War Service (1)

See also:  (1) memorials in neighbouring Sutton-under-Brailes, here. 

(2) Photographs and details of 1914 volunteers, and pictures of the sale of horses to the Army, here.

The Cherington and Stourton War Memorials

Stourton had been part of the neighbouring parish of Whichford until the two villages of Cherington and Stourton were united in 1910. Cherington and Stourton still retain their own identities, the outdoor War Memorial standing on the boundary between them, at the top of Featherbed Lane. The inscription gives the list of those who were killed or who died of wounds: "..." for the rank means "ditto", Rfln=Rifleman, Gnr= Gunner, Tpr=Trooper.

Memorial in the Parish Church of St John the Baptist, Cherington,

to Trooper William James Compton and Lieutenant Francis Howard Savory.

List of other WW2 service personnel

Notes on the above WW1 soldiers, two WW2 casualties, and an Indian Mutiny death.

Details in italics are from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website, and those in black, from the Roll of Honour site (for both, see Links to Associated sites); other information is from local informants, the 1891, 1901 and 1911 censuses, the above church memorial, and other memorials shown on this site. Some birth years are from the General Registry Office index of birth records, where the entry is unambiguous. Unless otherwise stated, the soldier’s occupation shown is that stated by the householder in the 1911 census return.

The printed source of items in black, including former regiment, birthplace, place of enlistment, and residency when enlisting, is Soldiers Died in the Great War, published in eighty volumes in 1921 by H.M.S.O. (and now on CD); over 700 thousand individuals are identified. The primary documentary source in this case was the recruits' attestation papers.

This information, mainly that regarding "residence", sometimes conflicts with known facts; where this is so, it is indicated thus (x), and where an item seems questionable, thus (*). As regards residence so marked, it should be taken, unless stated otherwise, that the soldier was known to have lived, before enlisting, at his parents' home (x) or that known facts make this seem likely (*). For comments on how the attestation data was collected, click here.

Soldier

Notes

Harry Bailey

1893 - 1916

Groom, son of John & Mary Elizabeth (née Allen) of Stourton. Sergeant 12425 11th Bn., Hampshire Regt. Died Mon. 8 May aged 22, of wounds sustained on the night of Sun. Apr 30th, when wire-laying; bur. Abbeville Communal Cemetery, the Somme, France. Formerly 6680, Royal Warwickshire Regt.

Born Stourton, enlisted Warwick, resident (x) Shipston-on-Stour, Worcestershire (now Warwickshire). A downloadable biography of Harry is available on these pages, here.

James Bailey

1895 -1916

Groom and gardener, son of David & "Bess" (née Elizabeth Hunt) of Stourton and first cousin of Harry Bailey. Private 23663 10th (Service) Bn., Gloucestershire Regiment, killed in action Tues. 27 Jun, aged 21, bur. Loos British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.

Born Stourton, enlisted Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire.

William James Compton

1921 - 1944

("Jim"). Son of Harry (Henry) and Nell(ie) Compton [née Bailey]. Nephew of James Bailey above. Trooper 556775, Warwickshire Yeomanry (Royal Armoured Corps), killed in tank action in Italy Sun. 18 Jun., aged 23, bur. Orvieto Cemetery, Perugia, Italy. [Memorial plaque in the Parish Church, depicted above].

Thomas [Eden] Dickins

1831/2-1857

Fourth son of William and Lucy Dickins of Cherington. 2nd Lieutenant, Bengal Artillery. Died in the Indian Mutiny, Wounded at Delhi, India, Mon. 20 July. Died 27 July, aged 25, bur. Rajpura Cemetery, Delhi. Memorial on the N. wall of the chancel in the Parish Church at Cherington.

Percy Dyer

1891 - 1917

Journeyman baker, son of Walter and Julia Anna Dyer, of Stourton: the "Infant, 12 hours [old]" recorded on the Cherington census of Apr. 5 1891. Lance Corporal 57214 51st Coy., Machine Gun Corps (Inf), killed in action Sat. 14 July, aged 26, bur. Sunken Road Cemetery, Fampoux, Pas de Calais, France. Formerly R/28442. King's Royal Rifle Corps.

Born Cherington, enlisted Battersea, Surrey.

Allen Fletcher

1892 - 1915

House painter, son of Frank [1901: painter, glazier & paper hanger] & Annie Julia Fletcher, of Cherington. Rifleman S/6039 8th Bn., Rifle Brigade killed in action Fri. 3 Dec., aged 23 , bur. La Brique Military Cemetery No.2, Ieper (Ypres), West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Brother of Francis and Louis below.

Born Cherington, enlisted St Paul's Churchyard, London, resident (*) Clapham, Surrey.

Francis William Fletcher

1890 -1915

Brother of Allen Fletcher above. Private 13006 9th Bn., Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regt.), killed in action Mon. 9 Aug. aged 24. Bur. Gallipoli, Turkey: No known grave. Commemorated on the Helles Memorial, on the tip of the Gallipoli Peninsula..

Born and resident Cherington, enlisted Worksop, Nottinghamshire.

Louis Charles Fletcher

1893 -1917

Hallboy at Wellesbourne Hall to T.S. Chappell, Music Publisher. Brother of Allen Fletcher above. Gunner 301538 Ross Mountain Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery, d. of heart failure Sat. 31 March, in the Balkans, aged 23. Bur. Sarigol Military Cemetery, Kriston, Thessalonika, Greece. N.B.: CWGC wrongly give birth year as 1894.

Born Cherington, enlisted Lochcarron, Ross-shire.

Albert Godson

1889 - 1917

Farm labourer, son of [Ag Lab] John Henry & Charlotte Ann Godson. Private 10026 11th Bn., Royal Warwicks. Regt ., killed in action Tues. 9 Oct. in 3rd battle of Ypres. No known grave. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium

Born and resident Cherington, enlisted Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire.

Joseph Godson

1893 - 1917

Farm labourer. Private 10025 11th Bn., Royal Warwickshire Regt ., killed in action with his brother Albert on Tues. 9 Oct. in 3rd battle of Ypres. No known grave. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium

Born “Camden Hill” [Farm, Chipping Campden], Gloucestershire [1901/11 censuses] , Resident Cherington, enlisted Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire.

Arthur William Ivens

1892 - 1917

Under-shepherd, son of Josiah [1911: a shepherd] and Helen Ivens [1911 census "Jane Ellen"], of Stourton Hill. Private 12410 "D" Coy. 14th Bn., Hampshire Regt. Killed in action Mon. 17 Sept. aged 24. No known grave. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

Formerly 6177, Royal Warwickshire Regiment.

Born Stourton, enlisted Warwick, resident (*) Shipston-on-Stour.

1901 census, Stourton: born Long Compton, Warwickshire.

You can read a poem which his brother wrote following Arthur's death in the Third Battle of Ypres.

Fred[erick] Stephen Jarrett

1899 - 1918

"Son of the late Thomas Jarrett of Stourton" [1901, haulier, wife Elizabeth],. Private 51014 12th (West Somerset Yeomanry) Bn, Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's). Died of wounds, Thurs. 24 Oct. 1918, aged 18 [?], bur. Estaires Communal Cemetery Extension, nr. Armentieres, France [1901, aged "2".] For a newspaper item click here.

Born Cherington, enlisted Stratford-on-Avon, resident (*) Shipston on-Stour.

Thomas Jarrett

1894 - 1916

Haulier, brother of Frederick Stephen, above. Private 10018 14th Bn., Royal Warwickshire Regt. Died of wounds, Sun. 3 Sept., aged 22, in the Battle of the Somme (July to Nov. 1916). Unknown grave. Commemorated with more than 72,000 others on the Thiepval Memorial. For a newspaper item click here.

Born Cherington, enlisted Stratford-on-Avon, resident (*) Shipston-on-Stour.

Harold William Joyner

1894 - 1918

Pony driver in coal mine at Hucknall, Notts. Son of George and Mrs. E[mma] Joyner, of Cherington. Private PO/1044 Royal Marine Light Infantry, 2nd R.M. Bn., R.N. Div., d. Fri. 1st November, bur. Cologne Southern Cemetery, Germany. Notes on the Royal Marine Medal Roll: “Draft for 2nd Royal Marine Battalion MEF [Marine Expeditionary Force] 16/2/16 ; POW at Gavrelle 28/4/17. Died of wounds whilst POW”. For a detailed description of the fighting at Gavrelle see here.

Born Cherington. The surname appears in records as Joiner or Joyner.

Walter Randall

1896 - 1918

Ploughboy, son of John (cattleman) & Sarah J. Randall of Stourton. Private 33181 15th Bn., Royal Warwickshire Regt., killed in action Sun. 20 Oct. 1918. Unknown grave. Commemorated on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. [Registered at birth as Walter Randle.]

Born Stourton, resident (*) Shipston-on-Stour, enlisted Stratford-on-Avon.

Francis Howard Savory

1918 - 1944

("Frank"). Son of Rev. Gerald Savory, M.A., and Ruth Margaret Savory [née Dickins], of Cambridge. Grandson of William Park Dickins. Lieutenant, 24th Field Regiment Royal Artillery, d. Anzio Bay, Italy, Tuesday 8 Feb. [Memorial in the Parish Church]. Not a parishioner.

Arthur Simkins

1892 -1918

Gardner, fifth son of Richard (d. 23 May 1913 aged 63) & Harriet (d. 13 Feb. 1959 aged 102). Sgt 242474 Royal Warwickshire Regiment died of wounds Friday 19 July 1918 aged 25, bur. Cherington (St. John the Baptist). In 1911 was one of four gardeners boarding at Wenvoe Post Office nr Cardiff; probably employed at Wenvoe House.

Born and resident Cherington, enlisted Warwick.

George Aubrey Southam

1899 - 1918

Son of Richard [Ag Lab] and Amelia Southam, of Stourton. Private 131897, 40th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Died Friday 29 November 1918, aged 19. Buried in Cologne Southern Cemetery, Koln (Cologne), Nordrhein-Westfal, Germany. Plot XII. Row G. Grave 25.

Born Stretton-on-Fosse Warwickshire, resident (*) Shipston-on-Stour, enlisted Stratford-on-Avon.

John Edward Thornett

1875 - 1916

("Jack"), farm labourer, son of Alfred Henry and Sarah Ann (nee Bailey). Cousin of Sgt. Harry Bailey above. Private 12415 11th (Pioneer/Service) Bn., Hampshire Regt d. Mon. 1st May, aged 41, bur. Mazingarbe Communal Cem. Extension, Pas De Calais, France. The Batallion War Diary entry suggests he died on the night of April 30/May 1st.

Born Mountsorrell, Leicestershire, resident Stourton, Warwickshire, enlisted Warwick. Formerly 6671, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He is also commemorated on the Mount Sorrell war memorial. For more information on Jack, read Harry Bailey’s biography, here

Percy Woolliams

1889 -1917

Born Cherington. Son of Frederick [1901:Ag Lab] and Louisa Woolliams. Private 45813 20th Bn., Durham Light Infantry killed in action Mon. 23 July aged 28, bur. Hedge Row Trench Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

Resident (*) Staindrop, Co. Durham, enlisted Darlington, Co. Durham.