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War Memorial - Warmley, Gloucestershire

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The memorial is a tall concrete obelisk surmounted by a ball and cross and set on an octagonal plinth standing on a triple square plinth. The memorial is in a small memorial garden at the junction of the A420 and Stanley Road.

The inscription around the top of the octagonal plinth reads:-

TO THE MEMORY OF THE BRAVE LADS OF THIS
ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES
FOR THEIR COUNTRY 1914-1918

There are four brass plaques on the plinth.

On the South face:-On the East face
ARTHUR BENDREYWALTER WILLIAMS
STANLEY COMLEYCHARLES ERNEST BRUTON
WALTER HOBBSJAMES STONE
ALBERT ROBERTSALBERT HAYWARD
JOHN BARRINGTONGEORGE SAUNDERS
WILLIAM HOPESGEORGE HARRIS
JOSEPH TOGHILLGEORGE LACEY
HERBERT JAMES TOGHILLEDWIN LUCAS
THOMAS HENRY TOGHILLWILLIAM FRANCIS BENNETT
Wm J GINGELL 
On the North faceOn the West face
HERBERT CLAUDE BRACEYPERCY G MITCHELL
HERBERT FREEMANWILLIAM NOBLE
GEORGE BEAVERSIDNEY GOLDING
CLIFFORD SILMANERNEST BRIDGE
ALBERT JAMES HARVEYPETER LACEY
JOHN NASHWILLIAM MORGAN
VICTOR MORGANCHARLES OLDLAND
WILFRED JOHN KILMASTERFREDERICK DAVIES
WILLIAM JAMES ASHLEYABRAHAM TRUBODY
RALPH KILMASTER 

On the bottom of the plinth on the South face there is a brass plaque:-

 1939-1945 
RICHARD BAILEY KENNETH KNOTT
 KENNETH ALBERT HARDING 
 FRANK GORDON FUSSELL 
HARRY WILLIAMS REGINALD SMART
 THOMAS WILLIAM SAUNDERS 
 DENNIS WILFRED STONE 

Some notes on the Memorial Inscriptions

I am indebted to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for much of the information appearing in these notes. The Commission's records do not always match the Memorial inscriptions in some minor details.

On this memorial is recorded the names of, Joseph, Herbert and Thomas Toghill, brothers, who all died within a period of 7 months in 1917.

Private Arthur Bendrey served in the 1st Bn. Gloucestershire Regt. and died on Monday 2 November 1914. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

Lance Corporal S Comley served in the 3rd Bn. Grenadier Guards and died on Thursday 21 October 1915. He is buried in VERMELLES BRITISH CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France.

Private Wilfred Charles Hobbs served in 8th Bn. Gloucestershire Regt. and died on Tuesday 2 April 1918 aged 27 yrs. He is buried in ETAPLES MILITARY CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France. He was the husband of M.M.Hobbs of 14 Railway Terrace, Fishponds.

Private Albert Roberts served in 7th Bn. Gloucestershire Regt. and died on Saturday 3 February 1917. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the BASRA MEMORIAL, Iraq.

Serjeant John Barrington MM.,served in 1st/4th Bn. Gloucestershire Regt. and died on Tuesday 9 October 1917 aged 21 yrs. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the TYNE COT MEMORIAL, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. He was the son of Mrs M.L.Smart of Syston Common, Warmley.

Private William Hopes served in 2nd/4th Bn. Royal Berkshire Regt. and died on Friday 23 February 1917. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, Somme, France.

Private Joseph Toghill served in 11th Bn. Worcestershire Regt. and died on Monday 12 February 1917 aged 20 yrs. He is buried in KARASOULI MILITARY CEMETERY, Greece. He was the son of Thomas and Emily Toghill of Tower Road, Warmley.

Lance Corporal H J Toghill served in 2nd/4th Bn. Gloucestershire Regt. and died on Saturday 29 September 1917 aged 25 yrs. He is buried in DUISANS BRITISH CEMETERY, ETRUN, Pas de Calais, France. He too was son of Thomas and Emily Toghill of Warmley.

Private Thomas Toghill served in 1st/5th Bn. Gloucestershire Regt. and died on Thursday 16 August 1917 aged 23 yrs. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the TYNE COT MEMORIAL, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. He too was the son of Thomas and Emily Toghill of Warmley and husband of May L. Toghill, New Cheltenham, Kingswood, Bristol.

Lance Corporal William Gingell served in 1st Bn. Gloucestershire Regt. and died on Wednesday 16 September 1914 aged 33 yrs. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the LA FERTE-SOUS-JOUARRE MEMORIAL , Seine-et- Marne, France. He was the husband of Lavinia Smith (formerly Gingell) of 30 Soundwell Road, Kingswood.

Private Herbert Bracey served in 14th Bn. Gloucestershire Regt. and died on Sunday 21 October 1917. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the TYNE COT MEMORIAL, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

Gunner G Beaver served in 81st Siege Bty. Royal Garrison Artillery and died on Thursday 21 March 1918. He is buried in VAUX HILL CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France.

Gunner Clifford John Silman served in "D" Bty. 245th Bde. Royal Field Artillery and died on Sunday 16 June 1918 aged 27 yrs. He is buried in TERLINCTHUN BRITISH CEMETERY, WIMILLE, Pas de Calais, France. He was the son of James and Annie Louise Silman of Warmley and husband of Mrs M J Silman of Webbs Heath, Warmley.

Private J J Nash served in 12th Bn. Gloucestershire Regt. and died on Saturday 10 August 1918 aged 21 yrs. He is buried in AIRE COMMUNAL CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France. He was the son of Mrs L. Nash of Station Road, Warmley.

Private William James Ashley served in 20th Bn. Durham Light Infantry and died on Wednesday 3 July 1918 aged 28 yrs. He is buried in LA CLYTTE MILITARY CEMETERY, Heuvelland, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. He was the son of Kate Miriam Ashley of "The Laurels", Holbrook, Warmley and George Ashley, native of Wick.

Private Albert Kilmaster served in 1st/6th Bn. Gloucestershire Regt. and died on Tuesday 15 August 1916 aged 25 yrs. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, Somme, France. He was the son of Albert and Mary A. Kilmister of Syston Hill Warmley.

Private Edwin Lucas served in 9th Bn. The Loyal North Lancashire Regt. and died on Monday 27 May 1918 aged 23 yrs. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the SOISSONS MEMORIAL, Aisne, France. He was the son of William and Charlotte Lucas of 16 Thomas Street, Barton Hill, Lawrence Hill, Bristol.

Private W F Bennett served in 1st Bn. Hertfordshire Regt. and died on Friday 23 August 1918. He is buried in FONCQUEVILLERS MILITARY CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France. He was the son of Mr G F Bennett of "Sunnyside" Tower Road, Warmley.

Lance Corporal Percival George Mitchell served in 2nd Bn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers and died on Sunday 20 August 1916 aged 28 yrs. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, Somme, France. He was the son of Mrs Emily Mitchell of 3 Westfield Villas, Cheltenham and husband of Emily Partridge (formerly Mitchell) of 6 Cross Street, Kingswood.

Lance Corporal William Noble served in the North Somerset Yeomanry and died on Thursday 13 May 1915 aged 20 yrs. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL Ieper, West- Vlaanderen, Belgium. He was the son of William H and L M Noble of Holly Bush Inn, Warmley.

Gunner Ernest Bridge served in 61st Trench Mortar Bty. Royal Field Artillery and died on Wednesday 19 July 1916. He is buried in AUBERS RIDGE BRITISH CEMETERY, AUBERS, Nord, France.

Able Seaman Peter Lacey served in H M S Pheasant, Royal Navy and died on Thursday 1 March 1917 aged 25 yrs. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL, Devon. He was the son of Harry and Matilda Lacey of Tower Bank, Warmley Tower.

Private Abraham Trubody served in 1st/5th Bn. Royal Warwickshire Regt. and died on Saturday 20th October 1917 aged 22 yrs. He is buried in BOULOGNE EASTERN CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France. He was the son of Thomas B and Ellen Trubody of North Common, Warmley.

Ordinary Seaman Kenneth Knott served in H M S Penylan Royal Navy and died on Thursday 3 December 1942 aged 19 yrs. He is buried in WARMLEY TOWER FREE METHODIST CHAPEL BURIAL GROUND. He was the son of Mrs M J Whitchurch of Kingswood, Bristol.

Corporal Kenneth Albert Harding served in 2nd Bn. Royal Warwickshire Regt. and died on Saturday 8 July 1944 aged 29 yrs. He is buried in LA DELIVRANDE WAR CEMETERY, DOUVRES, Calvados, France. He was the son of Albert Samuel and Beatrice Harding and husband of Margery Joyce Harding of Bruton, Somerset.

Boy Frank Fussell served in S.S. Toronto (Bristol), Merchant Navy and died on Wednesday 2 July 1941 aged 18 yrs. He has no known grave but is commemorated on TOWER HILL MEMORIAL.

Gunner Reginald William Smart served in the Royal Artillery and died on the 30 April 1943 aged 30 yrs. He is buried in CAPE TOWN (MAITLAND) CEMETERY, Western Cape, South Africa. He was the son of William Walter and Louisa Ellen Smart of Speedwell, Bristol.

Lance Corporal Thomas William Saunders served in the Pioneer Corps and died on Wednesday 28 March 1945 aged 48 yrs. He is buried in REICHWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY, Germany. He was the husband of Kathleen Rose Saunders of Kingswood, Bristol.

Trooper Dennis Wilfred Stone served in 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, R.A.C and died on Tuesday 18 July 1944 aged 21yrs. He is buried in BANNEVILLE-LA- CAMPAGNE WAR CEMETERY, Calvados, France. He was the son of Arthur and Florence Kate Stone of Warmley.

[This information was kindly contributed by George H. Hall on 3 May 2001. The sources for his notes were Commonwealth War Graves Commission Debt of Honour Register, and Parish Burial Records]