WE WILL REMEMBER THEM THE KING’S (THE CATHEDRAL) SCHOOL PETERBOROUGH WAR MEMORIALS © 2014 Jane King November 2015 THE KING’S (THE CATHEDRAL) SCHOOL PARK ROAD, PETERBOROUGH, PE1 2UE ORDNANCE SURVEY REFERENCE:TL 190 990 School Library The memorials that hang in the school’s library and within St Sprite’s Chapel at Peterborough Cathedral record the names of former pupils and staff of The King’s School, Peterborough known to have died in the service of their country in the course of the First and Second World Wars. This booklet has been written in honour of every Old Petriburgian, known or unknown, who made that ultimate sacrifice. The details have been compiled from a variety of sources, including records held by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the General Register Office and The National Archives. Some information has also been extracted from contemporary local newspapers held by the relevant Library and Archives Sections, and from other publications. Many details are from The King’s School’s own archives, including photographs and information kindly given to the school by relatives of those who died. This booklet owes much to the substantial contributions made by the late Commander C.J.G Willis, Peter Miller, Judith Bunten, Jenny Davies and Trevor Elliott, to each of whom many thanks are due. Their generous and enthusiastic collaboration has been truly invaluable and much appreciated. Grateful thanks are also due to the many individuals and organisations that have kindly provided information from their archives and have granted permission to include photographs from their collections, including The War Graves Photographic Project. Every reasonable effort has been made to secure due permissions for the use of each of the images in this booklet. Sincere apologies are offered for any inadvertent breach of copyright, which will be willingly rectified upon receipt by The King’s School of communication from any interested party. Whilst great care has been taken to ensure that the details in this document have been accurately transcribed, they are subject to the reader’s own verification from original records. Sincerest apologies are made for any error this document may contain. Jane King November 2015 St Sprite’s Chapel, Peterborough Cathedral 2 INDEX World War 1 Memorials at Peterborough Cathedral & The King’s School Library Page 4 World War 1 Casualty biographies Page 6 World War 1 Memorial at St George’s Memorial Church, Ypres Page 36 World War 2 Memorials at Peterborough Cathedral & The King’s School Library Page 39 World War 2 Casualty biographies Page 43 Addendum Page 75 Lieutenant Walter Henry Goodale (WW1) Page 76 2nd Lieutenant George Cyril Gray (WW1) Page 77 Lieutenant William Emiley Oscar Scott (WW1) Page 78 Sergeant (Observer) John William Hobson Bateman (WW2) Page 79 Corporal Donald Phillips Durrant (WW2) Page 80 Major William Victor Hart M.C. (WW2) Page 81 Aircraftman Colin Reeves (WW2) Page 82 Police Constable Malcolm George Holmes Robertson (WW2) Page 83 Trooper Robert Stanley Swallow (WW2) Page 84 Bibliography/Sources Page 85 The Commonwealth War Graves Commission Page 86 Have you forgotten yet? Page 89 The King’s School Cadet Corps: 4th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment, July 1913 3 WORLD WAR 1 MEMORIALS A memorial to former pupils and staff of The King’s School was unveiled at Peterborough Cathedral on Monday 21st March 1921. It was crafted from Hoptonwood stone and listed the names of the 28 old boys and one Master who were believed to have died during the First World War. It was unveiled by a former Petriburgian, General Sir Herbert E. Watts K.C.B., K.C.M.G., and was dedicated by the Dean of Peterborough. A report of the ceremony appeared in the Peterborough Advertiser on 25/3/1921. One of the men named on the memorial at the time of the unveiling was E.N.D.T. Cummins. However, the inclusion of his name was an error, as he had not died in World War 1. (Ernest Norman Daunt Travers Cummins was born in Cornwall in 1876. He was admitted as a boarder at The King’s School in September 1888. In 1914 he travelled to Malaya, where he became a planter. His disappearance from the UK at that time was probably what later gave rise to the mistaken belief that he had become one of the many casualties of the War. Ernest actually died in Kuala Lumpur many years later, on 28/2/1953). The error regarding Ernest Cummins must have been realised shortly after the unveiling of the memorial, as it was amended to replace his name with that of Vernon Peed Gaches, whose name had originally been omitted from the inscription. It is for this reason that Mr Gaches’ name does not appear in the correct alphabetical order on the Cathedral memorial. An oak facsimile of the Cathedral memorial was erected in The King’s School library during the 1922 summer holiday. It listed the correct names in true alphabetical order. The inscription read: SCHOLA REGIA PETRIBURGENSIS To the Glory of God and in remembrance of the old boys of the King’s School, Peterborough, who gave their lives for their country. J.K. BATTEN R.P. PLEDGER L.W. BROOKS G.N. SLINGER J.V. BURKS W. SLINGER P.C. BURKS F.W. SMITH Chorister G.L. CATLING C.F. SNOW B.T. CHIPPINDALL R.J. STOKES J.H. CLAPPERTON G.T. SWEETING C.G. CRICK E. TAYLOR Chorister P.J.D. FLECKNOE H.J. TAYLOR Chorister V.P. GACHES J.C.C. THOMPSON W.O. HAMPTON S. VERGETTE E.C. LEIGH Chorister F.H. WADLOW F.D. MOYER Chorister J.D.B. WARWICK P.W. PEACH J.T. WOOLLEY Chorister and S.A. WILKES Assistant Master PRO DEO 1914 1918 PRO REGE PRO PATRIA 4 World War 1 memorial within the school library World War 1 memorial in St Sprite’s Chapel Cutting from the Peterborough Advertiser 25/3/1921, reporting the unveiling of the Cathedral memorial (Ernest Cummins’ name was later replaced with that of Vernon Gaches, as per current photograph above). 5 WORLD WAR 1 CASUALTIES Remembrance 2013 Remembrance 2014 Remembrance 2015 They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. Laurence Binyon, 1869-1943 6 1) Joseph Keith BATTEN Joseph was born in Peterborough on 20/10/1892, the eldest son of Joseph Batten and Katie Alice nee Hawkes. (His father, an Alderman, was a partner of Batten & Whitsed, Solicitors). On the 1901 census Joseph was living with his parents in Park Road, Peterborough. His mother died on 18/5/1904. Joseph was educated at The King’s School from 20/9/1904 to 30/4/1906, then at Gresham’s School, Holt until December 1909. (His photograph below is by kind permission of Gresham’s School). He then became an articled clerk in his father’s firm. On the 1911 census he was recorded as being a law student, living with his father at Park Corner, Park Road, Peterborough. He later passed his intermediate examination and was within months of qualifying as a practising solicitor when War was declared. Joseph had joined the Bedfordshire Regiment before the War. He was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant with the 5th Battalion from 15/10/1910 (London Gazette: 8/11/1910). He was promoted to Lieutenant 2/5/1913 (London Gazette: 13/6/1913). He was mobilised 4/8/1914 and promoted to Captain 29/8/1914 (London Gazette: 28/8/1914). In April 1918 he was posted to France, where he joined the 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment (Training Cadre). The 7th Battalion’s War diary records that he was Company Commander in May and that he left on 17/6/1918 to join the 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, to which he had been attached. (The 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment was under the command of the 190th Brigade in the 63rd Royal Naval Division. It took part in the Battle of Albert from 21st to 23rd August 1918, and in the Battle of Drocourt-Queant from 2nd to 3rd September 1918. From 27th September to 1st October 1918 it took part in the Battle of the Canal du Nord, one of the Battles of the Hindenburg Line). On 27/9/1918 Joseph led his men “over the top”. He was struck by a shell and died soon after. He was buried in grave I.A.16 at Moeuvres Communal Cemetery Extension in France (see below). He is also commemorated on his parents’ gravestone in Broadway Cemetery Peterborough (see below), on the War memorial at All Saints’ Church, Park Road, and in the Book of Remembrance at Peterborough Cathedral. His death was announced in the Peterborough Advertiser, on 5/10/1918, and in The Times on 7/10/1918. A memorial service, held at All Saints’ Church on 9/10/1918, was reported at length in the Peterborough Standard on 12/10/1918. Reverend G.H.A. Bagshaw, Curate of St Botolph’s Church, Boston, gave an address: “Today we are met together to remember before God, Joseph Keith Batten, who made the supreme sacrifice on September 27th last. It is my privilege, as one who called him friend, as one to whose memory there come so many thoughts of happy comradeship in days that are past, as one who knew something of his sterling qualities, his unswerving devotion to duty, his unselfish care for his men, and of the depth of the faith by which he lived - it is my privilege to stand here and commend him to your prayers.” A Chaplain described Joseph as “a splendid fellow, always cheery, and with a wonderful humour all his own”.