This piece was compiled by Tim Chudleigh, with helpful contributions from Philip Wade, as a tribute to those men whose names can be found either on Duxford’s War Memorial Cross or in the Village Cemetery and are read out each year on Remembrance Sunday.

It commemorates those who died during the first World War of 1914-18 and those who lost their lives during the second World War of 1939-45.

Read online here or download a pdf of the entire piece below.

The First World War 1914-1918

The name of George Flack is the first inscribed on Duxford’s War Memorial Cross. The centenary of his death seemed an appropriate time to attempt to bring those names to life a little by providing some background to their lives in Duxford.

Each one of those named were people with family and friends in the village. The families may be long gone, but each Remembrance Sunday their names are read out at the village War Memorial.

• G Flack, 26/08/1914, possibly St. John’s Street
• B Wick, 28/12/1915, Barkers Farm
• G E Richardson, 02/03/1916, St John’s Street
• H E Brand, 01/07/1916, Wheatsheaf, St Peter’s Street
• V H C Sayer, 02/08/1916, Station Road
• J Mynott, 23/07/1917, Green Street
• F C Jonas, 31/07/1917, The Green
• J Arnold MM, 12/09/1917, St John’s Street
• H Rowlingson, 21/11/17, High Street
• J Carter, 27/12/1917, College Farm
• Horace Blackwell, MM 21/03/1918, High Street
• Owen Edgar Bowman, 19/04/1918, Green Street
• Charles Albert Woodley, 08/10/1918, Cambridge Road
• Allen Blackwell, 06/11/1918, High Street (brother of Horace Blackwell)
• E J Brand, 04/02/1919, Heath Cottages
• George Griffiths, 10/12/1919, Highfield Hill. He is buried in Duxford Cemetery with a CWWG headstone. His name is not on the war memorial
• A. E. Barnes, 20/07/1916, has no known grave and is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial. His name is not on the war memorial.

George Flack

The first of those to be killed in action was George Flack, Rifleman of 1^st Battalion, Rifle Brigade, Prince Consort’s Own. He was a regular soldier, born in 1888 in the West Wickham area and living in Cherry Hinton when he enlisted. He was part of the British Expeditionary Force and the 1^st Battalion moved from Colchester, where they were held in reserve, to Le Havre on 23^rd August 1914. From here they were hurriedly moved to provide infantry reinforcements to the British and French armies retreat from Mons, and specifically for the Battle of Le Cateau, where George Flack was killed on 26^th August 1914. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the La Ferté-sous-Jouarre Memorial to the Missing. He was 26 years old.

George married Emily Flack, daughter of John Flack on 10^th May 1913 (he was the son of Elijah Flack) and their only child, Arthur John was born on 31^st January 1914 and baptised on 1^st March 1914, before George was sent to France and they were still living in Duxford. At his marriage his description has been altered to “Labourer” – probably from Soldier – and he is listed as living in St John’s Street – his wife’s address – presumably he lived in Barracks. In the 1911 census he was in Barracks with the 2nd Battalion. It is likely that he was born in West Wickham, where his parents were still living in 1911, at the Brick Yard.

Basil Wick

After a gap of 16 months the second of those commemorated is approaching the centenary of their death. H.B. Wick, Basil, was killed in action on 28^thDecember 1915 whilst serving with the 19^th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers in France, having crossed from England a month earlier. He was 27 years old.

Basil spent some of his childhood in Duxford where his uncle worked as a horseman, at some stage at Barkers Farm on Grange Road. He is buried at ‘Woburn Abbey’ Cemetery, Cuinchy, France. He was one of only 174 Commonwealth and British service personnel who died on that day during WW1, a quiet day in general although six of his comrades were killed on that day and are buried in the same cemetery.

George E Richardson

George E Richardson was the third of those whose death is commemorated on the Memorial. He was killed in the early morning of 2^nd March 1916 whilst serving as a private in 2^nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment during an attack to recapture position ‘Bluff’ just outside Ypres. He was 21 years old.

He had moved with his mother to Duxford when she married George Lea in 1899 when he was a young boy of four or five and later attended school in Duxford.

On 7^th January 1907, the school records indicate that he played truant and that, together with George Stigwood in the same year on 15^th October, he was also reported for picking walnuts without permission!

His mother died in 1903 and he continued to live with his stepfather and stepbrothers and sisters in St Johns Street, but before also possibly High Street.

He was one of 1,622 casualties of the action on 2^nd March 2016, the 2nd Battalion suffering particularly badly as they were on the flank and subject to machine gun fire killing 55 of them. George has no known grave and is commemorated on the Ypres Menin Gate Memorial.

Horace Brand

Horace Brand from Duxford died on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1st July 1916. He was 19 years old. Not many neighbouring villages were spared similar losses.

Charles Speed from Whittlesford and both Leonard Flack and Richard Unwin of Thriplow were killed that day, 1^st July 1916. All four were serving with 11^th (Service) Battalion, the Suffolk Regiment (Cambs). The Battalion War Diary suggests that they, five officers and about 150 others of the battalion were mown down by machine gun fire, with a further twelve officers and 387 others wounded, and two officers and 75 others missing.

Horace was born in the autumn of 1896, attended the village school in St John’s Street and, in 1904, received an award for perfect attendance, which was repeated with a bar the following year. This, despite being reported, along with Albert Mynott and his brother Charles, for stealing fruit from Mr Runham!

At the time of the 1911 census, Horace was living with Charles and his father Jesse, a butcher, at the Wheatsheaf – just a few yards from our newly renovated village War Memorial – that includes his name. Ten years previously, they had been living in Manger’s Lane. Both Charles and a younger brother, also named Jesse, “Hazarded their Lives” in the War, according to the Duxford Roll of Honour.

Before the death of Horace, only three other families had received the dreaded telegram – the Flacks, the Richardsons and the Wicks. With Conscription starting in 1916 this figure soon increased, eventually totalling fifteen – plus two on our Roll of Honour who are listed on the Whittlesford War Memorial.

Victor Harvey Craske Sayer

The 2nd of August 2016 is the centenary of the death in action of Victor H. C. Sayer of ‘A’ Coy,11th Bn Suffolk Regiment. He was the son of William and Ellen, his father a gamekeeper. They had lived in Gt. Wilbraham but by 1911 had moved to Duxford. Victor lived in St. John’s Street with his parents, three brothers and two sisters.

In 1911 he was 16 years old and working as a farm labourer. Later his family were to move to Moorfield Road/Station Road. He enlisted in Cambridge.

He was killed (together with two of his colleagues) on 2^nd August 1916, probably near Bazentin Le Petit. He was 21 years old. The three have no known graves. They are commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial for the Missing of the Somme.

John Mynott

John Mynottwas born in early 1890 in Whittlesford and a year later was living with his grandparents and his mother Susan A Mynott on Duxford Road, Whittlesford. By 1901 John was still living with his grandparents, Ezra and Mary Mynott but now in Station Road, (Moorfield Road).

By 1911 they had moved to Green Street where Susan, John’s mother was head of the household and single. Her father Ezra was now an invalid and John was working as a carpenter helping build houses. They had one lodger, to help the family income.

John enlisted in Sawston and became Sapper 154529, 88^th Field Company, Corps of Royal Engineers. The Company became part of the British Army’s advance on Baghdad from the south which fell on 11^th March 1917. Forces then pushed north of Baghdad during April and May to consolidate their position.

John Mynott died onMonday, 23^rd July 1917 in Mesopotania, and is buried in Baghdad, North Gate Cemetery. There were no specific actions that day so perhaps his death, as many were, was due to illness or accident. He was 27 years old.

Captain Frank C Jonas

Frank Charlton Jonas (all his brothers and sisters also had the ‘Charlton’ middle name), was born in 1881 to George and Jane Jonas and was, I think, the youngest of their children. They lived in Ickleton to begin with, but soon moved to Vicarage House on The Green in Duxford. Frank’s father and brothers were influential and played a prominent part in local affairs.

There are memories recorded in ‘Duxford Remembered’ of the farm hands taking a landau to meet Capt. Jonas (one of Frank’s brothers?) on his return from the Boer War and hand pulling it from near the village to the Old Vicarage. Frank’s father was a Justice of the Peace and hence very much involved in local affairs. Frank’s mother died when he was still at school, and his father in March of 1908.

Frank attended Westminster School and went to India, but returned, and in 1908 married Maria Swallow in The Strand in the later part of the year. The two of them then moving to the Old Vicarage in Duxford and carrying out the business of Corn and Seed Merchant. Their daughter Elizabeth was born in the summer of 1913.

Frank joined the Cambridge University OTC at the outbreak of war and was then gazetted to 2^nd Lt. in October 1914 and posted to 2/1^st battalion Cambridgeshire Regiment, A Coy. He stayed with 2/1^st Battalion, with increasing responsibilities as adjutant and t/Capt until he was promoted Capt. in October 1916. He was then, on 19^th November 2016, posted to 1/1^st Battalion Cambridgeshire Regiment, which was serving overseas in Flanders, to command ‘C’ coy. He arrived on 25^th November 1916. He was killed in action leading his company on the 31 July 1917, the first day of the Battle of Passchendaele.

At 05.30 the Cambridgeshires moved out following the assaulting battalions, in the vicinity of St Julien. As the Cambs reached the ‘Black Line’, the name for the second objective line, the enemy fire intensified. Confusion, thick mist, mud and lack of artillery support were having an effect on the assault battalions and elsewhere in the advance things had not gone to plan.

The Cambs took up positions just beyond the Black Line, and it soon became apparent that the 55^th Division that should have been on the Cambs right flank were not there. To try to defend this massive gap, part of ‘C’coy under Capt Jonas, were moved to a captured block house known as Border House, which became crucial to the defence of the whole right flank. As the original assault battalions fell back under increased shell fire and counter attacks, the Cambs line became the front line, and as they were overwhelmed and fell back, the Border House position became even more crucial to their retreat.

An orderly was sent to tell the remnants of ‘C’coy at Border House to retreat but returned to Battalion HQ with the message.

‘I received a message by orderly to retire, but as Capt Jonas, before he was killed, said we were not to retire without written orders from the CO, I am holding Border House. There are only three of us and two of these chaps are wounded. I am holding Border House until I get written orders to retire. (signed) Private Muffet, 7.30pm.’

Capt. Jonas was mentioned in dispatches.

He is commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial. There is a separate memorial to him in St Peter’s Church Duxford. He was 36 years old.

James Arnold MM

James Arnold MM,Private 20436, 11^th Battalion Suffolk Regiment, was killed in action, on 12^th Sept 1917.

He was born in Whittlesford, the son of James and Caroline Arnold. He married Rose Ellen Carter, and they lived in Duxford by 1911 in St John’s Street with their children, two in 1911 and six at the time of his death. He was a farm labourer.

His death notice was reported in the Cambridge Independent Press on Friday 28^th September 1917.

‘Mrs Arnold of St John’s Street, Duxford, has received an official announcement of the death of her husband, James Arnold of the Suffolk Regt. Arnold was one of the first to volunteer when war was declared. He received the Military Medal on April 28^th last for gallantry, risking his own life to find the location of some machine guns which were causing serious casualties to our men. He was killed in action on 12^th September (1917). He leaves a widow and six children to mourn their loss.’

He is buried in Hargicourt British Cemetery, Aisne, France. Hargicourt village is 16 kms NW of St. Quentin and 3kms west of the main road from St Quentin to Cambrai.

The 11^th Battalion were in action in the area from late August until mid-September 2017, capturing and later defending Cologne Farm Ridge, Malakoff Farm, with action around Sunken Farm and Ruby Farm.

Horace Rowlinson

Horace Rowlinson,Private 204956, 2^nd Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment, was killed in action on Friday 23^rd November 1917. He was the son of Frederick and Priscilla Rowlinson, of Duxford. They had lived on Station Road (Moorfield Road), High Street, and on The Green. His father worked as a cattle man and he and his older brother also worked as farm labourers in their teens.

The Cambridge Daily News reported on Monday 2^nd December1917 that:

“Mr and Mrs F Rowlinson of The Green, Duxford had received unofficial news of their son’s death. The news is contained in a letter from Horace’s platoon sergeant to say that: ‘It is with great sorrow that I am writing these few lines to inform you of the death of your son. It will doubtless be of some comfort to you to know he suffered no pain as he was killed in his little trench instantaneously by a shell at about 9.00am yesterday, November 23^rd. I had only known your boy a short time and I had a very great respect and liking for him. He was greatly loved by all the men in the platoon for his good nature, and I found him absolutely devoid of fear. I t will please you to know that he was a brave soldier and a man who could be absolutely relied on in a tight corner. Private Rowlinson was 21 yrs old and previous to enlisting about a year ago was employed as a grocer’s assistant at Duxford. He was always looked upon by the villagers with the highest esteem. He was popular both with teachers and scholars. His elder brother is serving with the Colours.’

He is commemorated on Tyne Cot Memorial having no known grave. He was 21 years old.

John Carter

John Carter,Private T/2020000, 2/4^th Battalion, Royal West Surrey Regiment (Queen’s). Formerly 9873, East Surrey Regiment.

John, who was born in 1892, was the son of James and Sarah Carter who lived at College Farm, Duxford. At the time of the 1911 Census James was a horseman on the farm and John was a stockman on the farm, his two brothers were farm labourers, while his younger sister worked as a domestic servant. John was born in Duxford. Later he must have moved away as he is recorded as having lived in Hounslow and to have enlisted there.

He was originally with the East Surrey Regiment, but after the Gallipoli campaign when the 2/4^th Battalion of the Royal West Surreys was at only 15% of its full strength, he was posted to them in Palestine. He was killed in action on 27^th December 1917, consolidating positions around the outskirts of Jerusalem. The action in which two Officers and 33 ‘other ranks’ were killed, centred around the defence of Zamby and White Hill and Wall. These positions are about five miles east of Bethlehem, overlooking the Jericho Road about three miles from Jerusalem.

He is buried in Jerusalem War Cemetery. He was 25 years old.

Horace Blackwell MM

On the 24^th January 1919 a notice appeared in the Cambridge Daily News, under the heading of:

‘Information Wanted Concerning Duxford Man.

Mr and Mrs Blackwell, Green Street, Duxford, will be grateful if any returned prisoner of war can give any information re. Pte. Horace Blackwell, No. A/2007, 9th Bn. King’s Royal Rifle Corps.’

Private Blackwell, MM had gone missing on the first day of the German spring offensive in late March 1918 when the British lines were overrun, and the German army advanced towards the coast.

From the notice published in January 1919, it appears he was lost in the chaos that ensued and his family did not find out his fate until later.

Horace was born in Duxford to James and Ann who had a large family of at least five sons and one daughter, all of whom were born in the village. His parents both died before the start of the war, so it was probably his oldest brother William and his wife who sought information of his whereabouts in 1919.

Prior to enlisting, Horace lived in Belvedere, Kent and he enlisted in Birmingham. He was awarded the Military Medal sometime prior to his death for bravery. Some information must have been forthcoming after the newspaper was published, as he is listed as having died of his wounds on 21^st March 1918, the first day of the German offensive. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France.

Owen Edgar Bowman

Private 615567, 1st/9th Bn London Regiment, (St Pancras).

Owen was the son of Charles and Eliza Bowman of Chapel Street, and had a twin brother, Thomas. He was recorded as working as a farm labourer in 1911 at the age of 24, but by the time he enlisted he had moved to St Pancras and was living there.

He is listed as having died from his wounds on Friday, 19^th April 1918 and as having been buried in the Mons Communal Cemetery. The Cemetery was in German hands after their capture of Mons in 1914 until the end of the War, so it seems likely that Owen was wounded and captured by the Germans and buried by them when he died.

Charles Albert Woodley

Second Lieutenant attached 9th Bn, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.

Charles Woodley lived in Chapel Street in 1911 with his parents, Stephen and Matilda, and his two older brothers Francis and Mitchell. Charles was 19 years old. He, his brother and father were horsemen on farms, his other brother was a railway porter.

On the 25^th October 1918 the Cambridge Independent Press published a short piece that ran,

‘Deep sympathy is felt in the village, (of Duxford), with Mr and Mrs Woodley at the death of their youngest son, 2nd Lieut. Charles Woodley of the KOYLI, on receipt of the sad news the school flag was flown at half-mast…….’

He was killed in action north of Gouy, on 8th October 1918 and is now buried in Prospect Hill Cemetery, Gouy, Aisne, France, Grave, plot V, A.20.

He is remembered not only on the War Memorial, but also by a memorial in St Peter’s Church erected by his parents in loving memory. He was 26 years old.

Allen Blackwell

Corporal 707220, 2nd Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, British Columbian Regt.

Allan was the youngest son of James and Ann Blackwell of Duxford. In 1911 he was living in Cambridge, but five years later he had emigrated to British Colombia where he joined up in Hazelton, on 1^st July 1916. He was single and a farmer by trade. The Canadian records give a good description of him, aged 30, 5 feet 8inches tall, girth 37 inches, complexion dark, eyes blue, hair black.

He was killed in action on the morning of 6th November 1918 outside Quievrain, probably trying to secure river crossings as part in the Canadian Army’s advance into Belgium and its liberation.

The circumstances of his death are recorded ‘This non-commissioned officer was instantly killed by enemy machine gun bullets in the head and chest on the morning of 6-11-18.’

He is buried along with 25 of his comrades who were also killed on that day at Quievrain, in the Communal Cemetery, Quievrain, Hainaut, Belgium. He was 32 years old.

Edward John Brand

From the War Memorial records, it seems that the last name to be added to the Fallen of Duxford in the Great War was Sapper John Brand who died on Tuesday 4 February 1919 and is buried in France. His mother, Jennifer Brand, lived at “Heath Cottages”.

Every death recorded on the village War Memorial was a family tragedy, but this final addition, the death of Edward John Brand, seems particularly poignant.

Edward had been born at Littlebury in January 1898 to Guinevere (Jennifer) Abigail Mynott and Charles Brand. His parents had married locally on 27^th November 1897 but his father then died in 1900 when Edward was only just over two years old. His mother never remarried, and Edward remained her only child.

At the time of the 1901 census, Jennifer and Edward were living back with her parents at West Wickham – incidentally next door to George Flack who is also on the War Memorial. The 1911 census has Jennifer living as servant to Eliza Garbert, also a widow, at Norman Hurst, Stapleford – whilst Edward, a 13 year old school child, is living still with his grandparents and their son Jabez Mynott, but now moved from West Wickham to Heath Cottages at Duxford Grange.

On 23^rd February 1916, he was living at 20 Hooper Street in Cambridge and working as an 18 year old GER Engine Cleaner. On that day he voluntarily enlisted with the Railways Operating Division of the Royal Engineers. Was this to avoid compulsory enlistment when this became law in March of that year? – at least he managed to keep out of the PBI (the poor bloody infantry).

Although he was only 5ft 4 inches tall, just over 9 stone, with an expanded chest of only 35 inches (and had poor teeth) he did in due course become a Fireman, before eventually becoming a Driver. Perhaps because of the importance of his work he was then placed in the Army Reserves but, moving towards mobilisation, he had another medical examination at Cambridge on 25^th January 1917 – now described as an acting Fireman – and on 17^th March 2017 was issued at Cambridge with a Royal Engineers Railway and Canal Troops identity card. On 21^st March 1917 he was moved on to Active Service and, on 2^nd December of that year, was posted to Egypt – travelling from Southampton to Le Havre and arriving at Marseilles a week later – where he missed his scheduled troopship, which had been sunk by enemy action.

While serving in Egypt with the 96 Light Railway Operating Company his only military offence seems to have occurred when he was driving a Military Ambulance Train on 8^th September 1917. He left his engine without permission and was absent from 13.36 until 14.00 hours. The 24 minutes delay cost him a day’s pay!

What relief at Heath Cottages on 11^th November 1918. The end of the “War to end all Wars” – and Jennifer’s only son had survived and would soon be home.

Sadly, Edward’s return journey home from Egypt to Duxford ended at Calais on 2^nd February 1919 where, having contacted the “Spanish flu”, he died at the 10 Canadian Stationary Hospital. He was 21 years old. He is buried at Les Baraques Military Cemetery, Sangatte, Calais.

[Listed at the Hospital, his personal effects were two letters, a wallet, a “religious book”, a diary, an album, three silk handkerchiefs, “beads”, two badges, a pen, a metal wristwatch and strap, a One Rupee (Souvenir Note), four coins, and, rather touchingly, a “Book on Light Railways”. With the exception of the One Rupee, these were sent to Jennifer at Heath Cottages on 4^th June 1919, although it was only after the Rector had certified on 7^th August that she was Edward’s closest relative that she was sent a Money Order for his outstanding pay. She probably also received his Victory medal and his British War medal.]

Jennifer died in the summer of 1931 aged 54 and perhaps mercifully unaware that her son’s sacrifice had not been in the “War to end all Wars”?

George Griffiths

George Griffiths’ name is not on the War Memorial but is included in the Village Roll of Honour. He was buried in Duxford Cemetery on 10^th December 1919.

There is still a degree of uncertainty about his service which seems to have included:

1895 Mar 11: Militia volunteer with the 5th Kings Royal Rifle Corps. Number 1646

1895 July 3: Bedfordshire Regiment. 5384

1895 Dec 1: 4th Hussars 3975

1897 Apr 20: 13th Hussars 3863

1899 Nov 10: Service in South Africa (with campaign medal) until 15 Jul 1901

1902 July 1: Promoted Lance Corporal

1902 Oct 1: Completion of 7 years’ service. Transfer to Reserves. (Northants Regiment?)

1907 July 2: Discharged after 12 years’ unblemished service.

The only mention of his Labour Corps number 566295 has him previously serving with the Northumberland Fusiliers as 34485.

His gravestone has the badge of the 20th Hussars with the Army number 12548. The XX Hussars left for Egypt in 1919 and it may be that he was too old to go, or nearing demobilisation, and was transferred to the Labour Corps pending demob.

George was the son of Thomas and Ellen Griffiths and husband of Annie Elizabeth Griffiths, of Highfield Hill, Duxford. He was born at Hatley St. George, Cambs. When George died, he and his wife had at least six children, and possibly a final child born in Northampton on 20^th June 1920 and named George Frederick.

Allen Edward Barnes

Allen Barnes was a member of the 2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment.

There is an inscription on the memorial headstone in the Duxford Cemetery to Mabel Annie Barnes who died on 16^th January 1970, aged 88 years, that also memorialises Edward Allen Barnes 1916, who was still ‘missing in action’.

Mabel Annie Barnes, nee Dodkin, was the wife of A. E. Barnes, (the order of the names change), who was killed on 20^th July 1916, and who has no known grave, but is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.

Number 21772, Allen Edward Barnes, of 2nd Bn Suffolk Regiment, was probably killed and missing in action as a result of the 2nd Suffolk’s advance on Longueval and Delville Wood to relieve other troops as part of the Somme Battles. Records state that at 03.55am on 20^th July 1916 the 2nd Suffolks advanced, but the two lead companies of the Suffolks were almost entirely wiped out. He was 32 years old.

His parents lived in Heydon, while his wife, on whose headstone he is remembered in 1970 as still ‘missing in action’, lived at the time in St John’s Street. They were married in 1910 and possibly had one son, Henry A Barnes in 1911. She probably still had hopes for his return when the war memorial was erected and did not want his name on the list of dead.

The Second World War 1939-1945

In the November 1985 Duxford Chatterbox an article by Freda Camp noted how there were fewer and fewer people present on Remembrance Sundays who remembered those listed on the War Memorial as having died in the Second World War. She wrote a little on each of them, as below:

• ‘James Skeats grew up in the village, a lively auburn-haired young man, who sang in the choir in St. Peter’s Church, worked for Hardings the builders, and died in Italy.
• Herbert Haylock, grew up in the village and was a roundsman to Marriotts, the butcher. After many months as a prisoner of war, he died in Burma.
• The Culham brothers lived in College Farmhouse, near St John’s Church. Frank Culham was a sergeant in 14 Sqdn RAF and was shot down in his Blenheim bomber over Tunisia on Wednesday 21^st May 1941.
  James Culham was a temp. Lt. R.N. who died in HMS Submarine Regent, on 1^st May 1943, aged 23, in the Adriatic. Their father was also in the Navy.
• Colin McIntyre Brown, brother of Mrs Gordon Johnson, lived on The Green and was an officer in the Army.
• Philip Marriott was the butcher’s son (an only child) and was killed in action as a bomber pilot during the Battle of Britain.
• Douglas Howe (known as Ginger) lived at Duxford Grange Farm and worked at Parkers Poultry Farm in Thriplow. He died in a mine explosion in 1940.
• George Moule lived at the Gate House in Hinxton Road (his mother lived (1985) in Lacey’s Way). He served in the Royal Navy and drowned in the Adriatic Sea whilst on a secret mission.
• A.E. Miles, a very young man, lived on Royston Road. The family have now (1985) left the village.’

Freda herself worked during the war in nurse training posts, and also helped deliver mail around the village. Freda also wrote that in 1985 the War Memorial was cared for by Dennis Smith and Jack Camp, both ex-servicemen.

Thanks to Tina Jones for a copy of the above article, reproduced in the Duxford Chatterbox in October 2015.

Since Freda Camp wrote her piece in the 1985 Chatterbox, some more information has been uncovered with details as follows:

Colin McIntyre Brown

Colin Brown, 117831, 2^nd Lt, The London Scottish, Donside, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, was born in Essex, in the second quarter of 1919, to Charles McIntyre Brown and Frances Lilian Brown, nee Dunkin.

In 1939 Mrs. Brown was widowed and she and at least two of her children were living with other members of the Dunkin family in the Old Vicarage, The Green, Duxford. Colin died on Tuesday, 9^th September 1941, in the UK, aged 23 years. He is buried in St Peter’s Churchyard. In 1985 in her Chatterbox article Freda Camp, remembered that he was the brother of Mrs Gordon Johnson and had lived on The Green.

Frank Arthur Culham

Frank Culham, Sergeant, 742448, 14 Sqdn, RAFVR, was born in the autumn of 1919 in Tendering Essex; his mother’s maiden name was Willmot. In 1939 the family was living in ‘Duxford House’, now College Farm House, near St. John’s Church. He was killed on 21^st May 1941 when14 Sqdn was flying Bristol Blenheim IVs in the Western Desert based at LG (landing ground) 12. On the day he was killed, the squadron had five Blenheims tasked with attacking Italian and German ground transport along the Tobruck – Capuzzo Road.

The five planes were attacked by three Me109bfs and all five were shot down. He has no known grave and is commemorated on Alamein Memorial, Egypt, Column 242. In the period between May and the end of June 1941, the squadron lost 12 crews and 17 aircraft.

James Willmot Samuel Culham

TLt. HM Submarine Regent, RN, was the older brother of Frank Arthur Culham and had followed his father, into the Royal Navy. He was born on 5^th August 1918. In 1939 he was a Sub-Lieut at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich. His submarine was sunk with the loss of all 63 crew when it hit a mine off the SE Italian coast on 18^th April 1943. The submarine was reported missing presumed lost when it did not report into Beirut on 1^st May 1943. He too grew up and lived at College Farm House by St John’s Church.

Herbert Armistice Haylock

Driver, 2093005, 287 Field Company, Royal Engineers grew up in the village and was a deliveryman for the Marriott’s, the butchers, before the war so was well known in the village. He was captured after the fall of Singapore, (13^th January 1941) and died working on the notorious Burma Railway on 25^th September 1943. He is buried in Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery, Burma where the bodies of those who died locally as well as those who died along the line were reinterred after the war.

In 1939 his family was living at 1 Flower Pot Road, and previously at Mangys (sic) Lane.

‘Perhaps it was the relief and joy after the “The War to end all Wars”, to which the then small village of Duxford had sent about one hundred men, fifteen of whom had not returned home, that led Albert and Ellen Haylock to give their son, Herbert, the second name of “Armistice”. Whilst serving with 287 Field Company, Royal Engineers, he was captured in Singapore, died as a POW on Saturday 25 September 1943 and is buried near the River Kwai in Burma.’

The above is an extract from a Chatterbox article written by Philip Wade – it elicited the following response, as published in The Duxford Chatterbox, March 2009, from Mary Wakefield (1912-2015):

‘Dear Chatterbox,

I feel I must write and thank the person for writing the article in Chatterbox about my parents Albert and Ellen Haylock and my brother Herbert Armistice Haylock.

My parents heard from the War Office that my brother died at Burma and was buried in a wartime cemetery at Tanzeba so this must be near the River Kwai.

My brother worked for Mr Marriott the butcher and used to deliver meat to his customers, so he was well known. One of the “highlights” of his job was to take the joints of meat with the names to the Rev Browning who put the names on the meat and then my brother used to take them to the customers as a present for Christmas from the Rev Browning.

I am Herbert’s sister Mary. I am 96 and am now living at “The Lodge” in Great Shelford. I had to pack up my home as I couldn’t look after myself. I must thank you again for the trouble you have taken to remember my brother and parents.

Yours sincerely

Mary Wakefield’.

Douglas Victor Howe (Ginger)

Private 59333523, 1^st Bn, The Cambridgeshire Regiment Suffolk Regiment was the son of Charles and Florence Howe of 2 Heath Cottages. Mrs. Camp remembers him living at Duxford Grange Farm and working at Parkers poultry farm in Thriplow. His father worked as a RAF officer’s batman in 1939. He died on Monday 5^th August 1940, near North Walsham, Norfolk. The 1^st Bn was assigned to home defence duties at the time around the Norfolk and East Anglian coast. Mrs. Camp wrote that he died when a mine exploded. He is buried at Thriplow, St Georges Churchyard, and also remembered on the Sawston Village College memorial.

Philip S Marriott DFM

Flight Lieutenant, 119348, RAFVR, was the only son of Samuel H Marriott and Emily Marriott, master butchers, of High St, Duxford, and husband of Joan Mary Marriott, nee Humble. They married in the summer of 1941. Philip was awarded his DFM, while a flight sergeant in 1941 when flying with 115 Squadron, for his actions in putting out a fire on board and saving crew and plane. He was killed on Thursday 11^th March 1943 whilst taking a training flight with 15 OTU, when he took off in a Wellington Mk111, X3874, at 10.30 am. The port engine lost power and the aircraft dived down at 11.15 just east of Didcot. All the crew were killed. He is buried in St Peter’s churchyard.

Eric Arthur Miles

Private 14659932 2^nd Airborne Bn, Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, was the son of Arthur H and Annie Miles, of Royston Road Whittlesford. He died when only 20, during the fighting in the Reichswald Forest during the advance into Germany on Saturday 24^th March 1945. He was part of the airborne troops flying and landing by glider securing the crossing of the Rhine. The glider forces suffered particularly heavy casualties as they were the last to land and hence expected.

George Ernest Moule

Able Seaman P/JX 261616, HMS Fidelity, died on 1^st January 1943. HMS Fidelity was a Q-ship and secret service ship, which was sunk by a U-boat on 30^th December 1942 with the loss of all hands off the Azores whilst on its way to the Far East with a party of commandos. He lived in the Gate House in Hinxton Rd. In 1985 his mother lived in Laceys Way.

James Stanley Skeates

Fusilier 5783229 9^th Bn Royal Fusiliers, City of London Regt, died on Tuesday 5^th September 1944, aged 23. Son of James Louis and Betsy Constance Skeates, nee Hewitt. He grew up in the village and is remembered as a lively auburn-haired young man, who sang in the choir as St. Peter’s, worked for Harding’s the builders. He was killed in Italy and is buried in Coriano Ridge War Cemetery. He is also remembered on the Sawston Village College War Memorial.

Coriano Ridge was the last important ridge in the way of the Allied advance in the Adriatic sector in the autumn of 1944. Its capture was the key to Rimini and eventually to the River Po. German parachute and panzer troops, aided by bad weather, resisted all attacks on their positions between 4^th and 12^th September 1944.

William Johnson

There is other man who lived in the village when he was killed, but whose name is not on the War Memorial. William Johnson,P/SSX 14891, Able Seaman, RN, was killed on 27^th April 1941, at HMS Badger, Harwick/Parkstone Quay. This was a shore establishment of some 1,300 onshore staff and a further 4,000 who served on the small ships operating out of there. William Johnson was the husband of V E Johnson of Duxford, and he is buried in the Duxford Cemetery, section C grave 15.

~

We shall remember them