Roll of Honour - Buckinghamshire

Ministry of Defence

Lest We Forget

The Royal British Legion

AKELEY WAR MEMORIAL

World War 1 only - Detailed Information
Copyright © Richard Hands 2021

The Akeley War Memorial stands in the churchyard of St James, Church Street, Akeley, Buckinghamshire; the Church was demolished in 1982. It takes the form of a single-stepped, square, base surmounted by a square sectioned plinth with a foundation stone and a capstone; rising from the cap is a pad stone and square sectioned column transposing into a tapering octagonal sectioned column, topped by a capital and wheel cross; new incised inscription panels replaced the existing illegible text on sides of plinth. There are nne names for World War 1 listed. The memorial was dedicated and unveiled 1921 by the Bishop Suffragan of Buckingham. There is also a Roll of Honour held in the Church at Leckhampstead that hung in St. James the Apostle Church before it was demolished. Itb takes the form of a wall mounted, portrait orientated, wooden framed and glazed Roll of Honour document. The main title scroll of the Roll of Honour is printed in red ink; a black, decoratively foliated, border surrounds a central inset containing a list of names; within the border band are five heraldic shields; a continuous single red line forms the outer border. An asterisk (“*”) denotes that the names that are mentioned on the Roll of Honour but not on War Memorial.

The Roll of Honour inscription:

YOUR PRAYERS ARE ASKED
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE GONE
TO SERVE OUR KING & COUNTRY
BY LAND AND SEA AND AIR

OUR ROLL OF HONOUR

The memorial inscription:

PASS NOT THIS SHRINE
IN SORROW BUT IN PRIDE
AND MAY YOU LIVE AS
NOBLY AS THEY DIED

IN THANKFUL REMEMBRANCE OF
THOSE FROM THIS PARISH WHO
LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES IN
THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1918
GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN
THAN THIS THAT A MAN LAY
DOWN HIS LIFE FOR A FRIEND

* DUNKLEY	Ellis	Sergeant G/58802, 23rd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers. Killed in action 26th June 1918 in France & Flanders. Aged 34. Enlisted Shepherds Bush. Son of George & Ann Dunkley of Chapel End, Akeley. Born 29th Nov 1884 Akeley and Baptised 26th July 1885 Akeley. Husband of Annie Dunkley (nee Townsead). Before World War 1 he was a Furniture Carman. Buried in Douchy-les-Ayette British cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Plot IV. Row C. Grave 19
FLINT	John James	Rifleman 474326, 12th Battalion, London Regiment (County of London). Killed in action 9th April 1917 in France & Flanders. Aged 34. Enlisted London. Son of James & Sarah Flint of Akeley. Born about 1883 in Ealing Middlesex. Husband of Annie Affra Flint (nee Godden) of 22 Porteous Rd, Paddington Green, London. Buried in London Cemetery, Neuville-Vitasse, Pas de Calais, France. Plot I. Row A. Grave 68.
FREEMAN	Arthur George	Gunner 90989, 154th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died of wounds 27th March 1919, in France and Flanders. Aged 33. Enlisted Bletchley. Son of George and Louise Freeman from Greens Norton, Towcester. Born Sept Qtr 1895 Akeley. Husband of Emily Kate Freeman of Back Lane, Akeley. Before World War 1 was a Gardener for Capt Price of Akeley Wood. Brother of Harry Herbert Freeman (see below) Buried in Doullen Communal Cemetery, Extension No. 1, Somme, France. Plot V. Row E. Grave 31.
FREEMAN	Harry Herbert	Private 5834, 4th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, Enlisted Leicester. Killed in action 16th June 1915 in France & Flanders. Aged 18. Son of George and Louise Freeman from Greens Norton, Towcester. Born 23rd September 1881 in Akeley; baptised 6th November 1881 in Akeley. Brother of Arthur George Freeman (see above). No known grave. Commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Ieper, Belgium. Panel 19 and 33.
HEALEY	Harry (John Henry)	Lance Corporal 46043, 56th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps. Died on active service 2nd January 1919 in a Canadian Hospital Opposite Cemetery. Aged 29. Son of John & Annie Elizabeth Healey of Akeley. Born about 1890 Lillingstone Dayrell. Before World War 1 was a Messrs J&B Clark. Buried 4th January 1919 in Mons (Bergen) Communal Cemetery, Belgium. Grave X. Row B. Grave 26.
* JUDD	Percy James	Private 12156, 1st Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers. Killed in action 16th June 1915 in France & Flanders. Aged 18. Enlisted Leicester. Son of Job and Elizabeth Ann Judd (Nee Franklin). Born 23rd August 1896 Akeley and Baptised 2nd Sept 1896 Akeley. Before World War 1 was a Post office Telegraph Messenger. No known grave. Commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Ieper, Belgium. Panel 19 and 33.
KEY	Frederick John	Private 23075. Somerset Light Infantry. Discharged 3rd May 1917 with Pulmonary Tuberculosis, died at home 5th June 1917. Aged 23. Enlisted Oxford. Son of John William and Ellen Mary Ann Key of Akeley; brother of Harold Key (see below). Born about 1894 in Woodbastwick, Norfolk. Baptised in Akeley 16th June 1895. Before World War 1 he was a Shop Assistant. Buried 9th June 1917 in Akeley Churchyard, Buckinghamshire.
* KEY	Harold Walter	Son of John William and Ellen Mary Ann Key of Akeley. Born January to March Quarter 1900 in Akeley. Baptised in Akeley 3rd June 1900.Son of John William and Ellen Mary Ann Key of Akeley; brother of Frederick Key (see above)
KNIBBS	David	Private 14426, 7th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment. Killed in action during the advance to Doiran on April 24th 1917. Enlisted Buckingham November 1915, after training on Salisbury plain was ordered to Salonika, experienced Fierce fighting on the Doiran and the Vardar. Son of George and Lucy Knibbs of Chapel End, Akeley (1 of 9 siblings). Born about 1895 in Akeley and baptised in Akeley 23rd June 1895. Before World War 1 was a Farm Labourer. Brother of James Knibbs (see below). No known grave. Commemorated on Dorian Memorial, Greece.
KNIBBS	James	Private 7656, 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action aged 29 on 23rd October 1918 in France and Flanders during the great Advance. Before World War 1 served for 3 Years in the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. At the outbreak of war Enlisted August 1914 in Fulham, Middx. Was sent to Western front that December, and saw battle at Ypres, Loos, Somme and Arras. Son of George and Lucy Knibbs of Chapel End, Akeley (1 of 9 siblings); brother of David Knibbs (see above). Born 1st April 1889 in Akeley and baptised in Akeley 5th May 1889. Husband of Dorcas Elizabeth Knibbs (nee Pryce) of Chapel End, Akeley. Before World War 1 he was a Brick maker. Buried in Amerval Communal Cemetery Extension, Solesmes, Nord, France. Row C. Grave 31.
* SWIFT	Joseph	Royal Buckinghamshire Hussars. Died 23rd October 1918. Aged 35. Son of Alfred & Annie Swift (nee Heydon) of Bath Lane, Buckingham. Born July to September Quarter 1883 in Buckingham. Husband of Emily Swift (nee Ellis). Before World War 1 he was Tobacconist and Book Seller
* WATSON	Frank	Private 11233, 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Died of Wounds 29th July 1916 in France and Flanders. Aged 21. Enlisted Buckingham. Son of George J & Eliza Watson of Woolwich, London. Born about 1895 in Plumstead, London. No known grave. Commemorated on Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier & Face 10A & 10D
WHITEHEAD	Charles	Private 20728, 6th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Enlisted Bletchley. Killed in action31st March 1916 in France and Flanders. Aged 27. Son of Samuel & Amelia Whitehead, Born 31st March 1889 in Akeley and Baptised 7th July 1889 inAkeley. Buried in Essex Farm cemetery, Ieper, Belgium. Plot I. Row J. Grave 4, .

Last updated 24 March, 2021

War Memorials Trust