Aynho

A stone plaque on the exterior wall of the parish
Church of St Michael
This parish is part of the Astwick Vale Benefice of which includes St Michael at Aynho, All Saints at Croughton, St George at Evenley, St Michael & All Angels at Farthinghoe and The Most Holy Trinity at Hinton with St Peter at
Steane 
 1914 1919
TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND IN THANKFUL REMEMBRANCE
OF THE MEN
OF AYNHOE

 JOHN DIGBY CARTWRIGHT
NIGEL WALTER HENRY CARTWRIGHT
ARTHUR EDWARD COLLEY
WILLIAM CROSS
EDWARD CHARLES SAVINGS
EDWARD JOHN SECCULL
ALBERT STEWART
JOSEPH EDWARD WILLIAMS
WALLACE JAMES WILLIAMS
ARTHUR STANLEY WOOLNOUGH
ALBERT PHILIP WRIGHTON
ALFRED WRIGHTON
CLEMENT WRIGHTON
REGINALD VICTOR WRIGHTON

 Grant them eternal rest O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon  them.

The second stone plaque on the exterior wall of the church

 1939     1945

DAVID DE BOWER BANHAM
WILLIAM GEORGE VICTOR BUTLER
BERTRAM CROSS
ARTHUR GEORGE JAMES DELEHAUNT
GEORGE HAWKINS
JOHN NOEL RONALD LOVEDAY
PHILIP GEORGE UPTON

IN HONOURED AND GRATEFUL MEMORY
OF THE MEN FROM AYNHO
WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES
IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR

 

A brass plaque in the Church


    IN MEMORY OF

Left hand Column

Pte ARTHUR EDWARD COLLEY, NORTHANTS REGT. 
Pte WILLIAM CROSS, NORTHANTS REGT.
Pte EDWARD CHARLES SAVINGS, NORTHANTS
Sgt EDWARD JOHN SECCULL, MACHINE GUN CORPS 
Pte ALBERT STEWART, OXON AND BUCKS LI 
Pte JOSEPH EDWARD WILLIAMS CANADIAN LI 

Right hand Column

Pte WALLACE Jas WILLIAMS NORTHUMBERLAND Frs          
Scnd LIEUT ARTHUR S WOOLNOUGH. DCLI REGT.
Pte ALBERT PHILIP WRIGHTON,ROYAL WEST KENTS
ALFRED WRIGHTON, NORTHANTS  REGt
Pte CLEMENT WRIGHTON. NORTHANTS REGt
Pte REGINALD V. WRIGHTON. COLDSTREAM Grds

OF THIS PARISH
WHO DIED IN THE GREAT WAR
1914-1919

There is also an illuminated scroll
 

IN MEMORY OF
AUBREY AGAR CARTWRIGHT
CAPTAIN OF THE FIRST BATTALION OF THE RIFLE BRIGADE
SECOND SON OF COLONEL WILLIAM AND MARY ANNE CARTWRIGHT
WHO AFTER SERVING IN THE ACTIONS OF THE ALMA AND BALAKLAVA
FELL PIERCED WITH BALLS IN THE ACT OF BRAVELY ENCOURAGING
THE YOUNG RIFLEMEN TO STAND FIRM
"AT THE SOLDIERS VICTORY OF INKERMANN NOVR 5TH 1854"
AGED 29 YEARS
CAPTAIN AUBREY AGAR CARTWRIGHT
ALSO SERVED WITH THE SAME DISTINGUISHED REGIMENT
IN THE CAFFRE WAR
AND WAS PRESENT AT THE BATTLE OF BOEM PLAATS

IN MEMORY OF TWO BROTHERS, THE ELDER SONS OF
WILLIAM DIGBY CARTWRIGHT, RECTOR OF THIS PARISH,
AND GRANDSONS OF COL. HENRY CARTWRIGHT
JOHD DIGBY CARTWRIGHT
2ND LIEUT 2ND BATTALION: DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY.
BORN JUNE 23RD 1895
KILLED IN ACTION AT HOOGE, NEAR YPRES, AUG 9TH 1915
NIGEL WALTER HENR CARTWRIGHT
2ND LIEUT 20TH BATT; DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY,
BORN AUGUST 25TH 1897,
KILLED IN ACTION IN THE 3RD BATTLE OF YPRES, SEP 21ST 1917

LOVELY AND PLEASANT IN THEIR LIVES IN THEIR DEATH THEY WERE NOT DIVIDED

The Fallen from WW1

John Digby CARTWRIGHT
Second Lieutenant, 2nd Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry, 18 Brigade, 6th Division
He was killed in action during the attack on Hooge Crater on 9 August 1915. He was 20.
He was the son of the Rev. William D and Lucy H M Cartwright of Aynho Rectory. His brother Nigel also fell see the next entry.
He is remembered on Addenda panel 57 of the Menin Gate
Memorial, Ypres
Additional information
The action at Hooge had a limited objective, to retake Hooge and stop the Germans overlooking the British positions
On 9 August a short, heavy artillery bombardment was laid down on the German positions which stopped after 30 minutes and the British troops who had been crawling into no-mans land attacked the German defences.  2nd Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry emerged from Sanctuary Wood and attacked the crater. They took the crater swiftly but the attack had cost the Durham's a third of their strength in casualties but they had secured a weak point in the Allied line.

Nigel Walter Henry CARTWRIGHT
Second Lieutenant, 20th Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry, 123 Brigade, 41st Division. 
He was killed in action on 21 September 1917 during the attack on Menin Road Ridge which was part of the Battle we now call Passenchendaele.  He was 20.
He was the son of the Rev. William D and Lucy H M Cartwright of Aynho Rectory. His brother John also fell.
He is remembered on panel 128-131 & 162-162A of the Tyne Cot Memorial

Arthur Edward COLLEY
Private, 2nd Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment, 24 Brigade, 8 Division. Army number 40189.
He was killed in action on 4 March 1917 at Bouchavesnes in the Somme. He was 26.
He was the son of Elias and Caroline Colley of Aynho
He is remembered on pier and face 11A and 11D of the Thiepval Memorial

William CROSS
Private, 5th Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment which
was a Pioneer Battalion in 12th Division. Army no. 13796.
He was killed in action on 3 July 1916 in the build up to the Battle of the Somme
He is remembered on pier and face 11A and 11D of the Thiepval Memorial

Edward Charles SAVINGS
Private, 6th Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment, 54 Brigade, 18th Division. Army no. 31017.
He was killed in action on 3 May 1917 during the 3rd battle for the Scarpe. He was 42
He was the son of Richard and Charles Savings, Brackley Road, Aynho
He is remembered on bay 7 of the Arras Memorial

Edward John SECCULL
Sergeant, 115th Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry),
38th (Welsh) Division. Army no. 27240. He had previously served with The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.  
He was killed in action on 24 August 1917 during the Battle of Passenchendaele.
He was 24 and the son of Eli and Rhoda A Seccull of Aynho
He is remembered on panel 154-159 and 163A of the Tyne Cot Memorial

Albert Edward STEWART
Probably Private, 5th Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 42 Brigade, 14th Division. Army no. 19512.
He was killed in action in the fight for Delville Wood on 24 August 1916. He was 21
He is remembered on pier and face 10A and 10D of the Thiepval Memorial

Joseph Edward WILLIAMS
Private, 26th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (New Brunswick Regiment). Army no. 742069.  
He was killed in action on 15 August 1917 when time his regiment was assaulting Hill 70 during the Arras offensive. He was 20
He was the son of Frederick and the late Ann E Williams of Aynho
He is remembered in Lens Canadian Cemetery no. 3, Memorial 49 in Loos British Cemetery

Wallace James WILLIAMS
Private, 1st Battalion, The Northumberland Fusiliers, 9 Brigade, 3rd Division. Army no. 52864.
He was killed action during the Kaisers last Battle on 6 June 1918. He was 19
He was the son of James and Elizabeth Williams of Aynho
He is buried in grave II C 2 Sandpits British Cemetery, Fouquereuil, France

Arthur Stanley WOOLNOUGH
Second Lieutenant, C Company, 7th Battalion, The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry 61 Brigade, 20th Division.
He died of his wounds on 1 December 1917 whilst held prisoner by the Germans. He had probably been wounded and captured during the German counter-attacks during the battle of Cambrai, and Bourlon Wood in particular, which had occurred around
this time. He was 27.
He was the son of Matthew H and Kate Woolnough, White
House, Adderbury and the husband of Harriet B Woolnough of Tintagel, Cornwall.
He is buried in grave V C 24 Caudry British Cemetery.
Additional information
He was born in Aynho, enlisted in the Devon Yeomanry in August 1914 and served in Gallipoli and in Egypt. He was gazetted Second Lieutenant in 1916.

Albert Philip WRIGHTON
Private, 6th Battalion, The Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), 72 Brigade, 24th Division. Army no. G/14575
He was killed in action during the Battle of Vimy Ridge on 9 April 1917.  He was 38.
He was and the son of Hannah and the late George Wrighton of Aynho and brother of Reginald, the next entry
He is remembered on bay 7 of the Arras Memorial

Reginald Victor WRIGHTON
Private, 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards, 1 Guards Brigade, Guards Division. Army no. 17537
He was killed in action during the fighting at Cambrai on 9 October 1917. He was 29
He was and the son of Hannah and the late George Wrighton of Aynho
He is remembered on panel 9 to 10 of the Tyne Cot Memorial

Alfred Philip WRIGHTON
Private, 7th Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment, 73 Brigade, 24th Division. Army no. 17146.
He was killed in action in the Battle for Delville Wood during the Somme Campaign on 17 August 1916. He was 37
He was the son of Frederick and Mary Wrighton of Aynho and
the husband of Minnie Wrighton, Fringford, Bicester and brother of Clement, the next entry
He is remembered on pier and face 11A and 11D of the Thiepval
Memorial

Clement WRIGHTON
Private, 7th Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment, 73
Brigade, 24th Division. Army no. 15241
He too was killed in action in the Battle for Delville Wood during the Somme Campaign on 19 August 1916 just two days after his brother. He was 22.
He was the son of Frederick and Mary Wrighton of Aynho
He is remembered on pier and face 11A and 11D of the Thiepval Memorial.


Those who fell in WW2

David de Bower BANHAM
Flight Lieutenant (Pilot), Royal Air Force RAFVR no. 100066
He died on 10 September 1943 age 34
He was the son of the Revd. Vivian G Banham MC & Bar, MA, and Adela M M Banham and the husband of Phyllis M Banham of Wheathampstead
He is buried in row A grave, 3 Upavon Cemetery
Additional information
His aeroplane, Oxford EB981 of 7 Fighter Instructors School collided with Lancaster JA894 of the Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment whilst the Oxford was landing at High Post, near Salisbury, Wiltshire. The Lancaster was turning for its fourth positioning error run over the airfield.
In addition to David Banham and HJ Burkhard, naval cadet JN Bates was killed in the Oxford.
In the Lancaster: pilot FJ Robinson, Flight Engineer JW Bamber and test observer R Stevenson were also killed.
The Naval Cadet was only 14. His is the only name of this group which is not in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website

William George Victor BUTLER
Private, 4th Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, Army no. 5387027
He died between 10 May 1940 and 4 June 1940. He was 21.  This was the period of the evacuation through Dunkirk
He was the son of Edward George and Lydia Mary Butler
He is remembered on column 92 of the Dunkirk Memorial

Bertram CROSS
Leading Stoker, HMS Atherstone, Royal Navy RN no. P/KX
85946
He died on 12 September 1940. He was age 24
He is buried in grave 1507 Naval Reservation Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham
Additional information
The Destroyer, HMS Atherstone was deployed in the Channel on
anti-invasion patrol and convoy defence. September saw her searching for German invasion craft along the coast between Le Touquet and Cap d'Antifer. She came under air attack on 11 September and was seriously damaged by two bomb strikes and a near miss whilst escorting Channel Convoy CW11 to the Thames Estuary. The damage was serious enough for her to need immediate repair by HM Dockyard, Chatham. The men who were killed were all in the engine room

Arthur George James DELEHAUNT
Flight Sergeant, 69 Squadron, Royal Air Force. RAFVR no. 770799
He died age 26 on 18 March 1942 
He was the son of Egbert C and Eleanor L Delehaunt of Banbury
He is remembered on panel 3 column 1 of the Malta Memorial
Additional information
He had enlisted in the RAF prior to the outbreak of war. 69
Squadron was a photo Reconnaissance unit who were based at Luqa, Malta. The pilots included Harry Coldbeck, a New Zealander and Adrian Warburton. Sir Alec Guinness' role in the film Malta Story was based on Warburton.
Martin Maryland AH294 took off on 18 March 1942 at 14.25 hours. The pilot was Sergeant Graham B Parker. On its return leg, it was intercepted 6 miles off Benghaisa Point and shot down by Uffz. Michael Beikiefer of 6/JG 3. All three of the crew
were killed.

George HAWKINS DFM
Sergeant, 18 Squadron, Royal Air Force. RAF no. 510166
He died on 21 May 1940 whilst the squadron was based in France. He was 30
He was the son of George and Nelly Hawkins of Aynho and the husband of Antonia Hawkins of Sliema, Malta
He is remembered on panel 15 of the Runnymede Memorial
Additional information
He had enlisted as an Aircraft Hand before March 1938.
On 19 May 1940, Blenheim L9191 crashed on landing at Crecy and Flight Lieutenant R G Wheldon, Sergeant A E Craig and Sergeant G Hawkins were unhurt although their aircraft was abandoned. The squadron's seven other Blenheims were withdrawn to Lympne later in the day and on 21 May 1940,
they moved to Watton.
He died on 21 May 1940 in a Blenheim of 18 Squadron
supporting the withdrawal
The record for 21 May 1940:
18 Squadron, Watton - two Blenheims lost this day.    
Blenheim IV, L9325 took off from Watton, failed to return from recce sortie over Douai - Arras - Amiens - Abbeville 15:00 hrs.
Pilot Officer C Light, Sergeant A E Craig and Sergeant G Hawkins reported missing, aircraft lost.
And from a DFM listing:  HAWKINS George Leading Aircraftsman, 18 Squadron, no 510166; date of award 8 March 1940.

John Noel Ronald LOVEDAY
Lieutenant Colonel, 16th/5th Lancers, Royal Armoured Corps. Army no. 45364
He died in the third Battle of Monte Cassino on 15 May 1944. He was 33
He was the son of Arthur F and Mary C Loveday, Pall Mall, London and the husband of Nancy Loveday of Ware, Hertfordshire.
He is buried in grave XI E 4 Cassino War Cemetery
Additional information
The Third Battle of Cassino continued for months. On 15 March 1944, 500 planes dropped 1,400 tons of bombs on Cassino and
the mountain. The town was flattened by the bombing and artillery bombardment but, despite the heavy damage, the German defenders clung to the ruins, actually improving their defences in the rubble left by the bombings. Whilst 75% of the
town was in Allied hands they could not fully overcome the stubborn resistance that went on, building by building in the town, and yard by yard in the surrounding rugged terrain. German positions remained intact and were vigorously
defended. Mechanized war with tanks was impossible in the terrain and amid the bombing debris which forced hand to hand combat by soldiers supplied by mules.
The battle was finally won on 18 May

Philip George UPTON
Gunner, 85 Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery. Army no. 1458646
He died on 21 September 1944. He was 27
He was the son of Sidney and Georgina Upton and the husband
of Daisy Evelyn Mary Upton of Grimsbury
He is remembered on column 32 of the Singapore Memorial
Additional Information
Philip G Upton was being held as a PoW by the Japanese. He was one of 1,289 PoWs being transported on the freighter Hofuku Maru from Singapore to Japan. The Japanese would not protect
PoWs by marking their ships which were freighters and therefore an acceptable target.  
The Hofuku Maru was 80 miles north of Corregidor when it was attacked and sunk by planes from an American Aircraft Carrier. The majority of the prisoners drowned as they were locked in the holds where they had been for some months. This vessel and many similar ones are known as Hellships.   
It is probable that these PoWs would have been used as slave labour in Japan

 
The Fallen in WW1 who are not on the memorial

James Alvin BYGRAVE
Private, 3rd/4th Battalion, The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), 62 Brigade, 21st Division. Army no. G/25344
He died from his wounds on 22 January 1918. He was 19 and a native of Aynho
He is buried in grave IV G 31 Tincourt New British Cemetery near Peronne, Somme

Arthur BYGRAVES
Private, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment,
22 Brigade, 7th Division.  Army no. 1407
He was killed in action on 23 May 1915 just a few days after the Battle for Fetubert
He was a native of Aynho and the son of Edward and Edith Bygraves
He is buried in Grave I A 130 Longuenesse Cemetery, St Omer
Additional information
He died in a Hospital Centre a few days after a major action. He is clearly recorded as dying in action but it could be that he died of his wounds in hospital

George Walter COLES
Private, Queens Own Oxfordshire Hussars, 3rd Brigade,
2nd Cavalry Division. Army no. 285837.
He was killed in action on 21 March 1918 at the battle of St Quentin. He was 23
He was the son of George and Amy Coles of Bicester and a native of Aynho
He is remembered on panel 6 of the Pozières Memorial

William COLES
Private, 2nd Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire
Light Infantry, 5 Brigade, 2nd Division. Army no. 9841
He was killed in action at the battle of the Ancre on 13 November 1916.
He is remembered on pier and face 10A and 10D of the Thiepval Memorial

John HANDS
Private 1st/4th Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire
Light Infantry, 145 Brigade, 48th Division. Army no. 202208
He was killed in action at the Battle of the Piave on 15 June 1918. He was 37.
He was the son of Henry and Ann Hands and a native of Aynho
He is buried in plot 2 row A grave 11, Boscon British Cemetery, Italy

Ernest SECCULL
Gunner, 9th Mountain Battery Royal Garrison Artillery in India serving with 2nd (Rawalpindi) Division, Army no. 27372
He died on 31 October 1918, probably from an illness or an accident. He was 28
A native of Aynho he was the son of the late Henry and of Sarah Seccull latterly Melton of Leamington Spa
He is remembered on Karachi 1914-1918 War Memorial

Joseph Henry SECCULL
Private, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Warwickshire  Regiment, 22 Brigade, 7th Division.  Army no. 2516
He was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of Loos on 25 September 1915. He was 20.
A native of Aynho he was the son of the late Henry and of Sarah Seccull latterly Melton of Leamington Spa.
He is remembered on panel 22 to 25 of the Loos Memorial