Roll of Honour - Staffordshire

Weeford War Memorial
© Pat Gumbley (WMR-13608)

TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND IN PROUD AND GRATEFUL MEMORY
OF THE MEN OF THIS PARISH WHO
GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR
KING & COUNTRY IN THE GREAT
WAR 1914-1919
GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN
THAN THIS THAT A MAN LAY
DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS
ST JOHN 15.13

KENDRICK	Arthur Percy	Lieutenant, 1st Battalion, Kings African Rifles. Died of wounds 9 October 1917. Aged 24. Son of Edward Kendrick, of Weeford House. Buried in IRINGA CEMETERY, Tanzania. Plot II. Row B. Grave 5.
BENNETT	David	Staffordshire Yeomanry possibly David BENNETT, Private 50648, Imperial Camel Corps formerly 300367, Hussars. Died of wounds in Egypt 27 March 1918. Aged 26. Resident Salisbury, enlisted Stafford. Son of Mr. G. H. and Mrs. L. Bennett, of Fryencourt Cottages, Fordingbridge, Hants. No known grave. Commemorated on JERUSALEM MEMORIAL, Israel and Palestine (including Gaza). Panel 7.
CROOME	John	Private 22986, 10th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment. Killed in action in the Balkans 2 September 1918. Aged 37. Born Stransham, Worcester, enlisted Winchester. Son of William and H.M. Croome, of Weeford, husband of Ada Croome, of Ferndale Villas, Westcott Road, Berkshire. Buried in KARASOULI MILITARY CEMETERY, Greece. Plot C. Grave 652.
FAULKNALL	Lewis Arthur	[Listed as Arthur Lewis Faulknall on CWGC and SDGW] Gunner 76206, 135th Battery, 32nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Killed in action 2 November 1914, just 2 months after his 18th birthday. Born Tamworth, Staffordshire, enlisted Litchfield, Staffordshire. Buried in WULVERGHEM-LINDENHOEK ROAD MILITARY CEMETERY, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Plot V. Row E. Grave 24.
HUGHES	George	Private 36913, 4th Special Reserve Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment. Killed in action 10 April 1918. Born Bridgnorth, Salop, resident Weeford, Staffordshire, enlisted Lichfield, Staffordshire. No known grave. Commemorated on PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL, Hainaut, Belgium. Panel 6.
LAKIN	Harry	Private 8439, 1st Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment. Killed in action 26 October 1914. Born Moneymoor, Staffordshire, resident Canwell, Staffordshire, enlisted Lichfield, Staffordshire. No known grave. Commemorated on YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 35.
ROBINSON	Edgar John	Private 29398, 11th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment formerly 17221, King's Ropyal Rifle Corps. Killed in action 13 May 1917. Aged 22. Born Birmingham, resident Weeford, Lichfield, enlisted Lichfield, Staffordshire. He had only enlisted 8 months earlier and previously worked as a blacksmith for his father at Weeford cottages. Buried in ALBUERA CEMETERY, BAILLEUL-SIRE-BERTHOULT, Pas de Calais, France. South Row C. Grave 23.
RUSSELL	Tom	Sapper Royal Engineers, definitely not Thomas Russell Roberts who was born, resident and enlisted Cornwall. There was a T Russell, Sapper 658, 1st/1st/East Riding Field Company, Royal Engineers, aged 20, admitted 1916 to 4th Stationary Hospital, discharged 15 September 1916. There was also a Thomas S Russell, Sapper WR126702, Railway Troops Department, Royal Engineers enlisted 23 February 1909, discharged 1 May 1919, aged 32, under Para 392 xvi a Wounds, issued Silver War badge B330601.
WILLIAMS	Sidney James	Private 240226, 6th Battalion, Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment). Died of wounds 7 June 1917. Aged 27. Born Talybont, Brecon, resident Weeford, Staffordshire, enlisted Lichfield, Staffordshire. Son of Gwen Williams, of 35 Cockspur St, Birchmoor, Tamworth, Staffordshire. Buried in NOEUX-LES-MINES COMMUNAL CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France. Plot I. Row T. Grave 17.
1939-1945
DONALDSON	Thomas Eric Kirwan	Commander, H.M.S. Kongoni, Royal Navy. Died from illness 26 October 1943. Aged 44. Born 28 May 1899. Son of Walter and Claribel Donaldson; husband of Muriel Jean Donaldson, father of Peter Donaldson, of Lichfield, Staffordshire. In the 1901 census he was aged 1, born Richmond, Surrey, son of Walter Kirwan and Claribel Donaldson, resident 15, Sillwood Road, Brighton, Sussex. Enlisted in Royal Navy May 1912. Acting Sub-Lieutenant 15 July 1917, Sub-Lieutenant 5 March 1918, Acting Leiutenant 15 December 1919, Lieutenant 15 March 1920, Lieutenant Commander 15 December 1927, Commander (Retired) 28 May 1939. Served at the Battle of Jutland 1916. Married 31 July 1926. On 16 December 1927 he was discharged from the Navy being medically unfit, chronic dyspepsia, but fit for service in an emergency. Buried in Durban (Stellawood) Cemetery, South Africa. Block F. Grave 41. Extract from England & Wales Government Probate Death Index 1944: DONALDSON Thomas Eric Kirwan of Stablecourt Swinfen Hall Lichfield died 26 October 1943 on war service Probate Llandudno 13 April to Muriel Jean Donaldson widow and Ivor Brassey Burnand solicitor. Effects £1049 5s. 2d.
RAWLINS	Alfred Dennis	Private 5734532, 1st Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers. Died 4 July 1944. Aged 19. Son of Alfred and Constance Rawlins of Weeford, Staffordshire. Buried in LA DELIVRANDE WAR CEMETERY, DOUVRES, Calvados, France. Plot VII. Row L. Grave 5. Extract from Lichfield Mercury - Friday 4 August 1944, page 7: WEEFORD PRIVATE KILLED IN FRANCE It has now heen officially reported that Dennis Rawlins, a former Weeford boy, has been killed in action. Dennis, who was 19 years of age, was a private in the King's Own Scottish Borderers. In a letter to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Rawlins, of Barrack Lane, Weeford, his padre wrote: "We have laid him to rest in the garden of an old French house; the grave has been marked with a cross. His comrades laid roses upon it and we held a short service at which we specially asked God to comfort you. Dennis was well liked and popular. He did a good job." His old friends and neighbours in Weeford, while offering their heartfelt sympathy to Mr. and Mrs. Rawlins in the loss of a son, look also with grateful pride upon the memory of one who made the supreme sacrifice in his country's service.
SPROSTON	Sidney	Private 5251503, 7th Battalion, Parachute Regiment, Army Air Corps (A.A.C.). Killed in action in Western Europe 7 April 1945. Aged 22. Born and resident Staffordshire. Son of Cecily Sproston of Coventry. Buried in BECKLINGEN WAR CEMETERY, Niedersachsen, Germany. Plot 15. Row F. Grave 1.
SALT	Walter Henry	Chief Petty Officer D/J 76147, H.M.S Ardent, Royal Navy. Died at sea 8 June 1940. Aged 40. One of 152 to have died when his ship was sunk. Born 21 September 1899 in Lichfield, Staffordshire. Baptised at St Chad's in Lichfield in 5 November 1900. Son of Henry and Sarah Salt; husband of Ethel E. Salt, of Pontypridd, Glamorgan. In the 1911 census he was aged 11, born Curborough, Staffordshire, at school, son of Henry and Sarah Salt, resident Green Lane, Burntwood, Lichfield, Ethal and Woodhouses, Staffordshire. In the 1921 census he was aged 21, born Lichfield, Staffordshire, an Able Seaman, Royal Navy, at sea aboard Torpedo Boat Destroyer, at sea in Baltic, Atlantic, Irish Waters. No known grave. Commemorated on PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL, Devon. Panel 36, Column 3.

Last updated 19 December, 2022

WEEFORD WAR MEMORIAL