War Memorial St. Mary Church Cholsey

Church Road, Cholsey

England Oxfordshire Cholsey

This memorial, within the St. Mary Church, commemorates the residents of Cholsey who were killed or missing in the First World War (41 names) and the Second World War (10 names).

First World War

ABBOTT, George Shrubb
Second Lieutenant, 2nd/4th Bn. Royal Berkshire Regiment. Service no. 1949
Died 19.07.1916, Aged 21
(Formerly Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars)

ABDEY, Herbert John
Lance Corporal, 5th Bn., Royal Berkshire Regiment. Service no. 10457
Died 05.10.1915, Aged 24

ALDER, Alfred
Corporal, "D" Coy. 2nd Bn., Royal Berkshire Regiment. Service no. 9360
Died 28.10.1916, Aged 25

ALDER, John
Private, 1st Bn., Royal Berkshire Regiment. Service no. 6619
Died 6.1.1915

BARRETT, Frederick James
Private, 2nd Bn., Hampshire Regiment. Service no. 32486
Died 31.03.1919
(Transferred to (488630) 961st Coy. Labour Corps)

BEALE, Frank
Pioneer, Base Signal Depot, Royal Engineers. Service no. 237883
Died 04.12.1917, Aged 25

BRIND, Robert Charles
Private, 23rd Bn., London Regiment. Service no. 6167
Died 9.9.1916, Aged 23
BROADBRIDGE, A Not currently identified

BUTLER, Frank Rupert
Private, 15th (Hampshire Yeomanry) Bn., Hampshire Regiment. Service no. 28498
Died 22.10.1918

BUTLER, Rowland John
Private, 11th Bn., Worcestershire Regiment. Service no. 17140
Died 8.5.1917

CATO, Frederick Thomas
Private, 6th Bn., Royal Berkshire Regiment. Service No. 203704
Died 12.10.1917, Aged 20

CHAPMAN, G Not currently identified

COOK, Albert
Private, 2nd Bn., Royal Berkshire Regiment. Service no. 21901
Died 21.9.1916

COOK, Ernest William
Private, 5th Bn., Royal Berkshire Regiment. Service no. 26163
Died 30.11.1917, Aged 34

CORDERY, Frederick (sometimes Corderoy)
Gunner, "B" Bty. 58th Bde., Royal Field Artillery. Service no. 58079
Died 13.1.1916, Aged 27

DEARLOVE, Ernest William
Private, 2nd/4th Bn., Royal Berkshire Regiment. Service no. 44396
Died 30.10.1918, Aged 19

DIDCOCK, George
Private, 5th Bn., Royal Berkshire Regiment. Service no. 31107
Died 28.4.1917

EDWARDS, Francis Andrew Lloyd M.C.
Second Lieutenant, 5th Bn., Royal Berkshire Regiment
Died 10.8.1916

FERRIS, William Joseph
Gunner, 59th Siege Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery. Service no. 322651
Died 25.3.1918, Aged 28

FRUEN, Edward Thomas M.M.
Lance Corporal, "A" Coy. 1st/6th Bn., North Staffordshire Regiment. Service no. 23427
Died 24.3.1918, Aged 26

GALE, Leonard Franklin
Corporal, Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars. Service no. 1577
Died 26.5.1915, Aged 30

GILES, W Not currently identified

GREEN, Edward Ferdinand
Signal Boy, H.M.S. "Europa", Royal Navy. Service no. J/30792
Died 24.8.1915 (born 1898)

GREENOUGH, Harry
Driver, Army Service Corps. Service no. T4/093073
Died 10.6.1915, Aged 20

HANSEN, Carl Frederick Vilhelm
Lieutenant, 165th Coy., Machine Gun Corps, attd. 9th Bn., The King's (Liverpool Regiment)
Died 31.7.1917, Aged 24

HANSEN, William George
Second Lieutenant, 1st/9th Bn., The King's (Liverpool Regiment)
Died 25.9.1916

HARWOOD, H Not currently identified

HEARMON, Reginald Montague Griffiths
Private, 10th Field Bakery, Army Service Corps. Service no. S4/041747
Died 15.9.1915

HEDGES, Alfred
Private, 8th Bn., The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Service no. 27961
Died 4.8.1917, Aged 21

HOWSE, Walter Roland
Private, 5th Bn., Royal Berkshire Regiment. Service no. 15296
Died 28.7.1916, Aged 24

HUTT, Edward James
Lance Corporal, 12th Bn., Manchester Regiment. Service no. 52585
Died 9.11.1917, Aged 21

KIMBER, Albert
Driver, 4th Cavalry Div. Aux. H.T. Coy., Royal Army Service Corps. Service no. T4/040259
Died 6/2/1919

KIMBER, Fred
Private, 2nd/6th Bn., Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment). Service no. 102263
Died 18.4.1918, Aged 25

LAURENCE, Dudley Sydney
Second Lieutenant, 6th Bn. attd. 1st Bn., Rifle Brigade.
Died 23.10.1916, Aged 19

MARSHALL, WG Not currently identified

NELSON, Fred
Private, 7th Bn., Royal Berkshire Regiment. Service no. 15941
Died 22.1.1915, Aged 22

SMITH, Albert
Private, 43rd Bn., Royal Fusiliers. Service no. 106456
Died 05.1.1919, Aged 43

TURNER, Harry
Private, 8th Bn., Royal Berkshire Regiment. Service no. 13608
Died 25.9.1915, Aged 30

TYRRELL, Charles Henry
Private, 8th Bn., Royal Berkshire Regiment. Service no. 15513
Died 25. 9.1915
WILDER, Alfred Augustus
Enlisted with 3rd Militia Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment in 1889, aged 18 years.
Between 1891 and 1900 served in Malta, Bermuda, Halifax N.S. and Gibraltar
Died aged 45 in August 1915 whilst on home duty and buried in St Mary's Churchyard.
(Not listed on CWGC website)

WOODWARD, Henry Francis
Sapper, 250th Tunnelling Coy., Royal Engineers. Service no. 97037
Died 28.3.1916, Aged 37

Second World War

BITMEAD, EDWARD WILLIAM, D.F.C.
Flight Lieutenant, 65 Sqdn, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Service No. 76001
Died 1.5.1943, age 31
(also on memorial in St Andrew's Church, East Hagbourne)

BITMEAD, PETER ARNOLD
Flying Officer, 148 Sqdn, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Service No. 86421
Died 16.11.1941

BOSHIER, WILLIAM CHARLES
Gunner, 172 Bty, 58 Lt. A.A. Regt, Royal Artillery, Service No. 1496666
Died 26.5.1940, age 22

FRANCIS, JOHN OLIVER
Private, 4th Bn, Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, Service No. 5382759
Died 30.5.1940, age 28

LILLINGTON, IVOR LEONARD
Warrant Officer Class II (B.S.M.), 18 Field Regt, Royal Artillery, Service No. 1056617
Died 1.6.1940

RAY, FREDERICK EDWARD
Gunner, 125 Anti-Tank Regt, Royal Artillery, Service No. 1094294
Died 12.9.1944, age 30

SHAKESPEARE, ALBERT W.R.
Rifleman, 1st (Airborne) Bn, Royal Ulster Rifles, Service No. 14591203
Died 7.6.1944, age 34

STRANGE, HAROLD LEONARD
Serjeant, 17 Bomb Disposal Coy, Royal Engineers, Service No. 2069783
Died 8.9.1944, age 22

TAYLOR, EDGAR PETER
Private, 7 General Hospital, Royal Army Medical Corps, Service No. 7518510
Died 18.5.1941, age 22

DEANE, ARTHUR DENNIS
Private, 1st Bn, Royal Berkshire Regiment, Service No. 5336923
Died 27.5.1940, age 25

Note: BITMEAD family memorial shows third brother who survived WW2

Edward, Ernest and Peter Bitmead are all commemorated on a seperate memorial in St Mary's Church, Cholsey.

Edward William BITMEAD was serving as a Flight Lieutenant with 65 Sqdn of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve when he was killed on 1st May 1943 (Service no. 76001).
He is commemorated on a plaque in St Mary's Church, Cholsey; St Andrew's Church, East Hagbourne and the Runnymede Memorial.

Air Ministry, 22nd November, 1940.
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the following appointment and awards:
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)
Acting Flying Officer Edward William BITMEAD (76001),
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, No. 115 Squadron
DFC: instituted for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active
operations against the enemy".

Peter Arnold BITMEAD was born in 1921
He was a Flying Officer (No. 86421) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 148 Sqdn and was killed on
16th November 1941. He is commemorated on the Alamein Memorial.

Ernest Ralph BITMEAD was born in 1913 and survived his service in the war.
There are several entries for Ernest in The London Gazette between 1935 and 1948, including:

Air Ministry, 21st November, 1944.
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the following awards: —
Distinguished Flying Cross. Acting Group Captain. Ernest Ralph BITMEAD (34139), R.A.F.