War Remembrance

In remembrance of those who fought and died at war, particularly in the First and Second World Wars.

Here we record:

  • the six war graves in the churchyard of those who died in service in the First and Second World Wars;
  • the four family graves naming others who died in service in the First World War and are buried overseas;
  • the two war memorials in the village, naming (almost) all those who died in service in the First and Second World Wars; and
  • the Rolls of Honour naming all those who served in the First World War.

Follow the links below to find out more about all of them.

War Graves in Little Gaddesden Churchyard

There are six war graves in Little Gaddesden Churchyard, three from each of the two world wars. One has a recumbent family gravestone, and five of them have headstones in the standard Commonwealth War Graves Commission pattern.

Each of the men buried in these graves has his own page, setting out what we know about him and his war service. Click or tap on the names to find out more, include the location of each war grave in the churchyard.

Family Graves Naming War Dead Buried Abroad

Four of the soldiers who served and died in the First World War and are buried in Belgium or France are named on family graves in the Old Churchyard.

Again, each of these men has his own page, setting out what we know about him and his war service. Click or tap on the names to find out more, include the location of each of these family graves in the churchyard.

War Memorials

There are two war memorials in Little Gaddesden, one in the Church and one on the Village Green.

Church War Memorial

Photo of the war memorial in Little Gaddesden church

The war memorial in the church is an oak memorial positioned on the left side of the arch leading into the Bridgewater Chapel, commemorating the dead of both World Wars. It is divided into two panels and, above the upper one, the dates

1914 + 1918

are recorded.

On the upper panel (in two columns except for the final name, centrally placed) below the heading

IN MEMORY
OF

the names of the 23 men who died in the First World War are engraved in black. Each man is listed just by his initial and surname, in order of initial.

W White

On the lower panel, also in two columns and below the heading

1939 + 1945

the names of six of the men who died in the Second World War are listed – but not in order. The name of William O’Kelly is not included.

Below the bottom panel is the inscription

+
REQUIESCANT IN PACE

Click the links to find out more.

Village Green War Memorial

Photo of Little Gaddesden War memorial on Village Green

The village’s other war memorial is on the Village Green, outside John O’ Gaddesden’s House. The brick and stone structure was from a design conceived by Adelbert, 3rd Earl Brownlow, who died before its completion. Mrs Wheatley, a cousin of Lady Brownlow and wife of Colonel Wheatley, the Ashridge Agent, then endeavoured to see that his wishes were fulfilled. On 24th April 1921, the memorial was unveiled by Adelbert, 5th Baron Brownlow during a service conducted by The Revd. Thomas Sidney Goudge (Rector) and accompanied by the Berkhamsted Town Band “in the presence of practically the whole of the inhabitants of the villages Little Gaddesden, Hudnall and Ringshall, whose heroes the memorial serves to commemorate”, as the Hertfordshire, Hemel Hempstead Gazette and West Herts Advertiser put it.

Photo of the War Memorial on Little Gaddesden Village Green, taken in 1921
The War Memorial on Little Gaddesden Village Green, in 1921. Photo courtesy of Lyn Hyde.

The memorial, constructed under the superintendence of Mr C. H. B. Quennell, F.R.I.B.A. and built by Ashridge estate bricklayers, has three sections:

  • outer, flanking walls incorporating 24 moulded stone Doulton terracotta roundels, said to have come from Ashridge House,
  • large stone tablets, bearing inscriptions including the names of the dead, supplied and cut by Berkhamsted Stonemasons Frederick Martin and his son Arthur, and
  • a central section, recessed under a tiled, sloping roof, with supporting timberwork by local carpenter Harry Temple. Under the ridge are bottles believed to contain the names of villagers of importance before and during the First World War.

The inscription on the left hand tablet, which was amended after the Second World War, reads:

+
In Honour
of the
Men and Women
Who Went From The
Villages Of
Little Gaddesden
Hudnall
And Ringshall
And Served In The
Wars Of
1914 – 1919 And 1939 -1945
The Names Of Those
Who Gave Their Lives
For Their Country
Are Cut
On The Stones Here.
1939 – 1945.
Henry Gordon · Gordon Highlanders
Duncan Gray · Rifle Brigade
Leonard Hing · Royal Artillery
William Newman · Royal Air Force
Ian Patterson · Royal Artillery
Edward Rogers · Suffolk Regt

As with the church war memorial, the name of William O’Kelly is not included.

The right hand tablet bears the inscription:

1914 + 1919
Charles Batchelor · Bedfordshire
Vernon Batchelor · Hertfordshire
Albert Bierton · Middlesex
William Arthur Cook · Beds Yeomanry
William Cooper · R.F. Artillery
James Dunn · Machine Guns
William Fenn · Hertfordshire
Arthur Fowler · Shropshire L.I.
Alfred Garment · Northamptonshire
Bertram Gentle · Royal Rifles
Edward Groom · Royal West Surrey
George Hoar · Hertfordshire
Walter Holland · Rifle Brigade
Alexander Johnson · Royal Engineers
Frank Johnson · Royal Berkshire
William Mayling · Hertfordshire
Alfred Mead · Bedfordshire
Samuel Oakins · Royal Engineers
George Pinnock · H.M.S. Black Prince
Frederick Purton · Bedfordshire
Geoffrey Talbot · R.N. Air Service
William Henry White · R. Fusiliers
Arthur Whitman · Hertfordshire

Click the links to find out more.

The village green war memorial has been catalogued by IWM: “Little Gaddesden, Ringshall And Hudnall” (WMR 63601)

Rolls of Honour for 1914-1919

Little Gaddesden Church has two Rolls of Honour remembering those who served in the First World War. The first (the “Scrap of Paper”) dates from around 1919. The second is a 2018 revision.

The “Scrap of Paper” (ca. 1919)

A Roll of Honour, dating from approximately 1919 was discovered in a battered state in the Parish Chest in 1987. It had the two panels of names and regiments re-written and was framed and hung in church in 1991. This names 119 men from Little Gaddesden, Ringshall and Hudnall who served in the First World War and has been catalogued by IWM “Little Gaddesden, Ringshall And Hudnall Roll Of Honour (WMR 40253) Little Gaddesden Hertfordshire”.

An eminent later Churchwarden, Michael McCaul, believed that the man responsible for compiling the 1919 Roll of Honour was the Reverend Thomas Sidney Goudge, M.A., D.S.O., who served as an Army Chaplain during the First World War and came to Little Gaddesden as Rector in January 1919.

Photo of Church Roll of Honour
Click or tap for larger image

This Roll of Honour now hangs on the South wall of the Bridgewater Chapel of St Peter and St Paul, Little Gaddesden.

The inscription “The Scrap of Paper” does not, incidentally, refer to the physical state of Little Gaddesden’s Roll of Honour when it was found in the Parish Chest. Rather, it refers to the Treaty of London of 1839, which guaranteed Belgium’s independence. The treaty was breached by Germany invading Belgium in the early days of the First World War. The words “für einen Fetzen Papier” (“for a scrap of paper”) were used by the German Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg to seek to belittle the treaty during a fateful meeting with the British Ambassador Sir Edward Goschen on 4 August 1914, the day on which Britain declared war on Germany. The phrase became something of an ironic rallying cry for the cause of the war, as evidenced by the subtitle of the Roll of Honour:

Men who have answered their Country’s call in defence of a “Scrap of Paper”

The 1919 Roll of Honour uses what seems to have been a popular pre-printed template. As well as the prominent words “The Scrap of Paper”, the template contains an extract and facsimile copy of the signatures from the treaty, all within a patriotically decorated border. Blank templates, intended to be filled in by any parish, school or other institution, could at the time be bought from the Fine Art Publishing Co Ltd, who printed them under licence from the Foreign Office. 

The Rhyme of History

In a further irony, history was almost to repeat itself shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War. In September 1938 Neville Chamberlain, the British Prime Minister, brought a written agreement back from a meeting in Munich with Adolf Hitler that was supposed to resolve the Czechoslovakia crisis. Chamberlain famously voiced his belief that it was “peace for our time”. A year later, Germany had invaded Poland, Britain was again at war with Germany, and Hitler derided his written agreement with Chamberlain as another “scrap of paper”.

2018 Centenary Revision

A 2018 Centenary Revision of the Roll of Honour for Little Gaddesden, Ringshall and Hudnall 1914 – 1919 was hung in the church in March 2019. It hangs on the right hand side of the arch leading into the Bridgewater Chapel. The entries are transcribed below.

Photo of Roll of Honour (2018)
Click or tap for larger image

Names on the 2018 Centenary Revision of the Roll of Honour for Little Gaddesden, Ringshall and Hudnall 1914 – 1919

These are the names of all those known to have served in the First World War. Those marked “RIP” died in the war. Links (in red) are given to further pages with information on each of them.

NameUnit
ARNOLD Henry G Army Ordnance Corps
AUSTIN StanleyRoyal Navy
AUSTIN William 9th Bn. Worcestershire Regt.
BAIL AlfredRoyal Naval Air Service
BARLOW Albert3rd Bn. Bedfordshire Regt.
BASFORD AlbertRoyal Engineers
BATCHELOR Charles R.I.P.6th Bn. Bedfordshire Regt.
BATCHELOR Vernon R.I.P. 1st Bn. Hertfordshire Regt.
BEARTON Ernest1st Bn. Bedfordshire Regt.
BEARTON OliverArmy Service Corps Remounts Service
BELLAMY Sidney10th Bn. Essex Regt.
BIERTON Albert R.I.P. 23rd Bn. Middlesex Regt.
BIGNELL CharlesQueen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regt.)
BOARDER Albert3rd Bn. Bedfordshire Regt.
BRAZIER FredArmy Service Corps Remounts Service
BUNN EdwardRoyal Navy
BUNN GodfreyHertfordshire Yeomanry
BUNN SidneyQueen’s Royal West Surrey Regt.
BUNN Walter9th Bn. Suffolk Regt.
CASH George6th Bn. Bedfordshire Regt.
CATT Harold4th Bn. Bedfordshire Regt.
CLARK(E) George10th Bn. Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regt.)
CLIFTON GeorgeRoyal Garrison Artillery
COLLIER PhilipSuffolk Regt.
COLLIER VictorRoyal Horse Artillery
COOK William R.I.P. Bedfordshire Yeomanry
COOPER ArchibaldRoyal Navy
COOPER William R.I.P. Royal Field Artillery
CRACK William1st Royal Montreal Regt.
CUTLER FrederickArmy Service Corps Mechanical Transport
CUTLER Harry1st Bn. Hertfordshire Regt.
CUTLER JohnArmy Veterinary Corps
DARBY Walter1st Bn. Norfolk Regt.
DOVE Frank R.I.P.2nd Bn. Bedfordshire Regt.
DUNN James R.I.P. Machine Gun Corps
EDGE KennethRoyal Navy
FALDER FrankArmy Ordnance Corps
FENN HerbertMachine Gun Corps
FENN William R.I.P. 1st Bn. Hertfordshire Regt.
FLOWERS HerbertRoyal Garrison Artillery
FLOWERS RupertInns of Court Officer Training Corps
FOWLER Arthur R.I.P. 5th Bn. King’s Shropshire Light Infantry
FOWLER MatthewRoyal Engineers
GARMENT Alfred R.I.P. 1st Bn. Northamptonshire Regt.
GENTLE Bertram R.I.P. King’s Royal Rifle Corps
GENTLE OliverKing’s Royal Rifle Corps
GIBSON ArthurRoyal Navy
GIBSON SamuelMerchant Navy
GOODMAN Donald WNorthamptonshire Regt.
GRANT William6th Bn. Bedfordshire Regt
GREEN Francis3rd Bn. Oxon and Bucks Light Infantry
GREEN GeraldRoyal Navy
GROOM Edward R.I.P. 1st Bn. Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regt.
HALSEY ArthurLabour Corps att. Army Service Corps
HALSEY Bernard2/1st Bn. Sussex Yeomanry
HALSEY Horace7th Bn. Bedfordshire Regt.
HALSEY Hubert1/9th Bn. Middlesex Regt.
HARRISON DouglasDuke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regt.)
HART Sidney10th Bn. Gloucestershire Regt.
HING EdwardArmy Service Corps Mechanical Transport
HING JamesArmy Service Corps Mechanical Transport
HING Joseph1st Bn. Hertfordshire Regt.
HING LewisArmy Service Corps Mechanical Transport
HOAR Edward9th Bn. Bedfordshire Regt.
HOAR George R.I.P.1st Bn. Hertfordshire Regt.
HOAR Richard1st Bn. Hertfordshire Regt.
HOBBS PercyRoyal Flying Corps
HOLLAND Jesse6th Bn. Bedfordshire Regt.
HOLLAND Walter R.I.P. 2nd Bn. Rifle Brigade
HORN SidneyArmy Service Corps Forage Dept.
HUCKLESBY CharlesRoyal Navy
NameUnit
HUCKLESBY HarryArmy Service Corps Horse Transport
IMPEY Herbert1st Bn. Hertfordshire Regt.
IMPEY Sidney*Royal Fusiliers
JACOBS HerbertMachine Gun Corps
JANES ErnestHertfordshire Yeomanry
JOHNSON Alexander R.I.P.Royal Engineers
JOHNSON ArchibaldRoyal Engineers
JOHNSON ArthurRoyal Army Medical Corps
JOHNSON Frank R.I.P. 1st Bn. Royal Berkshire Regt.
JOHNSON Henry F1/1st Bn. Hertfordshire Yeomanry
JOHNSON ThomasRoyal Fusiliers
JOHNSON WalterRoyal Canadian Engineers
JOHNSON William2nd Bn. Bedfordshire Regt.
JONES James2nd Bn. Oxon and Bucks Light Infantry
JONES Sidney3rd Bn. Northamptonshire Regt.
KINCHINGTON Mark R.I.P.10th Bn. Hampshire Regt.
LEE Walter3rd Bn. Hertfordshire Regt.
LIBERTY GeorgeRoyal Engineers
LUNNON Arthur3rd Bn. Northamptonshire Regt.
MAUNDERS Arthur4th Bn. Bedfordshire Regt.
MAUNDERS Joseph3rd Bn. Hertfordshire Regt.
MAUNDERS WilliamLabour Corps
MAYLING John10th Bn. Bedfordshire Regt.
MAYLING William R.I.P. 3rd Bn. Hertfordshire Regt.
MEAD Alfred R.I.P. 7th Bn. Bedfordshire Regt.
MILTON John5th Bn. Coldstream Guards
MOORE Ernest8th Bn Lincolnshire Regt.
MUNDEN MatthewRoyal Field Artillery
MUNDEN William1st Bn. Bedfordshire Regt.
NEWMAN WilliamCycle Corps; Durham Light Infantry
NICHOLES Ernest R.I.P. King’s Royal Rifle Corps
NICHOLES William AHertfordshire Yeomanry
OAKINS Samuel R.I.P. Royal Engineers
OAKINS Stephen8th Bn. London Regt. att. R. E. Postal Section
PHILLIPS BernardRoyal Navy
PINNOCK ArthurRoyal Navy
PINNOCK George R.I.P. Royal Navy, H.M.S. Black Prince
PRATT George1st Bn. Grenadier Guards
PRATT William ERoyal Garrison Artillery
PURTON BertieRoyal Engineers
PURTON EdwinOxon and Bucks L.I.; Machine Gun Corps
PURTON ErnestRoyal Engineers; Leicestershire Regt.
PURTON Frederick R.I.P.6th Bn. Bedfordshire Regt.
PURTON Reginald1st Bn. Hertfordshire Regt.
ROGERS Ernest1st Reserve Bn. Suffolk Regt.
ROGERS FrankArmy Service Corps Horse Transport
ROGERS Sidney9th Bn. Bedfordshire Regt.
ROGERS William47th Bn. Canadian Infantry
RUFFETT ErnestRoyal Naval Air Service
RUFFETT Horace1st Bn. Hertfordshire Regt.
SAUNDERS Edward2nd Bn. Bedfordshire Regt.
SHORT CharlesKing’s Royal Rifle Corps
STANBRIDGE Alban3rd Bn. Suffolk Regt.
TALBOT Geoffrey R.I.P. Royal Naval Air Service
TALBOT HumphreyArmy Service Corps Mechanical Transport
TEARLE WalterHertfordshire Yeomanry; Lancashire Fusiliers
THAME FrankHertfordshire Yeomanry; Dorset Yeomanry
WELLS Archie1/1st Bn. Hertfordshire Yeomanry
WELLS Herbert9th Bn. Royal Fusiliers
WELLS William6th Bn. Bedfordshire Regt.
WHEATLEY PhilipRoyal Horse Artillery
WHITE William R.I.P. 8th Bn. Royal Fusiliers
WHITMAN Arthur R.I.P. 1st Bn. Hertfordshire Regt.
WHITMAN Francis J1/1st Bn. Hertfordshire Yeomanry
WHITMAN James  
WHITMAN JosephNational Reserve
WIBDEN JohnRoyal Air Force
WILLMORE Percy 1/9th Bn. Middlesex Regt.
YOUNG Reginald Army Service Corps Mechanical Transport

*Sidney Impey is not recorded on the 2018 Centenary Revision of the Roll of Honour, but information that came to light after its compilation has shown that he should have been included

Credits

This page was written by Jane Dickson and Andrew Sheard. Individual War Remembrance pages were researched and written by Jane Dickson, based on initial research by David Heard on the men named on the War Memorials, and incorporating contributions from families of the men commemorated. Designed and edited for web publication by Andrew Sheard.

Further Information

Do you have any questions about the information recorded here? Or do you have any further information that you can share with us about those from Little Gaddesden who died or fought for their country? In either case, please contact Jane Dickson at war-remembrance@littlegaddesdenchurch.org.uk.

If you have found the War Remembrance pages interesting or useful, please consider making a donation to Little Gaddesden Church.
It’s quick and easy to do on our Donate page, and your generosity will be much appreciated.

Photo credits: Jane Dickson, Barbara Sheard, Michael Carver
Header image: Aerial view of Ypres, Reservoir Cemetery and the Prison 1918 (detail) from the Greg’s War Collection