Category Archives: Old Cestrefeldians

Frederick Noel Bond

Leave a reply

A Private (SP/3311) in the 24th (Service) Battalion of The Royal Fusiliers (2nd Sportsman’s City of London) who died on Friday 28th July 1916. Commemorated on Thiepval Memorial (Pier and Face 8C 9A and 16A). The 24th Battalion Royal Fusiliers formed part of the 5th Brigade in the 2nd Division. On the 28th July the Battalion was holding front line trenches near Trones Wood just to the west of Guillemont. A shell explosion killed Frederick whilst he was carrying ammunition to his comrades in the firing line. Born in Swadlincote in March 1897 he was the Son of Reverend Kenneth Herbert and Mrs Emma Louise Bond of 7 Shaftesbury Avenue and he enlisted in Chesterfield in March 1915 aged 18. His older brother Kenneth Hills Bond served in the 1/6th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters and was awarded the Military Cross.

Reginald Beardsley

Leave a reply

A Private (6535) in the 72nd Company of the Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) who died of wounds on 21st May 1916 aged 22. Reginald had previously served with the 13th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters before transferring to the MGC. At the time of his death the 72nd MG Company were in fixed strong points in the 2nd line of defence close to Kemmel and Wulverghem. On the 30th/31st April 12 Officers and men were wounded or poisoned following a German gas attack. He was the son of John and Leila Beardsley of 12 Valley Road in Spital, Chesterfield and is buried at Bailleul Communal Cemetery (grave II.B.103). Bailleul was an important railhead and hospital centre with the numerous Casualty Clearing Stations quartered there.

Tom Benjamin Bamford

Leave a reply

A Private (5198) in the 1st/10th (Scottish) Battalion, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment) who died on Wednesday 9th August 1916 aged 25. His death is commemorated on Thiepval Memorial (Pier and Face 1D 8B and 8C) and on the Hasland Village Memorial. The 1st/10th (Scottish) Battalion, The Kings formed part of the 166th Brigade, 55th (West Lancashire) Division. On 9th August the Battalion was involved in the attack on Guillemont and following four unsuccessful charges suffered over 280 casualties.

“He was killed while taking part in an attack on German trenches and I am taking this opportunity to express on behalf of your son’s comrades and his Company Commander Captain Jaegers and myself our deepest sympathies with you in your heavy bereavement. Private Bamford was always a good and conscientious soldier and his loss will be keenly felt by all who knew him and particularly by his comrades of the Lewis Gun Section”

[Pte Bamford’s Section Officer]

After attending Chesterfield Grammar School, Tom studied at Nottingham University before moving to Nantes to study French. He was a schoolteacher and the son of Thomas and Ellen Bamford of Hazel Grove in Hasland. Thomas Bamford (Snr) was an engine driver on the Midland Railway.

Benjamin Morley Badcock

Leave a reply

Badcock BM.jpg

A Second Lieutenant in the 1st/6th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters who died on Tuesday 9th July 1918 aged 20. A member of the Inns of Court he was commissioned into the 5th Sherwood Foresters in October 1917. Benjamin arrived in France on 27th June 1918 and was killed in action 12 days later on a night patrol whilst the Battalion were holding front line trenches in the Essars Sector. He is buried in Fouquieres Churchyard extension (grave III.G.4). The 46th North Midland Territorial Division spent three years in this region of the front line and placed their transport and field ambulances in the village of Fouquieres. Born in Staveley on December 7th 1897 he was the son of Dr Benjamin and Mrs Badcock of Staveley Town.

 

See here:-

Death

Fred Vaughan Ashcroft

Leave a reply

Ashcroft.jpg

A Sapper (WR/203625) in the Railway Operating Division of the Corps of Royal Engineers who died at home on Monday 13th May 1918 as a result of gas poisoning. Frank was formerly in the Scottish Rifles (17804) 42nd B.G.O. Company and arrived in France in October 1915. Although born in Manchester, Frank was a resident of Chesterfield and is buried in Newbold (St John) Churchyard.

William Beaumont Alliban

Leave a reply

Alliban.jpg

A Lieutenant in the 2/5th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters who was killed in action on Saturday 5th May 1917 aged 20. A member in the Inns of Court Officer Training Corps William obtained a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the 5th Sherwood Foresters on 11th March 1915. He arrived in France with the 59th Division in February 1917 and was killed during an attack on the fortified German trench systems at Malakoff and Cologne Farms at Hargicourt near St Quentin between 3rd and 5th May 1917. The Battalion suffered over 150 Officers and men killed, wounded or missing. William has no known grave and is commemorated on Thiepval Memorial (Pier and Face 10C 10D and 11A). William was the son of Mr. and Mrs. WH Alliban of Tupton Hall near Chesterfield.

Old Cestrefeldians in the Great War

Leave a reply

WW1 Roll of Honour.jpg

NON . QUO . SED . QUOMODO

MCMXIV . . . . MCMXIX

They whom the scroll commemorates were numbered amongst those who.

At the call of King and Country, Left all that was dear to them.

Endured hardship faced danger and finally passed out of the sight of men by the path of duty and self-sacrifice.

Giving up their own lives that others might live in freedom.

Let those who come after see to it that their names be not forgotten

In affectionate remembrance of the loyal and faithful

OLD CESTREFELDIANS

Who died in the Great War

“In sacred sleep they lie. Say not that the brave die”

 

Nearly 20 years ago I researched the ‘Old Cestrefeldians in the Great War’ Memorial Plaque, which was then located on the wall of the entrance hall opposite the Head’s study in Chesterfield School.

As an old boy myself (1980-1985) I had often walked past the Memorial Plaque, but like most teenagers, I gave it very little attention at that time…..but skip forward 15 years….. and I had a recently acquired an interest in the Great War and a fascination to identify men on the local War Memorials in Derbyshire and Cheshire.

And then I remembered the Chesterfield School Plaque…..

I asked for permission to photograph the Plaque…..and then my quest began to identify each of the 83 men on the plaque and to tell their story.

At the time the only ‘online resource’ was the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s register of men who had died in the Great War. So I used this single on line resource and was able to identify 78 of the 83 men and tell a little of their story. This information was included in my first website “Chesterfield Sherwoods on the Somme”, which has long since disappeared.

Jump to 2020….and I was asked by the OLD CESTREFELDIANS’ TRUST if they could use my research in their endeavours to provide an educational legacy relating to Chesterfield (Grammar) School over its long history. I agreed of course, but also suggested that perhaps the information could easily be updated with a larger number of online resources now available.

It is now time to tell the stories of these 83 Old Cestrefeldians……..