Twenty three new Radcliffe on Trent  servicemen

Group of soldiers billeted with John Nowell from Radcliffe on Trent

Twenty three new names were added to the Radcliffe on Trent WWI Roll of Honour in September 2016 bringing the total to 398. All the men on the roll of honour, which includes survivors, are connected to Radcliffe on Trent. They were either born, lived in or worked in the village. The Radcliffe on Trent research team have spent over three years discovering who these men were and what happened to them during and after the war. Each biography is the outcome of much time spent trawling through old documents, contacting relatives and putting pieces of information together. As interest in the First World War has grown during the centenary period, an increasing number of documents have become available providing fresh material to add to our biographies.

Earlier in the year the names of an additional twenty three Radcliffe on Trent servicemen were found unexpectedly on www.findmypast.co.uk. The four Radcliffe WWI researchers  verified the names then divided the list between themselves so each could construct a set of biographies. The men are simply random – they are not connected together in any obvious way such as belonging to the same regiment. However, some underlying similarities were noted in relation to where they served and their health.

Twelve of the men served in the U.K. The oldest, William Woodward, was a Boer War veteran and the youngest, John Wilson, was still too young to be sent to the front when the war ended. Two of the men had defective vision. William Fryer, with sight in only one eye became a U.K. driver (horse transport) and George Todd, with high myopia, was employed with the Army Pay Corps. Charles Gore was discharged with congenital heart disease and Frank Carnell, suffering from ‘spastic paraplegia’ had to be discharged because he was unable to stand to attention or to march. Robert Lees and Bertie Varney spent the war in the ‘Remounts’ Squadron guarding England. Fred Stoors’ service record has not been found but it is assumed he was in the U.K. and Charles Ould, born in 1901, was still in training with the Royal Navy in November 1918.

Six men experienced typical army life on the Western Front. Francis Robinson is unusual in being the only Radcliffe on Trent man on active service in the Tank Corps. Another five served further afield. Henry Pike was in Africa, Samuel Rushton in India with the Indian Army, George Campbell and Harold Simpson in Egypt and Edward Wheatley in Salonika. These men were prone to tropical diseases. Henry Pike and Harold Simpson suffered from malaria while Edward Wheatley died from typhoid fever. Back on the Western Front two men were subjected to Field Punishment: Harold Simpson (following his return from Egypt) and Arthur Young, who was to lose his life in 1917 a year after his brother John Young was killed. All the men were in the army except Charles Ould, whose brother John died at the Somme. His long service in the Royal Navy extended from the summer of 1918 up to the end of WWII.

Go to ‘Servicemen’ on the main menu then ‘Radcliffe on Trent Servicemen: Roll of Honour’ to view the names of the  Radcliffe on Trent servicemen and to access their biographies.

You can also read the biographies of the new servicemen by clicking on their names below: