Twyford War Memorial in Memory of the Fallen 1914
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Twyford War Memorial In Memory of the Fallen 1914 – 1918 By Paul Aplin Table of Contents Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 2 Albert George Evans ............................................................................................................................. 3 Henry George Franklin .......................................................................................................................... 4 Albert Edward Hunt .............................................................................................................................. 5 Sidney Frank Reeves ............................................................................................................................. 6 Henry George Knibbs ............................................................................................................................ 7 William George Caller ........................................................................................................................... 8 Leonard Martin Hawes ......................................................................................................................... 9 Arthur William John Mariner .............................................................................................................. 10 Anthony Hugh Davis ........................................................................................................................... 10 Thomas Lloyd Munday ........................................................................................................................ 12 Gilbert Arthur Robbins ........................................................................................................................ 13 William George Warwick .................................................................................................................... 14 Edmund Arthur Saunders.................................................................................................................... 15 Sidney Thomas Blackall ....................................................................................................................... 16 Leonard Eaton ..................................................................................................................................... 17 Arthur Leonard Piercy ......................................................................................................................... 18 Albert William Blackall ........................................................................................................................ 19 William Jabez Stone ............................................................................................................................ 20 Alfred Charles Goffe ............................................................................................................................ 21 Ernest Bennett .................................................................................................................................... 22 Bertram Frederick Victor Mariner ....................................................................................................... 23 William Eaton...................................................................................................................................... 24 Edward James Scott ............................................................................................................................ 25 Harry William Hawes .......................................................................................................................... 26 Leslie Leonard Attwell ......................................................................................................................... 27 George Albert Clisby ........................................................................................................................... 28 William Gerald Mousley ...................................................................................................................... 29 George Frederick Jervaulx Jarvis M.C. ................................................................................................. 30 Information Sources ........................................................................................................................... 31 1 Introduction This is the story of the Twyford War Memorial and the men of the Great War listed on it. The war memorial sits on the edge of Station Road in the churchyard of St Marys Church. It lists the names of 28 men from the First World War and 10 men from the Second World War. The first meeting to discuss the possibility of erecting a war memorial occurred on the 16 August 1919 in the Assembly Rooms. It was agreed that a memorial be erected to include a Roll of Honour, and that if funds permit a village memorial hall should also be provided. The churchyard site was the most favoured position for the memorial, and it was also suggested that the Assembly Rooms be purchased to become the Village Hall. A committee was formed to report back with details. On the 8 November 1919 a public meeting was held and the committee produced its report. They recommended that a Celtic cross be made from Cornish granite, to a design by Mr Stallwood, architect of Reading. The cost would be in the region of £200. The cross design is based on the ancient Cornish Crosses at Lanivet and Cardinham. The cross stands 15ft tall, and was carved by Messrs J. Freeman & Sons of Penryn, Cornwall from granite excavated from the Maen Pearn quarry in Constantine, Cornwall. The dedication service for the memorial took place on Sunday 14 November 1920. The church was full, with extra seating provided, and it was estimated that over 500 people massed outside the church during the service. I am a new, amateur historian and have tried very hard to ensure that the information I have gathered and produced is as accurate as possible. Many records, including the majority of First World War service records, were destroyed during the London bombings of the Second World War. I have therefore used various archives, newspaper articles and internet sites, with their own discrepancies, to confirm my findings. If there are errors in my work it is not intentional on my part and I hope not to cause any offence. Photos of soldiers are courtesy of Reading Borough Central Library. 2 Albert George Evans Rank: Corporal 9578 Regiment: 1st Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment Brigade/ Division: 6th Brigade, 2nd Division Albert Evans was born in Shinfield, Berkshire in 1895, the son of Frederick Evans of 7 The Grove Cottages, Twyford. Albert joined the 1st Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment before the outbreak of war. The Battalion was stationed in Aldershot when war was declared on 4 August 1914. On 11 August the Battalion was inspected by the King and Queen, before leaving Aldershot by train the following day. The Battalion left Southampton on two boats on the afternoon of 12 August arriving in Rouen on 13 August. After the fighting withdrawal from Mons the Battalion was stationed at La Metz Ferme from 15 September. On 18 September 1914 the War Diary of the 1st Battalion states “light attack by Germans at 8:30pm, 8 other ranks wounded”. It does not record any deaths on the day. On 19 September La Metz Ferme was destroyed by shell fire killing 8 and wounding 35 men, Albert Evans was likely one of these killed.* Albert Evans was killed in action aged 21 on the 18 or 19 September 1914, he has no known grave but is commemorated on the La Ferte-sous-Jouarre memorial, France. Awarded the 1914 Star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal. *The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has the date of Albert Evans death as 18 September 1914 and killed in action. There are no deaths recorded in the Battalion’s War Diary for 18 September. If a soldier died of his wounds in a field hospital he is very likely to have a recorded grave. However, deaths were recorded for 19 September, and it is my opinion that evidence points to Albert being one of those killed in action on the 19 September 1914. 3 Henry George Franklin Rank: Corporal 15466 Regiment: 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards Brigade/ Division: 20th Brigade, 7th Division Henry George Franklin was born in Twyford in 1890, the eldest child of George and Elizabeth Franklin of London Road and later Waltham Road, Twyford. From an early age Henry worked for his father’s coal merchants. Henry joined with the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards sometime before the war. Shortly after war was declared on 4 August 1914, the Battalion moved from London to Lyndhurst, Hampshire to join the rest of 20th Brigade of the 7th Division. On 6 October 1914 the Battalion sailed from Southampton landing at Zeebrugge the next day. Upon landing the Battalion was tasked with holding strategic bridges allowing the Belgian army to evacuate westward. After this the 1st Battalion marched west and the first group of British troops to entrench in front of Ypres. On 29 October 1914 at 5:30am, on a foggy morning, German artillery began its bombardment beginning the First Battle of Ypres. The German infantry moved forward and engaged the Black Watch and Coldstream Guard units. By 6:30am the enemy had broken through the line. The reserve companies of the Black Watch and Coldstream moved to hold the line. By 7:30 the fog had lifted giving the British infantry better visibility,