St Mary's
Broughton Astley
We will Remember Them....
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The Roll of the Fallen in two World Wars |
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Broughton Astley, Leicestershire |
Results of research into the names, the regiments, age at death, date of death, and place of burial or memorial of those from Broughton Astley who fell in two World Wars.
by The Reverend Antony Pritchett
Copyright © The Reverend Antony Pritchett, 2002
Contents:
The War Memorials in Broughton Astley
The list of the Fallen - 1st World War
First World War - age of death
First World War - Dates of death
The list of the Fallen - 2nd World War
Second World War - age of death
Second World War - Dates of death
Preface
In 2000, I was invited to join friends on a visit to a War Cemetery in France. The great uncle of a member of our party had been killed in action on that very day, in 1917. His body had not been recovered so his name had been inscribed, along with many thousands more, onto a wall surrounding the cemetery which contained the headstones to comrades whose bodies had been recovered. A member of our party had obtained more information from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s web-site about the soldier, and the battle in which he was killed, and so our thoughts and reflections were better informed. I was privileged to be invited to lead a short service to his memory.
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At each Remembrance Sunday service in Broughton Astley, those who can remember the Second World War are getting fewer, and I doubt that there is anyone now living in our community who can recall the First World War. The size of present-day Broughton Astley makes it difficult, too, to appreciate just how great was the loss suffered by the small community at that time. |
| Younger generations, though, do attend the Remembrance Sunday service in good numbers, and it seems to me to be important that some record is set down to say a little more about those men who died for their country and for our freedom, and whose names are read out each November. |
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This document has been interesting to research, but has also been a sad yet proud experience in reflecting on the lives of those men who perished in such conflicts, and often under appalling conditions. Parish records especially have been particularly poignant: in some instances men whose names follow each other’s in the baptism registers of the church are similarly listed on the war memorials. They would have gone to school together, and played together. I was shown a photograph of Broughton Astley’s football team, taken shortly before the First World War. It is possible to identify from that friends who would be killed in the conflict.
I hope that this will prove of interest, not only as a fuller record of the names inscribed onto the war memorials in Broughton Astley, but more particularly, that it will encourage people to look out old photographs, or even to visit a War Cemetery or a specific grave whilst on holiday.
Antony Pritchett
April 2002
Acknowledgements
I am most grateful to all who have helped as I researched this article. It is just not possible to name them all.
I do, though, wish to record my gratitude to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Without their permission to use the material contained on their excellent web-site, it would not have been possible to put this together.
I am grateful, too, to The Naval & Military Press Ltd who have given permission for me to use material contained on their ‘Soldiers Died in the Great War CD’. This has been extremely useful in a number of cases.
The staff of the Leicestershire Records Office, Wigston Magna, have given valuable assistance, and I am grateful to Father Derek Turner, Rector, for his permission to use material from Dunton Bassett’s Parish records.
Special thanks must go to Andrew Parsons. Andrew’s knowledge of his native village of Broughton Astley has been helpful, and his willingness to loan material from his own research has, in some cases, been invaluable.
I am grateful, too, to John Bradley, who has read through the text; to the Reverend Canon Martin Hulbert for his inspiration and advice; and to Sarah Solly for proof-reading, and for her support, advice and encouragement.
The Search
Broughton Astley has two War Memorials: that on Frolesworth Road, and the Memorial Choir Screen in the Parish Church. The names recorded on the two memorials are the same (by no means always the case). Both war memorials record surnames and initials, thus making it possible to go into the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s web-site and obtain a list of men of the same name who are recorded as having been killed on active service. The size of the job can be appreciated when it is realised that there are, for example, 168 records of men having the surname Ford, with the first initial ‘F’, recorded on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s web-site as having died in the First World War.
Thankfully, the Frolesworth Road memorial lists the rank and regiment of each man. It is possible, then, to identify more precisely the correct name from the list by linking this in with a man’s regiment. In the case of F Jones, the war memorial says that he belonged to the 2/5th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment at the time of his death. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s web-site had indicated that there were three F Jones who had belonged to the Leicestershire Regiment, but only one of the 2/5th Battalion, and the link to the name appearing on the war memorial in Broughton Astley was further confirmed in that he was the only one of the three with the rank of Private.
Not that the search is always quite so straightforward: even where a regiment had been given, for example, that might have changed, and it is by no means unusual to find a name incorrectly spelt. There are other problems, too: it is, for example, hard to see why some names that appear on Broughton Astley’s war memorials should do so, yet some other names – those who are known to have been born in the village – do not. (I have restricted this book to those whose names are recorded on the war memorials, with the sole exception of Private GA Reynolds, whose name is not listed, but who is buried in the churchyard.)
The book, ‘Soldiers died in the Great War 1914-1919’ Part 22, The Leicestershire Regiment, published in 1921, has been particularly helpful in gaining further information about a soldier’s name, his place of birth, and where he resided at the time he enlisted for military service. It has also recorded something of his army record and the circumstances of his death. Where this information is given, I have included it in this book. The information from ‘Soldiers Died in the Great War CD’, published by The Naval & Military Press Ltd, has been similarly helpful. Where this information differs from that given in the records of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, I have noted this fact in the text.
Baptism, marriage and, in some cases, burial registers of Broughton Astley’s Parish Church have been especially helpful in building up a fuller picture, as have the parish records for Dunton Bassett. The registers from both parishes are kept at the Leicestershire Records Office, Wigston Magna.
It is tempting in an article such as this, (and where records of the time are not always as accurate as one would like), to list possibilities almost as though they were facts. This I have not done. If I think that something is likely, but am unable to definitely show it to be so from the evidence I have, then I indicate this in the text. Some things, too, have simply remained a mystery. I have been unable to find information on HR Palphramand, for example.
An article such as this will never be complete. More information comes to light all the time. All that can be done at this stage, some eighty-five years or so after those horrific events of the First World War, is to record the facts as known.
The War Memorials in Broughton Astley
As indicated above, there are two war memorials in Broughton Astley. Kelly’s Directory of 1925 says that: ‘A memorial stone was erected near the church in 1921 to the thirty-three men connected with the parish who fell in the Great War, 1914-1918’. The thirty-three names recorded are set out on three panels, each with eleven names. The names of the six men from the village who died during the Second World War were subsequently added. A panel at the front approach of the memorial reads:
Erected by the Parishioners
of Broughton Astley
In memory of the men
who gave their lives in the
Great War 1914-1918
Let those who come
after see to it
that their names be
not forgotten.
The War Memorial Screen in the Parish Church also lists the names of thirty-three men killed in the First World War, and six in the Second World War. The surnames and initials follow the same order as on the Frolesworth Road memorial, although on the church memorial, W Ford’s name follows in alphabetical sequence (on the Frolesworth Road memorial, his is inexplicably the last name to be recorded). The War Memorial Screen was dedicated in 1922. A text from St John’s Gospel, chapter fifteen, verse thirteen, reads:
Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Besides these two memorials, and the one in the Parish Church to the memory of Sergeant Alfred Baum (see below), there is also a small brass plaque on the wall of the chancel sanctuary, in the church, to the memory of Sarah Jane Burdett. The plaque records that the six brass candlesticks behind the high altar were given to her memory, and that Sarah Burdett died when the ship, the ‘SS Athenia’, was sunk by enemy action on 3rd September, 1939. The sinking of the SS Athenia was the first incident of the U-boat war, and occurred only hours after the declaration of hostilities between Britain and Germany.
The List of the Fallen
First World War 1914-1918
Rifleman Douglas Thomas Bailey
B/200024
10th Battalion Rifle Brigade
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records say that he was the son of Thomas and Sarah Ann Bailey, of Sutton Lane, Broughton Astley.
Information provided by the Naval & Military Press Ltd indicates that Rifleman Bailey formerly belonged to the 12th Leicestershire Regiment, service number 12/26794.
Date of death: Monday 19th February, 1917, aged 20.
His name is recorded on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.
Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 16 B and 16 C
Sapper Francis Charles Bartlett
228th Field Company, Royal Engineers
It has not proved possible to find information about Sapper Bartlett from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Fourteen members of the Royal Engineers with this surname are listed by them as having died in the First World War, and the nearest record they have is of a Sapper FA Bartlett, of the 63rd Field Company, Royal Engineers, who died on Tuesday 19th October, 1915.
However, information provided by the Naval & Military Press Ltd does record information about FC Bartlett. Their records say that he was born in Dunton Bassett, but resided in Broughton Astley at the time he enlisted for military service in Leicester, and that he saw action in France and Flanders and was killed in action.
Dunton Bassett Parish Church records show that a Francis Charles Bartlett was baptised on 28th February, 1886, and that his parents were Edward Bartlett, a labourer, and Elizabeth.
Broughton Astley’s Parish Church records indicate that Francis Charles Bartlett, (from Dunton Bassett, and son of Edward Bartlett, a labourer), was married to Violet Elizabeth Flint on 10th May, 1913. Francis was aged 27 at the time of his marriage.
FC Bartlett’s name, and confirmation that he served with the Royal Engineers, appears also on the war memorial in Dunton Bassett.
Date of death: Monday 25th March, 1918. (His age, from the information from Dunton Bassett’s baptism registers, must have been 32 years of age.)
Private George Edward Barwell
25613
‘B’ Company 9th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records say that he was the son of Mr and Mrs T Barwell, of Broughton Astley.
Records of the Leicestershire Regiment indicate that Private Barwell was born in Hullesthorpe [sic], and resided at Cosby at the time he enlisted for military service at Leicester. He saw action in France and Flanders, and was killed in action.
Date of death: Thursday 3rd May, 1917, aged 20.
His name is recorded on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France.
Memorial Reference: Bay 5
Private Arthur Blockley
14494
9th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
No further information is recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The Leicestershire Regiment records note that Private Blockley was born in Broughton Astley, and resided there at the time he enlisted for military service in Leicester. He served in France and Flanders, and was killed in action.
Private
Blockley was, apparently, a son of Amos Blockley, and so brother to Henry (see
page 10).
Date
of death: Saturday 14th April, 1917.
He
is buried in the St Leger British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.
Grave
Reference: D. 7.
Private
George Percy Blockley
11933
8th
Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment.
The
Commonwealth War Graves Commission records say that he was the son of Thomas W
and Eliza Blockley, of Broughton Astley.
Records
of the Leicestershire Regiment confirm that Private Blockley was born in
Broughton Astley, and resided there at the time he enlisted for military service
in Leicester. He saw action in France and Flanders, and was killed in action.
Parish
records show that he was baptised on 10th November, 1889. His father, Thomas
William Blockley, is described as a labourer.
The
headstone to his parents, in the Frolesworth Road Cemetery, records:
In
loving
memory of
Thomas
William Blockley
died
July 30 1945 aged 82
and
his beloved wife
Eliza
died
November 22 1945 aged 80
also
their daughter
Florence
Ellen
died
August 14 1943
and
their son
George
Percy
killed
in action in France July 1916
Rest
in Peace
Date
of death: Saturday 15th July, 1916, aged 26.
His
name is recorded on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.
Memorial
Reference: Pier and Face 2 C and 3 A
Sergeant
Henry Blockley
15130
9th
Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
The
Commonwealth War Graves Commission records say that he was the son of Amos
Blockley, of Sutton Lane, Broughton Astley. He was their second son to be killed
in the Great War (see the entry for Arthur, page 8).
Records
of the Leicestershire Regiment indicate that Sergeant Blockley was born in
Broughton Astley, and resided there at the time he enlisted for military service
in Leicester. He saw action in France and Flanders, and died of wounds.
Date
of death: Sunday 6th August, 1916, aged 23.
He
is buried in the Faubourg d’Amiens Cemetery, Arras, Pas de Calais, France.
Grave
Reference: I. F. 4.
Corporal
Shirley Box
8063
2nd
Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
The
Commonwealth War Graves Commission records say that he was the son of Emmanuel
and Lizzie Box, of Sutton Lane, Broughton Astley.
Records
of the Leicestershire Regiment indicate that he was born in Broughton Astley,
and resided there at the time he enlisted for military service in Leicester. He
saw action in France and Flanders, and died of wounds.
Parish
records show that he was baptised in St Mary’s Church on 9th June, 1889. His
father, Emmanuel, is described as a labourer.
Date
of death: Friday 26th February, 1915, aged 26.
He
is buried in the Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.
Grave
Reference: III. C. 70.
Private
Joseph Reginald Buxton
17327
1st/5th
Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
No
further information is recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission. The Leicestershire Regiment records note that Private Buxton
was born in Primethorpe, and resided there at the time he enlisted for military
service in Lutterworth. He served in France and Flanders, and was killed in
action.
Parish
records show that he was baptised in St Mary’s Church on 17th December, 1893.
His parents are noted as living in Thorpe, and his father was a butcher.
The
headstone to his parents, in the churchyard of St Mary’s Church, records:
In
loving
memory
of
Joseph
Buxton,
died
April 24th 1931,
aged
70 years.
Annie
Eliza,
wife
of the above
died
July 6th 1935
aged
75 years.
Also
Joseph
Reginald,
son
of the above
killed
in action Sept. 24th 1918,
aged
24 years,
buried
at
Cerisy
Gailley Cemetery.
In
the midst of life
we
are in death
Private
Rowland Chamberlain
15127
1st
Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
No
further information is recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission. The Leicestershire Regiment records note that Private
Chamberlain was born in Thurlaston, but resided in Broughton Astley at the time
he enlisted for military service in Leicester. He served in France and Flanders,
and was killed in action.
Records
of the Leicestershire Regiment give Private Chamberlain’s service number as
15129.
Date
of death: Thursday 26th April, 1917.
His
name is recorded at Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France.
Memorial
Reference: Panel 42 to 44
Private
John William Ellis
67524
22nd
Battalion, Durham Light Infantry
No
further information is recorded. (Out of 27 possibilities for Ellis JW on the
Commonwealth War Graves Commission records, only one entry was recorded as
belonging to the 22nd Durham Light Infantry, as indicated on Broughton
Astley’s war memorial.)
John
William Ellis, son of Benjamin
Thomas Ellis, a carter, and Lucy Ellis, of Broughton Astley, is recorded as
being baptised in St Mary’s Church on 31st October, 1897, and there is a
possibility that he may be Private JW Ellis, whose death is recorded here.
Information
provided by the Naval & Military Press Ltd indicates that Private Ellis was
born in Broughton Astley and resided there at the time he enlisted for military
service in Glen Parva. He served in France and Flanders, and was killed in
action.
Date
of death: Friday 6th July, 1917.
He
is buried in the Belgian Battery
Corner Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.
Grave
Reference: I. A. 15.
Private
Frederick Evans
242297
2nd/5th
Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
No
further information is recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission. The Leicestershire Regiment records note that Private Evans
was born in Leicester, but resided in Broughton Astley at the time he enlisted
for military service in Glen Parva. He served in France and Flanders, and was
killed in action.
Date
of death: Monday 9th April, 1917.
He
is buried in the Roisel Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France.
Grave
Reference: II. G. 2.
Private
Percy John Follows
25785
9th
Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
No
further information is recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission. The Leicestershire Regiment records note that Private Follows
was born in Kettering, Northamptonshire, but resided in Broughton Astley at the
time he enlisted for military service in Glen Parva. He served in France and
Flanders, and was killed in action.
Date
of death: Monday 25th September, 1916.
His
name is recorded on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.
Memorial
Reference: Pier and Face 2 C and 3 A
Able
Seaman Alfred Ford
J/10526
HMS
Lynx, Royal Navy
The
Commonwealth War Graves Commission records indicate that he was the son of
Thomas and Elizabeth Ford, of Dunton Houses, Broughton Astley, and that he was a
native of Dunton Bassett.
Able
Seaman Ford’s name also appears on the war memorial at Dunton Bassett, with
confirmation that he served on HMS Lynx.
Date
of death: Monday 9th August, 1915, aged 21.
His
name is recorded on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Hampshire, Great Britain.
Memorial
Reference: 7.
Private
Stephen Ford
15692
7th
Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
No
further information is recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission. The Leicestershire Regiment records note that Private Ford
was born in Dunton Bassett, but resided in Broughton Astley at the time he
enlisted for military service in Leicester. He served in France and Flanders,
and was killed in action.
Private
Ford’s name also appears on the war memorial at Dunton Bassett, with
confirmation that he served with the Leicestershire Regiment.
Date
of death: Friday 14th July, 1916.
His
name is recorded at the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.
Memorial
Reference: Pier and Face 2 C and 3 A
Private
Thomas Ford
40927
1st
Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment.
The
Commonwealth War Graves Commission records indicate that he was the son of Mrs
Elizabeth Ford, of Broughton Astley, and that he was born at Dunton Bassett.
(This might suggest that Able Seaman Albert Ford was his brother. As Private
Stephen Ford is also recorded as coming from Dunton Bassett, could he have been
yet another brother?)
The
records of the Leicestershire Regiment confirm Private Thomas Ford’s place of
birth, but note that he resided in Broughton Astley at the time he enlisted for
military service in Glen Parva. He served in France and Flanders, and was killed
in action.
On
both the Frolesworth Road and Parish Church War Memorials, Private T Ford’s
entry comes before that for Private S Ford.
Private
Ford’s name also appears on the war memorial at Dunton Bassett, with
confirmation that he served with the Leicestershire Regiment.
Date
of death: Thursday 6th December, 1917, aged 20.
He
is buried in the Ribecourt British Cemetery, Nord, France.
Grave
Reference: Sp. Mem. B. 4.
Sapper
William Alfred Ford
146207
74th
Field Company, Royal Engineers
No
further information is recorded. Here is a good example of the difficulty of
finding the correct person. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s records
list 22 members of the Royal Engineers with the surname of Ford who died in the
First World War. Only Sapper Ford’s first initial is given on Broughton
Astley’s war memorials which, whilst narrowing the search down to just four
possibilities, does not make it so easy to confidently identify the correct
person. However, as only two of these four records give the rank of Sapper, and
as one of these (Sapper WH Ford) is recorded as having parents from Tunbridge
Wells, in Kent, (which makes it seem less likely, though by no means improbable,
that he should be remembered on Broughton Astley’s war memorials), through a
simple process of elimination the most likely person here would seem to be
Sapper WA Ford, and details of his date of death and burial are given below. It
will be appreciated that this is by no means the most satisfactory way of
identifying precisely the person whose name is recorded on Broughton Astley’s
war memorials.
Incidentally,
and inexplicably, on the Frolesworth Road war memorial, Sapper Ford’s name is
recorded as the very last entry of those who died in the Great War. His name
does not, therefore, follow the general alphabetical order, as it does on the
war memorial in the parish church.
Date
of death: Thursday 14th December, 1916.
He
is buried in the Martinpuich British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.
Grave
Reference: C. 4.
Private
Robert James Fretter
26060
6th
Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment
The
Commonwealth War Graves Commission records say that he was the son of George and
MA Fretter, of Broughton Astley; and husband of Sarah Jane Dann (formerly
Fretter), of Station Road, Broughton Astley.
Parish
records show that he was baptised in St Mary’s Church on 9th September, 1894,
to George and Mary Ann Fretter, and that they resided in Thorpe. His father was
employed as a framework knitter.
Information
provided by the Naval & Military Press Ltd indicates that Private Fretter
had formerly belonged to the Leicestershire Regiment, service number 31456.
Date
of death: Wednesday 22nd August, 1917, aged 22.
His
name is recorded at the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.
Memorial
Reference: Panel 35 to 37 and 162 to 162A
Private
Clarence George Fretter
292195
10th
Battalion, Cheshire Regiment
The
Commonwealth War Graves Commission records say that he was the son of William
and Ellen Fretter; husband of Mildred Fretter, of Station Road, Broughton Astley;
and that he was born at Broughton Astley.
Parish
records show that he was baptised in St Mary’s Church on 2nd September, 1892.
His parents resided in Thorpe, and his father was a framework knitter. The
records also confirm that Private Fretter married Mildred Hubbard on 22nd May,
1915. Private Fretter’s occupation at the time of his marriage was recorded as
a framework knitter.
Information
provided by the Naval & Military Press Ltd indicates that Private Fretter
was born in Broughton Astley and enlisted for military service in Leicester. He
saw action in France and Flanders.
Tragically,
Private Fretter’s son, Victor Clarence Fretter, was killed in the Second World
War (see page 32).
Date
of death: Sunday 3rd November, 1918, aged 24.
He
is buried in the Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery, Poland.
Grave
Reference: IV. B. 7.
Private
H Fretter
67005
1st
Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regiment)
No
further information is recorded. (Out of 2 possibilities, only one was recorded
as belonging to the Notts and Derby Regiment, as indicated on Broughton
Astley’s war memorial.)
On
the War Memorial in the Parish Church, H Fretter’s name is listed before that
of CG Fretter.
Horace
George Fretter, son of George and Mary Ann, of Thorpe, is recorded as being
baptised in St Mary’s Church on 1st May, 1892, and there is a possibility that
he may be Private H Fretter, whose death is recorded here. (In which case, he
would be brother to Private Robert James Fretter, whose details are recorded
above.)
Date
of death: Friday 23rd March, 1917.
He
is buried in the St Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France.
Grave
Reference: O. VIII. M. 10.
Private
John Edgar Garner
10313
6th
Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
The
Commonwealth War Graves Commission records say that he was the son of Stephen
and Jane Garner, of The Hall Cottage, Broughton Astley.
The
Leicestershire Regiment records confirm that Private John Garner was born in
Broughton Astley, and that he resided there at the time he enlisted for military
service in Leicester. He served in France and Flanders, and died of his wounds.
Parish
records show that he was baptised in St Mary’s Church on Easter Day, 17th
April, 1892. His father was employed as a labourer.
On
both the Frolesworth Road and Parish Church War Memorials, John Edgar’s name
does not follow the more usual alphabetic sequence, but follows that of his
brother, perhaps because Joseph Leonard was the eldest of the two.
The
headstone to his parents, in the churchyard of St Mary’s Church, records:
In
loving
memory
of
Ernest
Samuel,
born
July 27th 1878,
died
July 23rd 1894.
Joseph
Leonard,
born
October 8th 1886,
reported
killed in action in France,
March
21st 1918.
John
Edgar,
born
March 10th 1892,
died
of wounds Rouen April 24th 1918
sons
of Stephen and Jane Garner
And
with the morn those angel faces smile
which
we have loved long since, and lost awhile
Date
of death: Wednesday 24th April, 1918, aged 26.
He
is buried in the St Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France.
Grave
Reference: P. IX. N. 8A.
Private
Joseph Leonard Garner
42616
2nd/6th
Battalion, Manchester Regiment
The
Commonwealth War Graves Commission records say that he was the son of Stephen
and Mercy Jane Garner, of Hull [sic] Cottage, Broughton Astley. Stephen and Jane
Garner thus lost two sons in the Great War.
Parish
records show that Joseph was baptised in St Mary’s Church on 14th November,
1886. His father was employed as a labourer.
For
details of the headstone in St Mary’s churchyard that records Joseph’s name,
see the entry given for Private John Edgar Garner (opposite). It is interesting
to note that the headstone says that Joseph was reported as having been killed
in action in France on 21st March, 1918, but the records of the Commonwealth War
Graves Commission say that he died on 28th March, 1918.
The
records of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission also note that, whilst Private
Joseph Garner belonged at the time of his death to the 2nd/6th Battalion,
Manchester Regiment, he was formerly of the Leicestershire Regiment.
Information
provided by the Naval & Military Press Ltd indicates that Private Garner was
born in Broughton Astley and enlisted for military action in Leicester. He saw
action in France and Flanders and was killed in action.
Date
of death: Thursday 28th March, 1918, (but see above), aged 32.
He
is buried in the Assevillers New British Cemetery, Somme, France.
Grave
Reference: II. D. 5.
Private
Herbert G Haines
17175
1st
Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
No
further information is recorded. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission have 238
records for the surname Haines who died in the First World War. Of these, four
are recorded as belonging to the Leicestershire Regiment, and only one –
Herbert – for the 1st Battalion. Their records note that Private Haines was
the son of Henry Robert Haines, of 53, Mayfield Road, Dalston, London; and
husband of Jane Haines, of 70, Shepherdess Walk, City Road, London. Is this the
HG Haines, whose name is listed on the war memorials in Broughton Astley?
The
Leicestershire Regiment records confirm that Private Herbert Haines of the 1st
Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment, was born in Islington, Middlesex, enlisted
for military service in Finsbury Barracks, Middlesex, served in France and
Flanders, and was killed in action.
Date
of death: Friday 15th September, 1916.
He
is buried in the Belgian Battery Corner Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen,
Belgium.
Grave
Reference: I. A. 15.
Private
Oliver John Marritt
67117
17th
Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment)
Private
Marritt is buried in St Mary’s Churchyard. His headstone reads:
In
loving memory
of
P.T.
Oliver John
(17th
Sherwood Foresters)
son
of W.H. & A.J. Marritt
died
of wounds at Old Hastings
Hospital
Sept 30th 1917
aged
30 years
Thy
will be done
The
Burial Register for 1917, entry no. 216, records:
Oliver
J Marritt
Buried
Oct 4
Age
30
A
note in the margin says: ‘Died of wounds received in action in Flanders in the
Great War. Military Funeral’.
HR
Palphramand
8th
Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
Here
is a great mystery. There is no record of anyone of this surname listed as
belonging to the 8th Battalion, nor to any other battalion of the Leicestershire
Regiment. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission record only two names – GH
Palphramand, and RH Palphramand – but both belonged to the South African
Infantry. Only the latter man’s name might fit, and only then by reversing his
initials. The information is too sparse and too confused to make a more positive
identification at this stage.
Private
William Phipps
22898
8th
Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
No
further information is recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission. The Leicestershire Regiment records note that Private Phipps
was born in Croft, but resided in Broughton Astley at the time he enlisted for
military service in Leicester. He served in France and Flanders, and was killed
in action.
The
Frolesworth Road war memorial records Private Phipps’ battalion as the 10th.
Records of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and those of the
Leicestershire Regiment indicate that, at the time of his death, Private Phipps
belonged to the 8th Battalion.
Date
of death: Thursday 3rd May, 1917.
His
name is recorded at the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France.
Memorial
Reference: Bay 5
Private
James Percy Reynolds
20295
2nd
Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
No
further information is recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission. The Leicestershire Regiment records note that Private
Reynolds was born in Fleckney, but resided in Broughton Astley at the time he
enlisted for military service in Leicester. He died of wounds.
Parish
records show that Private Reynolds married Annie Maria Chapman in St Mary’s
Church, Broughton Astley, on 11th July, 1915. He was aged 27 at the time of his
marriage, and the entry for his occupation was described as a framework knitter,
but adds that he was now in the King’s army. Private Reynolds’ father,
Benjamin, was employed as a labourer.
Date
of death: Saturday 8th April, 1916. (His age, from the information on the
marriage registers, must therefore have been about 28).
His
name is recorded on the Basra Memorial, Iraq.
Memorial
Reference: Panel 12
Private
George Adnitt Reynolds
36799
Depot,
Leicestershire Regiment,
formerly
5th Battalion
The
Commonwealth War Graves Commission records say that Private Reynolds was the son
of Joseph and Violetta Reynolds, of Sutton Lane, Broughton Astley.
The
Leicestershire Regiment records indicate that Private Reynolds was born in Leire,
that he enlisted for military service in Leicester, and that he died at home. No
further details are given of his war service.
Private
Reynolds presents something of a mystery. Although buried in St Mary’s
Churchyard, in a grave cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, his
name does not appear on either the Frolesworth Road war memorial, nor on that in
the Parish Church.
(Private
Marritt was also buried in the churchyard, but in a private grave, yet his name
is recorded on both memorials. Incidentally, of the six men killed in the Second
World War, four were buried in Broughton Astley, and all six names are recorded
on the Frolesworth Road and Parish Church war memorials.)
The
details of Private Reynolds, as recorded on the headstone in the churchyard,
appear as follows:
36799
Private
G.A.
Reynolds
Leicestershire
Regiment
7th
June 1917 age 22
Peace
perfect peace
The
Burial Register of the church for 1917, entry no. 213, records:
George
Adnitt Reynolds – Resided in Broughton Astley.
Died
in Military Hospital
Buried
11 June
22
yrs
A
note in the margin simply states ‘Military Funeral’.
Leading
Seaman Charles Eric Scarborough
SS
Beatrice
Royal
Navy Volunteer Reserve
The
Commonwealth War Graves Commission records say that he was the son of Thomas and
Miriam Scarborough, of The Vinery, Cosby, and that he was a native of Sapcote.
Leading
Seaman Scarborough’s name also appears on the war memorial at Sapcote, with
confirmation that he served on HMS Beatrice.
Date
of death: Friday 20th July, 1917, aged 19.
His
name is recorded on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, Devon, Great Britain.
Memorial
Reference: 24
Private
RE Stringer
166123
14th
Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps
The
Commonwealth War Graves Commission records suggest that Private Stringer was the
son of Edward Lewin Stringer and Alice Lilian Stringer, of The Elms, Marlbrook,
Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.
This
is corroborated by parish records which, whilst making no reference to RE
Stringer, do show that Edward Dexter Stringer was baptised in St Mary’s Church
on 25th September, 1898. The important evidence here is that Edward’s parents
are named as Edward Lewyn and Alice Lillian Arabella [?] Stringer, resident in
Thorpe. Mr Stringer was named as an inn-keeper. Perhaps Private Stringer was an
older son?
Date
of death: Saturday 28th April, 1917, aged 20.
He
is buried in Orchard Dump Cemetery, Arleux-en-Gohelle, Pas de Calais, France.
Grave
Reference: III. J. 26.
Sapper
William Thomas Tite
198th
Quarrying Coy, Royal Engineers
On
both the Frolesworth Road and Parish Church war memorials, Sapper Tite’s
initials are ‘TW’, but the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s records
indicate that they should have been ‘WT’. Their records note that Sapper
Tite was the husband of Ethel Elizabeth Tite, of Sutton-in-the-Elms, Broughton
Astley.
Parish
records confirm that William Thomas Tite, a quarryman by profession, and aged 28
years, married Ethel Elizabeth Cockerill at St Mary’s Church on 1st June,
1914. His father, William Henry Tite, was employed as a labourer.
Date
of death: 26th September, 1917, aged 30.
He
is buried in Les Baraques Military Cemetery, Sangatte, Pas de Calais, France.
Grave
Reference: I. A. 11.
Private
Frederick Wapples
43437
9th
Battalion, Essex Regiment
The
Commonwealth War Graves Commission records say that he was the son of Mr T
Wapples, of Broughton Astley.
Information
provided by the Naval & Military Press Ltd indicates that Private Wapples
was born in Broughton Astley and that he resided there at the time he enlisted
for military service in Leicester. He saw action in France and Flanders and was
killed in action. Their records say that he had formerly belonged to the
Leicestershire Regiment, service number 22002.
Date
of death: Wednesday 18th October, 1916, aged 25.
His
name is recorded on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.
Memorial
Reference: Pier and Face 10 D
Private
Thomas Henry Wapples
22001
6th
Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
No
further information is recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission. The Leicestershire Regiment records note that Private Wapples
was born in Broughton Astley, and resided there at the time he enlisted for
military service in Leicester. He served in France and Flanders, and was killed
in action.
Parish
records confirm that he was baptised in St Mary’s Church on 18th July, 1886.
His parents, Tom and Euilua [?] lived at Thorpe, and his father was employed as
a labourer.
On
the two war memorials, only Private Wapples’ first initial is given.
Date
of death: Monday 17th July, 1916. (His age, from the information from the
baptism registers, must have been 30 years of age.)
His
name is recorded on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.
Memorial
Reference: Pier and Face 2 C and 3 A
Private
Ernest Henry Cooke White
R/936
or 11936
8th
Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
On
both war memorials, Private White’s name appears as EH Cooke White. In all
records, including those of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, those of the
Leicestershire Regiment, and baptism registers, ‘Cooke’ appears only as his
third forename.
No
further information is recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission. The Leicestershire Regiment records note that Private White
was born in Broughton Astley, and resided there at the time he enlisted for
military service in Leicester. He served in France and Flanders, and died from
wounds.
Parish
records confirm that he was baptised in St Mary’s Church on 12th June, 1887.
His parents, George and Ann White, lived at Thorpe, and his father was employed
as a labourer.
Date
of death: Saturday 23rd September,
1916.
He
is buried in the Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt-l’Abbe, Somme, France.
Grave
Reference: IV. H. 24.
Lance
Corporal AS Wood
29408
1st
Battalion, Grenadier Guards
No
further information is recorded.
Date
of death: Saturday 30th March, 1918.
He
is buried in Bucquoy Road Cemetery, Ficheux, Pas de Calais, France.
Grave
Reference: VI. E. 28.
First World War 1914-1918 - Age at Death
Leading Seaman Charles Eric Scarborough
19 years
Rifleman Douglas Thomas Bailey
20 years
Private George Edward Barwell
20 years
Private Thomas Ford
20 years
Private RE Stringer
20 years
Able Seaman Alfred Ford
21 years
Private Robert James Fretter
22 years
Private George Adnitt Reynolds
22 years
Sergeant Henry Blockley
23 years
Private Joseph Reginald Buxton
24 years
Private Clarence George Fretter
24 years
Private Frederick Wapples
25 years
Private George Percy Blockley
26 years
Corporal Shirley Box
26 years
Private John Edgar Garner
26 years
Private James Percy Reynolds
28 years*
Private Ernest Henry Cooke White
29 years*
Private Oliver John Marritt
30 years