Mursley War Memorial

Erected to the memory of those men of this parish who had fallen in the war was unveiled on Thursday April 22nd 1920 by the Rector’s wife, Mrs O Selby Lowndes To the glory of God and in proud and undying memory of those men of this parish who fought and died for their country in the Great War.

1914-1918: Lieut. M. E. Selby Lowndes, Sgt. G. Hollis, Cpl. E.Fletcher, L.Cpl. R. Jackman, L.Cpl. A. Harris, L.Cpl. G.Kirk, Pte. A. Adams, Pte. W. Dickens, Spr. T.Dickens. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”The memorial stood on a triangle of grass at the top of the Salden road, now Cooks Lane. It was moved to its current position in front of St Mary the Virgin Church Mursley in early 1939.

In researching LEST WE FOR GET REMEMBERING THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918 MURSLEY’S FALLEN SOLDIERS, MURSLEY’S SURVIVORS AND OUR RELATIVES WHO FOUGHT, author,Melinda Cole, found four other men with connections to the village, they had been born here or went to school here.

Their sacrifice is remembered below, their names are marked with an asterix.

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

WWI

1916

5 June – Pte George Thomas Leonard *  13th Bn Canadian Infantry – Railway Dugouts Cemetery, Ieper, Belgium & Swanbourne War Memorial

7 October – Rfn John Edward Barritt * 8th Bn London Rgt Post Office Rifles – Warlencourt British Cemetery, France

11 November – Pte Albert James Harris – 2nd Bn Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry Couin British Cemetery, France

1917

2 April – Pte William Frederick Humphrey Ginger * 2nd Bn Yorkshire Rgt – Faubourg d’Amiens Cemetery Arras, France & Drayton Parslow War Memorial

5 August – Sgt George Hollis A Bn 153rd Bde, Royal Field Artillery – New Irish Farm, St Jean-les-Ypres, Belgium

8 August – L/Cpl Roland C Jackman 1/4th Bn Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry – Menin Gate, Ypres,Belgium

10 December – Spr Thomas Dickens 260th Railway Construction Company Royal Engineers – Potijze Chateau Grounds, Ypres, Belgium

1918

27 May – 2nd Cpl Alfred George Kirk Railway Operative Division Royal Engineers – Cinq Rues British Cemetery, Hazebrouck, Belgium

19 June – Pte Wilfred G Dickens 1/4th Bn Norfolk Rgt – Jerusalem Memorial, Israel

2 August – Pte Albert E Adams 2nd Bn Princess Charlotte of Wales Royal Berks Rgt – Berlin South Western Cemetery, Stahnsdorf, Germany

8 August – Cpl Ebenezer Fletcher 49th Bn Canadian Infantry, Alberta Division – Caix British Cemetery, France

27 October – Lt Meyrick E Selby Lowndes 3rd Seaforth Highlanders – Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey & Gerrards Cross War Memorial

1 November – Pte John Harry Leonard * 1/1st Bn Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry – Granezza British Cemetery, Italy & Swanbourne War Memorial

WWII

1941

25 February – Ldg Seaman Norman Pritt Royal Navy – Chatham Naval Memorial, Kent

1942

7 December – L Cpl Phillip Arthur Nelms 1^st Bn Middlesex Rgt – Stanley Military Cemetery, Hong Kong

1943

29 November – Aircraftman II George Virgo Wigley 242 Sqdn RAF Volunteer Reserve – Singapore Memorial, Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore

1944

24 June – Ldg Aircraftman Charles Arthur Henry Wigley 242 Sqdn RAF Volunteer Reserve – Singapore Memorial, Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore

19 August – Fireman & Trimmer Fred William Potter Merchant Navy – Tower Hill Memorial, London and Massey grave in St Mary the Virgin Churchyard