Those not remembered on Radcliffe Memorial
The Radcliffe on Trent memorial does not record all previous Radcliffe residents who lost their lives because of the war; it prioritises those connected to people still living in the village. Fifteen servicemen men and woman have been found who died as a result of the war, had connections with Radcliffe on Trent but are not listed on the war memorial. The group comprises ten men whose families were no longer living in Radcliffe on Trent by 1921; two men and a woman working in the village in the war years and two employees at Notts. County War Hospital.
Radcliffe on Trent servicemen listed on memorials elsewhere
Most of the servicemen identified as not being included on Radcliffe on Trent memorial were from families who moved away from the village when they were children. Consequently, their names tend to appear on memorials in towns and villages where their relatives were living at the end of the war. Their names are:
- Lieutenant Charles Geoffrey Claye, R.A.F. 1895–1918, killed in action, France, commemorated Lenton War Memorial, Nottingham and St. Michael and All Angels Church War Memorial, Bramcote.
- Lance Corporal Harold Falconbridge 1893–1916, killed in action France, commemorated St Andrews Church War Memorial, Nottingham.
- Lance Corporal Ernest Hale 1893–1915, killed in action, France, commemorated St George’s Church Memorial, Netherfield, Notts.
- Private Samuel Oliver 1891–1915, killed in action, Belgium, commemorated Southwell Minster, Southwell, Notts.
- Private Benjamin Sheppard 1899–1918, died of wounds, France. Benjamin Sheppard went to school in Colston Bassett. He and his brother moved to a farm in Radcliffe on Trent after 1911 and before 1915. The family had moved away from the village by 1922. He is remembered on a memorial tablet on the north wall of the nave of the church of St. John the Divine at Colston Bassett, under the name of Benjamin Shepherd.
- Lance Corporal John William Young 1887–1916, died of wounds, France, commemorated St George’s Church Memorial, Netherfield, Notts.
The following five people lived and worked in Radcliffe on Trent during the war years:
- Sapper Ernest Francis Humphrey 1886-1920, died Nottingham, commemorated Notts. County Asylum Memorial and Nottingham General Cemetery.
- Member, Ethel Rosetta Smith, Women’s Forage Corps (family lived in West Bridgford), died from influenza in Radcliffe on Trent, commemorated York Minster.
- Gunner Wilfred Jackson Taylor 1886–1921, employee at Notts. County Asylum and commemorated on the asylum memorial tablet.
- 2nd Lieutenant Walter Whitworth 1882–1918, died of wounds, France, commemorated with his brother at his late parents’ home town, Bowdon, Cheshire, in the local church porch.
- Private Wilfrid May 1888–1917, Kings Royal Rifle Corps, died of wounds in Eastbourne Military Hospital, commemorated on Memorials at Carlton on Trent and Newark Magnus Grammar School.
Radcliffe servicemen unnamed on any U.K. memorial
The following three servicemen, all of whom lived in Radcliffe, have not been found on any U.K. memorial. Three of them were missing in action and it was months before their deaths were officially confirmed
- Private Cecil Arthur Reginald Bolton 1898–1918, missing in action France. Cecil Bolton was at school in Radcliffe; he was rescued from drowning in the River Trent by John Barry, who later served in WWI. The Bolton family emigrated to Australia shortly before the war. Cecil Bolton returned to enlist in the British army; his death was still not confirmed by the spring of 1919. His mother in Australia had received official notification by the autumn of 1920.
- Private Arthur Young 1896–1917, missing in action, Belgium. Arthur Young was born in the village in 1896. His family moved to Netherfield, Nottingham around 1902. His brother John, who was killed in 1916, is commemorated on the Netherfield memorial but Arthur is not. It is possible that his family were waiting for Arthur to return home. Neither brother is on the Radcliffe on Trent Memorial.
- Private Charles Paine, missing in action – see below.
Radcliffe servicemen listed on the National Australian Memorial
Private Charles Paine 1895–1916, killed in action August 5th 1916, France
Sergeant John Ould, 1895–1916, died of wounds, August 8th 1916, France
Charles Paine emigrated to Australia in 1913 with his friend John Ould, who is named on Radcliffe memorial. They were mortally wounded in the same conflict when fighting with the Australian Imperial Force at Poziéres during the Battle of the Somme. It is not known why Charles Paine’s name is omitted from Radcliffe on Trent memorial but might be linked to where his relatives were living in 1921. At the end of the war John Ould’s mother was still living in Radcliffe but Charles’ mother had moved to Dunstable (both women were widows). Furthermore, John was buried in a hospital cemetery in France and has a known grave. Charles’ body was left on the battlefield; his death was reported by his comrades and confirmed later by the Red Cross. It might be the case that his mother found it hard to accept that her missing son had died. He is not listed on any other U.K. memorial but the names of Charles Paine and John Ould are inscribed on bronze plaque 102 in the Commemorative Area of the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.