CHAMBERLAIN

Gerald Frederick

PD/Lance Bombardier 123749.  “D” Bty. 5^th 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 on   Pernes British Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais, France.  Ref. V.E.27. Also recorded on Swineshead Memorial

CLAYTON

William

Pte. 23704.  4^th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment.  Killed in action Thursday 1 February 1917.  Born Thurleigh.  Lived Riseley.  Enlisted Bedford.  Commemorated on   Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.  Ref. Pier & Face 2C.

CROOT

Hugh

Pte. 17751.  6^th 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 on   St. Sever Cemetery, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France.  Ref. B.27.14

EKINS

Bertie

Pte. 23488.  1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment.  Killed in action Friday 26 October 1917.  Born & lived Riseley.  Enlisted Ampthill.  Commemorated on   Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.  Ref. Panel 48 – 50 & 162A.

GADSBY

Frederick

Pte. 23078.  “B” Company, 4^th 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 on   Orchard Dump Cemetery, Arleux-en-Gohelle, Pas-de-Calais, France.  Ref. VII.G.13.

GELL

George William

Pte. 22819.4^th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment.  Killed in action Monday 13 November 1916.  Born & lived Riseley.  Enlisted Ampthill.  Commemorated on Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel, Somme, France.  Ref. IV.E.6

HANCOCK

Arthur

L/Cpl. 20554.  8^h 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 on   Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.  Ref. Pier & Face 2C. See also Melchbourne Roll of Honour

HANCOCK

Joseph

Pte. 13813.  2^nd 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 on   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

HANCOCK

James

Pte. 33462.  8t^h 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 on Loos Memorial, Pas-de-Calais, France.  Ref. Panel 41.

PACKWOOD

Frank

Pte. 31519.  153^rd Company, 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 on   Mailly Wood Cemetery, Somme, France.  Ref. I.A.16.

PORTER

H.W.

No further information available at present.

RICHARDSON

C.

No further information available at present.

ROUSHAM

Robert Nesbit

Pte. 5/1104A.  2^nd Battalion Auckland Regiment.  N.Z.E.F.  Died Friday 28 June 1918.  Age 32.  Son of Mr. E.J. Rousham of Riseley, Bedford.  Commemorated on   Gezaincourt Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France.  Ref. I.N.1.

SEALEY

Frank David

Rifleman 44571.  16^th battalion Royal Irish Rifles.  Died Friday 21 February 1919.  Age 26.  Husband of Lizzie Sealey of Gold St., Riseley.  Commemorated on   Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille, Pas-de-Calais, France.  Ref. XIII.E.15.

SAWFORD

Harold George

Pte. 26270.  6^th 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 on   St. Sever Memorial, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France.  Ref. B.24.8 See also Sharnbrook Memorial

SAWFORD

Leonard James

Pte. 20476.  2^nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment.  Killed in action Saturday 23 March 1918.  Born Riseley.  Lived Sharnbrook.  Enlisted Bedford.  Commemorated on   Poziers Memorial, Somme, France.  Ref. Panel 28 & 29. See also Sharnbrook Memorial

VALENTINE

Walter

Cpl. 204384.  12^th 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 on   Arras Memorial, Pas-de-Calais, France.  Ref. Bay 6.

WILDMAN

F.

Either Francis William Wildman.  L/Cpl 14424.  6^th Northamptonshire Regiment.  Killed in action Friday 14 July 1916.  Born Riseley.  Enlisted Kettering, Northants. Commemorated on   Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.  Ref. Pier & Face 11A & 11D. Or  Frederick Wildman.  Pte 3/8214.  7^th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment.   Born & lived Riseley.  Enlisted Bedford.  Killed in action 1 July 1916.  Commemorated on   Dantzig Alley British Cemetery, Mametz, Somme, France.  Ref. VII.A.5.

WILDMAN

George

Pte. 7354.  “H” Company, 1^st 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 on   Le Touret Memorial, Pas-de-Calais, France.  Ref. Panel 10 & 11.

WILDMAN

George Arthur

[recorded as C. on CD]. Rifleman B/200483.  17^th 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, Bedfordshire.  Commemorated on   Mount Huon Military Cemetery, Le Treport, Seine-Maritime, France.  Ref. V.E.IA.

WILDMAN

Reginald

Pte. 17731.  6^th 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 on   Ste. Marie Cemetery, Le Havre, France.  Ref. Div.19.U.2.

HARRIS

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, Bedfordshire.  Commemorated on   St. George Rural Cemetery, New Brunswick, Canada.  Ref. Lot 32.  Range 12.