War dead names left in the dark

A little known war memorial in Leamington’s parish church has now been recognised.
All Saint's Parish Church: the old Church of the Good Shepherd 1914-
1918, carved wooden Memorial  on the west wall of the  North Porch Lobby next
to the side door facing out towards the Post Office on Priory Terrace. Plus exterior pic of church.
mhlc-06-03-13 all saints mar 35All Saint's Parish Church: the old Church of the Good Shepherd 1914-
1918, carved wooden Memorial  on the west wall of the  North Porch Lobby next
to the side door facing out towards the Post Office on Priory Terrace. Plus exterior pic of church.
mhlc-06-03-13 all saints mar 35
All Saint's Parish Church: the old Church of the Good Shepherd 1914- 1918, carved wooden Memorial on the west wall of the North Porch Lobby next to the side door facing out towards the Post Office on Priory Terrace. Plus exterior pic of church. mhlc-06-03-13 all saints mar 35

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.”

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It 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.”

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He 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

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4/ 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

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8/ 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

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13/ 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

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17/ 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

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22/ 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

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28/ 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

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32/ 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

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36/ 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

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40/ 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]

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