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GREAT MELTON WAR MEMORIAL

World War 1 & 2 and Other - Detailed Information
Compiled and Copyright © Moss Wood 2016

Great Melton has two war memorials, one, in stone, is sited on a grassy island at the junction of Market Lane and Hall Road, Great Melton. It is a Celtic Cross on a slender tapering shaft mounted in a plinth atop four rough stone steps. The second memorial, a carved and decorated wooden remembrance, is in Great Melton Church. The outdoor memorial is a commemoration of all those who died in the First World War and records no names. The memorial was dedicated on Sunday, 31 October 1920. The wooden memorial within Great Melton Church has the names of all the parishioners who gave their lives in the Great War, (descendants of whom still live in the parish) plus the names of four officers who were not parishioners. The memorial was dedicated on Sunday, 24 July 1921. Carved below the memorial are the names of the four parishioners who perished in the Second World War.

At the time of the Great War, Major Edward Henry Evans-Lombe owned nearly all the land and property forming Great Melton parish. In addition he also owned areas of land and properties in several adjoining parishes, among which was the ownership of Marlingford Hall. Almost all the male inhabitants of Great Melton were either his tenants or, in some capacity, in his employment.

Albinia Mary Evans-Lombe b. 1887, d. 16 Apr 1972, and Victoria Repps Evans-Lombe b. 1889, d. 1971 where daughters of Major Evans-Lombe. Both were to lose their husbands in the First World War; both then remarried only to be widowed a second time. Both of Victoria's husbands died during the course of the war and Albinia's second husband died in 1921 as a result of wounds he received during the conflict. As Major Evans-Lombe was the driving force behind the church memorial, it is assumed he wished to commemorate the tragic losses suffered by his two daughters, and added his four deceased son-in-law's names to those of the Melton men on the Great Melton Church War Memorial.

Photograph Copyright © John Salmon 2016

SONS OF THIS PLACE
LET THIS OF YOU BE SAID
THAT YOU WHO LIVE
ARE WORTHY OF YOUR DEAD.

Added names - The Four Commissioned Officers
CLERKE Francis William Talbot
Lieutenant, b orn on 6 March 1886, the son of Sir William Francis Clerke, 11th. Bart. of Hitcham and Lady Clerke. He married Albinia Mary Evans- Lombe in 1911 and they had two children; Sir John Edward Longueville Clerke, 12th Bart. b. 29 Oct 1913, d. 1 Oct 2009 and G/Capt. Rupert Francis Henry Clerke b. 13 Apr 1916, d. 1988. Lieutenant Clerke served with the 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards and was killed in action on the Somme on 26 September 1916, age 30. No known grave. Commemorated on Special Memorial, The Guards' Cemetery, Lesbeoufs, Pas de Calais, France.
ASHLEY Anthony Henry Evelyn
Captain, was born on 25 February 1894, the second son of the Rt. Hon. Evelyn Melbourne Ashley and Lady Alice Elizabeth Ashley. He served with the Coldstream Guards and was wounded at Ypres in 1916. Captain Ashley married Albinia Mary Clerke (nee Evans-Lombe) on 6 March 1920. He died of the wounds he received in 1916 on the 14 January 1921, age 26. Albinia married again on 3 February 1923 to Air Chief Marshal Sir Edgar Rainey Ludlow-Hewitt.
HELYAR Maurice Howard
Captain, born 1879 the son of Francis John Helyar and the Hon. Mrs Helyar of 11, Royal Crescent, Bath. He married Victoria Repps Evans-Lombe in 1914 and they had a daughter, Maureen Howard Helyar b. 1915. Captain Helyar served in South Africa and the Somaliland campaigns before being killed in action with the 4th Battalion Rifle Brigade 24 January 1915 at Ploegsteert Wood, age 36. Buried at Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord, Pas de Calais, France. Plot III. Row F. Grave 63.
GOSLING, CMG Charles
Brigadier, C.M.G., was born in 1868 the son of Francis Gosling of Westbury, Herts. He married Victoria Repps Helyar (nee Evans-Lombe) in 1917 and they had a son, Charles Gosling b. 1917, d. 1996. Brigadier General Gosling was on the General Staff commanding the 10th Infantry Brigade when he was killed in action at Arras on 12 April 1917, age 48. Buried at Hervin Farm British Cemetery, St. Laurent-Blagny, Pas de Calais, France. Plot/Row/Section C. Grave 6.

THE NORFOLK ROLL OF HONOUR 1914-1918

This is the First World War list of names for Great Melton from The Norfolk Roll of Honour 1914-1918

BALES

Frederick [Robert]

Private 13965, 7th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment. Killed in action in Flanders, France, 13 October 1915, age 23. Grandson of widow Harriet Bales, near the school, Great Melton. No known grave. Commemorated on Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 30 and 31.

BETTS

Edward

Private 14857, 9th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment. Killed in action in Flanders, France, 15 September 1916, age 33. Son of Eliza Rachel and the late George Henry Betts, High Green, Great Melton. No known grave. Commemorated on Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 1C and 1D

BETTS

William Thomas

Private 16909, 7th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment. Killed in action in Flanders, France, 13 October 1915, age 19. Son of Arthur and Sarah Ann Betts, parish houses, Great Melton. No known grave. Commemorated on Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 30 and 31

BROOME

Thomas Emmanuel

Private 13963, 8th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment. Killed in action in Flanders, France, 12 May 1917, age 22. Son of John Afford and Emma Maria Broome, High Green, Great Melton. No known grave. Commemorated on Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 3

DRURY

William George

Private 275036, 2/6th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers. Killed in action in Flanders, France, 19 January 1918, age 19. Son of Stephen George and Lucy Ann Drury, The Moor, Great Melton. Buried in Tyne Cot Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Plot I. Rowe A. Grave 25.

FOX

Arthur Thomas

Lance Corporal 14037, 1st Battalion, Norfolk Regiment. Killed in action in Flanders, France, 21 September 1915, age 26. Son of William and Anna Maria Fox, High Green, Great Melton. Buried in Citadel New Military Cemetery, Fricourt, Somme, France. Plot III. Row A. Grave 13

KETTERINGHAM

Donald John

Private 15401, 3rd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. Killed in action in Flanders, France, 27 July 1915, age 19. Son of Elizabeth Ketteringham, Riverside Cottage, Barford. Buried in R.E. Farm Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Plot IV. Row A. Grave 6.

MORTER

Arthur James

Private 14229, 1st Battalion, Norfolk Regiment. Killed in action in Flanders, France, 15 June 1915, age 20. Son of the late William and Rose Morter, Great Melton. Buried in Sanctuary Wood Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Plot IV. Row E. Grave 34

MORTER

Herbert John

Private 20821, 2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment. Formerly 16535 Norfolk Regiment. Killed in action in Flanders, France, 28 March 1918, age 20. Son of the late William and Rose Morter, Great Melton. No known grave. Commemorated on Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 7

REYNOLDS

Charles Edward

Private 3514, 50th Company, Machine Gun Corps. Formerly 22166 Norfolk Regiment. Killed in action in Flanders, France, 7 July 1916, age 19. Son of Albert and Eva Eliza Reynolds, Long Cottages, Great Melton. No known grave. Commemorated on Theipval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 5C and 12C.

WATSON

James

Gunner 6148, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died of war wounds in Flanders, France, 3 May 1917, age 38. Husband of Alma Octavia Bunn (formerly Watson), 15 Long Row, The Lizard, Wymondham. Buried in Athies Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Plot/Row/Section H. Grave 9.

WOODROW

Arthur

Private 16195, 6th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action in Flanders, France, 15 July 1916. Enlisted in Bedford but lived in Great Melton. The 1901 Census Return shows ten years old Arthur Woodrow living at Bylaugh Lodge, Great Melton; there were no other Woodrow families in Great Melton at that time. Buried in Pozieres British Cemetery, Ovillers-La Boisselle, Somme, France.Plot III. Row J. Grave 4.
1939-1945
ATTEWELL Herbert Thomas
Born April/June 1917 - Birth Registered at Henstead (Ref. 1917 4b/256). Private 5775750, 6th Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment. Killed in action 2 August 1943. Aged 26 years. Son of Albert and Edith Charlotte Attewell (nee Fox). Husband of Nora (nee Leach). Buried in Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, West Thailand. Plot 6. Row C. Grave 4.
GOOCH Arthur Walter
Born Oct/Dec 1918 - Birth Registered at Loddon (Ref. 1918 4b/294). Private/Driver T/122376, Royal Army Service Corps. Killed in action 31 May 1940. Aged 21 years. Son of Benjamin and Harriet Gooch (nee Goodwin); nephew of Mrs. F. Sparkes of Gt. Melton. Buried in de Panne Communal Cemetery, West Flanders, Belgium. Plot 1. Row C. 32.
STONE Harold William
Born Apr/Jun 1913 - Birth Registered at Forehoe (Ref. 1913 4b/322). Lance/Sergeant 5770867, 9th Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment. Killed in action 9 June 1943. Aged 31 years. Son of Bertie George and Alice Elizabeth May Stone (nee Cousins) of Wymondham, Norfolk. Buried in Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany. Plot 14. Row E. Grave 5.
WRIGHT Leslie James

Born Apr/Jun 1914 - Birth Registered at Henstead (Ref. 1914 4b/319). Corporal 7887577, 4th Battalion, Royal Tank Regiment. Killed in action 2 February 1944. Aged 30 years. Son of Sidney and Ethel May Wright (nee Powley) of Norwich, Norfolk. Buried in Cassino War Cemetery, Southern Italy. Plot XII. Row B. Grave 20.

[M. O. D. records do not agree with the War Memorial. Only one Leslie James Wright (shown above) and, no Sergeant Wright, appear in Tank Regiment records.]

GREAT MELTON PARISH - FULL ROLL OF HONOUR

The following list was published by the “Eastern Daily Press” in the 1919 to mid-1920 period and includes names of all the men of Great Melton who fought in the Great War. The six additional names (*marked) included in this list are believed to have survived the conflict; the state of the health of the six men who returned was not recorded.

Arthur Morter
See above for details on the memorial
John Morter
See above for details on the memorial
Charles Reynolds
See above for details on the memorial
*Baron Rooke
No further information currently available
*Reginald Sparkes
No further information currently available
*Bertie Warr
No further information currently available
James Watson
See above for details on the memorial
Arthur Woodrow
See above for details on the memorial
Frederick Bales
See above for details on the memorial
Edward Betts
See above for details on the memorial
William Betts
See above for details on the memorial
*William Blake
No further information currently available
Thomas Broome
See above for details on the memorial
William Drury
See above for details on the memorial
Thomas Fox
See above for details on the memorial
*Henry Jeckells
No further information currently available
*Albert Joy
No further information currently available
John Ketteringham
See above for details on the memorial

Note: The U.K.National Office of Statistics records the total population of Great Melton in the 1911 Census as 342 persons (Adults and juveniles); 173 males and 169 females in 77 households.

Last updated 24 December, 2016

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