World War 1 Memorial

Parish Church of All Saints, Wroxton, Oxfordshire

To the Glorious Memory of the men of
Wroxton who fought in the Great War,
and were numbered amongst those, who
at the call of King and Country, gave up
their lives that others might live in freedom.
See to it that their names be not forgotten.

First World War Memorial, Parish Church of All Saints

Joseph CLEYDON: Lance Corporal, 2nd Battalion, Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment), 21 Brigade, 30th Division. Army no. 42295.; He was formerly with the Royal Field Artillery; He was killed in action at the Battle of Ypres on 28 September 1918; He was 36; He was the son of Joseph and the late Esther Cleydon of Wroxton; He is buried in grave I A 16 Sancourt British Cemetery, near Cambrai
Walter CLEYDON: Acting Bombardier, D Battery, 317th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Army no. 85839; He was killed in action on 12 October 1918; He was 32; He was the son of Joseph and the late Esther Cleydon of Wroxton and the husband of Hilda Cleydon, 3 Church Road, Teddington; He is buried in grave IV E 17 Caudry British Cemetery, near Cambrai
Frank Ernest COX: Lance Corporal, 9th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment), 36 Brigade, 12 Division. Army no. 280; He was killed in action in the fighting at the Hindenburg Line on 21 September 1918; He has no known grave but he is remembered on panel 3 of the Vis en Artois Memorial
Harry Vaughtigan DRAKE: Sergeant, Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars, 4 Cavalry Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division. Army no. 285138; He was killed in action during the Battle of St Quentin on 21 March 1918; He was 21; He was the son of Henry and Emma Drake of Wroxton; He has no known grave but he is remembered on panel 6 of the Pozières Memorial
John EDWARDS: Driver, 350th Mechanical Transport Company, Army Service Corps. 49th (West Riding) Division. Army no. M2/074212; He died on 23 September 1915; He was 22; He was the son of John and Annie Edwards of Wroxton; He is buried in grave I J 24 Wimereux Communal Cemetery; Note; It is possible that he served in the Essex Regiment as mentioned on the Memorial but no records of his service with this regiment have survived.; It is recorded that he died of an unspecified disease and it is probable that he was in Hospital in Wimereux
Percy GARDNER: Gunner, Argyll Mountain Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, 4th Mountain Brigade, Army no. 301046; He died on 14 November 1918 age 24; He was the son of Thomas and Rose Annie Gardner of Wroxton; He is buried in grave 823 Mikra British Cemetery, Kalamaria, Greece; Comment; He died of an illness at a time when the flu pandemic was sweeping through the Army
James HEMMINGS: Private, 11th Battalion, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, 112 Brigade, 37th Division. Army no. 17896; He was killed in action during the Battle of the Ancre on 15 November 1916 age 29; He was the son of Esau and Mary Ann Hemmings of Wroxton; He has no known grave but he is remembered on Pier and Face 9A 9B and 10B of the Thiepval Memorial
William Charles HUGHES: Corporal, 9th Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, 64 Brigade, 21st Division. Army no. 17169; He died on 15 November 1918; He was 27; He was the son of Charles and Mary Ann Hughes of Wroxton; He is buried in grave XV B 3, Berlin South Western Cemetery; Note; It is a strong possibility that he had been a Prisoner of War. Berlin South Western Cemetery is one of 4 cemeteries in Germany where Commonwealth Soldiers who were buried in Germany were permanently re-interred. His regiment was in France when he died which was probably died from an illness, the flu pandemic being the obvious suggestion.
John Francis LYDIATT: Lance Corporal, 562nd Company, Royal Army Service Corps. Army no. M/098295; He was killed in action on 9 April 1919, age 37; He was the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Lydiatt of Wroxton; He is buried in grave XIV A 5, Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille near Calais; Additional information; 562nd Company was the Ammunition Column for 30th Brigade Royal Garrison Artillery. It later served as the Corps Siege Park for 1st ANZAC and then IV Corps. The unit was responsible for moving the various Heavy Artillery units around the Western Front.; As he is listed as being killed in action in 1919, perhaps it should be presumed that he died in a military accident or explosion.
James Henry NEVILLE: Private, 8th Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment, 40 Brigade, 13th Division. Army no.18725; He died on 25 August 1915; He was 24; He was the son of John and Eleanor Neville native of Wroxton; He is buried in grave II J 169 East Mudros Military Cemetery, Limnos, Greece; Additional information; He died from an illness during the Gallipoli Campaign at the time when the Battle of Sulva was raging
LCPL W. R. NEVILLE: 3rd Royal Berkshires; No information has been found about this man; The most likely possibility is:; William George NEVILLE; Private, 2nd/4th Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales' (Royal Berkshire Regiment). Army no. 220238; He was previously with The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry; He died of his wounds on 21 March 1918; He was 21; He was the son of Charles and Emma L Neville, East Street, Headington; He is remembered on panel 56 and 57 of the Pozières Memorial
Frank William SHAW: Lance Corporal 194th Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), 23rd Division. Army no. 55086; He was formerly with The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Army no. 25873; He was killed in action during the first Battle of Passenchendaele on 17 October 1917; He was 33; He was the son of the Rev. William and the late Sarah Shaw and the husband of Emma Henrietta Shaw of Wroxton; He is buried in grave VI A 17 Aeroplane Cemetery, Near Ypres
Thomas SMART: Private, 11th Battalion, The Essex Regiment, 71 Brigade, 6th Division. Army No. 14016; He died from his wounds on 6 October 1915 shortly after his Regiment had been fighting at Hooge; He was 24; He was the son of John and Susan Smart of Wooler, Northumberland; He is buried in grave 11 46 St. Sever Cemetery, Rouen.; Comment; He is remembered on the Memorial but there is no known connection with Wroxton but perhaps his sister or his girlfriend or another member of his family lived in the area. He had been living in Battersea when he enlisted.
Edmund John WHING: Private, 10th (Service) Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment 1 Brigade, 1st Division. Army no. 15586; He was formerly in The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry; On the first day of the Battle of Loos, 25 September 1915, he was killed in action; He was 30; He was the son of Charles and Mary Whing of Wroxton; He has no known grave but he is remembered on panel 60 to 64 of the Loos Memorial
Francis Harry Varney WISE: Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps awarded Mons Star; He died on 3 January 1918 age 23; He was the son of Sidney and Margaret S Wise of Wroxton and the brother of Arthur; He is buried in grave B 33 Teddington Cemetery; Additional information; Fatal Flying accident to Lieut. F.H.V. Wise RFC; Based on a report in the Banbury Guardian 24 January 1918; Through a mishap occurring while in the air, Lieut. FHV Wise and Lieut. Albert Payne, both of the Royal Flying Corps, were killed at Hendon on 13 January.; Lieut. Wise, who was twenty-two years, was the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Wise, of Wroxton, Oxfordshire, and nephew of Mrs. Rogers, of the Anglers Hotel, Teddington, with whom he resided for several years.; He went to London to be articled to a firm of solicitors and at the outbreak of war he joined the Royal Naval Division, with which he took part in the expedition to Antwerp and had been awarded the Mons Star.; He was recommended for a commission, and was gazetted to the Royal Naval Division, from which he later proceeded to the Royal Flying Corps.; The gallant young officer fought with the RFC in France.; He returned to England on sick leave, and he afterwards made almost 200 flights across the Channel.; On 13 January with Lt. Payne, he was about to pilot an aeroplane to Martlesham Heath and when the machine was at a height of about 2,000 feet, (I think this may be a misprint for 200 feet) it was suddenly seen to bank and then side-slip to the ground, where it burst into flames. Both occupants were killed instantaneously.; Much sympathy is felt for his relatives and friends, also for Miss Beatrice Hooper, to whom he became engaged only a week previously. (Second daughter to Sub-divisional Inspector Race Hooper from Kingston Police)
Arthur Sidney WISE: Lance Corporal, 2nd/4th Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry 184 Brigade, 61st Division. Army no. 200660; He was killed in action on the first day of the battle of St Quentin, 21 March 1918; He was 21; He was the son of Sidney and Margaret S. Wise of Wroxton and the brother of Francis; He has no known grave but he is remembered on panels 50 & 51 of the Pozières Memorial

Other War Memorials from Wroxton:

Contributed by Michael Allbrook
Email: michael(@)allbrook.com
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