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ROXTON
CONGREGATIONAL CHAPEL WAR MEMORIAL
World War 1 & 2 - Roll of Honour with detailed
information
Compiled and copyright © 2005 David Bushby
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This
building is one of only two thatched chapels in Bedfordshire. There
are two war memorials. The
first is a framed Roll of Honour to the seven men of the congregation
who died in the Great War and the second id a stained glass window in
memory of Lieutenant David Austin PROTHERO, Surgeon, RN of
HMS Furious.
Born 21st September, 1911, died 1st July, 1944.
Interred at Gibraltar. The St Neots Advertiser,
27th September, 1946 reports that it was unveiled at a memorial service
by
Mrs
F Bath. Rev David Prothero, M.A. of Bedford was, at that time, minister
of the church.
The window depicts the Good Samaritan helping the needy traveller, and
incorporates various naval insignia.
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Photographs Copyright
© David Bushby 2005 |
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1914-1918 |
| COVINGTON |
Alfred
John |
Private
17831, 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action 30th
July 1916 in France & Flanders. Age 24. Born and resident Roxton,
enlisted Bedford. Son of Rosina Covington, of 2, Council Cottages,
Roxton, and the late Caleb Covington. Brother of the below. Commemorated
on THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, Somme, France. Pier and Face 2 C |
| COVINGTON |
Wilfred
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Private
27546, 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action 12th
October 1916 in France & Flanders. Age 26. Born and resident
Roxton, enlisted Bedford. Son of Rosina Covington, of 2, Council
Cottages, Roxton, and the late Caleb Covington. Brother of the above.
Commemorated on THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, Somme, France. Pier and Face
2 C |
| DARRINGTON |
Alfred
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Private
242109, 2nd/5th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, formerly 4113,
5th Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action 22nd November 1917 in
France & Flanders. Age 21. Born Roxton, enlisted Bedford. Son
of Mrs. H. E. Ekins of the Post Office, Roxton. Commemorated on
ARRAS MEMORIAL, Pas De Calais, France. Bay 6.
Extract
from the National Roll of Honour:
DARRINGTON,
A., L/Cpl., 5th Bedfordshire Regt.
Volunteering in September 1914, he was sent to France in 1915. Whilst
overseas he was transferred to the 5th Gloucestershire Regiment,
and took part in the Battles of Loos, the Somme, Ypres and Passchendaele,
prior to being killed in action in November 1917. He was entitled
to the 1914-15 Star, and the General Service and Victory Medals.
“Courage, bright hopes, and a myriad dreams, splendidly given.”
Roxton, Bedfordshire.
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| DARRINGTON |
Peter
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Private 20317, "D" Company, 7th Battalion,
Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action 1st July 1916 in France
& Flanders. Born and resident Roxton, enlisted Bedford. Son
of Hannah Elizabeth Ekins (formerly Darrington), of Roxton, and
the late George Darrington. Commemorated on THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, Somme,
France. Pier and Face 2 C. Mentioned in the National Roll of the
Great War, Bedford/Northampton, page 66.
From "Hunts & Beds News 14th July 1916".
Another Roxton Soldier Killed
Roxton was deeply distressed on Sunday by an unhappy
coincidence - the very day that had been chosen for the special
services to be held in the PArish Church in memory of Lance-Cpl.
B. Rutland, of this village, whose death was recently reported,
was the day that Mrs. C. Ekins received the sad tidings that her
eldest son, Private Peter Darrington, had met his death while charging
the German trenches during the big push made on the Western Front
on July 1st. Pte. Darrington, of the Beds, was trained at the Duke
of Bedford's camp at Ampthill, and had been on active service for
about six months. The village unites in offering heartfelt sympathies
to his mother, brothers and sisters in their sad loss.
From "Beds Times 21st July 1916"
The Late Pte. P. Darrington, of Roxton.
Mr. C. E. Ekins, of Roxton, step-father of the
late Pte. Peter Darrington, has received the following letter:-
Bedfords, B.E.F., 19/7/16
Dear Sir, - I am in receipt of your post-card of the 15th inst.
It is with the deepest regret that I have to
inform you that Pte. Darrington, 20317, of this Company, met his
death in action on July 1st. The part which the Bedfords, and D
Company in particular, played in the Battle of the Somme was a crowning
success, and in that success Pte. Darrington gave of his best and
met his death like a true Englishman. He was buried by the Padre
where he fell and his grave has been marked by a wooden cross. At
that date I was an A Company officer, and so I have no personal
knowledge of Darrington, but I hear though he had only recently
joined us, he had won favour with all, and made himself popular.
Will you convey to his mother, not only the
deepest sympathy of myself, but of his platoon and his company.
I feel very deeply for her in her great trouble. Will you break
the news to her, if she has not already heard from the W.O., and
show her this letter.
May it be of comfort to her to know he died,
as she would have wished, doing his duty, and in the height of a
glorius success for the new armies.
Yours
very sincerely,
H.J.CARTWRIGHT
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| EKINS |
Albert
Walter |
Airman
2nd Class, 46133, 100th Sqdn., Royal Flying Corps. Killed in action Sunday, 6th May 1917, aged 19, while serving
as observer with 100 Squadron, Izel-le-Hameau; flying an FE.2b.
with pilot 2nd Lt. Thomas George Holmes, from Redhill, Surrey (also
killed, buried in the plot next to Albert in Douai Cemetery), failed
to return from night-bombing sortie against Dorignies Aerodrome.
Eleven 100 Squadron aircraft took part in the aerodrome that night,
becoming airborne from their airfield at 21.50 hours. Native of
St. Neots. Only son of Albert Alexander and Ada Ekins, of
Roxton. Educated Bedford Modern School (1911-13). Buried in DOUAI
BRITISH CEMETERY, CUINCY, Nord, France. Grave F. 7. See also Bedford
Modern School and Roxton |
| GILBERT |
John
William |
Private
3/10746, 1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. Age 22. Died of wounds
9th May 1917 in France & Flanders. Born Roxton, enlisted Bedford.
Son of Alice and the late George Gilbert, of Roxton. Buried in BARLIN
COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION, Pas de Calais, France. Grave III. B.
3. |
| SIMCOE |
Joseph
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Lance
Corporal 33511, 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action
18th April 1917 in France & Flanders. Age 25. Born and resident
Roxton, enlisted Bedford. Son of George William Simcoe, of Roxton,
and the late Susan Simcoe; husband of Edith Rosina Bruce (formerly
Simcoe), of Meagre Cottage, Hail Weston, St. Neots, Hunts. Commemorated
on the LOOS MEMORIAL, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 41. |
STAINED
GLASS WINDOW
1939-1945 |
| PROTHERO |
David
Austin |
Surgeon
Lieutenant, H.M.S. Furious, Royal Navy. Died 1st July 1944. Aged
29. Born 21st September 1911. Son of the Rev. David Prothero and
Sarah Prothero, of Bedford. M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., D.A. Buried in GIBRALTAR
(NORTH FRONT) CEMETERY, Gibraltar. Plot 2. Row H. Grave 8. |
Last updated
18 September, 2017
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