Cholsey War Memorial

The First World War started  on the 4th August when Great Britain declared war on Germany after they invaded France & Belgium. From that day thousands of young men gave their lives for their country. This weekend on the 11th November 2018 we mark 100 years since the war ended, over 1000000 men were destined never to return, nearly every town and village was affected. Cholsey had it's fair share of casualties like many other villages in the country. Like them it is marking this occasion in it's own way. I wrote this blog a while ago after seeing the memorial in Cholsey Church so I think it is fitting I republish it on this occasion. You will find graves from both wars shown but they gave their lives none the less.

This year to commemorate the centenery people from the village knitted poppies

They were sold to people in the village

These hang on the barrier around forty. In Sunday people will gather here to remember the fallen from the village who died in the first world war

Around this memorial and later in the church where the Roll of Honour is on the North Wall

When you go into the church and look at the Memorial you can see the village probably thought that this was the best place rather than in the village  as it is a fine piece of sculpture and underneath is a smaller one to the dead of the second world war.

When I look at the names of the fallen from the first war  I recognise many family names from the village today and back then the village was smaller so the loss must have been devastating.

By compassion the second world war one below has fewer names though both the Bitmeads came from a  farming family and that  must have had a deep effect on them.

While talking with my Friend the other day he told me a story about his father who when called up for the second war had to go off to camp on the train. His parents cried as he went off believing they would not see him again. They remembered what happened with the first war. He came back though some of the guys he knew did not.

 

There is even a smaller memorial to them on the church wall placed there by the family with a third name added.

On the same wall a little way from the last memorial you will see this one

Outside in the churchyard is a memorial to those who died and are buried in the churchyard. Most of the men listed here were admitted to Fairmile Asylum with shell shock or similar. they died while there so no doubt would have been buried in the Farimile part of the churchyard.

Below are the Commonwealth war graves you will find in the Churchyard

Private F. Heges

Private
A. Smith

Driver H.
Greennough

Private
 W.R. Howse

Privte
 F. Nelson

 A .Abdey who is named on this headstone does not seem to appear on  the memorial though his brother named below does.  Alfred Abdey. was in the Royal Berks territorials, but he was ill in Wallingford Hospital when they held their summer camp that year.  He died on the day after war was declared, 5 August 1914 which is why he is not mentioned on the war memorial.

 Lance Corporal Herbert John Abdey is Remembered on Loos Memorial, the panel reference is 93- 95 which I fear means his body was never found.
Cholsey like many other villages paid a high price with it's men, may they never be forgotten.

Since writing this blog another memorial has come to light. It used to hang in the Memorial Hall in Cholsey which is now the site of the telephone exchange.

It has been restored and hangs in the entrance foyer of Cholseys New Pavilion

I only spotted this memorial tonight and its to
Ivor Leonard Lillington W.O.II, B.S.M.,R.A.  who was killed in Action  on June 1 1940 in the evacuation of Dunkirk  He is buried in St James Cemetery Dover 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

We Will Remember Them