Cropthorne

Worcestershire | Cropthorne | War Memorial

St. Michael, Cropthorne Ordnance Survey reference: SP 000452 War Memorial

Two bronze plaques mounted on the base of the old churchyard cross, facing the road.


The Great War 1914-1919
Cropthorne Roll of Honour Erected by this grateful village to commemorate the names of its faithful sons who fought for England and liberty


Signlr. W. Capener 1st Glos. Regt. 1914

Gunr. G. Mole R.F.A. 1914

Pte. L.E. Corbett 1st Grenadier Gds. 1915

Pte. W. Ireland 1st Worc. Regt. 1915

Pte. W.J.Bott 9th Worc. Regt. 1915

Cpt. H.Lewis 3rd Worc. Regt. 1916

Pte. F.R.Harris 3rd Worc. Reg. 1916

Sergt. E.H.Hyde 9th Worc. Reg. 1916

Pte. A.W.Taylor 3rd Worc. Reg. 1916

Gunr. W.G. Hyde R.G.A. 1917

Pte. G.W. Forrester 1/8th Worcs. Regt. 1917

Coy. Sergt. Maj. F.E.Forrester 1st Worcs. Regt. 1918

“Their Name liveth for evermore”

1939-1945

IRW Parltow L.A.C. Royal Air Force

SC Ray Flight Sergeant Royal Air Force

GAJ Taylor, Sergeant, Royal Armoured Corps

H Watson, Marine, Royal Navy

Inside the church, by the door is this wooden plaque:


Sacred to the memory of

Burnett Gilroy Gardner

2nd Lieut Royal Engineers

who died from wounds

received in action near Ypres

on 7 May 1915

aged 31 years


And a framed parchment Roll of Honour:

                 Roll of Honour
               In Glorious Memory
            of the men of Cropthorne
        who gave their lives in the wars
                 1914 - 1918
W.J. Bott       Private    Worcestershire Regiment
W. Capener      Sergeant   Gloucestershire Regiment
J.E Corbett     Private    Grenadier Guards
F.E. Forrester  CSM        Worcestershire Regiment
G.W. Forrester  Private    Worcestershire Regiment
F.R. Harris     Private    Worcestershire Regiment
E. Hyde         Sergeant   Worcestershire Regiment
W.G. Hyde       Gunner     Royal Garrison Artillery
W. Ireland      Private    Worcestershire regiment
H. Lewis        Corporal   Worcestershire Regiment
G. Mole         Gunner     Royal Field Artillery
A.W. Taylor     Private    Worcestershire Regiment

                 1939-1945
I.R.W. Partlow  L.A.C.     Royal Air Force
S.C. Ray        Flight Sergeant  Royal Air Force
G.A.J. Taylor   Sergeant   Royal Armoured Corps
H. Watson       Marine     Royal Navy
           Requiescant in Pace

Two brass plaques:

This Brass is erected by Lt Colonel W. Holland
Worcestershire Regt
In Memory of
Private Thomas Forrester
2nd Worcestershire Regt
Who laid down his life for his country
at Newcastle S. Africa March 13th 1901
Note: The 1904 Pershore almanac records that this brass tablet was erected on 12th January, 1903
In memory of
Daniel Tarplee, Corporal
Royal Field Artillery
who served through the Boer War
1899-1901, and died at Cropthorne
Jany 12th 1904 from illness contracted
During the Siege of Ladysmith
Note: The 1905 Pershore almanac has this entry:
17 January 1904 – Corporal David Tarplee, who died from the effects of the hardships experienced during the South African campaign, was buried with military honours at Cropthorne

A Wooden panel by the organ:

    1914                               1918
          List of men from Cropthorne
                      who
                     served
              during the Great War

Barrow. A.G       Forrester A.A.      Mole G.
Barrow W.G.       Forrester A.J       Oxenham H.H.
Barrow S.F        Gradwell J.S.       Pitaway C.
Birch J.          Guise C.            Plant T.
Bott W.J.         Guise J.            Pomeroy F.
Bourton G.O.      Guise W.            Price A.
Brookes R.A.      Harris A.G.         Price A.
Brookes A.E.      Harris F.R.         Price A.
Capener W.        Hopkins E.R.        Price H.V.
Churchley W.D.    Houghton J.E.       Price R.
Corbett W.W.      Hyde A.T            Reade W.
Corbett J.E.      Hyde W.G.           Saunders G.
Cropper J.        Hyde E.H.           Stafford J.S.
Cropper S.        Hughes W.           Stock H.
Cropper D.        Ireland W.          Sykes C.H.
Dingley E.J.      Ireland C.          Tarplee E.
Forrester A.R.    Lewis J.H.          Taylor C.A.
Forrester H.A.    Malings F.A.        Taylor G.
Forrester G.W.    Meakins J.R.        Taylor A.W.
Forrester H.J.    Meakins H.B.        Thorne O.T.
Forrester W.H.    Miles G.            Wilkinson H.E.
Forrester F.R.    Millington A.       Wilson G.

And another brass plaque:


The Clock in this tower

was subscribed for by

the inhabitants of Cropthorne

in grateful memory of the 12 men who

gave their lives for their country

in the Great War 1914-1918

“To teach us to number our days”


Three military headstones in the churchyard:

1688215 GUNNER
W J M ORROW
ROYAL ARTILLERY
17TH APRIL 1941 AGE 22
MAY HE REST IN PEACE
5252733 PRIVATE
M J G MORGAN
THE WORCESTERSHIRE REGIMENT
14TH DECEMBER 1941 AGE 19
“MAKE HIM TO BE NUMBERED
WITH THY SAINTS”
EX/4670 MARINE
H WATSON
ROYAL MARINES
26TH AUGUST 1940 AGE 23


This grave is the “bed of gravel” style:#, with inscriptions along the retainiing walls
back:


ASLEEP IN CHRIST

right:

ARTHUR W. IRELAND AT REST FEB 3RD 1941 AGED 82

front:

PTE. WILLIAM IRELAND

WHO GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY

FEB. 1ST 1915, AGE 18

left:

IN LOVING MEMORY OF ELIZABETH IRELAND AT REST MARCH 1ST 1940 AGED 79

Concerning this last grave: I came across this paragraph in the Evesham Journal for 20 February 1915:


KILLED IN ACTION.

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Ireland, of Cropthorne, have received news from the War
Office that their son, Pte. William Ireland, was killed in action on February 1, Pte. Ireland joined Lord Kitchener’s Army last August. With others, after a short stay at Norton, he was sent to Cornwall and Devonport for training, but shortly afterwards went to France with the 1st Worcesters. He was a member of the Cropthorne Boy Scouts, and a memorial service is being held in Cropthorne church in commemoration of his membership in this movement.


Last modified 21 July 2002