detailed information
Compiled and copyright © 2004 Martin Edwards
document supplied by Lynne Langford

Great Horkesley is a village approximately 3 miles north of Colchester, in the county of Essex, and is part of the borough of Colchester. The Great Horkesley memorial is to be found in the grounds of All Saints Church, London Road, Great Horkesley and takes the form of a base surmounted by tapered plinth, shaft and wheel cross in rough hewn granite; the inscription is on two faces of the plinth. There are 6 names for World War 2 and 16 for World War 1. The memorial was unveiled 21st October 1920 and dedicated 24th October 1920. Details appeared in the Chelmsford Chronicle Friday 29 October 1920. When the World War 2 inscription was added an ‘AND’ was added to the front of the World War 1 inscription.

Extract from Chelmsford Chronicle - Friday 29 October 1920, page 6:

GREAT HORKESLEY.

MEMORIAL.—A Celtic cross, standing on a massive plinth, was unveiled on Sunday in the churchyard to the memory of 16 parishioners who gave their lives in the Great War. There was special service in the Parish Church, the Rector (the Rev. W. Chilton, M.A.), officiating. Capt H. Eley unveiled the memorial, in the absence through ill-health of Capt Kelso, R.N. Beautiful wreaths were laid at the foot of the cross, including one ten feet in circumference from ex-Service men. The "Last Post" and "Reveille" were sounded by four buglers.

AND IN MEMORY OF THE MEN OF GREAT HORKESLEY
WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR
1914 - 1918

ALLEN	Thompson	Corporal 964, Essex Yeomanry. Killed in action 13 May 1915. Aged 21. Born and resident Gt. Horksley, Essex, enlisted Colchester. Son of Edgar and Sophia Allen, of "The Laurels," Great Horkesley, Colchester. No known grave. Commemorated on YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL, West-Vlaanderen Beglium. Panel 5. Extract from Essex Newsman - Saturday 29 May 1915, page 2: GAVE THEM GRUEL. Trooper A. T. Wright, in a letter to his father at Greenstead, near Colchester, says: — The Germans shelled from a.m. till pm. continuously. It was terrible. They shelled the Life Guards out of the first line, and took it, leaving only a handful of them alive. About 3 o'clock we received orders to counter-attack, and then we gave them their gruel. . , We got the trench, but I am sorry to say we lost terribly. We have only seven officers left unwounded, and two them belong to A Squadron. Corpl. Allen, who comes from Horkesley, was killed. He was section leader. Sergt. Crees and I carried him to the doctor, but he died just as we put him there. He was the nicest and smartest chap in the troop—a favourite with everybody. Our Brigadier (General B. Johnson) said it was the pluckiest and finest charge by so small a handful of men that he seen since war began.
BITTEN	Frederick aka Fred	Officer's Steward 3rd Class L/4948, H.M.S. Hawk, Royal Navy. Lost in action in the North Sea 15 October 1914. Aged 20. Son of Elizabeth Ann Bitten, of 8, Horkesley Crescent, Great Horkesley, Colchester. Native of Pidley, Huntingdonshire. No known grave. Commemorate d on CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL, Kent. Panel 7.
CRANE	Cyril Edward	Lance Corporal (Rifleman) S/2571, 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own). Killed in action 21 April 1917. Aged 22. Born Great Horkesley, Colchester, Essex, resident Clapham, Surrey, enlisted City of London. Son of Peter William and Esther Crane, of Horkesley Park, Colchester; husband of Emily Ada (nee Braund) Crane, of 43, Victoria Rd., Clapham, London, married 30 December 1916 in St. Paul's, Clapham, formerly resident 9, Matrimony Place, Clapham, S.W. 7. Attested 8 September 1914 in 32, St. Paul's Churchyard, London, aged 19 years 5 months, a Fancy Letter Worker, resident 5, Offerton Road, Clapham, Middlesex. Posted 8th Battalion 10 September 1914, transferred to 11th (Service) Battalion 21 September 1914, wounded in action 18 September 1916, admitted 34 Casualty Clearing Station with gunshot wounds right leg, invalided to England aboard H.S. Asturias from 1st Australian general Hospital 27 September 1916, reposted France 23 November 1916, posted 2nd Battalion 13 March 1917, appointed unpaid Lance Corporal 9 April 1917. Height 5 feet 6 inches, weight 132 lbs, chest 36-39 inches, fresh complexion, blue eyes, brown hair, religious denomination Church of England. In the 1911 census he was aged 15, born Gt. Horkesley, Essex, a Fancy leather worker apprentice, resident with his Unclem and Aunt, James Richard and Sarah Rachel Andrews, resident Offerton Road, Clapham S.W., Wandsworth Borough, London & Surrey. Buried in GOUZEAUCOURT NEW BRITISH CEMETERY, Nord, France. Plot XII. Row A. Grave 18.
LEACH	Charles	Private 34147, 1st Battalion, Essex Regiment. Killed in action 14 April 1917. Aged 23. Enlisted Colchester, resident Great Horkesley. Son of Golden Leach and Alice Leach, of Old House, Great Horkesley, Colchester. Formerly 2615, Essex Yeomanry. No known grave. Commemorated on ARRAS MEMORIAL, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 7.
PAGE	Arthur Herbert	Second Lieutenant, 8th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Killed in action 19 july 1916. Aged 25. Son of Mr and Mrs. Herbert Page, of Ridgnalls, Great Horkesley, Colchester. No known grave. Commemorated on THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, Somme, France. Pier and Face 1 C and 2 A.
PARTRIDGE	William	No further information currently available
PEPPER	William John	Driver 40352, 108th Division Ammunition Column, Royal Field Artillery. Died 28 November 1918. Aged 25. Son of Herbert and Clara Pepper, of Brick Kiln Farm, Great Horkesley, Essex. Buried in TERLINCTHUN BRITISH CEMETERY, WIMILLE, Pas de Calais, France. Plot XI. Row E. Grave 34.
SMITH	Frederick	Private 15563, 1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. Killed in action 25 September 1916. Aged 31. Born Lay de Le Hay, Essex, enlisted Colchester, Essex. Son of Henry Smith; husband of Nellie Smith, of Causeway, Great Horkesley, Essex. No known grave. Commemorated on THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, Somme, France. Pier and Face 6 B and 6 C.
THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE IN MEMORY OF THE MEN OF THIS PARISH WHO FELL IN THE WAR OF 1939 - 1945
BAKER	Frank Henry	Sergeant (Navigator) 1399299, 40 Squadron, Royal Airforce Volunteer Reserve. Killed on 25th May 1944 while on active duty over Italy. Son of Henry and Alice Baker of Great Horkesley and husband of Doreen Mary Baker (nee Hume) of Sanquhar, Dumfriesshire. Buried in SALERNO WAR CEMETERY, Italy. Plot II. Row D. Collective grave 41-43.
ELLWOOD	Donald Frank	Sub-Lieutenant (A), H.M.S. Ravager, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. Died 4 July 1943. Aged 23. Son of Cyril and Florence May Ellwood. of Great Horkesley, Essex. Buried in PORTSMOUTH (EVERGREEN) MEMORIAL PARK, United States of America. Section. F. Lot 15. Grave 6.
JONES	P C	No further information currently available
TYLER	E E	probably Edward Ernest TYLER, Sergeant 576427, 106 Squadron, Royal Air Force. Died 25 June 1943. Buried in HARDERWIJK GENERAL CEMETERY, Gelderland, Netherlands. British Plot 2. Grave 7.
WILBY	Frank Paul	Sergeant 1452153, 49 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Died 6 September 1943. Son of Frederick Charles and Jessie Elizabeth Wilby, of Great Horkesley, Essex. Buried in DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY, Bayern, Germany. Plot 2. Row G. Grave 17.
WINCHESTER, M.C.	Charles Campbell	Major 8777, 1st Battalion, Royal Scots. Died 24 May 1940. Aged 45. Son of William Grant Lumsden Winchester and of Margaret Elizabeth Robertson Winchester (nee Campbell); husband of Margaret Isobel Winchester, of Great Horkesley, Essex. Buried in BEUVRY COMMUNAL CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France. Grave 143.

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

Last updated 23 March, 2022

War Memorials Trust