War dead names left in the dark
Both the War Memorials Trust and the Imperial War Museum were unaware of the carved wooden war memorial from the old Church of the Good Shepherd 1914-18 now tucked away inside All Saints church.
Leamington historian David Eason tracked it down while he was surveying all the Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth war memorials and rolls of honour on behalf of the two organisations for the national database. David said: “It seems the memorial is hardly known of locally either.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIt was fellow Leamington historian Alan Griffin who directed David to All Saints parish church where the old memorial is located. It is mounted on the west wall of the locked, dark, North Porch Lobby next to the side door facing out towards the Post Office on Priory Terrace.
The memorial was raised in 1919 and located at the Church of the Good Shepherd at the top of Satchwell Street until 1935 when the church closed. The memorial was re-located to All Saint’s church where it remains in the same position today.
It commemorates 43 names of people in the parish who fell, written in gold on two side panels, in between which is the carved figure of Christ on the cross. At the base are recorded dates of erection and movement and, at the bottom is written; “Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by?”
David added: “Considering its present sad and neglected condition and location this seems quite apt. This year being the run up to 2014 and the centenary of the beginning of the First World War, we would like to bring the attention of Leamington to the existence of this memorial and its sad condition.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdHe is currently writing the roll of honour of all those named and would like to hear from any descendants to contact him so those named can be commemorated. He said: “Should anyone wish to see this memorial, they should ask the staff of All Saints church to unlock the doors.”
Here is the list of the names on the memorial:
1/Private, Alfred Charles ALCOCK [A.S.Alcock] 220141, Royal Berkshire
Regiment
2/ Private, Arthur .R. ALCOCK [A.R.Alcock] 43671, Lincolnshire
Regiment
3/ Private, Albert AVERY [A. Avery] 33146, Ox & Bucks Light Infantry
Regiment
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad4/ Private, John Davies BARR [J.Barr] 48551, Royal Berkshire Regiment
5/ Private, William BASKOTT [W.Baskott] 1538, Royal Warwickshire
Regiment
6/ Private, Frederick BATCHELOR [F.Batchelor] 26476, Royal Machine
Gun Corps
7/ Driver, Robert BELLAMY [R.Bellamy] 38501, Royal Engineers
Regiment
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad8/ Private, John BENFIELD [J.Benfield] 37227, Duke of Cornwall’s Light
Infantry Regiment
9/ Gunner, Harry.S.BIRD [H.Bird] 127217, Royal Garrison Artillery
Regiment
10/ Private, Francis.E.BOSWELL [F.Boswell] 3474, Seaforth Highlanders
Regiment
11/ Private, Albert Edward BULL [A. Bull] STK/1771, Royal Fusiliers
Regiment
12/ Private, John William BOUCHER [J.Boucher] 12722, Royal
Warwickshire Regiment
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad13/ Private, Walter Henry EDEN [W.Eden] 10324, Welsh Regiment
14/ Driver, Joseph EVANS [J.Evans] 462, 1st / 1st Warwickshire Royal
Horse Artillery
15/ Private, Frederick GARDNER [F.Gardener] 6866, Durham Light
Infantry
16/ Private, Bernard GOSSAGE [B.Gossage] 19317, Duke of Cornwall’s
Light Infantry Regiment
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad17/ Private, James Herbert GREEN [H.J.Green] 10165, Coldstream Guards
18/ Private, Arthur GREGORY [A. Gregory] 19895, South Wales Borderers
19/ Drummer, Harry Bartram GILKS [H.Gilks] L/12742, Royal Fusiliers
20/ Private, George Daniel HARWOOD [G.Harwood] 9848, Royal
Warwickshire Regiment
21/ Private, Frederick William HARRIS [F.Harris] 17397, Royal
Warwickshire Regiment
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad22/ Private, John HANCOCK [J.Hancock] 19498, Duke of Cornwall’s Light
Infantry Regiment
23/ Lance Corporal, Charles HARWOOD [C.Harwood] 1199, Royal
Warwickshire Regiment
24/ Rifleman, John William LANE [J.W.Lane] 5183, the Rifle Brigade
25/ R.LADKIN [R.Ladkin] Unknown?
26/ Private, Harold LEE [H.Lee] 9175, Ox & Bucks Light Infantry
Regiment
27/ Private, Albert Henry NEAL [A. Neal] 20690, York & Lancaster
Regiment
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad28/ Gunner, Herbert Arthur NORTH [H.North] 614145, 1st / 1st
Warwickshire Royal Horse Artillery
29/ Gunner, Charles. A. PARSONS [C.Parsons] 614291, 2nd / 1st
Warwickshire Royal Horse Artillery
30/ Driver, Henry Allen PRESTIDGE [H.Prestidge] 62386, Royal Field
Artillery
31/ Private, Harry RICKABY [H.Rickaby] 1734, Royal Warwickshire
Regiment
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad32/ Private, William ROBINSON [W.Robinson] 8110, Northamptonshire
Regiment
33/ Private, Clarence STOCKS [C.Stocks] 266174, Royal Warwickshire
Regiment
34/ Shoeing Smith, Sidney George SMITH [S.G.Smith] 614273, 2nd / 1st
Warwickshire Royal Horse Artillery
35/ Gunner, Albert Edward SMITH [A.E.Smith] 614264, 2nd / 1st
Warwickshire Royal Horse Artillery
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad36/ Lance Corporal, Roland.L.SHILVOCK [R.Shilvock] MM, 16056, Royal
Warwickshire Regiment
37/ Private, Richard SKELCEY [R.Skelsey] 8825, Leicestershire Regiment
38/ Sergeant, Charles.J.SKELCEY [C.J.Skelsey] 16124, Machine Gun
Corps
39/ Rifleman, James Leslie SMITH [L.Smith] 4713, Rifle Brigade
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad40/ Private, William TIMS [W.Tims] 1868, Royal Warwickshire Regiment
41/ Private, Frederick TIMS [F.Tims] 16552, Royal Warwickshire Regiment
42/ Private, William Henry VOWLES [W.Vowles] 1691, Royal
Warwickshire Regiment
43/ Private, Ernest John WILLIAMS [E.Williams] 16740, Royal
Warwickshire.
Anyone who thinks they may have a relative on the memorial can contact David Eason on 07896 201176; email: [email protected]