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Barking Park War Memorial, Essex


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Posted

I came across this site while doing some research, link.

The War Memorial, due to the ravages of nature and vandals, had the inscribed names on it disappear and a local council were endeavouring to find a record of the missing names. The last update was in August 2001 which indicated the Memorial was to be rededicated August 4th of that year. No mention was made if a list of names had been found.

Did they find a list of names?

Posted
I came across this site while doing some research, link.

The War Memorial, due to the ravages of nature and vandals, had the inscribed names on it disappear and a local council were endeavouring to find a record of the missing names. The last update was in August 2001 which indicated the Memorial was to be rededicated August 4th of that year. No mention was made if a list of names had been found.

Did they find a list of names?

Chris

It looks as though they did - see this B&D Council press release 2001 - though it doesn't say where they found the "missing" information. Perhaps a B&D local has more info?

Jim

Posted

Thank-you, Jim! Amazing to hear they added 385 more names; great to read a story like this.

As you say, I wonder if we have anyone from the area who can give further details.

Posted

Hello Chris and Jim

Further to your comments. I can tell you all about the research as I was the one (and only) who compiled the names, did the research, printed two books with all the findings. You will notice I never got as much as a mention after the event had taken place. One book is in the reference section of Barking Central Library, the other in the Heritage Museum Dagenham. They contain not only Barking, but Dagenham, Chadwell Heath and Becontree Heath, over 1500 names with detail. A feature was in Stand To! shortly after the Dedication.

If anyone has a further interest I will help if possible.

I still have the original research, which obviously contain much more than ever is inscribed onto a War Memorial. e.g. a VC the Council knew nothing about, letters, newspaper cuttings, photos.

Bryan

Posted
Hello Chris and Jim

.  You will notice I never got as much as a mention after the event had taken place.

Bryan

Bryan

I can understand you must be gutted not to get an acknowledgement - but you can be well pleased that it is your work that enabled the defaced and the previously omitted to get their due recognition on the local memorial. Well done, you, and a big raspberry to those who couldn't even mention your contribution.

Cheers,

Jim

Posted

jim,i would have thought two fingers more fitting,bryan,well done mate,bernard

Posted

Pronto. Well done. The one place you will get thanks is on this Forum, from not only the Essex guys but from everybody. We had a thread a couple of days ago in the Cemeteries section about Lieut Irwin Davis, one of two WW1 memorials in Eastbrook End in Dagenham. Any chance that you have any info about him i.e. why is his memorial there. I'm sure Chris would be interested. Any info re Hornchurch / Barking / /Dagenham / Ilford. etc greatly appreciated. Regards Steve.

Posted

Steve

HAve you explored the Memorial in the gardens that were originally next door to the old King George Hospital?

Also the memorial to the fallen next door to HAvering Town Hall, Romford?

I only ask as I pass the latter each day to work and know the former well

John

Posted

Hello all,

Many thanks to those who expressed their concern. It just annoyed me at the time to see so many outsiders with no interest at all - except for the beer and sandwiches after - that suddenly appeared. Thats life.

Boreenatra: "The one place you get thanks is on this Forum, from not only the Essex guys but from everybody." I am sure you wrote that in good faith, however it is not true.

I joined this forum under a different name when it was first started some years ago. I along with others made postings on subjects that interested me and in which I thought had something to contribute. A "lady" disagreed with my views on medals and Remembrance, she pestered me with e mails. I ignored her, she stopped. Having served 25 years in the army, my experince concerning medals and Remembrance was obviously going to be different. Another point about thanks, and it has been memtioned on the Forum many times is researching for other people. Long before it was fashionable to have Pals meetings at the PRO, I did reseach for many forum members. Most would say thank you, end of story.

The only thing I have concerning Lt DAVIS, is what you already have. However there is another WW1 burial (or rather 1920) in Eastbrook End. John Alexander GALLAGHER, L/Cpl, KOSB, Age 26, 27815, Res. Chadwell Heath, Ref: D1. 29. Neither for some reason qualified for my list for inclusion on the BPWM.

Obviously I have lots of information about Barking and Dagenham, the book runs to 344 pages, far too much to put on here. I notice you have visited several cemeteries in that area, so I presume you live fairly local. I would suggest a visit to either Barking Library or Dagenham Heritage Museum. (Becontree Avenue)

Bryan

Posted

Bryan. Well I appreciate what you have done and I do know that the Essex boys will feel the same. Thanks for Gallagher. I did have him. Irwin Davis is one of those mysteries that you find you can't let go of. I suppose there is a logical explaination, but until we find out............ Perhaps you could PM me with the details of the stuff in Barking Central Library As for your " lady" well folks are entitled I suppose to their own opinions but surely the thanks you get from people like me who just need help with our own particular pet projects must surely out-weigh the rantings of people who don't agree with your opinions. For what it's worth, it seems peverse that people spend so much on medals / plaques etc and yet our graveyards are full of neglected, forgotten stones (CWGC apart) and nobody seems to worry that these memorials to these brave folks don't seem to be worth restoring some sort of respect to. If the medals are family things fine, but other families medals.....sorry I can't get to that. But each to their own. Regards Steve.

Posted

John. Are you tracking my movements again? In actual fact, I go past King Goerge's ( very posh flats now) twice a day and have never been into there. Also my wife works in the aforementioned Town Hall so I go there twice a day as well. I tried thru her good offices at work to get a plan or a list of the graves at Romford Cemetery cos there are half a dozen I can't find there, but her intranet just says to apply in writing and there will be a delay because of work conjestion. This is a euphamism in council speak for no staff due to budget restraints!!! By the way,perhaps you can help me. On the CWGC site there is a listing for 6 graves in Hornchurch ( Upminster) Cemetery. Any idea where this is. It's not the Hornchurch Cemetery next to St. Andrews, because they have a memorial garden with more than 6 in there, and it's not St. Lawrence, so i'm not sure where it is. Got a pic of the Upminster one tho, and one of Hornchurch. Regards Steve.

Posted

Bryan,

just wanted to add my congratulations and thanks for all your hard work. Unbelievable that you got no acknowledgement for this but there will be many who appreciate what you did, not just the "Essex Boys". I am researching the men of Warley and realise just how much there is to do but not 1500 names !

Steve,

The Hornchurch (Upminster) Cemetery ? could it be the one at the Corbets Tey Crem. I will pop down lunchtime for a look.

Patrick

Posted

Patrick,

Thank you and good luck with your Warley research.

I must be a glutton for punishment as my latest project is to catalogue all those from Norfolk who died during WW1 in whatever service. This include all those who served and fell with the Norfolk Regiment from where ever they originated. I started off by producing four booklets of four War Memorials in Norfolk. Then looking at the 700 odd parishes and over 1,000 memorials, plaques etc. So far I have about 25,000 names with fairly comprehensive detail to about 16,000 of them. I know there are other forum members doing the same thing for other parts of the country. You can imagine the puzzles with some of them.

Bryan

Posted

Steve,

Have been down to the Crem in Corbets Tey. The Cemetery there has no 1WW graves that I could find and only 2 2WW graves. There is a Private family memorial which includes:

Claude Horncastle, London Scottish

"passed on" 2.12.17

Capt L N Horncastle MC 1/Wilts RFC

"passed on" Cambrai 20.5.17

Lt Cyril Horncastle ADC RFA

"passed on" Cairo 2.01.17 aged 21

Dont know if this is of any interest to you.

As for Hornchurch (Upminster) Cemetery the only one on the London Borough Havering website I can find is the Rainham Cemetery in Upminster Road North (near the A13) As its near Romford and In Upminster Road North maybe that is the one.

One other point - you mentioned the CWGC have 6 names listed and that there's a lot more than that in the Hornchurch Cem. Is it possible that the CWGC may not have all of those buried in Hornchurch. I assume you have cross referenced the names ?

Patrick

Posted

Patrick thanks for going down to C.T. My father in law is in there so we're there very regulaly so I knew that there were no WW1's there. I went to Rainham a couple of weeks ago and there are only two there Pte Henry Clark Sth Staffs and Pte P. Letch Border Reg both of whom I've got. There.s also a WW1 grave at All Saints Church right up at the end of the Chase, by the bridge at Front Lane / St. Mary's Lane ( you are probably yards from there ) If you check the CWGC search and click Cemeteries and type in Hornchurch it brings up the list of Burials in HX

or try this

http://www.cwgc.org/cwgcinternet/cemetery_results.aspx

Hornchurch Cemetery is listed seperately with 105 WW2 Graves.

I didn't cross reference them cos I knew it wasn't there. Still not sure where this is. There might be a couple of other chuches nearby. I think there may be one opposite Roomes near the station and one near Upminster Bridge but will have to check it out when I have more time. Thanks again for your help. Regards Steve.

Posted

John. Went to St. Georges Gdns. There isn't a great deal there other than a nice Memorial ( see pic) and a small dedication stone to the WW2 dead. The memorial has no names on it. A couple of the flower beds have dedication plaques but not much else. Romford Memorial seems a fairly standard design but has names of civilians and military dead but does not say which war each name represents. Also smaller dedication plaques from the Burma Star Association, a Korean Memorial and several others arranged around the main memorial. Any reason for your original question re these memorials? Regards Steve.

Posted

Steve, okay and thanks for that. I didn't realise until today how large the grounds of the Crem are. I have been to many funerals there (including my nephews) but have never walked around before.

The Church opposite Roomes ? Asd far as I know there are no graves there but will have a look tomorrow.

My office is in Station Road opposite the new Roomes Bedding store.

Patrick

Posted
Hello Chris and Jim

Further to your comments. I can tell you all about the research as I was the one (and only) who compiled the names, did the research, printed two books with all the findings.  You will notice I never got as much as a mention after the event had taken place.

Bryan

Bryan, well done with what you accomplished in restoring these forgotten names plus adding new ones. I'm sorry the others in the project did not give you the credit you deserved. At least you have the satisfaction of knowing you helped restore the memory of these long dead men.

Posted

No Steve I didnt see his grave at Corbets Tey. As you will know there are a few older graves located near the Chapel, but all the rest seem to be post 1945. Maybe his grave has become worn and thus i missed it. I will look agaian soon.

I see there is a James Owen in Lorne Rd Cem, Warley. I dont have him on my list as he is not mentioned on the CWGC cemetery list for Lorne Road. Will need to check him out !

Regards

Patrick

  • 7 years later...
Posted

Does anyone happen to knows if the Barking Park War Memorial has names of local people that died during the blitz?

Posted

............

I see there is a James Owen in Lorne Rd Cem, Warley. I dont have him on my list as he is not mentioned on the CWGC cemetery list for Lorne Road. Will need to check him out !

Regards

Patrick

I thought I would just update this with a note that James OWENS VC is buried in Lorne Road. He died in Romford in 1901 so is outside the remit for the CWGC.

See HERE

CGM

Posted

Apologies to normcutts. I can't help you with an answer to your question. I hope someone comes along with an answer soon.

CGM

Posted

A thought. If this is the WW2 blitz are you aware that the CWGC lists WW2 civilian casualties?

Choose: Find War Dead

Then just fill in these two boxes:

Cemetery or memorial: Barking, Municipal Borough

Choose: Second World War.

I will stop there because this is a WW1 forum, but I hope that is useful to you.

CGM

Posted

Does anyone know if Pronto is an active member on here still as I cant see to private message him?

Very interested to find out more about the list of names he compiled for this memorial.

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