Bletchingdon

A wall mounted memorial plaque in St Giles Church

The parish is now a member of the Church of England Benefice of Akeman, which includes the parishes of Bletchingdon, Hampton Gay, Kirtlington, Middleton Stoney, Wendlebury and Weston-on-the-Green.

CAPT THE HON ARTHUR ANNESLEY
10TH ROYAL HUSSARS
2ND CL PETTY OFFR HARVEY BATEMAN
HMS EDEN
SERGT GORDON CECIL BAZELEY
13TH DURHAM L I
LCE CORPL ERNEST FRANK TAYLOR
1/4TH OXFORD & BUCKS LI
GUNNER GEORGE AUGUSTUS BULLOCK
RL GARRISON ARTILLERY
1ST CLASS BOY HENRY WILLIE COLLETT
HMS BULWARK
DRIVER ALBERT THOMAS CLANFIELD
RL FIELD ARTILLERY
PTE GEORGE WILLIAM DIX DEARLOVE
2/7TH RL WARWICKSHIRE RT
PTE WILLIAM JAMES DRINKWATER
2ND WORCESTERSHIRE RT
PTE GEORGE MORRIS
2/4TH OXFORD & BUCKS LI
PTE JOSEPH COLES MORRIS
3RD  OXFORD & BUCKS LI

TO THE GLORY OF GOD & IN MEMORY OF THE
BLETCHINGTON MEN WHO LAID
DOWN THEIR LIVES IN THE WAR 1914-1919.
GRANT THEM THY PEACE O LORD AND
LET LIGHT PERPETUAL SHINE UPON THEM

A second wall mounted plaque

TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND IN  MEMORY OF
THE BLETCHINGDON MEN
WHO LAIN DOWN THEIR LIVES
IN THE WAR OF 1939-1945

Flt/Sgt ROY CHARLES GARTON RAF
Stoker ARTHUR WILLIAM HOLTON RN
Gunner ALAN HOWE RHA
Lieut FRANCIS RUCK KEENE DSC RN
HM SUBMARINE UPHOLDER
Lieut CHARLES FREDERICK RUCK KEENE
FLEET AIR ARM
P/O JOHN CHARLES LANCELOT
RUCK-KEENE RAF

GRANT THEM THY PEACE, O LORD, AND
LET LIGHT PERPETUAL SHINE UPON THEM

A 3 panel stained glass window inscribed

TO THE GLORY OF GOD & IN
LOVING MEMORY
OF ARTHUR ANNESLEY
CAPTAIN 10TH ROYAL HUSSARS
KILLED IN
ACTION NEAR YPRES
NOVEMBER 16TH 1914. THIS WINDOW IS
ERECTED BY HIS
BROTHERS AND SISTERS

A wooden grave marker with a brass plaque inscribed
 CAPT THE HONBLE A ANNESLEY
XTH ROYAL HUSSARS

A wooden grave marker inscribed

DULCE ET DECORUM
EST PRO PATRIA
MORIGE
which roughly translates as "It is sweet and right to die for your country."
GEOFFREY VAUX SALVIN BOWLBY
Captain Royal Horse Guards
KILLED IN ACTION 13TH MAY 1915

R F Taylor, Labour Corps
26 February 1919

The Fallen in WW1

The Hon Arthur ANNESLEY
Captain, 10th (Prince of Wales's Own Royal) Hussars, 8 Cavalry Brigade, 3rd Cavalry Division.
He was killed in action on 16 November 1914. He was 34.
He was the son of Arthur, 11th Viscount Valentia, and of Laura, Viscountess Valentia, Bletchington Park
He is buried in grave E1 19 Ypres Town Cemetery
Additional Information
He had also served in the South African War and had been awarded the Delhi Durbar Medal. This silver medal was issued to commemorate King George V's Coronation Durbar celebration in British India, December 1911. His regiment, 10th Royal Hussars was awarded medals for 9 officers and 121 other ranks.

Harvey BATEMAN
Petty Officer, Leading Cooks Mate, HMS Eden, Royal Navy. RN no. M/303
He died at sea on 17 June 1916. He was 34  
He was son of Robert and Rachel Bateman of Bletchington and the husband of Peacie Sarah A Bateman, 5 Holcombe Road, Rochester
He is remembered on Chatham Naval Memorial
Additional information
HMS Eden collided with the transport SS France in the English Channel. She sank with the loss of her commander and 42 officers and men. 33 officers and men were rescued. Today, her wreck lies in 34 m (112 ft) in the waters near Fécamp.

Gordon Cecil BAZELEY
Sergeant, 13th Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry, 68 Brigade, 23rd Division.  Army no. 21842
He died from his wounds on 13 October 1916. He was 22
He was the son of William and Sarah Bazeley of Bletchingdon and the husband of Lilian S Bazeley, 20 Talbot Street, West Hartlepool
He is buried in grave I C 12A Bois Guillaume Communal Cemetery
Additional information
He was probably wounded during the closing stages of the first Battle of the Somme

George Augustus BULLOCK
Gunner, 443rd Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery.  Army no. 158779
He died after the Armistice on 18 February 1919. He was 31
He was the son of Charles and Zillah Bullock, Beehive Lodge, Bletchingdon Park.
He is buried in grave II E 9 Cologne Southern Cemetery

Henry Willie COLLETT
Boy, 1st Class, HMS Bulwark, Royal Navy. RN no. J/18135
He died on active service on 26 November 1914. He was 18
He was the son of William Thomas and Sarah Ann Collett, Corner House, Bletchingdon.
He is remembered on panel 3 of the Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Additional information
On the afternoon of Thursday, 26 November, 1914, Winston Churchill made the following statement to the House of Commons:
"I regret to say I have some bad news for the house. The Bulwark battleship, which was lying in Sheerness this morning, blew up at 07.35 o'clock. The Vice and Rear Admiral, who were present, have reported their conviction that it was an internal magazine explosion which rent the ship asunder. There was apparently no upheaval in the water, and the ship had entirely disappeared when the smoke had cleared away. An inquiry will be held tomorrow which may possibly throw more light on the occurrence. The loss of the ship does not sensibly affect the military position, but I regret to say the loss of life is very severe. Only 12 men are saved. All the officers and the rest of the crew, who, I suppose, amounted to between 700 and 800, have perished. I think the House would wish me to express on their behalf the deep sorrow with which the House heard the news, and their sympathy with those who have lost their relatives and friends."
HMS Bulwark, a battleship of 15,000 tons, was moored to No.17 buoy in Kethole Reach on the River Medway, almost opposite the town of Sheerness, Isle of Sheppy, Kent. It was one of the ships forming the 5th Battle Squadron. She had been moored there for some days, and many of her crew had been given leave the previous day. They had returned to the Bulwark at 7 o'clock that morning and the full complement was on-board. The usual ship's routine was taking place. Officers and men were having breakfast in the mess below deck, other were going about their normal duties. A band was practising while some men were engaged in drill. The disaster struck. A roaring and rumbling sound was heard and a huge sheet of flame and debris shot upwards. The ship lifted out of the water and fell back. There was a thick cloud of grey smoke and further explosions. When the smoke eventually cleared, the Bulwark had sunk without trace. None of the Bulwark's officers survived.
On Monday, 30 November, the funerals of 21 of the victims took place in the Naval Burial Ground at Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham.

Albert Thomas CLANFIELD
Driver, A Battery, 100th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery.  Army no. 178272
He died, probably from natural causes after the Armistice on 22 December 1918. He was 22
He was the son of George and Annie Clanfield of Bletchington.
He is buried in grave C 496 Sarigol Military Cemetery, Kriston, Greece

George William Dix DEARLOVE
Private, X Company, 2nd/7th Battalion, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, 182 Brigade, 61st Division.  Army no. 306326
He died on 25 October 1918 during the Battle of the Selle. He was 24.
He was the son of George and Ellen Dearlove of Bletchington
He is buried in grave I G 10 Awoingt British Cemetery
Additional Information
He was a native of Grimsbury, Banbury

Willie DRINKWATER
Private, 14th Battalion, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, 13 Brigade, 5th Division. Army no 1468
He was killed in action on 23 July 1916 in the attacks on High Wood in the Battle of the Somme. He was 28
He was the son of Harry and Hannah Drinkwater, Castle Hill, Wootton
He is buried in grave IX K 32 Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, Longueval
Additional Information
On the Bletchington memorial it says he was in the Worcestershire Regiment
The Wootton memorial says The Warwickshire Regiment

George MORRIS
Private, 2nd/4th Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 184 Brigade, 61 Division.  Army no. 5459
He died from his wounds on 1 July 1916 received during the fighting on the Somme. He was 29
He was the son of John T and Ellen Morris, The Green, Bletchingdon
He is buried in grave VI P 73 Merville Communal Cemetery

Joseph Coles MORRIS
Private, 2nd Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 5 Brigade, 2nd Division. Army no. 7829
He died from his wounds on 4 November 1914 in the first Battle for Ypres. He was 22
He was the son of John T and Ellen Morris, The Green, Bletchingdon
He is buried in grave III A 42 Cemetery Boulogne Eastern Cemetery
Additional information
The military records show him as serving with 2nd Battalion not 3rd as shown on the plaque

Ernest Frank TAYLOR
Lance Corporal, 1st/4th Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 145 Brigade, 48th Division.  Army no.  23085
He died from his wounds on 10 September 1918.  He was 21
He was the son of Alfred and Laura Taylor of Bletchington.
He is buried in plot 1, row D, grave 12 Cavalletto British Cemetery, Italy
Additional Information
Between June and September, frequent successful raids were made on the Austrian trenches and he was probably wounded in one of these attacks.


The Fallen in WW1 who are not on the Memorial Plaque

Geoffrey Vaux Salvin BOWLBY
Captain, Royal Horse Guards, 8th Cavalry Brigade, 3rd Cavalry Division. 
He was killed in action on 13 May 1915 in the battle of Frezenberg Ridge. He was 32    
He was the son of Edward L and Elizabeth Vans Agnew Bowlby, 56 Lowndes Square, London and the husband of The Hon. Lettice Bowlby, Croughton House, Brackley.
He is remembered on panel 3, of the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres

George John COOLING
Sergeant, 2nd Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment), 25 Brigade, 8th Division.  Army no. 8388
He was killed in action on 9 May 1915 in the attack on Fromelles. He was 28
He was the son of William and Hannah Cooling
He is remembered on panel 7 & 8 of the Ploegsteert Memorial

Robert KERWOOD
Private, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, 109 Brigade, 36th Division.  Army no. 45097
He was killed in action on 27 April 1918 in the aftermath of the Battle of the Lys. He was 19
He was the son of Herbert and Sarah A Kerwood
He is remembered on panel 70 to 72 of the Tyne Cot Memorial

Alfred James Randall NEAL
Private, B Company  11th Battalion, The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment), 123 Brigade, 41st Division. Army no. G/25477. He was formerly with The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, Army no. 3326
He died from his wounds on 12 August 1918. He was 19
He was the son of Mr and Mrs G Neal, I Zion Terrace, Tingewick, Buckingham
He is buried in grave Z 545 Ocklynge Cemetery, Eastbourne
Additional Information
The cemetery is close to a WW1 Convalescent Hospital
The date of his death is also recorded as 10 August 1918.

Arthur Cecil STONEHILL
Private, 2nd Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 5 Brigade, 2nd Division.  Army no. 7982
He was killed in action on 21 October 1914 during the Battle of Langemarck. He was 22
He was the son of Mrs T Stonehill, Thornbury Villa, Kidlington and the late Thomas Stonehill and the husband of Agnes Ann Taylor (formerly Stonehill), Blenheim Terrace, Bletchingdon
He is remembered on panel 37 and 39 Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres
Additional Information
He was a Regular Soldier

Ronald Anthony WALKLETT
Lance Corporal, 2nd Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 5 Brigade, 2nd Division. Army no. 33049
He was killed in action on 13 November 1916 at the Battle of the Ancre, Somme. He was 19
He was the son of Frederick and Emma Walklett
He is buried in grave Sp Mem B 2 Redan Ridge Cemetery no 3, Beaumont-Hamel
Additional information
Birth Place: Bletchingdon,
Residence: Kidlington,
Enlistment Location: Oxford

Wallace Jethro WHYTON
Private, 2nd Battalion The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 5 Brigade, 2nd Division.  Army no. 8455
He was killed in action on 14 January 1915. He was 20
He was the son of Wallace and Emily J Whyton, Mill Street, Islip
He is buried in grave VII F 16 Brown's Road Military Cemetery, Festubert

Ernest David WILKINS
Private, 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards, 2 Guards Brigade, Guards Division. Army no. 13983.
He was killed in action on 15 September 1916. He was 35
He was the son of David and Adelaide Wilkins and the husband of Florence Clara Wilkins of Lambeth
He is remembered on pier and face 7D and 8D of the Thiepval Memorial


The Fallen from WW2

Roy Charles GARTON
Flight Sergeant, Navigator, 254 Squadron, Royal Air Force. RAFVR no. 1167594
He died in action on 22 June 1943. He was 21.
He was the son of Arthur Richard and Alice Mary Garton of Kidlington
He is buried in Allied Plot, Row 2 Grave 46 Westduin General Cemetery, The Hague
Additional information
Beaufighter X JM222 took off at 15:47 hours from RAF North Coates in company with aircraft of the squadron plus aircraft from 236 squadron and 143 squadron as an attack wing and formated with their fighter escort over Coltishall. At 17:10 hours the wing sighted and attacked a convoy of 6 ships with escort vessels and armed trawlers. Intense flak was encountered and Sergeant Garton and his pilot, Flight Lieutenant L V Craxton crashed into the North Sea in flames west of Scheveningen.
254 Squadron was based at RAF North Coates near Cleethorpes from November 1942 until June 1945

Arthur William HOLTON
Stoker 2nd Class, HMS Nile, Royal Navy. RN no. C/KX 105917.
He died of natural causes on 28 September 1940. He was 23
He was the son of Ann Holton and the husband of Eileen Betty Holton of Kirtlington
He is buried in grave 8 K Kirkee War Cemetery, Poona, India
Additional information
HMS Nile was a shore establishment at that time

Alan HOWE
Gunner, 2 Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery. Army no. 978884
He died on active service on 25 January 1942. He was 26
He was the son of Alan Victor and Olive Elizabeth Howe of Bletchingdon.
He is buried in grave 7 F 32 Benghazi War Cemetery
Additional Information
I have not identified the circumstances of his death but the British Army was suffering severe losses in the area including 30 Valentine Tanks (heavily-armoured British "Infantry" tanks) parked in formation and part of the Divisional HQ, at the key road junction at Msus. The British 1st Armoured Division, which arrived from Britain in November, has lost 100 of its 150 tanks in 5 days.

John Charles Lancelot RUCK KEENE
Pilot Officer, 207 Squadron, Royal Air Force. RAFVR no. 87024
He was killed in action on 21 October 1941. He was 27
He was the son of Violet B Ruck Keene and the late Admiral William G E Ruck Keene, MVO, JP. During the war, the family had lived in Oxford and moved to Bletchingdon after the war
He is remembered on panel l 34 of the Runnymede Memorial
Additional Information
His brothers, Lieut. Charles F Ruck Keene and Lieut. Francis Ruck Keene, DSC, also died on active service.
His aircraft, Manchester L7487 EM-N took off from RAF Waddington on an operation to Bremen when it crashed into the North Sea 18 miles from Great Yarmouth. The crew were all killed. They were Pilot Officer G S Macdonald RCAF, Pilot Officer H S Ray RCAF, Flight Sergeant J S Cooper, Sergeant D D Taylor RCAF, Sergeant W H Gubbon, Sergeant H C Gardner

Francis RUCK KEENE     DSC
Lieutenant, HM Submarine Upholder, Royal Navy
He was killed in action on 18 April 1942. He was 23
He was the son of Violet B Ruck Keene and the late Admiral William G E Ruck Keene, MVO, JP. During the war, the family had lived in Oxford and moved to Bletchingdon after the war
He is remembered on panel 62, column 1 of the Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Additional Information
His brothers, Lieut. Charles F Ruck Keene and John C L Ruck Keene also died on active service
HM Submarine Upholder is proudly remembered by the submarine service although the reason for its disappearance has not been conclusively established. The mostly likely explanation is that it was sunk by an Italian Orsa class Torpedo Boat Pegaso.
When, on August 22, 1942, the Admiralty announced her loss, the communiqué carried with it an unusual tribute to Wanklyn and his men: "It is seldom proper for Their Lordships to draw distinction between different services rendered in the course of naval duty, but they take this opportunity of singling out those of HMS Upholder, under the command of Lt. Cdr. David Wanklyn, for special mention. She was long employed against enemy communications in the Central Mediterranean, and she became noted for the uniformly high quality of her services in that arduous and dangerous duty. Such was the standard of skill and daring set by Lt. Cdr. Wanklyn and the officers and men under him that they and their ship became an inspiration not only to their own flotilla, but to the Fleet of which it was a part and to Malta, where for so long HMS Upholder was based. The ship and her company are gone, but the example and inspiration remain." In all, Upholder was credited with having sunk 97,000 tons of enemy shipping, in addition to three U-boats and one destroyer.

Charles Frederick RUCK KEENE
Lieutenant (A), 761 Squadron, HMS Dipper, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
He died in an air crash on 3 August 1943. He was 22
He was the son of Violet B Ruck Keene and the late Admiral William G E Ruck Keene, MVO, JP. During the war, the family had lived in Oxford and moved to Bletchingdon after the war
He is buried in St Nicholas Churchyard, Henstridge, Somerset
Additional Information
HMS Dipper is the RN Air Station at Henstridge
According to family sources, Charlie Ruck Keene was the instructor when two aircraft collided.
His brothers, Pilot Officer John C L Ruck Keene and Lieut. Francis Ruck Keene, DSC, also died on active service.