Beaminster War Memorials
 

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The main war memorial, to those who gave their lives, is situated inside the parish church of St Mary of the Annunciation, where it was installed in 1920. This is now a memorial to the 36 men of Beaminster who died in the First World War and the 15 who also made the ultimate sacrifice during the Second World War

 

A transcription follows:
PTE J BERNEY PTE GT HILL   PTE AJ LARCOMBE PTE ALBERT TRAVERS
" RJ BRINSON " AR HILL  

REMEMBER

 LIEUT W B R MOORHOUSE VC 
" P DUNN  " HW HOOPER

IN GOD

 PTE P PAUL SERGT T TRAVERS 
LCORPL P DICKER " G HUSSEY 

THE TRUE AND

 " H PAUL  PTE TRAVERS 
PTE W GRIMES  " LV HOCKING 

FAITHFUL SONS OF

 " T PHILLIPS  "  P TRUMP
" B GERRARD  " G KITE

BEAMINSTER

 LCORPL G POMEROY  "  A TUCK
" CR GRIFFIN  TRPR H LAKE 

THAT GAVE THEIR

 PTE AAL POOLE  "  ? TUCK
" A HALSON  PTE J LEGG 

LIVES IN THE CAUSE

 " E STROUD  CORPL CH WELSFORD
2ND LIEUT CECIL C HANN  " G LARCOMBE 

OF JUSTICE AND

 " ALFRED TRAVERS  PTE J WINTERS 
  " A MEECH  

HONOUR

    
 

 1914

    1919  
         
   

1939 - 1945

    
 PETER BAILEY  LESLIE J GAIT    GEORGE S SALT
 WILFRED BUGLER  HENRY G LATHEY    HENRY G SATCHELL
 CECIL W CLARK  FRANCIS JM MOREY    WILLIAMS A WATTS
 CHARLES W DAWE  JOHN WI MOUNTER    CHARLES WHITMARSH
 G STJOHN A DYSON  JOHN R PERKINS    EDWIN G WOODBURY

 

Outside there is a further memorial that commemorates those men of Beaminster who served during the Great War and is, more-or-less, in alphabetical order. It forms part of the churchyard wall into which are have been set four large horizontal blocks of stone laid end-to-end, divided slightly off-centre by a vertical stone. Both the wall and the memorial are made of the local Ham stone.

Part of the re-positioned war memorial

In front of the memorial is a slope made of stone blocks which enables passage from Church Street to the church gates.

 

A general view of Church Street showing the slope with the War Memorial wall to its left

The wall stones once formed the plinth of the old war memorial that stood in the Square. This was surmounted by a gun to which reference is made on the vertical stone (details below). During a parish meeting on 12 September 1940 at which concern was expressed that, being so conspicuous, it could become an air raid target, it was agreed that it should be taken down the following day and by a further motion that Mrs Moorhouse (daughter-in-law of WB Rhodes-Moorhouse VC) be approached with the suggestion that it be sold for scrap to raise funds for an aircraft. From information to hand, this was also possibly due to pressure from ex-servicemen - who were never happy at the idea of their colleagues being, metaphorically, suppressed by a German gun. The plinth remained in place until the 1960s, when it was deemed to be a traffic hazard and was removed and incorporated into the church wall

Kindly donated by Nigel Bown

The dedication of the War Memorial in its original position at the eastern end of The Square on Boxing Day 1920

The vertical stone also refers to the Great War 1914-1919. Although the Armistice (which signalled the cessation of hostilities) was signed on 11 November 1918, the formal end of the war did not come until the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919

 

Vertical Stone

THIS MEMORIAL

IS ENTRUSTED TO

THE CARE OF

FUTURE GENERATIONS

AS A LASTING TRIBUTE

TO THE PATRIOTIC

SPIRIT OF THE MEN OF

BEAMINSTER

WHO FOUGHT IN THE

GREAT WAR OF 1914-1919

A GUN WHICH WAS ONE OF

THOSE CAPTURED FROM

THE GERMANS DURING

THE CAMPAIGN & WAS

PRESENTED TO THE

TOWN OF BEAMINSTER

IN RECOGNITION OF THE

VERY GALLANT DEED OF

LIEUT WBR RHODES MOORHOUSE

ROYAL FLYING CORPS

FOR WHICH HE WAS GIVEN THE

VICTORIA CROSS

Horizontal Stones
GNR F ACKERMAN PTE G BACON PTE E BEVISS DR R BRINSON PTE MW BUGLER PTE G CHUBB
DR G ACKERMAN SERGT EP BAILEY CAPT FE BISHOP DSO PTE RJ BRINSON PTE T BUGLER DR GH COLLINS
PTE H ACKERMAN PTE WJ BAILEY GNR GW BOON SPR AJ BROOKS LIEUT WTH BUGLER MBE DR G COLLINS
PTE SE ACKERMAN PTE EJ BALDRY PTE SJ BOON PTE EP BROOKS SERGT A BULLOCK PTE TH COOK
SERGT T ACKERMAN GNR J BARRETT GNR WG BOON CAPT AH BUGLER PTE T BULLOCK TR W COOK
PTE J ACKERMAN LT CPR* H BARCLAY LIEUT CE BOWDITCH PTE E BUGLER PTE RS CALLOW PTE DS COX
DR S ADKINS SERGT A BARTER CORPL OR BOWDITCH CAPT EF BUGLER MC GNR TC CARTER PTE HV COX
PTE AC ALLEN SPR F BARTLETT DR A BRINSON PTE F BUGLER PTE E CHARD SERGT W COX
PTE HJ ALLEN TRP G BARTLETT PTE F BRINSON PTE GH BUGLER PTE A CLEAL LIEUT WH CROCKER
CORPL TH ALLEN 2ND LIEUT WO BEAMENT PTE G BRINSON SERGT J BUGLER CORPL AG CLEAL CAPT FH CULLINGFORD
GNR G AITCHISON PTE J BERNEY SERGT L BRINSON PTE L BUGLER PTE E CLEAL MM CORPL BC DARBY

* I believe that it was intended that this should read L Cpl or L Cpr
SERGT AJ DAWBNEY CAPT AE DRYSDALE DSO MC QMS G FROOME GNR WT GIBBS PTE A HALSON PTE GH HART
PTE ALB DAWE TR P DUNN DR AD GALE PTE W GILLINGHAM PTE G HALSON GNR HR HAWKER
PTE ARTH DAWE BOMB H EBDON SERGT WC GALE PTE WE GOWER PTE P HALSON STKR C HAWKINS RN
AB C DAWE RN PTE HH EDWARDS DR WW GALE PTE A GREENING PTE R HALSON GNR E HAWKINS
SERGT CS DAWE L CPL H ELLIOTT PTE B GERRARD PTE E GRIMES AB C HAM RN STKR F HAWKINS RN
L CPL H DAWE CQMS CW EMERY SERGT AC GIBBS PTE W GRIMES LIEUT AP HANN RN PTE AE HAYWARD
PTE HV DENNER PTE A FARNHAM TR HS GIBBS CORPL FV GUNNING PTE C HANN PTE JH HAYWARD
A DICKER PTE CJ FARNHAM PTE LH GIBBS PTE GR GRIFFIN 2ND LIEUT CECIL C HANN PTE W HAYWARD
ENGR E DICKER PTE R FARNHAM PTE P GIBBS PTE E GUPPY LIEUT CHAS C HANN RN PTE AR HILL
L CPL P DICKER TR TS FRAMPTON PTE WB GIBBS AM WH GUPPY LIEUT HW HANSFORD SERGT E HILL
PTE J DODGE PTE EW FRAMPTON TR WJ GIBBS SERGT FJ HALLETT PTE C HARRIS PTE G HILL
          PTE GT HILL

 
PTE H HILL PTE HW HOOPER AB RJ HUTCHINGS RN AM E LAWRENCE AB GF MILLWARD RN PTE WJ NEWTON
DR RV HILL DR R HOOPER LIEUT CS JAMES PTE SJ LAWRENCE CAPT J MILLWARD AM JWR NEWMAN
PTE S HILL L CPL G HOUSE PTE F JANE PTE J LEGG LIEUT WB R MOORHOUSE VC TR WB NEWMAN
2ND LIEUT WEM HILL PTE JR HOUSE SUB LIEUT SV JEPHSON RN PTE L LEGG AB A MOUNTER RN CORPL WCJ NEWMAN
CORPL WH HILL PTE T HOUSE REV WV JEPHSON RSM R LEGG AB R MOUNTER RN PTE C NICHOLS
PTE A HOARE PTE FJ HURREN LIEUT FS KEECH PTE WC LEGG PTE R MOUNTER CORPL W NIGHTINGALE
LIEUT CR HOARE SERGT F HUSSEY PTE G KITE PTE E MARSH SERGT H NEWBERY AB S NORRIS RN
PTE LV HOCKING PTE G HUSSEY LT COL HL KITSON SERGT HJ MARSH MM SIG L NEWBERY PTE TJ PARK
PTE F HODDER GNR HW HUSSEY GNR A LAKE CORPL R MASON SPR CJ NEWTON PTE H PARKER
PTE AG HOOPER PTE BV HUNT TR H LAKE PTE H MARTIN PTE F NEWTON MAJOR EHW PARTRIDGE
PTE E HOOPER CPO CJ HUNT RN PTE AJ LARCOMBE PTE T MEAD GNR NJ NEWTON PTE D PAULL
PTE H HOOPER GNR F HUTCHINGS PTE G LARCOMBE PTE GH MEECH PTE TH NEWTON PTE E PAULL

(?) unable to decipher, may have been erased
PTE P PAUL L CPL G POMEROY PTE S POOLE TR AB RYALL PTE P STEVENS Dr WC TIZZARD
PTE (?) PAUL PTE WG POMEROY RSM WA POOLE PTE RG RYALL PTE RW STEVENS DCM MAJOR BL THORPE
PTE W PAULL AB SG POMEROY RN PTE A PURKESS 2ND LIEUT H ROGERS PTE CE STONE PTE CT TOLMAN
AB S PEAKE RN PTE AAL POOLE PTE C PURKESS SERGT JG ROGERS SERGT EA STONE SERGT ALB TRAVERS
SPR FF PEARSON PTE F POOLE PTE J RECORD PTE W RICHARDS WO FWG STREVENS PTE A TRAVERS
REV AF PENTNEY MC L CPL FC POOLE AB GA READ RN PTE CS SATCHELL PTE E STROUD PTE AE TRAVERS
PTE (?) PERRIN PTE H POOLE L CPL T RENDALL PTE A SHAPLAND CORPL CE SWAFFIELD PTE BC TRAVERS
PTE P PERRIN PTE J POOLE L CPL R RENDALL PTE J SIMMONS GNR AR SWATRIDGE PTE C TRAVERS
PTE W PERRIN PTE AJ POOLE BDR WJ RENDALL PTE C SMITH SERGT C TAYLOR PTE D TRAVERS
CAPT AW PINE PTE JH POOLE COL WK RUSSELL PTE H SOUTHWOOD PTE DC TIZZARD PTE J TRAVERS
PTE T PHILLIPS CPL JN POOLE PTE WC RUSSELL CORPL AJ SPRACKLING PTE C TIZZARD PTE P TRAVERS
MAJOR GA PINNEY MC PTE R POOLE LIEUT R RYALL CSM FH STEMBRIDGE GNR E TIZZARD GNR RV TRAVERS

  
SERGT TH TRAVERS PTE R TUCK PTE H WATTS L CPL EW WHITTY
GNR WJ TRAVERS PTE W TURNER PTE J WATTS PTE W WHITTY
PTE BS TREVETT SERGT P VALLIS PTE R WATTS PTE VC WILDERN
AM AJ TRUMP PTE S WAKELEY Dr F WEAVER LIEUT EG WISE
PTE E TRUMP PTE H WALBRIDGE TR GE WEAVER GNR F WINTERS
PTE P TRUMP TR T WARREN PTE R WEBB L CPL A WINTERS
PTE A TUCK TR TC WARREN PTE CH WELSFORD SERGT E WINTERS
PTE E TUCK PTE EH WATERS AB GW WHITEMORE RN PTE J WINTERS
PTE F TUCK PTE A WATTS PTE L WHITEMORE AB E WOODBURY RN
PTE H TUCK PTE CECIL WATTS PTE FD WHITMARSH GNR S WOODBURY
PTE HJ TUCK PTE CHAS WATTS PTE WJ WHITMARSH PTE A WOODFORD
PTE J TUCK CORPL G WATTS PTE AA WHITTY AB CJ WOOTTON RN

 Abbreviations

 Prefixes
AB Able Seaman (Royal Navy)
AM Airman (Royal Flying Corps)
BDR/BOMB Bombardier (a Corporal in an Artillery regiment)
CAPT Captain (Army, Royal Flying Corps, Royal Navy, Royal Naval Air Service)
CORPL/CPL Corporal
CPO Chief Petty Officer (Royal Navy, Royal Naval Air Service)
COL Colonel
CQMS Company Quarter Master Sergeant
CSM Company Sergeant Major
DR Driver (a Private in the Army Service Corps)
ENGR Engineer (Royal Navy)
GNR Gunner (a Private in an Artillery regiment)
L CPL Lance Corporal
LIEUT Lieutenant (Army, Royal Flying Corps, Royal Navy, Royal Naval Air Service)
LT COL Lieutenant Colonel
PTE Private
QMS Quarter Master Sergeant
RSM Regimental Sergeant Major
SERGT Sergeant
SIG Signaller (a Private in the Royal Signals)
SPR Sapper (a Private in the Royal Engineers)
STKR Stoker (Royal Navy)
SUB LIEUT Sub Lieutenant (Royal Navy, Royal Naval Air Service)
TR/TRP Trooper (a Private in a Cavalry or Armoured regiment)
WO Warrant Officer
2ND LIEUT Second Lieutenant (Army, Royal Flying Corps)

Suffixes
DCM Distinguished Conduct Medal
DSO Distinguished Service Order
MC Military Cross
MM Military Medal
RN Royal Navy, Royal Naval Air Service
VC Victoria Cross

HANNfamily

01.10.2011

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