Photographs Copyright © Carolynn Langley 2005

DEARING

William

Private 265548. 1st/1st Bucks Battalion, Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. Killed in action in France & Flanders on 10th March 1917. Lived Bierton. Enlisted Aylesbury. Buried: Hem Farm Military Cemetery, Hem-Monacu, Somme, France. Ref. I. L. 13.

GURNEY

Richard Everitt

Private 276278. "C" Company, 5th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Saskatchewan Regiment). Died on 9th August 1918. Aged 36. Private Gurney was born on 27th February 1882, the son of the Rev. J. L. Gurney, of Bierton Vicarage, Aylesbury; husband of Katharine Elinor Gurney, of Stone Farm, Aylesbury, Bucks, England. Commemorated: Vimy Memorial, Pas de Calais, France.

HILL

Horace S.

Private 8009. 2nd Battalion Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. Killed in action in France & Flanders on 25th September 1915. Born Hulcutt, Bucks. Lived Bierton. Enlisted Thame, Oxfordshire. Commemorated: Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 83 to 85.

HILL

Raymond

Private 887617, 46th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Saskatchewan Regiment). Killed in action 26th October 1917 during Third Battle of Ypres. Born 5th June 1892, at Bierton. Son of George and Mary of Rowsham Road Bierton. He emigrated to Canada in 1911 with his sister Nell and brother Dennis who also served in the Canadian Army surviving the war. Farmer by trade. Unmarried. Enlisted and passed fit 8th December 1915 at Lloydmunster, Canada, aged 23 years 5 months, height 5 feet 11½ inches, chest 36 inches, weight 167 lbs, complexion dark, eyes dark brown, hair black; religion Methodist. Saled from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, 12th October 1916 aboard S.S. "Olympic", arrived Liverpool 19th October 1916. . Previously admitted to No. 6 Field Ambulance Depot 22nd March 1917 having suffered gunshot wounds to the head and contusion of his thumb; moved to No. 5 Convalesence Depot, Cayeux, 11th April 1917 then Base Depot, Havre, 11th May 1917. Commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate), Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel, 18-26-28. National Archives of Canada Accession Reference: RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 4358 - 38

HOLDHAM

Frederick George

Private 36950. 4th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment. Killed in action in France & Flanders on 27th September 1917. Aged 32. Born Bierton. Lived and enlisted Aylesbury. Husband of Constance Tamar Holdham, of 11, Broughton Crossing, Aylesbury, Bucks. Commemorated: Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 75 to 77.

HONOUR

Percy

Private 2144. 1st/1st Bucks Battalion, Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. Killed in action in France & Flanders on 14th August 1916. Aged 26. Lived Bierton. Enlisted Aylesbury. Son of Mr. and Mrs. R. Honour, of Rowsham Rd., Bierton, Aylesbury, Bucks. Commemorated: Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 10 A and 10 D.

MATTHEWS

Albert George

Private 18428. 11th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Formerly 23820 Somerset Light Infantry. Killed in action in France & Flanders on 13th August 1916. Born Walton, Bucks. Enlisted Aylesbury. Commemorated: Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 9 A 9 B and 10 B.

NORWOOD

Arthur

Lance Serjeant 266122. 1st/4th Battalion, Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. Killed in action in France & Flanders on 16th August 1917. Aged 22. Lived Bierton. Enlisted Aylesbury. Son of William and Maria Norwood, of Corner House, Bierton, Bucks. Buried: Poelcapelle British Cemetery, Langemark-Poelkapelle, West-Vlaanderen. Ref. L. D. 11.

O’GRADY MM

Henry

Serjeant 8907. 5th Battalion Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. Died of wounds in France & Flanders on 25th August 1916. Aged 27. Born Buttevant, Co. Cork. Lived Stewkley, Bucks. Enlisted Aylesbury. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Denis O'Grady, of Buttevant, Co. Cork; husband of Ada Williams (formerly O'Grady), of South End, Stewkley, Bucks. Buried: Dernancourt Communal Cemetery, Somme, France. Ref. J. 89.

READ

Harry

Probably: Private 50582. 7th Battalion Suffolk Regiment. Formerly 141805 Royal Army Service Corps. Died of wounds in France & Flanders on 28th April 1917. Born Waddesden, Bucks. Enlisted Aylesbury. Commemorated: Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 4.

REYNOLDS

Edmund

Lance Corporal 18366. 6th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action in France & Flanders on 11th August 1917. Born Piddington, Oxfordshire. Lived Ledburn, Bucks. Enlisted Leighton Buzzard, Beds. Commemorated: Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 31 and 33.

RICKARD

Frank

Possibly: Private 16981. 2nd Battalion Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. Died of wounds with the British Expeditionary Force on 10th August 1916. Enlisted Haywards Heath. Buried: Bernafay Wood British Cemetery, Montauban, Somme, France. Ref. L. 26.

SMITH

Harry [G]

Death recorded in January to March Quarter 1915 in the Aylesbury Registration District, Buckinghamshire. Aged 35.

Image kindly supplied by March Drummond

Lord Wharton’s Charity provides bibles to children and young people. It was founded in 1696 by Philip, 4th Lord Wharton (1613 – 1696).

Philip, 4th Lord Wharton, came from a staunch Christian family. He was well-educated and well-travelled. During the Civil War he supported Parliament but opposed the execution of King Charles the first. He welcomed King Charles the Second at the Restoration and later became a Privy Councillor to King William the Third.

Six years before his death, Lord Wharton began distributing Bibles to children, and in his will he left 463 acres of land to fund the continuation of this work. The Trustees of Lord Wharton’s Charity continue to follow his wishes by distributing Bibles to children and young people so that they can be encouraged to use it for their own personal study.

THORNE

Frank William

Private 5727. 1st/4th Battalion, Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. Killed in action in France & Flanders on 14th August 1916. Aged 33. Born and lived Bierton. Enlisted Aylesbury. Son of William and Mary Ann Thorne, of Bierton, Aylesbury, Bucks. Commemorated: Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 10 A and 10 D.

THORNE

John T

Private 265677. 5th Battalion Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. Killed in action in France & Flanders on 3rd May 1917. Aged 22. Lived Bierton. Enlisted Aylesbury. Son of William and Mary Ann Thorne, of Bierton, Aylesbury, Bucks. Commemorated: Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 6 and 7.

WHITE

Algernon

Gunner 144909. 12th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died of wounds in France & Flanders on 19th April 1918. Born and lived Broughton, Bucks. Enlisted Aylesbury. Buried: Rue-Petillon Military Cemetery, Fleurbaix, Pas de Calais, France. Ref. I. G. 35.

WHITE

William George

Possibly: Private 44519. 2nd/4th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment. Formerly 37416 Wiltshire Regiment. Killed in action in France & Flanders on 25th October 1918. Aged 19. Born and enlisted Aylesbury. Son of Mrs Fanny White, of 127, Buckingham Rd., Aylesbury, Bucks. Commemorated: Vis-En-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 7.