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South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project

Men of RWRRWRlest we forget2tower poppiesThe Battle of the Somme film image1 3gallipoli

 The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War One


Driver 32616 William Percy BASSON - 75th Field Company, Royal Engineers


Killed in Action on Monday, November 4th, 1918 aged 25

grave for W Basson

Military History
   
Theatre of WarMedalsCommonwealth War Grave of Memorial
France and Flanders British War & Victory Medals Viller-Pol Communal Cemetery Ext 
     
Arrived in TheatreMedal Citation (if app)SWFHS Area Memorials
19 Mar 1916 ~ Welford on Avon
     
Action, Battle or Other Reason KilledDate and Place EnlistedOther War Memorials
Second Battle of the Sambre  1 Nov 1915 at Stratford on Avon  
     
Place of DeathPrevious Regiments or Units 
Villers-Pol ~  
     

Circumstances Leading to Death (Normally from War Diary)           

William is listed as being killed in action on 4 Nov 1918. The war diary is transcribed below, in short William was killed helping in the constructing of a bridge between Wargnies-le-Petit and Villers-Pol.
 
Villers Pol - 4.11.1918: 'No 1 Section repairing billets, No 4 working on road repairs ?. Division attacked at Villers Pol. No 3 section constructed Trestle Bridge across the River at north of village. No 2 Section marked a ford & ? road in village. No 1 Section stood by between Wargnies-le-Petit and Villers-Pol. Trench Mortars got direct hit of Transport with wagons carrying ? ? knocking over 11 horses, 10 being destroyed. Driver Basson was killed at this point.'
 Personal & Family History

 

Birth Date/PlaceBapitsm Date/Place
Oct Qtr 1893 at Welford on Avon 8 Oct 1893 at Welford on Avon
   
Parents NamesAbode
Henry and Rosanna Basson  The Church House, Welford-on-Avon         
   
SchoolsColleges
  ~
   
Address HistoryEmployment History
1893 - Welford on Avon 1911 - Cowman on farm
1901 - Church Street, Welford on Avon 1914 - Postman
1911 - The Church House, Welford-on-Avon  
1915 - The Church House, Welford-on-Avon  

 

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South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project

Men of RWRRWRlest we forget2tower poppiesThe Battle of the Somme film image1 3gallipoli

 The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War One


Sergeant A/789 Charles ROWNEY - 8th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps


Killed in Action on Thursday 24th August 1916 aged 38

Military History
   
Theatre of WarMedalsCommonwealth War Grave or Memorial
France and Flanders 1914-15 Star, British War & Victory Medals Thiepval Memorial
     
Arrived in TheatreMedal Citation (if app)SWFHS Area Memorials
15 May 1915 in France ~ Rowington
     
Action, Battle or Other Reason KilledDate and Place EnlistedOther Service Information
Battle of Delville Wood (Somme)  20 Aug 1914 at Birmingham 26 Aug 1914 - Promoted to L/Cpl
    27 Aug 1914 - Promoted to Corporal
Place of DeathPrevious Regiments or Units 4 Dec 1914 Promoted to Sergeant
Delville Wood, Longueval Pvt 10279 Imperial Yeomanry  10 Feb 1900 - Enlisted at Buckingham
    19 Jan 1916  - Promoted to Acting Coy Sgt Maj
    8 Apr 1916 - Returned to rank of Sergeant

Imperial Yeomanry Service in South Africa

  • 10 Feb 1900 - Enlisted at Buckingham
  • 1900 - 1901 - Served in South Africa
  • 3 Sep 1902 - Discharged at Aldershot

Circumstances Leading to Death (Normally from War Diary)           

Charles is listed as being killed in action on 24 Aug 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. The war diary for that day is transcribed below:

Longueval Alley – 24th Aug – Thursday

At 4:50pm after two two hours intensive bombardment A&D Coys of 8 K.R.R with the 42nd brigade on our left attack the enemy in and on the flanks of Delville Wood. I will work is to attack from Hop Alley, part of Beer Alley which is badly in the air and enfiladed from the E. A & D Coy are assaulting in two waves, A on the left D on the right. The preliminary bombardment has failed to cut the wire in front of a and has not touched the enemy trench. The Stokes gun detailed to obliterate the enemy trench on the left failed to do so and has some very good shooting at our own trench instead. The field gun barrage has been directed unfortunately behind the enemy trench all the time. Consequently the enemy man their trench very strongly and A Coys attack cannot develop, the first wave falling back dead on the 2nd. 2 Lt Todd-Naylor is killed.

On the right D Coy has been held up nearly as badly only about 6 Rfn and 2 Sgts reaching the enemy lines alive. This party made a post and took two prisoners. They maintained themselves in the enemy trench until withdrawn after dark. Our extreme right bombing party progressed some way up an old trench and established a block. This also had to be withdrawn after dark.

The 42nd Bde like good progress but the battalion on our immediate left had temporarily withdrawn to their original line. The enemy put up an extremely effective 5.9” barrage for several hours during and after the attack.

B & C Coys had to come up and reinforce the front line immediately after the attack as the line was very weak after the heavy casualties. This they did over the open with surprisingly few casualties. We were relieved by the 7/KRR during the night and went back to Pommiers Trench.

During the day 2 Lts. Huntingdon, Todd-Naylor (killed) and 2 Lts Wood and F.G. Scott (wounded) were among the casualties. END

 Personal & Family History

 

Birth Date/PlaceBaptism Date/Place
Apr Qtr 1878 at Rowington 1 Sep 1878 at Rowington
   
Parents NamesAbode
John and Eliza Rowney Lawsonford, Rowington
   
SchoolsColleges
Rowington Council School  ~
   
Address HistoryEmployment History
1878 - Rowington 1900 - Railway Porter
1881 - Lawsonford, Rowington 1901 - Soldier in Imperial Yeomanry
1891 - Lawsonford, Rowington 1904 - Farmer
1901 - South Africa 1911 - Farm Labourer  
1904 - Sambourne  
1911 - Chessetts Wood, Hockley Heath  
1916 - Lawsonford, Rowington  

 

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South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project

Men of RWRRWRlest we forget2tower poppiesThe Battle of the Somme film image1 3gallipoli

 The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War One


Private 12558 Joseph COURT - 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards

1s
Killed in Action on Sunday October 17th 1915 aged 27

joseph court

Military History
   
Theatre of WarMedalsCommonwealth War Grave or Memorial
France and Flanders 1914-15 Star, British War & Victory Medals Loos Memorial
     
Arrived in TheatreMedal Citation (if app)SWFHS Area Memorials
9 Feb 1915 in France ~ Berkswell
     
Action, Battle or Other Reason KilledDate and Place EnlistedOther War Memorials
Battle of Loos August 1914 at Coventry ~
     
Place of DeathPrevious Regiments or Units 
Vermelles ~  
     

Circumstances of Death

Joseph is listed as being killed in action on 17 Oct 1917 at the end of the Battle of Loos. The war diary for that day is difficult to read and the following descriptions of the days events is provided below from an article in the Guards Magazine.

Guards Magazine Article

On 17th October, the 2nd and 3rd Guards Brigades, including 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, were back in the front-line, preparing for an attack onto the Hohenzollern Redoubt. It began at 5am, supported by artillery and trench mortars. But in the face of intensive enfilade machine-gun fire, Lord Cavan called the attack off at 8am. The decision had clearly not been taken lightly. To quote the official history: ‘Some idea of the severity of the fighting may be obtained from the fact that the two Guards brigades between them made use of 15,000 bombs, while both brigadiers agreed that they had experienced no more heavy shell fire during the war than between dawn and midday on the 17th October 1915

From an article in the Guards Magazine

 Personal & Family History

 

Birth Date/PlaceBaptism Date/Place
11 Feb 1889 at Haseley 17 Mar 1889 at Haseley 
   
Parents NamesAbode
Joseph and Caroline (deceased) Court. Oak House, Hob Lane, Berkswell
Stepmother Eliza Ann Court   
   
SchoolsColleges
  ~
   
Address HistoryEmployment History
1889 - Haseley Knob 1901 - School
1891 - Hob Lane, Berkswell 1911 - Gardener
1901 - Hob Lane Berkswell  
1911 - Hob Lane Berkswell  
1915 - Oak House, Hob Lane, Berkswell  

 

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South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project

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The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War One


Sapper 61782 Frederick Charles ATKINS - 224th Field Company, Royal Engineers

1s
Killed in Action on Sunday January 14th 1917 aged 22

Military History
   
Theatre of WarMedalsCommonwealth War Grave or Memorial
France and Flanders 1914-15 Star, British War & Victory Medals Delville Wood Cemetery
     
Arrived in TheatreMedal Citation (if app)SWFHS Area Memorials
31 Jul 1915 in France ~ Henley-in-Arden  |  Henley-in-Arden Baptist Church
     
Action, Battle or Other Reason KilledDate and Place EnlistedOther War Memorials
Operations on the Ancre Jan - Mar 1917 4 Jan 1915 at Birmingham  
     
Place of DeathPrevious Regiments or Units 
Le Forest 79th Field Company, Royal Engineers  
     

Circumstances of Death

Frederick is listed as being killed in action on 14 Jan 1917 near Le Forest. The 224th Field Company war diary is transcribed below.

Le Forest - 14th January 1917: Work continued as before, chambering commenced on left Battalion HQ's. Shell explodes just on ? stables killing Sgt 43867 E C Craske and 61782 Spr Atkins and wounding 180869 Spr T E Raiker (slightly). END

 Personal & Family History

 

Birth Date/PlaceBaptism Date/Place
Jul Qtr 1894 at Oldberrow  
   
Parents NamesAbode
Charles James and Annie Atkins Upper Sumas Road, Abbotsford, Canada
   
SchoolsColleges
  ~
   
Address HistoryEmployment History
1891 - Oldberrow 1901 - Scholar
1901 - Oldberrow New Lane, Oldberrow, Alcester 1911 - Carpenter and Builder
1911 - Old Berrow, Henley- In- Arden
1915 - 146 High Street, Henley in Arden  
   
  • Member of the Henley VAD before joining up.
     

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South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project

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The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War One


Private 15356 James CRANE - 9th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment


Died on Monday, June 26th 1916 aged 23

Military History
   
Theatre of WarMedalsCommonwealth War Grave or Memorial
Mesopotamia British War & Victory Medals Amara War Cemetery
     
Arrived in TheatreMedal Citation (if app)SWFHS Area Memorials
After 1 Jan 1916 ~ Warwick (Eleanor Cross) War Memorial
    Leamington Spa War Memorial
Action, Battle or Other Reason KilledDate and Place Enlisted 
Died from the Effects of Heat on or after 27 Jun 1915 at Warwick  
     
Place of DeathPrevious Regiments or UnitsOther War Memorials
40th Field Ambulance, Abu Roman     
     

Circumstances of Death

James died on 26 Jun 1916 from the effects of heat (Heat Stroke) at the 40th Field Ambulance, Abu Roman nr Amara, Iraq.

 Personal & Family History

 

Birth Date/PlaceBaptism Date/Place
Jan Qtr 1893 at Warwick 2 Mar 1893 at Warwick, All Saints
   
Parents NamesAbode
Robert and Elizabeth Crane 8 Quarry Street, Leamington Spa
   
SchoolsColleges
  ~
   
Address HistoryEmployment History
1893 - Pickard Street, Warwick 1901 - Scholar
1901 - 2 Chapman Street, Warwick 1911 - General Labourer (out of work)
1911 - 8 Quarry Street, Leamington Spa  
1916 - 8 Quarry Street, Leamington Spa  
   

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  1. Private 35401 Charles Alfred KELSEY
  2. Sergeant 200523 Charles HAYNES
  3. Private 31048 William George WARD
  4. Rifleman 22634 Leopold Cecil MORGAN

Subcategories

Battalions, Brigades & Other Units