Chesterton
St Mary’s Church, Chesterton
St. Mary's 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. The most striking gates leading into the Churchyard are a Memorial The timber frame is inscribed: 1914 -1919 TO THE GLORY OF GOD A THANK-OFFERING FOR VICTORY AND PEACE IN MEMORY OF THOSE FROM THIS VILLAGE WHO FELL IN THE WAR The face inside the churchyard is inscribed GREATER LOVE HAVE NO MAN THAN THIS THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS 
The Memorial plaque
1914 1919 ROLL OF HONOUR CHARLES MORGAN HOARE FREDERICK BERRY LIEUT 15TH HUSSARS PTE OXFORD AND BUCKS LI ALBERT GEORGE HAWKINS WILLIAM GEORGE HOPCRAFT PTE GRENADIER GUARDS PTE OXFORD AND BUCKS LI RALPH PORTER RICHARD PORTER PTE OXFORD AND BUCKS LI GUNNER RG ARTILLERY. ALBERT FREDK INWOOD BASIL HOWARD BAKER CPL OXFORD AND BUCKS LI LIEUTENANT, THE RIFLE BRIGADE PERCY FREDK PITTAM WALTER GEORGE HATHAWAY PTE OXFORD AND BUCKS LI PTE WORCESTERSHIRE REGT GEORGE FREDERICK THOMAS AUSTIN PRIVATE, WILTSHIRE REGIMENT 
The second plaque
1939 -1945 WILLIAM GEORGE VICTOR BUTLER PTE OXFORD AND BUCKS LI CONROY HENRY ANCIL LIEUT (A) Royal Navy JOHN SUTTON NICHOLAS BORROW PTE OXFORD AND BUCKS LI ALFRED THOMAS VARNEY PTE THE PARACHUTE REGIMENT CYRIL GEORGE KERWOOD PTE OXFORD AND BUCKS LI 
Francis RUCK KEENE
John Charles Lancelot RUCK KEENE
Charles Frederick RUCK KEENE
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A third plaque 1939-1945 IN LOVING MEMORY OF JOHN CHARLES LANCELOT RUCK KEENE PILOT OFFICER RAFVR FRANCIS RUCK KEENE DSC LIEUTENANT RN CHARLES FREDERICK RUCK KEENE SUB-LIEUTENANT (A) RNVR BELOVED SONS OF WILLIAM AND VIOLET RUCK KEENE OF BIGNELL PARK The Fallen from WW1 George Frederick Thomas AUSTIN Private, 6th (Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry) Battalion, Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment) 42 Brigade, 14th Division. Army no. 27914. He was formerly with The Hampshire Regiment. Army no. 42766 He died on 14 September 1918. He was 19 He was the nephew of S J Pitts of Bucknell He is buried in grave IV A 17 Premont British Cemetery Additional information Birth Place: Blackthorn Residence: Bicester Enlistment Location: Oxford Basil Howard BAKER Lieutenant, 2nd Battalion, attached 13th Battalion, The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own), 111 Brigade, 37th Division. He was killed in action on 22 May 1918. He was 21 He was the son of the Rev. Samuel Howard Baker of Rotherwood, Donnington, near Newbury He is buried in grave XII B 14 Villers Station Cemetery, Villers-Au-Bois Additional information He was educated at Winchester College His address for probate was Chesterton Vicarage Frederick BERRY Private, 2nd/4th Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 184 Brigade, 61st Division. Army no. 202109 He was killed in action on 23 August 1917. He was 24 He was the son of James and Clara Berry, of Little Chesterton He is remembered on panel 96 to 98 of the Tyne Cot Memorial Additional Information Birth Place: Weston-on-the-green Residence: Little Chesterton Enlistment Location: Oxford Charles Morgan HOARE Lieutenant, 15th (The Kings) Hussars, 2nd Cavalry Division. He was killed in action on 24 August 1915. He was 21 He was the son of Charles Twysden and Blanche Frances Hoare, Bignell Park, Bicester. He is remembered on La Ferté sous Jouarre Memorial Albert George HAWKINS Guardsman, 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards, 4 Guards Brigade, 2nd Division. Army no. 16449 He died of his wounds on 11 April 1915. He was 20 He was the son of William H and Amelia Hawkins of Chesterton, He is buried in grave IV B 30 Bethune Town Cemetery Additional information Birth Place: Bicester Enlistment Location: Oxford Walter George HATHAWAY Private, 2nd/8th Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment, 183 Brigade, 61st Division. Army no. 43737 He died of his wounds on 28 August 1918. He was 19 He was the grandson of Joseph Hathaway of Bicester and the son of the late Frederick and Ellen Hathaway. He is buried in grave IV C 20 Aire Communal Cemetery, near St Omer, France Additional Information Birth Place: Wendlebury Residence: Wendlebury Enlistment Location: Oxford William George HOPCRAFT Private, 1st Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 28 Brigade, 7th Indian Division. Army no. 9454 He died on 29 July 1916. He was 24 He is buried in grave XXI S 31 North Gate War Cemetery, Baghdad Additional information Birth Place: Chesterton Residence: Chesterton Enlistment Location: Oxford Albert Frederick INWOOD Private, 2nd Battalion, The Hampshire Regiment, 88 Brigade, 29th Division. Army no. 17259. He was formerly with the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Army no. 7980 He was killed in action on 6 August 1915 at the Battle of Krithia Vineyard. He was 28 He was the husband of Lilian F Inwood, 9 Park End Street, Oxford. He is remembered on panel 125-134 or 223-226 228-229 & 328 of the Helles Memorial Additional information Birth Place: Chesterton Residence: Chesterton Enlistment Location: Oxford Percy Frederick PITTAM Private, 6th Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 60 Brigade, 20th Division. Army no. 12125 He was killed in action on 19 February 1917. He was 27 He was the son of Henry and Ann Pittam He is buried in grave V E 25 AIF Burial Ground Grass Lane, Flers Additional information Birth Place: Chesterton Residence: Chesterton Enlistment Location: Oxford Ralph PORTER Private, 5th Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 42 Brigade, 14th Division. Army no. 10863 He was killed in action on 25 September 1915 during the second attack on Bellewaarde. He was 25 He was the son of Albert and Charlotte Porter of Neepawa, Manitoba, Canada. Ralph was a native of Chesterton He is remembered on panel 37 and 39 of the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres Additional information Birth Place: Weston-on-the-hill Residence: Chesterton Enlistment Location: Oxford Richard PORTER Gunner, 132nd Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Army no. 291840 He died of his wounds on 8 April 1918. He was 30 He was the son of Richard and Sarah Porter, Chesterton Fields He is buried in grave IX D 3 St. Pierre Cemetery, Amiens Additional information Birth Place: Chesterton Residence: Bicester Enlistment Location: Oxford The Fallen in WW2 Conroy Henry ANCIL MiD Lieutenant (A), HMS Stalker, Royal Navy He died in an air accident on 20 July 1943. He was 26. He was the son of Harry and Elsie Ancil of Chesterton He is buried in 1 E grave 15 All Saints Churchyard, Middleton Stoney Additional information HMS Stalker was an aircraft carrier in the final stages of being fitted out John Sutton Nicholas BORROW Private, 1st Battalion, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment. Army no. 5385346 He was killed in action on 3 July 1944. He was 30 He was the son of Jack and Dora Borrow; husband of Georgina May Borrow. He is buried in grave I C 5 Foiano Della Chiana War Cemetery, Italy Additional information The Germans made a stand in this area in front of Arezzo and the Arno William George Victor BUTLER Private, 4th Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Army no. 5387027 He died between 10 May and 4 June 1940 during the retreat to Dunkirk. He was 21 He was the son of Edward G and Lydia M Butler. He is remembered on column 92 of the Dunkirk Memorial Additional Information Whilst it is not usual, the dates are not specific as the Army has no accurate record and I have encountered this in other Dunkirk losses Cyril George KERWOOD Private, 1st Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 71st Infantry Brigade. Army no. 5389160 He was killed in action on 16 July 1944. He was 28 He was the son of George and Fanny Kerwood, of Chesterton, Oxfordshire. He is buried in grave III E 16 Brouay War Cemetery Additional information He too died at the time of intense fighting in Normandy after D Day 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 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 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 service. Alfred Thomas VARNEY Private, 7th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment. Army no. 5392732. He was formerly with The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry He was killed in action on 10 July 1944. He was 21 He was the son of Reginald and Annie M Varney of Chesterton He is buried in grave III H 9 La Delivrande War Cemetery, Douvres Additional information He died at the time of intense fighting in Normandy after D Day |
