The Fallen of Noak Hill (WW1)

 

William Cowland. Born 1894. Place of birth  Noak Hill nr Romford Essex. Son of Charles Cowland and Elizabeth Cowland (nee Dorrington). Brother to Frederick, Arthur, Kate, Charles Edwin, Mabel, and Alice Cowland. On the 1911 census William is shown as being 18 years old and employed as a gardener (domestic) and living with his widowed mother Elizabeth and older brothers, Arthur & Charles Cowland. His family lived at 8 Smiths Lane Noak Hill at one point.

Enlisted at Romford into the Royal Horse Artillery/ Royal Field Artillery, Territorial Force.  Rank Gunner. Service number 622304.

Died 18th September 1917. Place of death Ypres Belgium. Buried Boezinge, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen Belgium. Commemorated on the wall plaque in St Thomas’ Chapel of Ease, Church Road, Noak Hill.

 

Arthur William Ellingworth. Born  1875. Place of birth Romford Essex. Died 5th May 1918. Buried at St Thomas’ Chapel of Ease Noak Hill.

Son of Charles and Elizabeth Ellingworth. Brother to Lilian, Florence and Charles Ellingworth. Married to Minnie Mathews. Date of marriage 26th October 1908. Place of marriage Romford parish church (possibly St Edwards Market Place). Father of Eric Arthur William Ellingworth. Occupation, Chauffeur to the Dagnam Park Estate at time of re-enlistment in 1916. Employed as a cab man on the 1911 census and living with wife, Minnie, son Eric and father in law, William Mathews at Dagnam Park, (south) Lodge. Enlisting in the Army when he was 20 in 1896 Arthur served with the Royal Artillery for eight years before he was transferred to the army reserve on the 21st March 1904, four years later, in 1908, Arthur was finally fully discharged from the army. During the First World War, although aged 40, Arthur was called up and re-enlisted into the army on 10th December 1915 (service number 283034, rank- Gunner). He joined his regiment, The Royal Garrison Artillery, at Great Yarmouth on 7th March 1916  and was posted to the Anti- Aircraft Section at Tynemouth on the 7th September 1916. Discharged from his regiment on 11th September 1917 as having been physically unfit for active service he returned home. Having not seen oversea’s service he did not receive any campaign medals however he did receive the War Badge (number 241667). After his death Minnie was awarded an army widow’s pension for herself and son payable at 21 shillings and 8 pence a week.

 

David  John Laundy. Born 1893/1894. Place of birth Romford Essex. Son of David Laundy and Ellen Ann Laundy (née Hollick). Brother to Ernest William Laundy. Shown on the 1911 census as living with parents and brother at Hare Hall Lodge aged 17 and being employed as a kennel lad on a gentleman’s estate. Living at Dacre Cottage Smith’s Lane Noak Hill in 1915 along with parents and rest of his family. Employed as a Gardener in the same year. Enlisted in the 8th Battalion, Kings Royal Rifle Corps at Romford on the 27th May 1915. By the time that he was killed in action he had reached the rank of lance corporal. He was killed on 24th August 1917 and is remembered at Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, Ypres and also on the war memorial inside St Thomas’ Chapel of Ease, Church Road, Noak Hill near Romford Essex (as is his brother, E.W. Laundy).Awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal and Victory Medal

 

Ernest William Laundy. Born 1897. Place of birth Romford Essex. Son of David Laundy and Ellen Ann Laundy (nee Hollick). Brother to David John Laundy.

Private in the 1st/4th Battalion Essex Regiment, service number 2476. Died 23rd August 1915. Remembered/buried at East Mudros Military Cemetery, Limnos (Island in the north-east Aegean Sea), grave memorial panel reference II. H. 143 and on the War Memorial inside St Thomas’ Chapel of Ease, Church Road Noak Hill near Romford Essex. The 1st/4th Battalion Essex Regiment sailed from Devonport on 21st July 1915 for Gallipoli going via Lemos and landing at Suvla Bay on the 12th August 1915. The 1st/4th Battalion Essex Regiment were part of the 54th (East Anglian) Division. Remembered on the war memorial inside St Thomas’ Chapel of Ease, Church Road, Noak Hill near Romford Essex (as is his brother, D. J. Laundy). Awarded the 1915 Star, the British War Medal and Victory Medal

 

 

Arundell Neave. Born 2nd July 1875. Place of birth Hanover Square London.

Died  (of wounds) 21st February 1915. Place of death, died whilst leading his squadron to attack the enemy trenches at Ypres. Buried at Ypres Town Cemetery.

Name shown on the war memorial tablet in St Thomas’ Chapel of Ease and also on a separate memorial plaque in both St Thomas’ Chapel of Ease Noak Hill and at St Gwenllwyfo Church, Llanwenllwyfo Anglesey. Second son of Sir Arundell Neave, 4th Baronet of Dagnam Park and Llysdalus Anglesey, and the Hon. Lady Gwyn Gertrude Neave née Hughes. Brother to Mary Gertrude Catherine and Thomas Lewis Hughes Neave (later to become 5th Baronet of Dagnam Park and Llysdulas Anglesey). Educated at Evelyn’s School and Eton. Military service saw him being commissioned into The Royal Anglesey Royal Engineers Militia from where he joined the 18th (Queens) Lancers on 11th May 1898 with whom he served in India. He was promoted from 2nd Lieutenant to Lieutenant on 17th October 1899 and sailed aboard The St Andrew out of Tilbury for South Africa in charge of the 19th Hussars draft on 19th June 1900. Serving in South Africa he took part in the relief of Kimberley and also saw action at Paardeberg and Popular Grove. For his action in South Africa he was awarded the Queens South African medal with three clasps and the Kings South African medal with two clasps. He was promoted to Captain on 1st April 1903 and then to Major on 19th December 1914. Mentioned in the despatches of Sir John French of 8th October 1914 and awarded the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor (France) for gallantry during operations between 21st and 30th August 1914.

 

Thomas Ovall.  Born c1896. Place of birth South Weald Essex. Son of Joseph & Mary Ann Ovall nee Neville. Brother of Robert, Walter George, Lottie, Albert, William Neville, Winifred May & Jessie Ovall. Shown on the 1911 census as being aged 15 and residing, along with his parents and siblings at Wrightsbridge Noak Hill. He is also shown as being unemployed as he had not started work at the time of the census being taken. Private in the 12th Battalion East Surrey Regiment. Service number 48324. Died 1st October 1918. Buried at Hooge Crater Cemetery West-Vlaanderen Belgium, Grave/memorial ref: XIV. L. 1. Age at death given as 22. Also remembered on the War Memorial Tablet in St Thomas' Chapel of Ease, Church Road Noak Hill. Awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

 

 

Frederick James Stokes. Born 1894. Place of birth Epping Essex. Died 19th June 1918. (Died of wounds). Buried at Contay British Cemetery, Contay France. Grave number IX. A. 1. Age given at death 24. Also remembered on the War Memorial Tablet in St Thomas' Chapel of Ease, Church Road Noak Hill.

Son of George and Elizabeth Stokes nee Osbourne. Brother of Sidney & Albert Stokes. Shown on the 1911 census as being aged 17 and employed as a horse keeper. At the time of the 1911 census he was residing with his parents and siblings in Noak Hill at a property where his grandfather, James Osborne is noted as being the head of the household. ( Noted as residing at The Cottage Chequers Lane Noak Hill). In September 1914 he was employed by the Great Eastern Railway (GER) as an assistant examiner in the Sack & Sheet Factory at Squirrels Heath having joined the GER in 1911. Enlisted  into the 10th Battalion, Essex Regiment in September 1914. Army Service number 14663. Rank; Private. mentioned in the Great Eastern Railway magazine, October 1918, p202.

 

 

Charles George Wright. Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry Unit Text: 2nd/1st Bucks Bn. Date of Death: 22/08/1917 Service No: 285042 Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 96 to 98. Memorial: Tyne Cot Memorial. Awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

 

Cyril Valentine Yetton.  Born 1893. Place of birth Tottenham North London.

Son of Thomas Henry Yetton and Alice Yetton née Ballard. Brother to Hilda Sophia and Thomas Edwin Yetton. Employed, along with his brother, in his father’s premises at 83 Long Lane, West Smithfield (his father being a leather worker and boot maker).

Saw service as a private (service number 513031) in the 2nd Battalion, 14th London Regiment (London Scottish). Killed in action 30th April 1918 aged 25. Remembered on the Jerusalem Memorial, panel 49, the 1st World War Memorial at the Regimental Headquarters, Horseferry Road Westminster SW1, and on the War Memorial inside St Thomas’ Chapel of Ease Noak Hill. His father, Thomas Henry Yetton, lived at Alice Cottage Paternoster Row Noak Hill. Awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.