Roll of Honour - Cambridgeshire

Ministry of Defence

Lest We Forget

The Royal British Legion

BOURN WAR MEMORIAL

World War 1 & 2 - Roll of Honour with detailed information
Compiled and copyright © 2000 Martin Edwards

The memorial stands at the side of the main road, High Street, through the village on a triangular patch of grass at the junction to Short Street. It is made from Aberdeen Granite and is in the form of a granite cross enclosed by pillards and chain link fence. There are seventeen names for World War 1 and one for World War 2. The memorial was unveiled on 21st November 1920 by Colonel C T Heycock. the mason was Mr W Wade, the builder was Mr Sideny Gauge and the manufacturers were Messrs MacIntoch. house to house voting was carried out to determine whether to erect a cross or to add additional bells with a dedicatory tablet inside the church; the result of the vote was - Cross: 356, Church Bells: 267. Details of the memorial were carried in the Cambridge Indenpendent Press on 18th July 1919, 16th January 1920, 26th November 1920, 12th August 1921, 21st October 1921 and 26th November 1921.

ERECTED
TO THE GLORIOUS MEMORY
OF THE MEN OF BOURN
WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR

PASS NOT THIS STONE IN SORROW,
BUT WITH PRIDE,
AND MAY YOU LIVE AS NOBLY
AS THEY DIED

1914-1918

CARTER	Benjamin Frank	2nd Corporal 13432 17th Field Company, Royal Engineers who was killed in action on Thursday, 6th May 1915. Age 30. Born Bourn, enlisted Cambridge. Sergeant according to memorial. Son of the late William and Lydia Carter, of Bourn, Cambridge. No known grave. Commemorated on YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium Panel 9. Ypres (now Ieper) is a town in the Province of West Flanders.
CLARK	Arthur	[Also listed as CLARKE] Sergeant 31029 94th Battery, Royal Field Artillery who died on Tuesday, 10th October 1916. Age 30. Son of Mrs. Emily Clarke, of Alms Hill, Bourn, Cambridge. DERNANCOURT COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION, Somme, France. Plot III. Row F. Grave 22. Dernancourt is a village 3 kilometres south of Albert. The Communal Cemetery is a little west of the village, and the Extension is on the north-west side of the Communal Cemetery.
CLARK	Charles	Private 43036 6th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment who died on Thursday, 15th February 1917. Age 28. Born Bourn, enlisted huntiongdon, Hunts. Son of Emily Clark, of Alms Hill, Bourn, Cambs and the late Charles Clark. Formerly 26724, Bedfordshire Regiment. Buried in NIEDERZWEHREN CEMETERY, Germany. Plot X. Row E. Grave 15. The cemetery is located 10 kilometres south of Kassel and 2 kilometres from the main road from Kassel to Marburg.
COXALL	James	Private 26604 14th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment who was killed in action on Wednesday, 26th September 1917. Born and enlisted Bourn. Formerly 26843, Suffolk Regiment. No known grave. Commemorated on TYNE COT MEMORIAL, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 88 to 90 and 162
DOCWRA	Harry	[Spelt DOCURA on SDGW] Corporal 93890, 64th Brigade, Ammunition Column, Royal Field Artillery who died on Saturday, 13th November 1915. Age 28. Born Bourn, enlisted September 1914 in Cambridge. Son of Daniel and Emma Ann Docwra, of Alm's Hill, Bourn, Cambridge. Employed by L. and N.W. Railway before enlistment. In the 1911 census he was aged 23, born Bourn, Cambridgeshire, single, a Coal Porter, son of Daniel and Emma Docwra, resident Alms Hill, Bourn, Cambridgeshire. Buried in BETHUNE TOWN CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France. Plot IV. Row F. Grave 95. Bethune is 29 kilometres north of Arras.
GAUGE	Bertram	Private 2339, 1/1st Battalion Cambridgeshire Regiment, killed in action, France and Flanders, 14th September 1916. Born Bourn, Cambridgeshire, enlisted Cambridge. No known grave. Commemorated on THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, Somme, France. Pier and Face 16 B. The Thiepval Memorial will be found on the D73, off the main Bapaume to Albert road (D929). Photograph from Cambridge Independent Press - 14 September 1917
GRANT	Harry	Private 292633, 1st/7th Battalion (Territorial), Northumberland Fusiliers. Died 14th November 1916. Enlisted Cambridge. In the 1911 census he was the son of Thomas and Margaret Grant, aged 15, born 1896 in Bourn, resident Bourn Cambridgeshire. No known grave. Commemorated on THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, Somme, France.Pier and Face 10 B 11 B and 12 B.
HOUGHTON	Frank	Private 234629, 78th Battlion, Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Regiment). Died 9th April 1917. Aged 29. Born 1st August 1890 in Bourn. Enlisted and passed fit on 4th April 1916 at Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada aged 26 years 8 months. Height 5 feet 9¾ inches, girth 36 inches, complexion ruddy. eyes brown, hair brown. Religion Church of England. Farmer by trade. Son of Mrs Susan Maslin of 30 Bellimy Street, Balham, London. Resident Snowflake, Manitoba, Canada. Buried ARRAS ROAD CEMETERY, ROCLINCOURT, Pas de Calais, France. Plot II. Row L. Grave 19. National Archives of Canada Accession Reference: RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 4525 - 13
JOHNSON	Arthur (George)	Private 8449, 1st Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Died 3 October 1915. Aged 21. Son of John and Mary Jane Johnson, of 29, Elm Cottage, Knapwell, Cambs. In the 1911 census he was the son of John and Mary Jane Johnson, aged 16, Agricultural Labourer, born 1895 in Langthorne, Yorkshire, resident Monkfield S Cottage, Bourn, Cambridgeshire. The 1901 census gives him as the son of John and Mary Johnson, aged 6, born 1895 in Bourn, Cambridgeshire, resident St Neots Road, Bourn, Cambridgeshire. No known grave. Commemorated on LOOS MEMORIAL. Pas de Calais, France. Panel 37 and 38.
KEEP	Charles (Charlie)	Lance Corporal 15353, 11th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment who was killed in action on Saturday, 1st July 1916. Born Bourn, enlisted Cambridge. No known grave. Commemorated on THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, Somme, France Pier and Face 1 C and 2 A. The Thiepval Memorial will be found on the D73, off the main Bapaume to Albert road (D929).
CHEW	Harry Leader	Private 33851 13th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment who was killed in action on Wednesday, 27th March 1918. Age 29. Born and resident BOurne (sic), enlisted Cambridge. Son of Robert and Elizabeth Chew; husband of Agnes Gertrude Dazely (formerly Chew), of The Riddy, Bourn, Cambs. Formerly 039091, Royal Army Service Corps. No known grave. Commemorated on ARRAS MEMORIAL, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 5. The Arras Memorial is in the Faubourg-d'Amiens Cemetery, which is in the Boulevard du General de Gaulle in the western part of the town of Arras.
NEWMAN	Fred	Private 66391 1st/6th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers who died on Thursday, 11th April 1918. Age 18. Son of Edward and Sarah Newman, of Bourn, Cambs. No known grave. Commemorated on PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium. Panel 2. The Ploegsteert Memorial stands in Berks Cemetery Extension, which is located 12.5 kilometres south of Ieper town centre, on the N365 leading from Ieper to Mesen (Messines), Ploegsteert and on to Armentieres.
PARNWELL	Clarence Wilfred	Private 205552 10th Battalion, Essex Regiment who was killed in action on Thursday, 8th August 1918. Age 28. Born Elsworth, enlisted Cambridge, resident Caxton End. Son of Mrs. M. Hagger, of Caxton, Cambs. Formerly 305326, Cambridgeshire Regiment. No known grave. Commemorated on VIS-EN-ARTOIS MEMORIAL, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 7. Vis-en-Artois and Haucourt are villages on the straight main road from Arras to Cambrai about 10 kilometres south-east of Arras.
REUBEN	John	Private 242489 5th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment who died on Friday, 27th October 1916. Enlisted Cambridge, resident Bourne (sic). No known grave. Commemorated on THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, Somme, France. Pier and Face 3 A and 3 D. The Thiepval Memorial will be found on the D73, off the main Bapaume to Albert road (D929).
SMITH, MM	Albert	Sergeant 325714, "B" Company, 1/1st Battalion Cambridgeshire Regiment, killed in action, France and Flanders, 27th September 1916. Born Bourn, Cambridgeshire, enlisted Cambridge. Awarded Military Medal as Corporal: "As a company runner in an attack on September 3rd 1916, he showed great bravery and devotion to duty in carrying message backwards and forwards under very difficult circumstances and under very heavy shellfire." * Cannot locate on CWGC *
WILSON	James [Barnes]	Gunner 28744, 6th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery who was killed in action on Saturday, 22nd May 1915. Age 26. Born Bourne (sic), enlisted Bury St Edmunds, resident Fenstanton, St Ives, Hunts. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Wilson, of St. Neots Rd., Dry Drayton, Cambs. Born Bourne. Buried in LE TOURET MILITARY CEMETERY, RICHEBOURG-L'AVOUE. Plot II. Row E. Grave 14. Brother of below.
WILSON, MM	Sidney Charles	Corporal 3/6448, 1st Battalion attached Trench Mortar Battery, Bedfordshire Regiment who was killed in action on Monday, 2nd July 1917. Age 26. Born Bourn, enlisted Cambridge, resident Dry Drayton. Son of Edward James and Elizabeth Wilson, of St. Neots Rd., Dry Drayton, Cambridge. Awarded Military Medal (M.M.). Buried in ROCLINCOURT MILITARY CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France. Plot III. Row C. Grave 8. Roclincourt is a village a little to the east of the road from Arras to Lens. Brother of the above.
1939-1945
KIMPTON	William	Private 5933224, 1st Battalion, The Cambridgeshire Regiment, Suffolk Regiment who died on Thursday, 21st September 1944. Age 25. Prisoner of war, died at sea when the Hofuku Maru was sunk. Son of William and Elizabeth Kimpton, of Cambridge. No known grave. Commemorated on the SINGAPORE MEMORIAL, Singapore. Column 59. In the Far East at Singapore, the Singapore Memorial bears, on its columns, the names of over 24,000 soldiers and airmen of the British Commonwealth and Empire who have no known grave. Note: On 21st September 1944 the Hofuku Maru sailed with Convoy MATA-27 for Takao in Formosa. She was attacked by an American aircraft carrier about 80 miles north of Corregidor, the aircraft carrier’s planes sunk the whole fleet including the Hofuku Maru, not knowing she carried prisoners. The Hofuku Maru was carrying 1289 prisoners from Manila to Japan, 1047 were lost. Extract from local paper: Pte. W. Kimpton, Cambs. Regt., eldest son of Mrs. W. Kimpton, of Bourn. He worked for Mrs. J. Bullen, of Bourn, before war broke out. He joined the territorials in 1939.

Last updated 6 August, 2025

War Memorials Trust