Baydon: WWI War Memorial

Mary Spender

The clock on the tower of St Nicholas Church, Baydon is dedicated to the memory of those local men who fell during WWI. The memorial plaque with the names of the fallen can be found inside St Nicholas church. Listed below are the names and details of the nine who fell and who are listed on the plaque.

The Men of Baydon Who Fell in WWI: 1914-18 (in order of decease)

Pte Harry ILOTT
6860, 1st Bn, Wiltshire Regiment

  • Died on 18 October 1914. Age 29. NKG.
  • Remembered with Honour at Le Touret Memorial, Ligny Le Grand, Pas de Calais, France. Panels 33&34
  • Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal, Mons Star
  • A farm lad. Born about 1885 in Faringdon, Berkshire. Son of Thomas ILOTT (1853-1941) and Mary Ann LEA (1856-1898), of Bailey Hill Farm, Baydon.
  • Married to Caroline Eliza Merrifield YOUNG (1894-)daughter of William YOUNG of Egbury, Hampshire. She lived at 48 Turnbull, Oxenwood, Hungerford after the War.

Pte Alfred MARCHANT
5050, 2nd Bn., Wiltshire Regiment

  • Died on 22 October 1914. Age 34.
  • Remembered with Honour: Perth Cemetery (China Wall), Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Plot X. B. 28.
  • Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal, Mons Star
  • A boilersmith’s helper, Locomotive and Carriage Department, GWR, Swindon.
  • Member of the Salvation Army. Born Feb 1880 in Ramsbury, Wiltshire.
  • Son of William MARCHANT (c 1853-1932) and Eliza (c 1861-)
    Husband of Ellen Rose KELLY (1884-1955) daughter of Charles KELLY (1860-).
    They married 22 June 1907 in Swindon and lived at 24 Dixon St., Swindon.

Pte Arthur James DAVIS
10551, 5th Bn., Royal Berkshire Regiment

  • Died on 17 February 1916. Age 31. NKG.
  • Remembered with Honour: Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 93 to 95
  • Ploughman. Born Oct 1884, Aldbourne, Wiltshire. Christened at St Nicholas, Baydon 5 Oct 1884.
  • Son of Jacob DAVIS of Aldbourne (1823-1897) and Mary Ann MARCHANT of Ramsbury (1843-).

Pte Herbert Henry Allan LAWRENCE
147264, 5th Special Bde., Royal Engineers

  • Died on 26 April 1916. Age 19.
  • Remembered with Honour: Calais Southern Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Plot C. 3. 13
  • Born Q3 1896, Highworth, Son of Frederick John Harris LAWRENCE (1871-) and Maria (1866-) both born in Baydon and of Bailey Cottages, The Square, Baydon Railway Sub-Office, Baydon, Wiltshire in 1921.

Pte Thomas RADBOURNE
17839, ‘B’ Coy. 1st Bn., Royal Berkshire Regiment

  • Died on 24 May 1916. Age 37.
  • Remembered with Honour: Zouave Valley Cemetery, Souchez, Pas de Calais, France. Plot II. A. 19.
  • Born 1879 in Baydon. Son of William RADBOURNE (1847-) and Prudence Ann (1846-). Resident of Henley on Thames in 1911. Married, 1912, Louisa ILOTT (1878-1950) in Henley on Thames. Louisa was the sister of Harry ILOTT (1885-1914) above.

Pte Francis Edward GIGG
25403, 1st Bn, Wiltshire Regiment

  • Died on 24 August 1916. Age 30
  • Remembered with Honour: Puchevillers British Cemetery, Somme, France. Plot III. E. 21.
  • A carman on the road. Born at Wexcombe, Grafton, Wiltshire in 1886 to Charles GIGG (1859-) and Martha Ann STOUT (1859-) who moved to Baydon.
  • He married Florence M. BROOMFIELD (1890-1954) in Salisbury in the first quarter of 1916. She lived at Pundle View, Bartley, near Southampton after the War.
  • Frank’s sister, Beatrice (1894-1982), married William GOSLING (1896-1984), brother of Harold GOSLING DCM (1898-1918) below.

2nd Lt Arthur Harry LOXLEY
Inns of Court Officers Training Corps, 4th Bn., North Staffordshire (Prince of Wales’s) Regiment, Attd 6th Bn KOYLI.

  • Died on 09 April 1917. Age 19 at Vimy Ridge.
  • Remembered with Honour: Tilloy British Cemetery, Tilloy-Les-Mofflaines, Pas de Calais, France.
  • Plot III. H. 8. Medals: British Victory
  • Born 1898 West Horsley, Surrey. Son of Henry Daniel LOXLEY (1872-1949) and Frances Lily COLBORNE (1887-1964). They lived in Church House, Finches Lane and were then resident in Carbrook Curridge, Newbury in 1921. At the time of his death in 1949, Henry was a chicken farmer in Twyford, Hampshire.
  • The north east window in St Nicholas is dedicated to Arthur by his parents.

Pte Charles FARMER
18000, 5th Bn., Dorsetshire Regiment

  • Died on 01 October 1918. Age 26.
  • Remembered with Honour: Sucrerie Cemetery, Epinoy, Pas de Calais, France. Plot D. 8.
  • A carter on the road. Born 1892 in Baydon, Wiltshire to Charles FARMER (1851-) and Rachel (1851-)

Pte Harold Austin GOSLING
36046, Joined the Royal Flying Corps in 16 May 1916 and compulsory transferred in 03 June 1917 to 12th Bn., East Surrey Regiment.

  • He died of a shot wound to his skull on 03 October 1918. Age 20.
  • Remembered with Honour: Haringhe (Bandaghem) Military Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Plot III. B. 65.
  • Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal.
  • Born on 2 Apr 1898 in Highworth, Wiltshire to Jacob GOSLING (1830-1915) and Alice AUSTIN (1870-1918) of The Croft, Finches Lane, Baydon.
  • Brother of Pte William Jacob GOSLING DCM (1896-1984) who is buried in Baydon Churchyard. (see appendix)

Pte George READ
Reportedly omitted from the brass plaque because he was neither an Anglican nor a Methodist

Baydon men who fell in World War II: 1939-45

Sgt Richard Stephen SPRACKMAN
1315858, 619 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

  • died on 18 October 1943. Age unknown.
  • Remembered with Honour: Runnymede Memorial, Surrey. Panel 165
  • Son of A. Sprackman, Farmer, Aldbourne Road, Baydon

Gnr Thomas Douglas TROTMAN
1083132, 135 (The Hertfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regt., Royal Artillery

  • Died on 26 January 1942. Age 22.
  • Remembered with Honour: Singapore Memorial, Singapore. Column 36
  • Born 1920 in Marlborough to Nelson John TROTMAN (1891-) and Sarah Ann MUNDAY (1888-)

Research

www.cwgc.org
https://familysearch.org/
Harry ILOTT – http://www.passeyfamilytree.org.uk/getperson.php?personID=I1517&tree=passey1
William Jacob GOSLING – http://records.ancestry.com/william_jacob_gosling_records.ashx?pid=120241540
Arthur James DAVIS – http://www.hutchins-westwood-genealogy.org.uk/tng/familygroup.php?familyID=F4707&tree=hu1

Mike Ball, Denys Cook, Kev Barnes

Pictures

Alfred MARCHANT 1917: GWR First World War Casualties Source: Scan from the Great Western Railway Magazine. Ref: Vol.XXIX (No.1) : January 1917 p.16 Copyright: GWR – BRWR – Crown. Repository: Swindon Collection, Central Library. https://www.flickr.com/photos/swindonlocal/4231381004/

Abbreviations

Attd – attached
Bn – battalion
BRWR –
CWGC – Commonwealth War Graves Commission
DCM – Distinguished Conduct Medal
Gnr – Gunner
GWR – Great Western Railway
KOYLI – King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
Lt – Lieutenant
NKG – no known grave
Pte – Private
Regt – regiment
Sgt – Sergeant
Sqdn – squadron

 

Appendix

Pte William Jacob GOSLING – 201956. Medal DCM. Died 16 Nov 1984. Buried in Baydon Churchyard. Citation “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. As a runner, he repeatedly proceeded through fire-swept zones in order to carry messages to the firing line at a time when the battalion was part of an advance guard which had been held up by the enemy. His coolness and devotion to duty cannot be too highly praised.” London Gazette: 2 Sep 1916. Born on 30 Dec 1896 in Highworth, Wiltshire to Jacob GOSLING (1830-1915) and Alice AUSTIN (1870-1918) who moved to The Croft, Finches Lane, Baydon. When William went to war there were four people in the house, on his return he was alone. He married Beatrice GIGG (1894-1982), daughter of Charles GIGG (1859-) and Martha Ann STOUT (1859-) who had moved to Finches Farm, Finches Lane, Baydon.