They Gave Their Today
  • Home
  • Memorials
  • Gallery
  • RAF Stations/Squadrons
  • Chaplains
  • Contact
  • My Thoughts
  • Links
  • Middlesmoor
  • Ramsgill

Enstone

Picture
Two War Memorial brass Plaques


IN REVERENCE OF GOD
AND IN MEMORY OF

ARTHUR AKERS                 GEORGE MURRELL
FRANK ADKINS                 WILLIAM PENFOLD
WILLIAM CHAMBERLAIN    FELIX REGAN
HARRY CLARIDGE             FRANK REYNOLDS
JOHN DORSETT                CHARLES SHEFFIELD
OLIVER GRIFFIN               FRANK SHEFFIELD
FRED HAWTIN                  WILLIAM SIMMS
ALFRED HAWTIN               FRED SIMONS
DENNIS HIGLEY                 ARTHUR SMITH
WILFRED HUCKIN              LEWIS TAYLOR
FRANK HUNT                     BERTIE TUSTIN
JOHN JONES                      ARTHUR WEARING
GEORGE KNIGHT               ALFRED WIGGINS
SIDNEY BENNETT


WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES
IN THE GREAT WAR
1914   1918

Picture
And for the Second World War


IN REVERENCE OF GOD
AND IN MEMORY OF


KENNETH BENFIELD
GEORGE CANNING
EDWARD DONAVAN
FREDERICK FAULKNER
COLIN GUNTRIP
ALFRED LEWIS
ALBERT POVEY
HUBERT PRATLEY


WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES
IN THE WAR
1939-1945

The Fallen in WW1

Arthur Frederick G AKERS
Shoeing Smith, 37th Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery. Army no. 2779
He was killed in action on 15 September 1914 probably during the Battle of the Marne. He was 32
He was the son of William and Rachel Harriet Akers
He is remembered on La Ferté sous Jouarre Memorial

Frank ADKINS
If this is the correct man, he served in The Royal Engineers. Army no. 167225
There is no reference to his death and to make it harder, his records indicate that he was demobilised in February 1919. For the record only:
He was baptised on 12 May 1889 in Enstone
In the 1901 Census he was living in Church Enstone, the son of John and Emma Adkins
In 1913 he married Elizabeth Lovell and they lived at 16 Spring Cottages, Banbury

Sidney Arthur BENNETT
Private, 2nd Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 5 Brigade, 2nd Division.  Army no. 6994
He died on 29 March 1916 probably in the Military Hospital Centre in Shorncliff. He was 33
He was the son of William P and Angelina Bennett, Jubilee Cottages, Enstone
He is buried in grave O 340 in Shorncliffe Military Cemetery
He is known to have been born and lived in Enstone and enlisted in Oxford

William CHAMBERLAIN
Rifleman, 22nd (Wessex and Welsh) Battalion, The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own), 228 Brigade, 28th Division. Army no. 207922. He was formerly with the same Battalion when it was a Territorial Battalion, Army no. 28874.
He died on 25 October 1918 probably from disease. He was 24
He was the son of John G and Sarah E Chamberlain of Lidstone, Enstone
He is buried in grave 673 in Mikra British Cemetery, Kalamaria,  Greece

Harry CLARIDGE
Private, 2nd Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire
Light Infantry, 5 Brigade, 2nd Division. Army no. 7897
He was killed in action on 31 October 1914 during the first Battle of Ypres. He was 27
He was the son of Thomas E H and Elizabeth E Claridge
He is remembered on panel 37 and 39 of the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres

John Thomas DORSETT
Private, 9th Battalion, The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, 109 Brigade, 36th Division. Army no. 47046. He was formerly with The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, Army no. 23149
He was killed in action on 15 October 1918 during the Battle of Courtrai. He was 23
He is remembered on panel 70 to 72 of the Tyne Cot Memorial

Oliver GRIFFIN
Private, 2nd Battalion The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire
Light Infantry, 5 Brigade, 2nd Division. Army no. 23295. He was formerly with Prince Albert’s (Somerset Light Infantry). Army no. 21758
He died on 1 December 1917 from his wounds incurred during the Battle of Cambrai.
He is buried in grave III C 29 in Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery, Manancourt

Frederick (Fred) HAWTIN
Private, 2nd Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 5 Brigade, 2nd Division.  Army no. 7506
He was killed in action on 25 September 1915 on the first day of the Battle of Loos. He was 35.
He was the son of Joseph and Esther Hawtin and the brother of Alfred, the next entry
He is remembered on panel 83 to 85 of the Loos Memorial

Alfred HAWTIN
Sergeant, 1/1st Battalion, Oxfordshire Yeomanry (Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars), 2 Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.  Army no. 285006
He died on 2 April 1918 from his wounds probably incurred during the Battle of the Somme.  He was 30
He was the son of Joseph and Esther Hawtin of Church Enstone
He is buried in grave I H 21 Namps au Val British Cemetery

John Dennis HIGLEY
Private, 5th Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Royal Berkshire Regiment) 35 Brigade, 12th Division. Army no.
202706
He was killed in action on 30 November 1917 during the Battle of Cambrai. He was 23
He was the son of John and Susan Higley, Church Enstone
He is remembered on Panel 8 of the Cambrai Memorial, Louvreral

Wilfred Henry HUCKIN
Private, 3rd Battalion, Grenadier Guards, 2nd Guards Brigade, Guards Division.  Army no. 21352
He died on 30 September 1915 from wounds incurred during the Battle of Loos. He was 20
He was the son of Fred and Sarah Huckin, Fir Tree Cottage, Church Enstone
He is buried in grave I D 38 in Noeux les Mines Communal Cemetery

Francis Charles (Frank) HUNT
Private, 1st Battalion, The Lancashire Fusiliers, 86 Brigade, 29th Division. Army no. 45163. He was formerly a Gunner, Royal Field Artillery. Army no. 177788
He was killed in action on 9 October 1917 during the Battle of Poelcappelle.  He was 20.
He was the son of Victor and Gertrude E Hunt, Church Enstone.
He is remembered on panel 54-60 and 163A of the Tyne Cot Memorial

John JONES
Sadly I have not been able to identify this man

George Edward KNIGHT MM
Gunner, "D" Battery, 286th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Army no. 70650
He died on 9 April 1918 from his wounds probably received in the fighting near Ypres
He is known to have been born in Banbury and enlisted in Oxford
He is remembered on Panel 1 of the Ploegsteert Memorial

George Frederick MURRELL
Private, 31st Mobile Section, Army Veterinary Corps. Army no. 6574
He died on 4 September 1915. He was 42
He is buried in grave IV A 27 Lillers Communal Cemetery
Additional information
This is probably the man in question but there is no evidence to confirm it. There is a marriage in the Chipping Norton Registration District in 1903 and the military records give a birthplace as Reading and there is just the one in 1873. Whilst
he was older than the norm, it was a non-combatant role and therefore more feasible. 

William James PINFOLD
Private, 1st/4th Battalion, King's (Shropshire Light Infantry), 56 Brigade, 19th Division. Army no. 28381. He was formerly with the Training Reserve Battalion, Army no. 3729
He was killed in action on 4 November 1918 during the battle known as the Passage of the Great Honnelle.  He was 19
He was the son of William J & Margaret Pinfold of Neat, Enstone.
He is buried in grave 8 of Jenlain Communal Cemetery

Edward Felix Owen REGAN
Able Seaman, HM Submarine E22, Royal Navy.  RN no. J/7543
He was killed in action on 25 April 1916.  He was 32
He  is remembered on panel 13 of Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Additional information
HMS E22 was involved in experiments in the North Sea to intercept Zeppelins on 24 April 1916. E22 carried two Sopwith Schneider seaplane scouts on her casing. The boat would submerge in calm waters; the planes would float on the surface and take off before returning to Felixstowe on the East coast of England. The trials were not repeated!
HMS E22 was torpedoed by the German U-boat UB-18 off Great Yarmouth on 25 April 1916. There were no survivors.

Francis Joseph (Frank) REYNOLDS
Lance Corporal, 3rd Battalion, Grenadier Guards, 2nd Guards Brigade, Guards Division.  Army no. 9517
He died from his wounds on 21 April 1916. He was 34
He was the son of Richard S and Mary Reynolds
He is buried in grave I C 49 of the Reservoir Cemetery, Ypres

Charles SHEFFIELD
Corporal, 1st Battery, 45th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery.  Army no. 94166
He was killed in action on 15 August 1917 in the Flanders battleground.  He was 20.
He was the son of George F and Mary E Sheffield of Spring Hill, Enstone. His brother Frank, see next entry, also fell
He is remembered on panel 5 and 9 of the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres

Frank SHEFFIELD
Gunner, C Battery, 100th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Army no. 59065
He died on 18 September 1915.  He was 21
He was the son of George F and Mary E Sheffield, Spring Hill, Enstone. 
He is remembered on pier and face 1A and 8A of the Theipval Memorial

William Alfred SIMMS
Private, 7th Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 78 Brigade, 26th Division.  Army no. 11503
He died on 25 October 1918 probably from disease after arriving in theatre. He was 29
He was the son of William and Sarah Simms of Enstone 
He is buried in grave VI H 17 Doiran Military Cemetery, Greece

Frederick Charles (Fred) SIMONS
Private, 9th Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 96 Brigade, 32nd Division.  Army no. 16970
He died on 2 February 1915. He was 27
He was the son of the late Edwin and Mary M Simons and the husband of Elsie M Faulkner (formerly Simons) of Enstone
He is buried in grave K 13 3 in Highland Road Cemetery,
Portsmouth

Arthur SMITH
Private, 61st Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Army no. 
139709. He was formerly with The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Army no. 3081 having originally enlisted with The Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars in November 1915
He was killed in action fighting on the Somme on 21 March 1918. He was 26
He was son of Thomas and Sarah Smith of Radford, Enstone.
He is remembered on panel 90 to 93 of the Pozières Memorial
Additional Information
Thank you John Blakeman for this correction

Lewis TAYLOR
Probably Louis Morewood TAYLOR
Private, 2nd Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 5 Brigade, 2nd Division.  Army no. 10050
He was killed in action on 30 July 1916 probably near Delville Wood.  He was 23
He was the son of William and Elizabeth E Taylor, 3 Grove Road, Bladon
He is remembered on Pier and Face 10A and 10D of the Theipval Memorial
He is known to have been born in Ledwell, lived in Chipping Norton and enlisted in Oxford

Bertie George TUSTIN
Private, 11th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment), 54 Brigade, 18th Division. Army no. 8246. He was formerly Private, The Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment), Army no. 4054
He was killed in action on 17 February 1917 in the fighting around the Ancre.  He was 26.
He was the son of George and Eliza Tustin, Cleveley, Enstone
He is remembered on pier and face 8C, 9A and 16A of the Theipval Memorial
He is known to have been born in Oxford, lived in Enstone and enlisted in Pinner

Arthur WEARING
Gunner, A Battery, 92nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Army no. 51387.  He was formerly Private, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.  Army no. 9460
He died in action on 30 November 1917. He was 38
He was the husband of Emily Wearing of Enstone
He is remembered on panel 1 of the Cambrai Memorial, Louveral

Alfred WIGGINS
Private, 45th Remounts, Royal Army Service Corps, Army no.
R4/068339
He died on 12 January 1919 probably from disease.  He was 30 
He was the son of George and Mary Wiggins of Lidstone, Enstone
He is buried in grave 1303 in Mikra British Cemetery, Kalamaria
Additional information
There were no less than 18 hospitals in Kalamaria

The Fallen in WW2

Kenneth Arthur BENFIELD
Painter 3rd Class, HMS Calcutta, Royal Navy. RN no. P/MX
55009
He died on  1 June 1941. He was 31
He was the husband of Peggy Benfield of Headington.
He is remembered on panel 56, column 3 of the Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Additional information
HMS Calcutta was an anti-aircraft cruiser which was sunk in the Eastern Mediterranean, about 100 nautical miles west-north-west of Alexandria, Egypt by 2 bombs from German Ju-88 bombers. There were 255 survivors. 
 
George Frederick CANNING
Guardsman, 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards. Army no.
2621942
He died on 11 June 1943. He was 33
He was the son of Arthur and Lily May Canning and the husband of Lily Canning of Enstone.
He is buried in row 3, grave 10 St. Kenelms Churchyard Extension, Enstone

Edward DONAVAN
The CWGC has no one listed under this spelling, I suspect that it is Diarmuid Edward DONOVAN
Second Lieutenant, Royal Engineers. Army no. 129802
He died on 26 May 1940 at the time of retreat to Dunkirk. He was 20
He was the son of Captain Richard B and Edith M Donovan of Recess, Co. Galway, Irish Republic. - he lived in Oxfordshire
He is buried in plot 9 row a grave 8 Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension

Fredric Hubert FAULKNER
Private, 7th Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment. Army no. 5385373
He died between 21 May and 15 June 1940 at the time of Dunkirk He was 20
He was the son of Hubert and Kate Faulkner of Cleveley,
Oxfordshire.
He is buried in plot 8 row b grave 26 Longuenesse Souvenir Cemetery, St. Omer

Colin Henry GUNTRIP
Corporal, 1st Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment. Army no. 14744409
He died on 23 April 1945. He was 19
He was the son of Charles and Lemada Guntrip of Ludgershall,
Buckinghamshire.
He is buried in Grave 3 B 6 Jonkerbos War Cemetery
Netherlands

Victor Alfred LEWIS
Sergeant, 107 Squadron, Royal Air Force, RAFVR no.  749416
He died on active service on 11 June 1941. He was 24
He was the son of Alfred and Alice Lewis of Enstone
He is remembered on panel 47 of the Runnymede Memorial
Additional Information
Blenheim V6367 OM- took off from RAF Great Massingham on an anti-shipping mission at 09.13 hours but was recalled because of
the lack of cloud cover but disappeared without trace. All the crew were lost. They were: Pilot Officer R G Sammons, Sergeant P J Walker and Sergeant V Alfred Lewis

Albert Edward Charles POVEY
Sergeant, 144 Squadron, Royal Air Force. RAF No: 366390
He was killed on 29 September 1939. He was 30
He was the son of Albert E and Mary M Povey of Lasham,
Hampshire.
He is remembered on panel 2, the Runnymede Memorial
Additional information
He was based at RAF Hemswell from 3 March 1939.
He was killed whilst flying in Hampden I, L4134 which was shot down near Heligoland.
The squadron’s first operation, a patrol over the North Sea, had been just three days earlier

Hubert PRATLEY
Gunner, 16 Defence Regiment,  Royal Artillery. Army no.
11000579
He died whilst a Prisoner of War of the Japanese Army at the time of his death he was a slave labourer on the Thailand-Burma Railway
His death is recorded as being between 1 and 31 August 1943. He was 22
He was the son of George and Jane Pratley of Kiddington.
He is buried in grave 6 A 73 Kanchanaburi War Cemetery
Additional information
The regiment had been captured by the Japanese Army when Singapore fell on 15 February 1942

The Fallen in WW1 who are not on the War Memorial

Ernest AKERS
Private, 2nd Battalion, Princess of Wales’s (Royal Berkshire
Regiment) Army no. 8438
He died of his wounds on 6 October 1915
He is buried in grave I B 158 Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord

Ernest William BARTLETT
Private, 6th Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 60 Brigade, 20th Division. Army no. 16293
He was killed in action on 13 September 1915. He was 19
He was the son of William Joseph O and Elizabeth Sophia Bartlett, Lower Cleveley, Enstone
He is buried in grave IV K 8 in the Royal Irish Rifles Graveyard, Laventie
Additional information
He was born in Kencott, lived in Enstone and enlisted in Oxford

Albert William BROOKS
Gunner, Royal Garrison Artillery.  Army no. 9059   Formerly, Gunner with 156th The Oxford Heavy Battery.
He died on 18 February 1917
He is buried in grave O VI C 12 in St Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen
Additional information
He was born in Swerford, lived in Enstone and enlisted in Banbury

John COZIER
Lance Corporal, 1st Battalion, The Hampshire Regiment, 11
Brigade, 4th Division.  Army no. 16452. He was formerly Private, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.  Army no. 17799
He was killed in action on 1 July 1916 during the Battle of Albert.
He is remembered on pier and face 7C and 7B of the Theipval Memorial
Additional information
He was born in Swerford and lived in Enstone

Alfred James CROSS     DCM
Sergeant, 2nd Battalion, The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort’s Own), 25 Brigade, 8th Division.  Army no. 5428
He was killed in action on 31 July 1917 during the Battle of Pilekem Ridge part of the second Battle of Ypres.  He was 21
He was the son of Charles William and Harriett Cross, Ellen's Lodge, Dytchley, Enstone.
He is remembered on panel 46-48 and 50 of the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres.
Additional information
He was born in Spilsbury, lived in Enstone and enlisted in Oxford

William Thomas DEAN
Private, 1st Battalion. Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Royal Berkshire Regiment), 99 Brigade, 2nd Division. Army no. 39091.  He was formerly Private, Prince Albert’s (Somerset Light Infantry) Army no. 41738
He died from his wounds on 31 August 1918 probably received near Arras or Bapaume during the Battle of the Somme. He was 19
He was the son of Harry and Jane Dean, Barn Cottages, Tracey, Enstone. Native of Fulwell, Enstone. 
He is buried in grave B 17 in Ligny sur Canche British Cemetery
Additional information
He was born in Fulwell lived in Enstone and enlisted in Oxford

Walter DICKENSON
Lance Corporal, 1st Battalion, The Oxfordshire and
Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 28 Brigade, 7th Indian Division.  Army no. 8621
He died on 15 August 1916.  He was 27
He was the son of Henry and Mary Ann Dickenson
He is buried in grave XXI C 11 in North Gate War Cemetery, Baghdad
Additional information
He was born in Enstone (Births Dec 1888 DICKENSON Walter Chipping N. 3a 857), lived in Bloxham and enlisted in Banbury

George Herbert KNIBBS
Private, 2nd Battalion, The Hampshire Regiment, 88 Brigade, 29th Division. Army no. 17112. He was formerly Private, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, Army no. 18188
He died on 8 November 1916
He is buried in grave XXI M 7 in North Gate War Cemetery,
Baghdad
Additional information
He was born in Swerford, lived in Enstone and enlisted in Bournemouth

Ralph Henry TAYLOR
Private, 2nd/7th Battalion, The Royal Warwickshire
Regiment, 182 Brigade, 61st Division.  Army no. 35200
He was killed in action on 8 August 1918. He was 19
He was the husband of H Taylor of Charlbury
He is buried in plot 5, row B, grave 9 in Tannay British Cemetery, Thiennes
Additional information
He was born in Enstone, lived in Charlbury and enlisted in Oxford

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.