From Andy Pay's research into the Marquis de Ruvigny' s Roll of Honour the following:

Volume 1, Part 2, Page 16. BALDERSON, Henry Leslie Paxton, 2nd Lieut, 8th (Sevice) Battalion, The Devonshire Regiment attd Gloucestershire Regiment.

Only son of Robert Henry Balderson of South Lea, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, by his wife, Edith, dau of Henry Paxton of Shelswell, co Oxford.Born South Lea aforesaid, 7-6-1892,educated Lansing College where he was a mamber of the O.T.C. and on leaving joined the Artists Rifles in 1910; obtained a commission at the outbreak of war, and was gazetted 2nd Lieut. Devonshire Regiment 15-9-1914; went to France in July 1915; was severely wounded at Loos 25th Sept and invalided home; returned to France 27-6-1916, being attached to the Gloucestershire Regiment, and was officially reported missing and subsequently as killed in action 23rd July 1916 west of Ovillers.

Buried in grave 2, C.8.9, north of Ovillers. After the attack in which he met his death, no officers and only 17 men answered the roll call. Lieut Scull wrote " from all accounts he led his men nobly." Coy Quartermaster - Segt. Johnson also wrote "Your son was admired and loved by all his platoon; very few of them are now left, but they all join in expressing their deep sympathy. We have lost a gallant officer." His Platoon Sergt also wrote "I shall treasure the photograph, and the memories of your sons gallantry and coolness under fire and his personal concern for his men." Unm.

Lieutenant, 6th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment. Died of wounds 20 October 1917. Aged 23. Born 24 August 1894. Son of Mr. Harry Bates, of 11, Bennett's End Rd., Hemel Hempstead. In 1902 he attended Watford, Alexandra School. Awarded the Military Cross (M.C.) after he carried on in battle despite being buried by shells several times during the First World War. IN the 1901 censsu he was aged 6, born Hemel Hempstead, resident with his father, Harry Bates, in St Johns Road, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. Buried in MENDINGHEM MILITARY CEMETERY, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Plot VII. Row D. Grave 48.

He displayed this courage while in action with his 6th Northamptonshire Battalion Regiment at Regina Trench on the Somme, October 25-29, 1916. Just a month before he had also been involved in severe fighting in the taking of the Thiepval Ridge, also on the Somme.

Archibald was the son of Mr H Bates of Bennetts End Road, Hemel Hempstead. He enlisted at the start of the war and rose from the ranks to become 2nd Lieutenant in March 1916.

Following his bravery on the Somme he was transferred to the Middlesex Regiment as acting Adjudant but became ill shortly before receiving full rank. When he recovered he went back to his old battalion and was mortally wounded at Poelcapelle when the 3rd Battle of Ypres was in full cry. He died from his wounds in a Casualty Clearing Station on October 20, 1917, aged 23. He is buried in Mendinghem Military Cemetery in Belgium.

Archibald’s three brothers, Percy, Harry, and half brother George Dyer, also served in the war. Percy was in the Norfolk Regiment, Harry was in the Scots Guards and George was in the First Battalion Hertfordshire Regiment and was killed in action on October 14, 1916.

Leonard Charles Goss, who lived in Water Lane in Berkhamsted, was a driver batman in the 2nd Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment during the First World War. He was killed in action on April 11 1917 near Arras in France. His sons Edward Charles and Frederick Henry Goss who lived in Winifred Road in Apsley, lost their lives in the Second World War.

Private 56547, 18th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers. Killed in action 14th October 1918 in France & Flanders. Age 19. Born Bethnal Green, Middlesex, enlisted Watford, resident Hemel Hempstead. Son of George Henry and Elizabeth Hannah Harris, of 5, Kent's Avenue, Apsley End, Hemel Hempstead, Herts. Formerly 51399, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment. Buried in DADIZEELE NEW BRITISH CEMETERY, Moorslede, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

To see a photograph and his death notification see the George Harris web page.

He was born at Finsbury Road barracks in the spring of 1896, the son of sergeant major Edward Hawkins, 6th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers and Henrietta Sarah Hawkins. The family later moved to 109, Ebberns Rd., Apsley End, where Herbert was employed in the card department of John Dickinson 's paper mills at Apsley.

He served as corporal 201227, 1/5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment but at the time of his death on 3 November 1917 he was acting sergeant. On 2 November the battalion took part in the dawn attack on the village of Sheik Hasan on the seaward side of the town of Gaza. The attack was successful taking most of its objectives and capturing 182 prisoners. For the rest of the 2nd and 3rd November the battalion was under heavy shellfire and it is likely that it was during this period that he was killed.

He is buried in Plot XX11 A 2 of Gaza cemetery, Israel. He is also remembered on the war memorials at Dickinson’s paper mill and St Mary’s church, Apsley.

(Details supplied by Andy Pepper)

PRIVATE David King was with his brother when he died on the field of battle in 1917. David had two brothers, Harry and Alfred, and lived in Apsley End in Hemel Hempstead. He and Harry enlisted with the Hertfordshire Regiment at Hertford. They sent a postcard to their brother Alfred in June 1917 while they were at the front serving alternately at the front line and in reserve. On the front of the postcard it had the slogan ‘Who’s afraid’ and on the back they wrote ‘To Alf with love from Harry and David.’ The pair went over the top on 31st July 1917, attacking in the direction of Pilckem Ridge near Ypres. David must have fallen during this attack when the Regiment suffered heavy losses from machine guns in pill boxes to their left flank. Harry who was wounded, wrote to his family in 1918: “I was the last one to see David alive, but what happened that day I can hardly remember for I was nearly out of my mind, if he is dead, I believe he has gone to heaven, for a better living lad I never knew.” David was reported missing and official confirmation of his death was received in October 1918. He was 19..

Bertie grew up in Redbourn Road, Hemel Hempstead. He married Alice, a resident of Berkhamsted, on 7th February 1914 when they were both aged 20. The couple lived at 51 Chapel Street in Hemel Hempstead and had two sons, Eric and Ron. Correspondence between Bertie and Alice when he was serving in the 8th Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment in 1917 records the nightmare of war.

Following his battalion’s attack on the Germans between Vermelles and Grenay on 16th April 1917, he wrote to Alice: “Dear Wife we have been in ‘Hell upon Earth’ and have not had a chance to write. Thank God I came out all right, bar feeling a bit dazed. It was like a nightmare for about five to six days. I did think of you on dear Eric’s birthday. That day dear, shells were falling like rain. Oh dear it was awful, oh I do long to be home with you. I wish it were all over.” Casualties as a result of these attacks were two officers killed, five wounded, 29 other ranks killed and 188 wounded. On or about June 26, 1917, Bertie was mortally wounded by a shell and died of his wounds at a Casualty Clearing Station in France.

From Andy Pay's research into the Marquis de Ruvigny' s Roll of Honour the following:

Volume 1, Part 1, Page 387. WYKES, Wiliiam. Private, 2912, 2/10th Middlesex Regiment (T.F.). 3rd son of Henry Wykes of 29 West View Road, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, Builders Manager by his wife, Henrietta Adela Loiusa, dau of Lawrence Rose. Born Hemel Hempstead 16-5-1892, educated Council school there, was a draper.

Volunteered and enlisted Oct 1914, went to the Dardenelles 1-7-15, took part in the landing at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli, and died in hospital at Alexandria 1-11-15 of dysentry contracted in the trenches, buried in Chatby Cemetery. Unm.

Note: Montgomery (Oakwood) Cemetery Annexe contains 78 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, all airmen who died while training in Alabama under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. A letter from the Royal Air Force Delegation, a picture from the burial service and a newspaper report are included here as an Adobe Acrobat file (.pdf) - 12mb in size.

Sergeant Jack Riddle, who grew up in Hemel Hempstead, was keen to sign up and serve in the Second World War. Jack lived in his parents’ home in St Pauls Road and was in the Hemel Hempstead Air Training Corps before being called up in 1943 aged 18. He was in the local 1187 squadron of the ATC. Jack was a gunner in a crew of seven manning a Lancaster bomber. He was killed aged 19 on 15th March 1944 while raiding Stuttgart in Germany. He is buried in Heath Lane cemetery. Ten days later the crew went out on another raid and they all died except for one - a bomb aimer. Prior to going into the airforce he was working part-time in the British Brush Boring Company in Ebberns Road operating a wood boring machine. He was also an auxiliary in the Fire Service and worked as a messenger boy.

After the Second World War, Britain continued to be involved in conflicts in different parts of the world and some men from Dacorum fought in these while on national service. Lance Corporal 22823243, John Secrett, from Hemel Hempstead died in Malaya (now Malaysia). John, who was well known in the town, served in the East Yorkshire Regiment. He was killed on 8th May 1953 aged 18. He was born 3 December 1934. John grew up in the family home in Herbert Street. He went to Corner Hall School and George Street School and was then apprenticed to the firm George Wimpey which built Hemel Hempstead new town.