BBC Radio Berkshire interview with Wokingham Remembers

The Wokingham Remembers project will be discussed on Mike Read's programme on BBC Radio Berkshire on Monday 13th October after 2pm.

The Wokingham Remembers project will be discussed on Mike Read’s programme on BBC Radio Berkshire on Monday 13th October after 2pm.

On the 13th September 2014, Wokingham Remembers was invited to discuss its findings since its launch in 2011.

The stories of three men were told with the perspective of ‘what happened next’; i.e. how their descendants or existing Battalions were affected by the commemorations. One story is told whereby a young lancer was killed helping a comrade who was wounded and how 100 years later that incident was commemorated by his graveside and included Prince Andrew, the Queen’s second son. Another story tells of a son who contacted Wokingham Remembers and discovered a sister he never knew he had. An finally there is the story of a Great Grand Niece who composed a piece of music which will be presented at the church of her lost uncles. (it’s on the 9th November at St Pauls Church Wokingham 9.30am). The main point of the interview is to make the point that remembrance today can be inspiring as we are able to discover the lives of our ancestors and mark the annual occasion with a special sense of pride. The following video is a record of the radio interview and the overlays of the local men who were injured or killed run on for a further 20 minutes. The images are chosen to also emphasise just how enormous the losses were to our small forest town of 100 years passed.

Below are pictures and further information of the particular men who are named throughout the interview:

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Frederick Bruce de Vere Allfrey was born in 1891 and raised at Ashridgewood House which is situated just between Emmbrook and Winnersh. He was educated at nearby Wellington College in Crowthorne, as was his father and had a sister, Maud. A month after the war started Frederick was already lieutenant in the 9th They had come upon the village of Montcel, east of Paris when they sighted the Prussian 1st Guard Dragoons; Germany’s equivalent lancer regiment. Lances at the ready they charged each other. Arthur Bryer is killed in the charge; but Frederick survives and sees Captain Guy Reynolds lying on the battlefield with a broken lance in his shoulder. Frederick dismounts and on foot re-enters the battlefield to help extract the piece of lance from Guy Reynold’s shoulder. As he was doing so he’s shot dead by a wounded German lancer. Frederick was an only son and his sister Vera an only daughter. Vera had only three children; Katherine, a daughter who died in her first year, a twin sister Eva and a son Ian Francis Anderson who joined the RAF. Ian Anderson appears on Wokingham’s WW2 Memorial having been killed in 1941. Mrs Allfrey witnessed the loss of her son and grandson as she was to live until 1949.

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Sidney Hogburn was born in 1897 to Fanny and Henry Hogburn in Warfield. Henry was a brickyard labourer and by 1911was living with his wife and children in Plough Lane, just off the London Road in Wokingham. A brother, Fred was to survive the war. Sidney enlisted into the 5th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment and died at the Battle of Loos on 5th October 1915. John Chapman, from his research tells us: “Throughout the summer of 1915 they alternated between trench duty and periods in reserve and for most men it was all a great game. However, the day after the Battle of Loos opened on 25th September they began a move south and were brought to grim reality by the sight of casualties and appalling conditions”. They made their attack on the 13th, but Sidney had already died on 5th October, during a period before the main attack. His body was not recovered and as a result, his name was placed on the Loos Memorial.

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1916: The Potter family – Frank and Anna

I’m going to tell you about the Potter family in the words of Anna Matthews, their Great Grand Niece:

“In 1914, one hundred years ago, Charles and Fanny Potter, who lived in Wokingham, rural Berkshire, had a family of seven sons and three daughters when the First World War broke out. Over the course of the next two years, Jack, George, Tom, Reginald, Percy and Frank all signed up to fight in the war, just like millions of others, not just in this country but around the world. Only Arthur stayed behind with his sisters because he was too young to fight. Can you imagine how Charles and Fanny must have felt, six of their seven sons heading off to war?”

Well it was pride and a fear which was to prove justified. Frank, although the youngest was the first to die. Lord Kitchener, the Cabinet’s Minister for War was sent to have discussions with the Russians. His ship HMS Hampshire however, was sunk on his way to the Baltic. Down with the ship went a number of Berkshire men, including Frank Potter. He was aged only 16.

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Edwin Spencer Web was born in London 1892 and baptised by the local Wesleyan Methodist church. The family moved to a cottage in Carey Road Wokingham. Carey Road is just off the Finchampstead Road at the Wokingham end.  If you look at the 1911 Census on this page, you will see Edwin at 18, a member of an Army Band and his sister, Margaret aged 27, contributing to the family income by teaching music. His father Walter is an agent for the General Assurance Company and aged 61. We can imagine that he would have been pleasantly surprised to be gifted with a son when he had reached the ripe old age of 43.

A report from The Reading Post tells us:

‘DEATH OF BANDSMAN E.S. WEBB. Bandsman E.S. Webb, King’s Liverpool Regiment, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Webb, 5, Carey Road, has been notified as died of wounds at a Base Hospital in France, on 30th May, after injuries received in carrying ammunition to the front. Bandsman Webb was well-known in Wokingham as a scholar, both at the Wesleyan Sunday School and the Wescott Road Council School. He was a musician in the band of the Liverpool Regiment at the commencement of the war, and went to the front as a stretcher-bearer. He went through the battle of Mons, and served until the battle of Ypres, where he was wounded by falling into a German pit and being spiked while leading a stretcher party at night. After some months in England he returned again shortly before Christmas (1916). His age was 24′.

He was buried at the Sunken Road Cemetery in Boisleux St Marc, France, aged 24 and having seen nearly three years of fighting. In late June 1917 a memorial service was held for him at the Wesleyan Chapel in Rose Street, where he had worshipped and been closely connected with the Sunday school.

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1918: Edward Hills Nicholson: One of The Four sons
Thanks to Mr James Bell of Wokingham for the following biography:

Having made his fortune in the late 1800’s investing in the new product of linoleum, Edward Nicholson retired and purchased and developed the Matthews Green Estate and what is now known as the Cantley House Hotel on the Twyford Road. Around that time he also purchased Wiltshire Farm and together with the Matthews Green Estate, the family had authority over an area stretching from Rectory Road to Bell Foundry Lane. Edward’s son Alfred then built a house on eight acres calling it Clare Court and another which became known as Glebelands. For those who don’t know the area, that’s a lot of property !

Lieut. Col. Edward Hills Nicholson, D.S.O. was educated at The Towers, Crowthorne and Winchester, received his commission in the Royal Fusiliers in August, 1900 and served in the South African War obtaining the King’s and Queen’s medals with five clasps. He was later ordered home from India where he held the appointment of Adjutant to Volunteers and was posted to France in 1915.

He was posted with his battalion to Salonika where he remained for upwards of two years. He was mentioned in despatches and awarded the D.S.O. He was killed in action on the 4th of October 1918 aged 38 years and was interred in Unicorn Cemetery, Vend’huile, Aisne, France.

Captain Walter Hills Nicholson had a distinguished career in the First World War. He joined the Royal Fusiliers and was awarded the Military Cross. The following report was published in the Supplement to the London Gazette of the 18th July 1918—

‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. Owing to the rapidity of an enemy attack he and his company headquarters were cut off from the company. Realising this, he at once made a determined effort to reach them, and after a sharp hand-to-hand fight, in which several of the enemy were killed, and he himself wounded, succeeded in doing so. By his gallant action he was able to rally his company’.

He survived the war and married Ethel Francis Baird. They had a daughter, Nan Baird, who married Flying Officer, Frederick Barr of the Royal Australian Air Force at St. Blaise Church, Milton, Berkshire in August 1945.

Walter joined the R.A.F and served in the Second World War as flight lieutenant and was killed in 1943.

If you are inspired by the stories of remembrance on Mike’s show and you can provide your support, there is no better person to look to than David Dunham, Wokingham’s Poppy Appeal Co-Ordinator. He is one of Wokingham’s true modern day legends and would be delighted either with donations or to help as a collector. Here is David’s amazing story and you can contact him on: david.dunham@virgin.net.

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3 Responses to BBC Radio Berkshire interview with Wokingham Remembers

  1. Thomas Randell says:

    My uncle Alfred Henry Grover in the Royal Army zservice corps as a driver was killed just outsidecLille on the 7th September 1944 born in The Bungalow Toutley Hall to Harry and Jeanette Grover but I don’t think his name is on the Wokingham memorial to yhosecwho died in the Second World War

  2. Facon Dominique says:

    Hello I just read this message on your site
    Thomas Randell says:
    September 26, 2017 at 1:24 pm
    My uncle Alfred Henry Grover in the Royal Army zservice corps as a driver was killed just outsidecLille on the 7th September 1944 born in The Bungalow Toutley Hall to Harry and Jeanette Grover but I don’t think his name is on the Wokingham memorial to yhosecwho died in the Second World War
    can you follow my message to Tomas Randell :
    My name is Dominique Facon. I live in Santes near Lille (France). I am searching for Alfred Henri GROVER. He was born in Embrook, Wokingham, Henri and Victoria Jeannette GROVER’s son. He was a soldier–driver (Royal Army Service Corps) (T/1450912). He was killed in Santes (North France) on 6th September 1944. He was 21 year sold. He is buried in Lille.
    I would like to find some informations about his life.
    I wou ldlike to find some members of his family.
    Can you help me ?
    I thank you for your help.
    Yours faithfully
    Dominique Facon

  3. FACON says:

    Hello
    My name is Dominique Facon. I live in Santes near Lille (France). I am searching for Alfred Henri GROVER. He was born in Embrook, Wokingham, Henri and Victoria Jeannette GROVER’s son. He was a soldier –driver (Royal Army Service Corps) (T/1450912). He was killed in Santes (North France) on 6th September 1944. He was 21 years old. He is buried in Lille.
    I would like to find information about his life.
    I would like to find some members of his family.
    Can you help me ?
    I thank you for your help.
    Yours faithfully
    Dominique Facon

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