Much
information about soldiers who fell, were awarded medals
and more is to be found in old copies of the London
Gazette. Here is a brief resume:
The
London Gazette, first published in 1665, is the oldest,
continuously published newspaper in the United Kingdom and
probably the world. The London Gazette and its sister publications,
the Edinburgh and Belfast Gazettes, have a unique position
in British publishing. They are official newspapers of the
Crown. The London Gazette contains a wide range of office
notices including State, Parliamentary and Ecclesiastical
notices, Transport and Planning notices as well as Corporate
and Personal Insolvency notices to name a few. In addition,
a number of Supplements are published covering Honours and
Awards, Premium Bonds, Armed Forces Promotions and Re-gradings,
Companies' information, etc. and a Quarterly Index.
In
the 17th century, it was believed that National efficiency
depended on the intelligence received by the Crown and that
the reckless publishing of news might endanger it. An embargo
on the printing of news other than reports of events abroad,
natural disasters, Royal declarations and sensational crime
continued until 1640. This had the effect of delaying the
development of the press in the UK. Censorship was introduced
in 1643, followed by licensing of news publications. The
Gazette came about because of two momentous events: the
Great Plague and the decision of King Charles II to remove
his court - effectively the government of the time - to
Oxford. The London Gazette started life as the Oxford Gazette
and after a few months changed to its current title.
The
various memorials
and cemeteries maintained by the War Graves Commission
for the Western Front are described and pictured on the
Internet. Details of Kranji War Cemetery can be found on
MyFarEast
website.
To
gain an overview of all the towns and parishes covered,
and hopefully to be covered, by this site there is an alphabetical
index.
Some
of the cap
badges are laid out, on a separate page.
Not
all memorials were to people; there are memorials to various
types of animal that served and fell in World War I for
example, dogs.
Some
military memorials cover the period from World War 2 to
present these include Bassingbourn.
Tim
Keirman has supplied the majority of the photographs of
the men on the war memorial pages here through his collection
of newspaper cuttings from various local newspapers.
Some
interesting articles have appeared in local
newspapers some are listed here.
Please
Note: Every attempt has been made to transcribe this information
accurately but there are occasions that the information
supplied is incorrect or errors occur during transcription.
We do not wish to cause offence to any families of the men
detailed here and will change the relevant information when
informed.
Also
note that places detailed on these memorials may appear
in the wrong county. This information has been transcribed
from the records given and, as the men were parochial, the
information supplied at enlistment was the view of the men
and the county they thought they resided in.
Throughout
Cambridgeshire there are various memorials
and rolls of honour dedicated to those men and women
who fell in various wars. These memorials and rolls cover
many centuries in some cases, most World War One and Two.
During
any conflict there are certain acts of bravery or defiance
that are noticeable above others. For these acts citations
and medals have been awarded. There is a list of some
of the Cambridgeshire people who have carried out such acts
and the award or citation given.
Cambridgeshire
was heavily covered, in the Second World War, with airfields.
A map showing the location
of the airfields is on-line with further RAF
details
Cambridgeshire
is home to the one bruial area in the United Kingdom for
American Service men who died in World War 2; the Cambridge
American Cemetery at Madingley.
If
anybody has information for those of the Second World War,
Boer War, or the like similar to those supplied for the
First World War then I would gladly post these as well.
Men
from all over the county are remembered by village/town
on the War Memorial in Ely Cathedral
These
pages are available for transcripts of these memorials and
rolls of honour. If you have a transcription of, or you
are willing to transcribe, a Cambridgeshire memorial or
roll of honour for these pages then please contact me, the
email address is below.
Current
acknowledgements for assistance with these pages must go
to Cliff Brown, Phil Curme, Dave Edwards, Lynda Smith, Joanne
Robb, Ann McClean, Marlene Williamson and Fiona Davis -
thank you all.
Thank
you
Martin
Edwards
Webmaster - Roll of Honour
Mike
Petty has made available part of his index to stories carried
by the Ely
Standard during the Great War which is available in
.pdf format here
DONATIONS
This
site is maintained solely by volunteers and is funded by them as private
individuals. This includes the purchase of photographs, books, rolls of
honour plus the running costs of the site. We have always intended to
make this site free to all. If you have gained from this site then please
consider making a donation through PayPal by clicking on the donation
button. Thank you.
If
you would like to donate but not on-line then cheques can be made payable
to, and sent to:
Martin
Edwards
88 Laurel Walk
Kempston
Bedford
MK42 7NT
The
Suffolk Regiment during World War 1 contained many men
from Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely. A FAQ covering
the 11th
Battalion, the Suffolk Regiment and a detailed piece
about the Battalion's ill conceived attack on the Roeux
Chemical Works during the Arras offensive in April
1917, the latter includes a map supplement, can be found
on Phil Curme's website.
There
is a separate page that lists all
towns and parishes in the county with links to relevant
memorials. Many of the portrait photographs of the fallen
are taken from the Cambridge Independent Press and other
local newspapers.
For
those of you with an interest in the World War 1 there
is The
British Army in the Great War, World
War 1 - Trenches on the Web, the Regimental
Warpath and the Cambridgeshire branch of the Western
Front Association. Cliff Brown, Dave Edwards and Phil
Cume have generously added detail to the names recorded
for many of these memorials giving details of those who
died. These names are all taken from the main local war
memorial (i.e. the town or village memorial). Some extra
names are added on the end when they crop up elsewhere
in the town/village, such as someone buried in the cemetery.
For
further reading when researching World War 1 relatives
then there is a book published by the Federation of Family
History Societies for family Historians entitled "World
War I Army Ancestry - Third Edition" by Norman Holding
ISBN 1 86006 056 2.
Soldiers
outside Bartlow Post Office during World War 1.
The
War Memorial Trust is a charity dedicated
to promoting awareness of the debt we owe
to those who gave their lives in the cause
of freedom, by ensuring that their memorials
are properly maintained and preserved.
A
Millennium Project in Remembrance
of Canada's War Dead
Extract
from the Wisbech Standard 1917:
THE
COMING DAWN.
DEDICATED TO
THE CAMBRIDGESHIRE REGIMENT.
We are waiting, surely waiting,
For that glorious day to come
When our boys receive the orders
"Shoulder rifles, march for Home!”
Gone for aye the hours of anguish,
Gone for aye those nights of pain,
Father, brother, son, or lover,
Safe in England once again!
Chorus.
Lift your heads then! Tune your voices!
Make the hills and dales to ring!
Can't you hear the tramp of thousands
As they chant the victor's hymn?
There
are lads in khaki dying
Who have nobly played Their part,
There are eyes with tears a' falling
On the grave of some brave heart ;
There are records bright and glorious,
Writ in words of flaming fire,
Which, throughout the endless ages,
Often heard shall never tire.
CONSTANCE
SANDIFERE.
Ely, Feb. 16th, 1917.
Troops
in Wisbech World War One
picture courtesy of Joanne Hughes
NEWS
AND REVIEWS
This
section contains various news reports and
cuttings, old and new, with reference to
the memorials in and around Cambridgeshire.
To view the section please click
here.
Read
about 
The
Suffolk Regiment during World War 1 contained many men
from Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely. A FAQ covering
the 
