This site is dedicated to commemorating the men of Bletchingley, who gave their lives in the two World Wars and later conflicts and to remember those who returned.

“To the Glorious Dead of the Parish of Bletchingley:  These gave their lives for their King and Country in the Great War.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

War Memorials Trust Reference Number – WM1700

The names and regimental details of those who “paid the ultimate price” in two World Wars are recorded for posterity on tablets on the simple but impressive Gothic Memorial Cross which stands on the north side of the High Street. It was designed by Philip M. Johnston, F.S.A., F.R.I.B.A. and built by the Nine Elms Stonemasonry Company in 1920.  It cost just £500 and was entirely funded by public subscription.  In the church there is also a plaque bearing similar information for World War I.

The surround to the base was added later to commemorate the Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in May 1937.  Other tablets showing the names of the 18 young men who died between 1939 and 1945 were added later, of course, to the 38 which were already there.  However, the Church does not contain the list of those who died in World War II

It was on the 9^th January 1921 that the Dedication Service was conducted in the Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin by the Rector, the Reverend C.D. Raven.  It was preceded by the tolling of a single church bell.  Representatives of many denominations took an active part and the service was attended by a large number of delegates from civil authorities and local organisations.

After a procession to the Memorial the unveiling ceremony was performed by Lieutenant General Sir Edmond R. Elles.  The Rector pronounced the words of Dedication and Requiescat, after which two buglers from the Guards’ Depot at Caterham sounded the Last Post.  When the floral tributes had been deposited the congregation returned to the church.  Here the choir, augmented by that of the Free Churches, sung unaccompanied, before the pronouncement of the Blessing and the sounding of the Reveille.  A muffled peal, rung after the service, concluded an impressive and inspiring ceremony.  To this day, ninety years later and in common with so many villages throughout the country, we are proud to commemorate with respect the signing of the Armistice every year at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month on Remembrance Sunday.

There is a 20 page booklet which records in some depth information about the families and service details of the young men of the village who died in the First World War.  It lists, amongst other things, their next of kin and where they are buried or commemorated.  It also includes several relevant photographs, one of which is the Unveiling Ceremony.  The preparation and analysis in the booklet was researched and presented by Edwin Smith from Caterham who has visited several of the battlefields.  He asserts that “in France and Belgium, major battles such as Somme, Loos, Arras and Passchandaele – plus the continual drain on human resources at Ypres – produced the major part of the casualties.  Campaigns in Gallipoli, the Balkans, Italy, Egypt and Mesopotamia made up the remainder.”

Copies are available to view in the Redhill Library or, by arrangement, at the Imperial War Museum.  The Bletchingley Conservation and Historical Society which contributed towards the information and provided most of the photographs also has a copy.  It was hoped to add Second World War details on a similar basis.

The wording for this is from the article “The War Memorial by Derek Moore” in the Blechingley Magazine Millennium Souvenir Issue.

On the Upright of the Cross: AD 1914 – 1919

Facing West, Top Panel:

TO OUR GLORIOUS DEAD

OF THE PARISH OF BLECHINGLEY

THESE GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR

THEIR KING AND COUNTRY

A.D. 1914 – 1918

 

The Queens R. West Surrey Regt.

Pte H.V. Agate             Cpl G.H. Brown

Cpl E.A. Carey             Pte E.H. Cheal

Pte H.W. Colgate          Pte A.G. Dinnage

Pte W.H. Dulake              Dmr F.G. Humphrey

Pte O. Morley          Cpl J. Osborne

Pte C. Worsfold         Cpl H.W. Wright

Facing South, Top Panel:

Lce Cpl  J. Adams – York & Lancaster Regt

Pte  T. Borer – Middlesex Regt

Cpl  L.W. Brown – R.Berkshire Regt

Pte  H. Cheeseman – Canadian Scottish Regt

Pte  A.E. Coomber – R. Field Artillery

Pte  F.E. Coomber – R. Highlanders

Pte  C.B. Coppard – Grenadier Guards

LIEUT  E.H. De Fontaine – London Regt

Cut into the Memorial beneath the Top Panel as an addendum:

Pte  T. Briggs – Canadian Inf

Carved Around the Memorial Between the Top and Bottom Panels:
TO THE GLORY OF GOD + AND IN

GRATEFUL MEMORY OF THE MEN

OF BLECHINGLEY WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES

FOR KING & COUNTRY IN THE GREAT WAR

Facing East, Top Panel:

Pte  C.W.R. English – R. Irish Rifles

Sgt  G.S. Godson – London Regt

Tpr  C.E. Hatfield – Life Guards

A.B.  A. Legg – R. Naval Vol. Res.

Pte  J. Osborne – Monmouth Regt

Lce Cpl  W.G.Parsons – East Surrey Regt

Pte  E.S. Pynegar – Australian Artillery

Pte  K.T. Pynegar – London Regt

Facing North, Top Panel:

Pte T.W.  Stratton – R. West Kent Regt

Pte  J. Schofield – South Notts Hussars

Pte  S.J. Smith – Welsh Regt

Pte  G. Southam – R. Army Service Corps

Lce Cpl  W.J. Stanbridge – Middlesex Regt

Pte H.C. Stanbridge – East Surrey Regt

Spr  F.A. Webster – R. Engineers

Sgt  G. Wisden – South African Regt

Pte  H. Wren – R. Highlanders

Facing West, Bottom Panel:

REMEMBERING ALSO

THE MEN WHO GAVE

THEIR LIVES

ON ACTIVE SERVICE

1939 – 1945

Facing South, Bottom Panel:

1^st Gnr  G. Banks – Royal Navy

Lieut  J.D.N. Bland – Scots Guards

Lieut  E.R. Cecil – East Surrey Regt

A.B.  G. Charman – Royal Navy

Gnr  J.S. Coppard – Royal Artillery

Lieut  L.E. Davis – R.N.V.R.

Facing East, Bottom Panel:

A.C.  D.E Dobson – Royal Air force

Flt Sgt  R.F.A. Dobson – Royal Air Force

Lieut  P.M. Gale – Coldstream Guards

Pte  R.T. Hook – Northants Regt

O.S.  A.G. Macer – Royal Navy

Gnr  J.E. Mayne – Royal Artillery

Facing North, Bottom Panel:
Fus  J.L. Robinson – Royal Fusiliers

Marine  A.H. Smith – Royal Marines

F.O.  D.J.A. Smith, D.F.C. – Royal Air Force

P.O.  R. Wigington – Royal Air Force

A.B.  G.A. Williams – Royal Navy

Pte  R.A. Williams – Wiltshire Regt

On the horizontal slabs around the base:
THIS BASE WAS ADDED TO COMMEMORATE THE CORONATION OF KING GEORGE VI MAY 1937

On a horizontal slab to the North-West of the memorial
RESTORED 1994 PARISH COUNCIL CENTENARY

( NJP, April 2007
NJP updated, September 2011)

War Memorial in St. Mary the Virgin Church, Bletchingley

SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF THE MEN OF

BLECHINGLEY WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES

IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 – 1919

James Adams                                                            Frederick Geo. Humphrey

Lce-Cpl.,., 9^th York & Lancs Rgt.                           Drumr., 8^th The Queen’s Rgt.

Henry Victor Agate                                              Archie  LeggPte., 1^st
The Queen’s Rgt.                                                           A.B.,  R.N.V.R.

Thomas Borer                                                     Oliver  Morley

Pte.,  16^th Midd’x Rgt.                                     Pte.,  1^st The Queen’s Rgt.

Thomas Briggs                                                           James  Osborne

Pte.,  1^st Canadian Infy                                           Cpl.,  The Queen’s Rgt.

George Hubert Brown                                           John  Osborne

Cpl.,  The Queen’s Rgt.                                      Pte.,  2^nd Monmouth Rgt.

Leonard Wilfred Brown                                         William  George Parsons

Cpl.,  R. Berks Rgt.                                  Lce-Cpl.,  12^th E. Surrey Rgt.

Earnest Arthur Carey                                              Edgar  Sylvanus Pynegar

Cpl.,  The Queen’s Rgt.                                                          Australian  Arty

Ernest Sidney Cheal                                                Kemys  Tynte Pynegar

Pte., 7^th The Queen’s Rgt.                                                   London Rifle Bdge

Harry Cheeseman                                                    James  Schofield

Pte., 16^th Canadian Scottish                                                    Pte.,  S. Notts Hsrs

Horace Walter Colgate                                           Sidney James Smith

Pte., 7^th The Queen’s Rgt.                                               Pte.,  14^th Welsh Rgt.

Alfred Edwin Coomber                                          George  Southam

Gnr.,  R.F.A.                                                             Pte.,  R.A.S.C.

Frank Edwin Coomber                                           Henry  Chas. Stanbridge

Pte.,  Black Watch                                            Pte.,  9^th E. Surrey Rgt.

Charles Botting Coppard                                       William  J. Stanbridge

Pte.,  Gren. Guards                                        Lce-Cpl.,  4^th Midd’x Rgt.

Edward Harold De Fontaine                                 Thomas W.  Stratton

Lieut.,  19^th London  Rgt.                                     Pte.,  3^rd R.West Kent  Rgt.

Alfred George Dinnage                                         Frederick  Alan Webster

Pte., 1^st The Queen’s Rgt.                                                   Sapper  R.E.

William George Dulake                                          George  Wisden

Pte.,  The Queen’s Rgt.                                                 Sgt  3^rd S. African Inf

Chas W. Radford English                                       Charles  Worsfold

Rifleman,  R. Irish Rgt.                                    Pte.,  7^th The Queen’s Rgt.

George Stuart Godson                                          Horace  Wren

Sgt., 2^nd Cy of London  Rgt.                         Pte., 42^nd Canadian (R. Highdrs)

Charles Edward Hatfield                                         Herbert  Wright

Tpr.,  2^nd Life Guards                       Lce-Cpl.,.,  22^nd The Queen’s Rgt.

 

N.J.P.; July 2007

British Legion Boards in Bletchingley  Village Hall Showing Those who Died on Active Service in  the 1914-1918 War

Pte.         AGATE                              Henry V.                  1^st Queen’s R.W.S.

Pte.         BORER                              Thomas                    10^th Middlesex

Cpl.         BROWN                            George                     Queen’s R.W.S.

Cpl.         BROWN                            Leonard                   Royal Berks

Cpl.         CAREY                              Ernest                       8^th Queen’s  R.W.S.

Pte.         CHEAL                              Ernest                       7^th Queen’s  R.W.S.

Pte.         CHEESMAN                    Harry                         16^th Canadian Scot^h

Pte.         COLGATE                         Horace                      7^th Queen’s  R.W.S.

Gnr.        COOMBER                       A.A.E.                        R.F.A.

Pte.         COOMBER                       Frank E.                    R. Highlanders

Pte.         COPPARD                        Charles                     Grenadier Gds.

Lt.            DE  FONTAINE             Edward                     19^th London Rgt.

Pte.         DINNAGE                        Alfred G.                  1^st Queen’s R.W.S.

Pte.         DULAKE                          William                     Queen’s R.W.S.

Rfn.         ENGLISH                       Chas. W.                  R. Irish R.

Sgt.         GODSON                         George S.                London Regt.

Tpr.         HATFIELD                      Chas. E. j^nr 2^nd Life Guards

Drumr.   HUMPHREY                  Fred^k. G.                  8^th Queen’s R.W.S.

A.B.         LEGG                                Archie                       R.N.V.R.

Pte.         MORLEY                          Oliver                        1^st Queen’s  R.W.S.

Cpl.         OSBORNE                       James                       2^nd Queen’s  R.W.S.  M.M & Bar

Pte.         OSBORNE                        John                          2^nd Monmouth R.

L.Cpl.      PARSONS                       William                     E. Surrey Rgt.

PYNEGAR                                        Edgar S.                    Aust’^ln Artillery

PYNEGAR                                        Kemys T.                  London  Rifle B.

Pte.         SCHOFIELD                    James                       S. Notts. Rgt.

Pte.         SMITH                              Sidney                      14^th Welsh  Regt.

Pte.         SOUTHAM                      F.G.                            R.A.S.C.

Pte.         STANBRIDGE                 Hy. Chas.                 9^th E. Surrey Rgt.

L.Cpl.      STANBRIDGE                William                     4^th Middlesex Rgt.

Pte.         STRATTON                     Thos. W.                  3^rd R.W. Kent Rgt.

Sapr        WEBSTER                       Fred A.                     R. Engineers

Sgt.         WISDEN                          George                     3^rd S. African  Inf^y

Pte.         WORSFOLD                   Charles                     7^th Queen’s  R.W.S.

Pte.         WREN                              Horace                      42^nd Can^dn High^ds

L.Cpl.      WRIGHT                        Herbert                    2/22^nd London R.

 

Missing  Names on British Legion Boards of Those Who Died

L Cpl.      ADAMS                            James                       9^th York &  Lancs Rgt.

Pte.         BRIGGS                            Thomas                    1^st Canadian  Infy.

The  Royal British Legion boards in the Village Hall list ALL  those from Bletchingley who fought in World War 1, marking those who died in  the fight.

N.J.  P, 2 November, 2011