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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Wesley Chapel, West Bromwich


rmtruby

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There is a marble plaque in the side chapel of Wesley Chapel on West Bromwich, High Street, featuring the names of worshippers from that church, who died during the Great War. Can anyone help with any extra information on the following men:

Pte H. Bradley

L.Corpl C. Craythorne (possibly G. Craythorne)

Seaman F. E. Dicken

Pte A. Griffiths

Pte Frederick Hill

Pte S. R. H. Hughes

Lieut W. G. Milliship

Capt H. Roberts MC

Pte E. Simkins

Pte T. B. J. Thomas

Pte W. Wakelam

Driver J. B. Wilkes

Thanks,

Ray

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does the plaque give the regiments these men came from, my g great grandfather came from swan village west bromwich, his name joseph thomas, I wonder if this thomas is a relation as i have a photo of a south wales borderer, although I cant be sure this is the thomas branch, his looks favour that side of the family

post-1-1090532750.jpg

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no joseph Thomas, settled in the manchester area around 1870 , I suppose he left family behind, I need to research the black country connection.

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Thanks for all the replies so far. I'll have a look on the CWGC website a.s.a.p.

Thanks

Ray

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67560 pte harold bradley r. fus killed 1918

201675 l/cpl george craythorne south staffs killed 1917

seaman frank e. dicken hms black prince killed 1916 (jutland?)

pte a. griffiths 2 possiable both s. staffs

13059 pte fred e. hill d. c. l. i. killed 1916

42245 pte stephen r. h. hughes manchesters killed 1917

2nd lt william milliship r.a.f. killed 1917

capt. harold roberts m.c. m.g.c. s.staffs killed 1918

19448 pte ernest simkins r. welch fus. killed 1915

17070 pte joseph b. j thomas scot gds killed 1918

46032 pte william wakelam north. fus. killed 1917

87849 drvr john b. wilkes r.h.a. died on service 1918

enoch

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the two a. griffiths are

griffiths alfred pte 46454 south staffs died of wounds 1918

griffiths arthur pte 13132 s. staffs k.i.a. 1915

enoch

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Thanks.

Ray

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  • 2 weeks later...

I recently took this photograph of the plaque from inside Wesley Chapel West Bromwich.

Thanks

Ray

post-1-1092387935.jpg

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  • 11 months later...

This is what has been researched so far on the marble plaque in the side chapel of Wesley Chapel on West Bromwich, High Street, featuring the names of worshippers from that church, who died during the Great War:

Name: BRADLEY, HAROLD

Initials: H

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment: Royal Fusiliers

Unit Text: 3rd Bn.

Date of Death: 17/07/1918

Service No: G/67560

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: X. J. 13.

Cemetery: DERNANCOURT COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION

Name: CRAYTHORNE, GEORGE

Initials: G

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Lance Corporal

Regiment: South Staffordshire Regiment

Unit Text: 2nd/5th Bn.

Age: 23

Date of Death: 12/12/1917

Service No: 201675

Additional information: Son of William Henry and Eliza Craythorne, of 92, Arthur St., West Bromwich.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: I. C. 26.

Cemetery: RIBECOURT ROAD CEMETERY, TRESCAULT

Name: DICKEN, FRANK ERNEST

Initials: F E

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Stoker 1st Class

Regiment: Royal Navy

Unit Text: H.M.S. "Black Prince."

Age: 25

Date of Death: 31/05/1916 (possibly at Jutland)

Service No: SS/109418

Additional information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Dicken, of 12, New St., West Bromwich.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: 18.

Cemetery: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL

Pte A. Griffiths, South Staffordshire Regiment, (two possibilities)

Name: GRIFFITHS, ALFRED

Initials: A

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment: South Staffordshire Regiment

Unit Text: 7th Bn.

Age: 25

Date of Death: 05/10/1918

Service No: 46454

Additional information: Son of John Griffiths, of 69, Vicarage Rd., West Bromwich, and the late Emma Griffiths.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: IV. D. 41.

Cemetery: BUCQUOY ROAD CEMETERY, FICHEUX

Or

Name: GRIFFITHS, ALFRED

Initials: A

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Serjeant

Regiment: South Staffordshire Regiment

Unit Text: 7th Bn.

Date of Death: 09/08/1915

Service No: 9667

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 134 to 136.

Cemetery: HELLES MEMORIAL

Name: HILL, FREDERICK, E

Initials: F E

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment: Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry

Unit Text: 7th Bn.

Date of Death: 24/08/1916

Service No: 13059

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: II. B. 39.

Cemetery: PERONNE ROAD CEMETERY, MARICOURT

Name: HUGHES, STEPHEN RICHARD FLETCHER

Initials: S R F

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment: Manchester Regiment

Unit Text: 18th Bn.

Age: 31

Date of Death: 31/07/1917

Service No: 42248 (possibly 42245)

Additional information: Son of the late Enoch and Alice Hughes; husband of Annie Hughes, of 84, Beeches Rd., West Bromwich.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 53 and 55.

Cemetery: YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL

Name: MILLISHIP, WILLIAM GRIFFIN

Initials: W G

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Second Lieutenant

Regiment: Royal Flying Corps(or possibly RAF)

Unit Text: 1st Sqdn.

Secondary Regiment: General List

Secondary Unit Text: and

Date of Death: 07/06/1917

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Cemetery: ARRAS FLYING SERVICES MEMORIAL

Name: ROBERTS, HAROLD

Initials: H

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Captain

Regiment: South Staffordshire Regiment

Unit Text: 9th (Pioneer) Bn.

Age: 25

Date of Death: 27/10/1918

Awards: MC (not sure whether he also had an award known as MGC)

Additional information: Son of Elizabeth and the late Arthur Roberts, of Curzon House, Alfred Street, West Bromwich, Staffordshire. Enlisted as Pte. in 1914 in Old School Boys' Bde., Birmingham.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Plot 3. Row E. Grave 7.

Cemetery: GIAVERA BRITISH CEMETERY, ARCADE

19448 Pte Ernest Simkins, Royal Welch Fusiliers, killed 1915

(I can’t find him on the CWGC website).

Name: THOMAS, JOSEPH BENJAMIN JAMES

Initials: J B J

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment: Scots Guards

Unit Text: 1st Bn.

Age: 23

Date of Death: 23/08/1918

Service No: 17070

Additional information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Thomas, of West Bromwich.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: IV. K. 26.

Cemetery: BUCQUOY ROAD CEMETERY, FICHEUX

Name: WAKELAM, WILLIAM

Initials: W

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment: Northumberland Fusiliers

Unit Text: 8th Bn.

Age: 35

Date of Death: 16/08/1917

Service No: 46032

Additional information: Son of the late John George Wakelam; husband of K. Wakelam, of 114, Audly Rd., South Gosforth, Newcastle-on-Tyne.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: L. F. 15.

Cemetery: POELCAPELLE BRITISH CEMETERY

87849 Driver John B. Wilkes, RHA died on service 1918

Name: WILKES, JOHN BRINTON

Initials: J B

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Driver

Regiment: Royal Horse Artillery

Unit Text: "K" Bty. 7th Bde.

Age: 25

Date of Death: 17/10/1918

Service No: 87849

Additional information: Son of Albert Ashford Wilkes and Eliza Wilkes, of 204, Oak Rd., West Bromwich.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: S. II. F. 7.

Cemetery: ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN

If anyone has any more information on any of these men, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Ray

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simkins is listed as simpkins on cwgc.

enoch

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Thanks enoch. I'll follow that one up.

Ray

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Just looked him up.

Name: SIMPKINS, ERNEST

Initials: E

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment: Royal Welsh Fusiliers

Unit Text: 8th Bn.

Age: 29

Date of Death: 10/10/1915

Service No: 19448

Additional information: Son of William and Eliza Simpkins, of 18, Oak Lane, West Bromwich.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 77 to 80.

Cemetery: HELLES MEMORIAL

Thanks

Ray

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