Pucklechurch War Memorial

The War Memorial to both World Wars is a fine pair of wrought iron gates set in the churchyard wall on the West side. The gates are black with gold painted dates, 1914-18 and 1939-45 set centrally.

The memorial, naming the men of the Parish, is a large brass plaque set centrally on the inside South wall of St Thomas A' Becket Church, Pucklechurch, Gloucestershire, England.

The inscription reads :-

THIS TABLET WAS ERECTED BY THE PARISHIONERS IN MEMORY OF
THOSE WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR of 1914-1918

PERCY JOHN BOWYER. PRIVATE 1st GLOUCESTERS
KILLED IN ACTION AUGUST 25th 1916 AGED 30

ERNEST HERBERT CARPENTER. STOKER HMS ACTIVE
DIED OF SHOCK RECEIVED IN THE NORTH SEA. OCTOBER 11th 1914 AGED 22

CHARLES FRANCIS CARPENTER. PETTY OFFICER HMS INDEFATIGABLE
KILLED IN JUTLAND BATTLE MAY 31st 1916, AGED 26

HERBERT WILLIAM COX. PRIVATE 2nd YORKS
KILLED IN ACTION APRIL 3rd 1917 AGED 30

WILLIAM R J DRURY. BOMBARDIER R.F.A.
KILLED IN ACTION OCTOBER 5th 1917 AGED 22

FREDERICK GEORGE DRURY. PRIVATE 14th ROYAL WARWICKS.
KILLED IN ACTION SEPTEMBER 24th 1916 AGED 19

WALLACE HENRY PAYNE. GUNNER. M.G.C.
DIED OF WOUNDS AT CAMBRAI, NOVEMBER 30th 1917, AGED 20

WALTER GEORGE SMART. PRIVATE, DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY
KILLED IN ACTION AUGUST 29th 1916, AGED 27

FRANK WOODEY. LEADING STOKER, HMS ANCHUSA
TORPEDOED JULY 16th 1918. AGED 25

ALBERT WOODEY. DRIVER. R.F.A.
KILLED IN ACTION NOVEMBER 1st 1914 AT YPRES, AGED 18 ¾

ARTHUR DENNIS ILES. PRIVATE, GLOUCESTERS
MISSING NEAR AMIENS 1918, AGED 22

"HONOUR TO WHOM HONOUR IS DUE"

GEORGE WILFRED BOULTON. PRIVATE, 9th WORCESTERS
DIED IN THE ARMY OF THE BLACK SEA, JULY 25th 1919 AGED 33

AND TO THE MEMORY OF THOSE WHO FELL IN THE
WORLD WAR OF 1939-1945

STANLEY ANSTEY, TROOPER, 3rd & 4th C.L.Y.
DIED ON ACTIVE SERVICE FEB. 18th 1945, AGED 37

GEORGE BAKER, PRIVATE, DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY
KILLED IN ACTION APR 4th, 1945, AGED 30

ROBERT HAMILTON BERNAYS, CAPTAIN, R.E.
MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT MISSING ON MISSION TO ITALY, JAN 23rd 1945 AGED 42

ALBERT EDWARD COTTERELL, PRIVATE 1st GLOSTERS
KILLED IN ACTION IN BURMA, MAR 27th 1942, AGED 24

DESMOND J T HUNT, TROOPER, 1st DERBYSHIRE YEOMANRY
DIED ON ACTIVE SERVICE, AUG. 28th 1943, AGED 20

ROBERT LEWIS, L/CORPORAL. BERKSHIRE REGT.
KILLED AT DUNKIRK, APR 6th 1941, AGED 28

STANLEY ERIC MAHONEY, PRIVATE DURHAM LIGHT INFRY.
DIED OF WOUNDS IN FRANCE, AUG 2nd 1944, AGED 34

WILLIAM MIDDLETON TANSLEY, FLT/SGT., R.A.F.
CRASHED ON RETURN FROM RAID OVER GERMANY.
NOV 7th 1942 AGED 29

There is a brass plaque on the chancel arch dedicated to the memory of two soldiers in the Boer War. The plaque reads :-

TO PRESERVE THE MEMORY OF
CORPORAL W.S.NICHOLS, 17th LANCERS
AND
PRIVATE E. COUSINS GLOUCESTERSHIRE REGIMENT

BOTH MEN OF THIS PARISH WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES
FOR THEIR COUNTRY IN SOUTH AFRICA 1899-1902

"BLESSED BE THE LORD MY STRENGTH WHO TEACHETH
MY HANDS TO WAR AND MY FINGERS TO FIGHT".

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.

Private Percy John Bowyer served in "D" Coy. 1st Btn. Gloucestershire Regt. and died on Friday 25 August 1916 aged 33 yrs. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, Somme, France. He was the brother of Herbert H Bowyer,of 25, Parkfield Row, Pucklechurch.

Stoker 1st Class Ernest Herbert Carpenter R N. served in H M S "Active" and died on Sunday 11 October 1914 aged 22 yrs. He is buried in HASLAR ROYAL NAVAL CEMETERY, Hampshire. He was the son of Eliza Allen(formerly Carpenter) of Shortwood Mangotsfield, and Thomas Allen (step father)

Leading Stoker Charles Carpenter, R N. served on H M S "Indefatigable" and died on Wednesday 31 May 1916, at Jutland, aged 26 yrs. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL. He too was the son of Mrs E Carpenter of Shortwood, Brickyard, Mangotsfield.

Private Herbert William Cox served in 2nd Btn. Yorkshire Regt. and died on Tuesday 3 April 1917 aged 30 yrs. He is buried in WARLINCOURT HALTE BRITISH CEMETERY, SAULTY. Pas de Calais, France.

Bombardier William R J Drury served in "D" Bty. 58th Bde. Royal Field Artillery and died on Monday 8 October 1917 aged 22 yrs. He is buried in BARD COTTAGE CEMETERY, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

Private Frederick George Drury served in 15th Btn. Royal Warwickshire Regt. and died on Sunday 24 September 1916 aged 19 yrs. He is buried in GUARDS' CEMETERY, LESBOEUFS, Somme, France.

Private Wallace Henry Payne served in 86th Bn. Machine Gun Corps(Inf) and died on Friday 30 November 1917 aged 20 yrs. He is buried in POINT-DE-JOUR MILITARY CEMETERY, ATHIES, Pas de Calais, France. He was the son of Samuel and Annie Payne of Leigh Farm, Pucklechurch.

Private Walter George Smart served in 10th Bn. Durham Light Infantry and died on Tuesday 29 August 1916 aged 27 yrs. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, Somme, France. He was the son of Isaac and Elizabeth Smart.

Leading Stoker Frank Woodey R N. served on H M S "Anchusa" and died on 16 July 1918 aged 25 yrs. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the PLYMOUTH MEMORIAL. He was the son of John and Sarah Woodey of Shortwood Lane, Mangotsfield.

Driver Albert Woodey served in 47th Bty. 44th Bde. Royal Field Artillery and died on Sunday 1 November 1914 aged 18 yrs. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. He too was the son of John and Sarah Woodey of Shortwood Lane, Mangotsfield.

Private Arthur Dennis Iles served in 10th Bn. Gloucestershire Regt. and died on Thursday 4 April 1918 aged 23 yrs. He is buried in VILLERS-BRETONNEUX MILITARY CEMETERY, Somme, France. He was the son of Emily Iles of Hodden House, Pucklechurch.

Private George Wilfred Boulton served in 9th Bn. Worcestershire Regiment attached to 39th Machine Gun Corps (Inf) and died on Friday 25 July 1919 aged 33 yrs. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the HAIDAR PASHA MEMORIAL, Turkey.

Trooper Stanley John Anstey served in the 3/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) R A C and died on Sunday 18 February 1945 aged 35 yrs. He is buried in MANGOTSFIELD (DOWNEND) CEMETERY, Glos. He was the son of John and Kate Anstey and husband of Doris Anstey of Staple Hill.

Lieutenant Robert Hamilton Bernays served in the Royal Engineers and died on Tuesday 23 January 1945 Aged 42 Yrs. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the CASSINO MEMORIAL, Italy. He was the son of the Revd. Prebendary Stewart Frederick Lewis Bernays, O.B.E. MA, CF, and Lillian Bernays and the husband of Nancy Bernays of Winterbourne Glos. He was Major Exhibitioner of Worcester College; President of Oxford Union 1925. M.P. for Bristol (North) 1931-1945; Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Health, 1937-1939; Parliamentary secretary, Ministry of Transport, 1939-1940.

Private Albert Edward Cotterell served in 1st Bn. Gloucestershire Regt. and died on Friday 27 March 1942 aged 24 yrs.He has no known grave but is commemorated on the RANGOON MEMORIAL, Myanmar, Burma. He was the son of William and Clara Elizabeth Cotterell of Pucklechurch.

Trooper Desmond Joseph Thomas Hunt served in "A" Sqn. 1st Derbyshire Yeomanry, RAC and died on Saturday 28th August 1943 aged 20 yrs. He is buried in BONE WAR CEMETERY, ANNABA Algeria. He was the son of Mr & Mrs W W Hunt of Shortwood, Glos.

Private Stanley Eric Mahoney served in 9th Bn. Durham Light Infantry and died on Wednesday 2 August 1944 aged 33 yrs. He is buried in BAYEUX WAR CEMETERY, Calvados, France. He was the son of William Thomas Mahoney and Elizabeth Mary Mahoney and husband of Gertrude Mary Mahoney of Cotham Bristol.

Flight Sergeant William Middleton Tansley RAF served in 83 Sqn. R.A.F as a Wireless Operator/ Air Gunner and died on Saturday 7 November 1942 aged 29 yrs He was twice "Victor Ludorum" at Southwell Grammar School. He is buried in ABSON (ST JAMES THE GREAT) CHURCHYARD, Glos. He was the son of Arthur and Minnie Esther Tansley and husband of Ruby Lily Tansley of Bishopston, Bristol.

Transcribed by George Hall.