RISELEY - Roll of Honour
World War 1 & 2 - Roll of Honour with detailed information
Compiled and copyright © 2001 Brenda Asplin
Photographs Copyright © Brenda Asplin 2001
The War Memorial stands in the churchyard of All Saints Parish Church
IN HONOURED MEMORY OF
OUR FELLOW VILLAGERS
WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES
IN DEFENCE OF THEIR COUNTRY
DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY
1, CORS X V.54
EUROPEAN WAR
Gerald Frederick
PD/Lance Bombardier 123749. "D" Bty. 5th Bde. Royal Field Artillery. Died 12 July 1918. Age 23. Born Alconbury Weston. Enlisted Bedford. Son of Frederick & Mary Ann Chamberlain of Mill farm, Riseley. Commemorated: Pernes British Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais, France. Ref. V.E.27. Also recorded on Swineshead Memorial
Pte. 23704. 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action Thursday 1 February 1917. Born Thurleigh. Lived Riseley. Enlisted Bedford. Commemorated: Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Ref. Pier & Face 2C.
CROOT
Pte. 17751. 6th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. Died of wounds Wednesday 16 August 1916. Age 19. Born & lived Riseley. Enlisted Bedford. Ward of Mrs. Amy Sharman of 18 Gold Street, Riseley, Bedford. Commemorated: St. Sever Cemetery, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France. Ref. B.27.14
EKINS
Pte. 23488. 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action Friday 26 October 1917. Born & lived Riseley. Enlisted Ampthill. Commemorated: Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Ref. Panel 48 – 50 & 162A.
GADSBY
Pte. 23078. "B" Coy. 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action Monday 23 April 1917. Age 20. Born & lived Riseley. Enlisted Ampthill. Son of W. & Fanny Gadsby of 5 Swan Terrace, Goldington, Bedford. Commemorated: Orchard Dump Cemetery, Arleux-en-Gohelle, Pas-de-Calais, France. Ref. VII.G.13.
GELL
George William
Pte. 22819.4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action Monday 13 November 1916. Born & lived Riseley. Enlisted Ampthill. Commemorated: Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel, Somme, France. Ref. IV.E.6
L/Cpl. 20554. 8h Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action 21 September 1916 (Monday 25 September on CWGC). Age 38. Born Riseley. Lived Melchbourne. Enlisted Ampthill. Son of Thomas & Martha Hancock of Riseley; husband of Arm (sic) Minnie Hancock of Melchbourne, Bedford. Commemorated: Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Ref. Pier & Face 2C. See also Melchbourne Roll of Honour
Pte. 13813. 2nd Battalion Northampton Regiment. Killed in action Sunday 9 May 1915. Born Riseley. Enlisted Northampton. Son of George Hancock and Elizabeth Roberts of High Street Riseley. Brother of James (below) and Arthur. Commemorated: Ploegsteert Memorial, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium. Ref. Panel 9. (Note: The memorial has one Hancock recorded as J.A.S. Hancock, and the other below as J. Hancock. CWGC and the CD do not give any other initial than J, so it is impossible at present to know which man was J.A.S. Hancock)
Joseph (above) and James (Below) were sons of George Hancock (b Riseley abt 1854) an Agricultural Labourer and Elizabeth Hancock (nee Roberts) (b Riseley abt 1855) a lacemaker. James (nickname Tip) was born abt 1881 (although after the census of that year) and Joseph (Fake) was born abt 1883. At least one of them was married and had a son - Stanley.
Their paternal grandparents were John and Maria Hancock and maternal grandparents George and Jane Roberts. All except Jane were born in Riseley - she was from Chorston, Bedfordshire.
Their siblings were as follows:
Emily b abt 1877, married Charles Filsell in 1901 and had three girls - Winifred, Constance and Olive
Ada b abt 1879, married a Portingale.
John or Jack (also known as Tinker) b abt 1880 married Florence Hancock and had a son, Hubert.
Arthur (Ginger) b 9 9 1886 married Dorothy Ena Hopkins and had two children, Ida Odette and Bernard Arthur (Ida Odette is my maternal grandmother)
Leonard (known as Oliver Cromwell or Crom)
Percy (known as Jerry) married and had one daughter, Sylvia
Pte. 33462. 8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action Thursday 19 April 1917. Born & lived Riseley. Enlisted Northampton. Son of George Hancock and Elizabeth Roberts of High Street Riseley. Brother of Joseph (above) and Arthur. Commemorated: Loos Memorial, Pas-de-Calais, France. Ref. Panel 41.
Pte. 31519. 153rd Coy. Machine Gun Corps (Inf). Formerly 23214 Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action Monday 30 October 1916. Age 30. Born & lived Riseley. Enlisted Ampthill. Son of William Frossel Packwood & Elizabeth B. Packwood of Riseley. Commemorated: Mailly Wood Cemetery, Somme, France. Ref. I.A.16.
No further information available at present.
ROUSHAM
Robert Nesbit
Pte. 5/1104A. 2nd Battalion Auckland Regiment. N.Z.E.F. Died Friday 28 June 1918. Age 32. Son of Mr. E.J. Rousham of Riseley, Bedford. Commemorated: Gezaincourt Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France. Ref. I.N.1.
Frank David
Rifleman 44571. 16th battalion Royal Irish Rifles. Died Friday 21 February 1919. Age 26. Husband of Lizzie Sealey of Gold St., Riseley. Commemorated: Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille, Pas-de-Calais, France. Ref. XIII.E.15.
SAWFORD
Pte. 26270. 6th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. Died of wounds Monday 4 September 1916. Born Riseley. Lived Sharnbrook. Enlisted Ampthill. Son of William Henry & Sarah Sawford of Pippin Wood, Sharnbrook, Bedford. Commemorated: St. Sever Memorial, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France. Ref. B.24.8 See also Sharnbrook Memorial
Leonard James
Pte. 20476. 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action Saturday 23 March 1918. Born Riseley. Lived Sharnbrook. Enlisted Bedford. Commemorated: Poziers Memorial, Somme, France. Ref. Panel 28 & 29. See also Sharnbrook Memorial
Cpl. 204384. 12th Battalion East Surrey Regiment. Formerly 6272 Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action Monday 25 March 1918. Born Riseley. Enlisted Bedford. Son of Tom & Mary Ann Valentine of High Street, Riseley. Commemorated: Arras Memorial, Pas-de-Calais, France. Ref. Bay 6.
Either Francis William Wildman. L/Cpl 14424. 6th Northamptonshire Regiment. Killed in action Friday 14 July 1916. Born Riseley. Enlisted Kettering, Northants. Commemorated: Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Ref. Pier & Face 11A & 11D. Or Frederick Wildman. Pte 3/8214. 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. Born & lived Riseley. Enlisted Bedford. Killed in action 1 July 1916. Commemorated: Dantzig Alley British Cemetery, Mametz, Somme, France. Ref. VII.A.5.
Pte. 7354. "H" Coy. 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action Sunday 25 October 1914. Age 36. Born Riseley. Lived & Enlisted Bedford. Husband of Annie Rosa Wildman of 36 Millbrook Road, Bedford. Commemorated: Le Touret Memorial, Pas-de-Calais, France. Ref. Panel 10 & 11.
George Arthur
[recorded as C. on CD]. Rifleman B/200483. 17th Battalion Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own). Formerly 30184 Bedfordshire Regiment. Died of wounds Monday 25 March 1918. Age 35. Born & lived Riseley. Enlisted Sharnbrook. Husband of Amy Wildman of Riseley, Beds. Commemorated: Mount Huon Military Cemetery, Le Treport, Seine-Maritime, France. Ref. V.E.IA.
Pte. 17731. 6th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. Died Wednesday 22 March 1916. Age 22. Born & lived Riseley. Enlisted Bedford. Son of Samuel Wildman of Ringstead Road, Denford, Nr. Thrapston, Northants. Native of Riseley. Commemorated: Ste. Marie Cemetery, Le Havre, France. Ref. Div.19.U.2.
Norman Clifford
Pilot Officer 138121. Royal Air force Volunteer Reserve. Died Friday 26 February 1943. Age 21. Son of George Thomas Harris & Edith Olive Harris of Riseley, Beds. Commemorated: St. George Rural Cemetery, New Brunswick, Canada. Ref. Lot 32. Range 12.