Roll of Honour - Cornwall

Ministry of Defence

Lest We Forget

The Royal British Legion

DEVORAN WAR MEMORIAL

World War 1 - detailed information
Compiled and copyright © Mark Norris and Bob Richards, 2014

The Devoran memorial is a granite stone memorial in the form of a Cornish Cross by H.J. Martin of Devoran; it was established c. 1919 at St. John and St Petroc’s Parish Church, Devoran, Cornwall. Late Wrold War 1 and World War 2 names were added on the fourth back panel. Further World War 1 and World War 2 names were considered for addition by the Parish Council in 2014. A list of names exists on a brass plaque in the church, whilst a Roll of Honour of all who served and those who died also exists in the Devoran Village Hall.

In grateful memory of the men of the parish of Devoran who fell in the Great War 1914-1919

ADAMS	John Glanville	Private T/243064, John Glanville Adams, 7th Battalion Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment, died 23 March 1918. Remembered on the Pozieres Memorial on the Somme on France to the missing of the Fifth Army in 1918 France, so has no known grave. Listed in Soldiers Who Died In The Great War (SDGW) as Residence – Devoran, Cornwall but born in Swansea, Glamorganshire, Wales. Enlisted into the Army at Bodmin, Cornwall.
APPS	W	Listed on the Roll of Honour and the church brass plaque but not on the granite war memorial. The most likely casualty is 14215 W.Apps, 3rd Battalion, Grenadier Guards, died on 30 September 1915. He is buried in Plot IV E57 in Bethune Town Cemetery in France. So far the closest local link to Devoran parish is the address listed on the CWGC website for his wife Hilda Apps of 16 Bohill, Penryn, Cornwall.
BILKEY	Richard John	Corporal 200901 Richard John Bilkey, 1/4 Battalion, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, died aged 26 on 31 January 1919. He is buried in Grave Reference E124, Kantera War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt. The CWGC website lists him as son of Richard and Emma Bilkey of Tresithick, Carnon Downs, Perranwell Station, Cornwall.
CROCKER	Albert Ernest	Private Albert Ernest Crocker, 17095 7th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, died 2 April 1918. Remembered on the Pozieres Memorial in France, having no known grave. Albert was listed in Soldiers Who Died In The Great War (SDGW) as born at St. Feock and Residence at Penpol.
CROCKER	G	Possibly George Francis Crocker, a Fireman on SS Sailor Prince, Newcastle in the Merchant Navy / Mercantile Marine who died on 2 October 1915, aged 33. One of two sailor lost in the sinking of the SS Sailor Prince. Remembered on the Tower Hill merchant navy memorial in London. CWGC listed as the son of George Crocker, Killiganvon (Killiganoon?) St. Feock, Perranwell and the late Mary Anne Crocker.
DAVEY	William John Trebilcock	William John Trebilcock Davey, 26424 10 Battalion, DCLI died aged 21 on 28 July 1916. He is remembered on pier & face panel 6B of the Thiepval Memorial to the missing of the Somme battlefields of 1916-17 who have no known graves. CWGC records list him as the son of Joseph Henry Webber Davey and Catherine Ada Davey of Carnon Creese, Perranwell Station, Cornwall. William is listed as a (Domestic) Gardener in the 1911 census living with parents.
DUNSTAN	William John	William John Dunstan 2352/ST, Engineman, Royal Naval Reserve, HM Trawler Pintail, died aged 45 on 24 December 1917. He is buried in plot 40.3.5 Brest Kerfautras Cemetery, Finisterre, France. The CWGC website lists him as husband of Juliana Dunstan of 6 Chapel Terrace, Devoran. William was born in Hayle, Phillick (Phillack?) in Cornwall in 1874. In the 1911 census he is listed as “Fireman Steamship” living at Chapel Terrace, Devoran. In the 1901 census he is a single 26 year old man, a fireman aboard the Steamship Erimus, a frequent visitor to Devoran’s mineral quays.
HITCHENS	James Edwin	James Edwin Hitchens, Able Seaman R/510, Hawke Battalion, Royal Naval Division RNVR, died during the Arras offensive in 18 April 1917 aged 28. He has no known grave and is remembered on Bay 1 of the Arras Memorial. Born at Carnon Mine 20 May 1888, Hitchens was a ‘Mining Engine Driver‘ on the 1911 census. The family (headed by father James) lived at Carclew Terrace, Devoran. Royal Naval Division database shows that Hitchens joined the Army Reserve on 1st March 1916, entered the Army on 1st December 1916, was drafted for the BEF on 6th March 1917 and joined the Hawke battalion on 3rd April 1917. Killed during a shelling and gas attack, 18 April.
HOYLE	W J	Likely to be added to the war memorial in 2014. Lance Sergeant William James Hoyle 9554, 1st Battalion DCLI, was killed aged 23 on 20 October 1914 and has no known grave. Born around 1891, he is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial in France. He is listed (CWGC information) as the brother of Mrs Abraham, 13 Trelawney Road, Falmouth. His father was a boat builder or bargeman in Devoran (living at 9 Market Street, Devoran, 1891) before joining the Coastguard service, moving to Clovelly, Devon.
JOHNSON	James	Private James Johnson, 2753, 1/4 Battalion, DCLI (Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry) died on 12 April 1916. He is buried at D76, Maala Cemetery, Yemen, suggesting he died defending Aden against the Turks. Born in Falmouth around 1879, he was listed on Soldiers Who Died in the Great War as a resident in Devoran, The CWGC website lists him as the husband of Alice Johnson, Belmont Terrace, (Trevoran – CWGC spelling mistake?) Devoran, Truro. Like others in his Falmouth extended family, James was a House Painter. In 1901 the couple were living in 55a Killigrew Street, Falmouth.
MARSHALL	Edwin	There are 92 E. Marshalls on the CWGC database but the most likely local match is Private Edwin Marshall, SS/14236, 18th Labour Company, Army Service Corps died aged 39 on 13 August 1915. Remembered on the ASC panels 199, 233-236 or 331 on the Helles Memorial to the missing of The Dardanelles and Gallipoli Campaign in Turkey, having no known grave. Edwin was the son of Mr and Mrs William Marshall of Carnon Mine, Devoran Cornwall. He was married to Eveline Louisa Marshall of Point, Devoran, Cornwall.
MARTIN	G	No further information currently available.
PASCOE	William Donald	Gunner William Donald Pascoe, 86574, 13th Reserve Battery, Royal Field Artillery died on 20 April 1915, aged 19. Born in Feock in October 1896, he is buried at grave D31 in the small military section of 164 casualties buried in (Christ Church) Military Cemetery, Hampshire. He enlisted in Truro and died on Home Service. In 1911, his occupation is given as a ‘newsboy’. He is also remembered on the headstone of his parents in Devoran churchyard “who died at Cosham, April 20 1915 aged 18 and a half.” His sister Netta (born 1899) joined up for National Service farm work, becoming the WW1 equivalent of a ‘Land Girl’.
PAYNTER	J P	The most likely match is James Pearce Paynter, Private 34289, 11th Battalion, Worcester Regiment, died on 30th March 1917. He is buried at plot F1286, Karasouli Military Cemetrey, Greece. This cemetery was linked to Casualty Clearing stations on the Doiran Front in Greece. No obvious Devoran connection at the moment, being listed on the CWGC website as the husband of Ethel H.G. Paynter, 3 St George’s Terrace, Stonehouse, Plymouth. He was born at Little Par in Cornwall.
PETERS	W T B	Private William Thomas Ball Peters, 72511, 10th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) died of wounds aged 26 on 27th August 1918. Peters is buried in grave B24, Fienvillers British Cemetery, Somme, France. Before his transfer to the Sherwood Foresters in France in 1916, according to his surviving army service records, W.T.B. Peters (resident in 1914/5 in Shulock Road, Hampstead as a Milk Carrier) had a strange wartime career in the early Royal Flying Corps as 12357, Kite Balloon Section, RFC. He joined on 11 / 12 November 1915 at South Farnborough, trained at Curragh in Ireland in December 1915 and served in the RFC until 8 March 1916. Born in Perranwell, Cornwall in 1893, Peters was the only son of Thomas (b.1864, listed on the 1911 census as an egg merchant and farmer) and Mary Annie Peters (nee Davey, b.1867) of Ash Tree Cottage, Carnon Downs, Cornwall. William in 1911 is an Assistant in Wholesale Egg Merchant ‘looking after warehouse’, living in Gospel Oak, NW London.
ROGERS	G	The most likely local match is G. F. Rogers, Flight cadet 137361, RAF / 73 Company Royal Garrison Artillery who is buried at grave B65, Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery (a hospital base cemetery) in Egypt. Listed as the son of Joseph and Gertude Rogers of Bissoe, Perranwell, and husband of Elsie M. Richards (formerly Rogers), Carnon Downs, Perranwell.
STEPHENS	R	Of the 33 WW1 R. Stephens listed on the CWGC website, the most likely local match is Sub Lieutenant R. Stephens, HMS Terrible, Royal Navy, who died on 7 February 1919, aged 49. His name was added / out of alphabetical sequence on the memorial, having died postwar. Buried in Feock Church Cemetery. Born around 1870, Stephens is listed as the son of James and Eliza Stephens, as well as husband of Ottilia Stephens, Glenavon, Point, Devoran.
SWEET	Percy	Likely to be added to the war memorial in 2014. Rifleman Percy Archibald Sweet 474189 of the 12th London Regiment (The Rangers) was killed aged 31 on 9 April 1917 during the battle (7-9 April) to take the French village of Neuville Vitasse by the 56th (London) Division. He is buried at plot 1 A 35 with many other London Rangers in the London Cemetery, Neuville Vitasse. Percy Sweet’s father Francis and Louisa Sweet lived at Fernmere on Market Street in Devoran. Percy is also listed on the CWGC website as a ‘native of Hammersmith’ London where Percy and his brothers and sisters were born. His father (a shoemaker) and mother are still listed in the 1911 census working in London but by the time Rifleman Percy Sweet was killed in France in 1917, the family were living in Devoran. His father Francis was born in Kenwyn, Truro and his mother Louisa (nee Pridham) from Southdown in Cornwall. Percy was born in 1887 and was listed in the 1911 census as a Cordwainer (a leather worker / shoemaker) in London.
WEBB	F	Frederick (Gordon) Webb, Sapper, 155779, 179 Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers was killed on 18 July 1916, aged 41. Webb was a tunneler’s Mate and was “killed by enemy shrapnel whilst returning to billet after relief. Davey wounded.” Webb is buried in Albert Communal Cemetery Extension, grave reference I.K.38. Born in Truro, Webb was initially in the 3rd battalion Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry before the war ‘time expired’ and As a former soldier, quickly rejoined the 1st Battalion, arriving in France on 20 January 1915. Married to (Edith) Maud or Maude Webb (nee Penhaligon, b. 1879) in Truro in 1901, he left 6 children. Webb was listed prewar as a Horse Driver and Waggonner / GWR Carrier with an address at 16 Edward Street, Truro.
WHITE	H C	Henry Cecil White was a Private 215895, 745 Area Employment Company, Labour Corps who died 31 October 1918, aged 33. White is buried at II.C.16, St. Pol British Cemetery, St. Pol-sur-Ternoise, France. He is listed on the CWGC website as the son of Mr. W.H. and Mrs. E.A. White, Carnon Gate, Devoran, Cornwall. Born at Portland, Dorset in 1886. Living in Carnon Gate with his family, Henry became an apprentice at an iron foundry (1901 census) and listed as an Iron Moulder in the 1911 Census.
1939-1945
BRABYN	Charles	Shipwright 2nd Class Charles Brabyn D/M7215 died on 17 September 1939, aged 49, aboard HMS Courageous, an early British aircraft carrier sunk by U-Boat, having served in the Royal Navy throughout and after WW1. He is remembered with many of his crewmates on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, panel 34, column 3. Charles Brabyn was born 8 May 1890 at Point, Devoran into a family of boat builders. He is listed on the CWGC website as the son of Stephen Welling (Wellington?) and Elizabeth Brabyn and as the husband of Elizabeth Mills Brabyn (nee Williams) of Truro, Cornwall.
HEAD	W A	Chief Stoker William Alfred Head, D/K52949 Royal Navy, died aged 41 on 17 January 1942 when HMS Matabele was torpedoed by German submarine U-boat U454 during Atlantic and Norway / Arctic convoy duties. The CWGC website lists him as being the son of Ernest and Ellen Head and husband of Marion Maud Head of Devoran He is remembered at panel 69, column 1, Plymouth Naval Memorial to those Royal Navy crew with no known graves or lost at sea.
JEFFERY	J G	Flight Sergeant John Garfield Jeffery, 1601089 Air Bomber, 190 squadron, RAFVR, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, died aged 22 on 19 September 1944. He is buried with his other Short Stirling crew members in Grave reference Protestant Section collective grave 1-4, St. Michielsgestel Roman Catholic and Protestant Cemetery, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands. He died whilst engaged in glider towing or supply drops during ‘Operation Market Garden’ and the Battle for Arnhem. He is listed on the CWGC website as the son of Lewis John Jeffery (a railway platelayer) and Florence Lillian Jeffery (nee Ferris) of Perranwell, Cornwall.
KEMP	T H	Kemp is listed on the brass plaque inside the church, not on the granite war memorial. Born in Devoran in 1885 to a family of coal and oyster merchants, Master Thomas Harold Kemp was living in Eastbourne, Sussex when he was lost at sea aboard SS Ocean Courage in the Atlantic aged 57 on 15 January 1943. He is remembered on Panel 75 of the Tower Hill Memorial to Merchant Navy staff. Kemp rapidly became a Master fairly young (at least by 1907) and served in the Merchant Navy in WW1, recorded on the Devoran Village Hall Roll of Honour.
NICHOLLS	W C	Likely to be William Charles Nicholls, Second Engineering Officer, Merchant Navy, MV Athelprincess, Liverpool, who died on 23 February 1943, aged 32. He is commemorated on Panel 11 of the Tower Hill Memorial, having no known grave. He was the only casualty when the ship was sunk. He is listed on the CWGC website as the son of of Edward John King Nicholls and Eliza Dunstan Nicholls. In 1911, the family were living at 8 Bar Terrace, Falmouth where his father (born Antrim, St. John’s Point, c. 1847) was a 64 year old Dock Master at Falmouth Docks. His mother Eliza was born in Kea, Cornwall c. 1867. Both parents had died by 1943 but his local links may be through an older sister, Elizabeth Maud Nicholls (b. 1906) and older brother James Edward Nicholls (b.1908).
SOWDEN	A C B	Sergeant Alfred Claude Brenton Sowden, 841889, Royal Corps of Signals, awarded British Empire Medal BEM (Military), died on 7 September 1945, aged 27. He is remembered on the Rangoon Memorial in Burma to those with no known grave. He served in wartime France with F section SOE (Special Operations Executive) on the Pedlar Circuit as a W/T operator as ‘Alfred Claude Saunier’ (cover name) earning the BEM. He then transferred to fight with Force 136 SOE India in the Burma campaign in late 1944 and died there on 7 September 1945, shortly after the end of the war. An SOE Special Forces Roll of Honour lists his birthdate as 12 March 1918, born and resided in Cornwall. In his 1946 probate records Sowden is listed as living at Killiganoon Farm, Devoran, son of Alfred Sowden, farm foreman / later farm manager (b. St. Eval, 1895 – d. Truro, 1989). His mother Mabel Sowden (born 1895 St. Ervan, died Probus, Truro in 1966) had as her maiden name Brenton, this name being given to her son as one of his middle names.
TALLACK	J B	Lieutenant John Basil Tallack, 314967, Reconnaissance Corps, Royal Armoured Corps and 49th West Riding Regiment (the ‘Polar Bears’) died aged 20 on 28th November 1944 on active service in Holland. He is buried in Row 2, grave 2 of the Maasbree Roman Catholic Cemetery, Limbourg, Netherlands. He is listed on the CWGC website as the son of John and Flora Rebecca Tallack and in his Will / probate records as living at Crofthill, Perranwell Station.
TOMS	J W	Able Seaman Joseph William Toms, D/SSX17063 Royal Navy, died onboard HMS Galatea on 15 December 1941, aged 23. Galatea was sunk by torpedoes from U-Boat U557 off Alexandria in Egypt. He is commemorated at panel 48, column 3, Plymouth Naval Memorial, having no known grave. He is listed on the CWGC website as the son of Harry and Mary Toms (1873-1955) and husband of Ruby Louvain Toms (nee Peachey, 1916-1998) of Truro, Cornwall.
WILLIAMS	J E B	Captain James Ernest Brian Williams, 137305, DCLI Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, seconded to the 4th Battalion Ox and Bucks Light Infantry, was killed in Italy on 28th February 1944. He has no known grave and is commemorated on panel 7 of the Cassino War Memorial, suggesting that he died in the fighting for Monte Cassino. He is listed on the CWGC website and probate records as the son of James Henry Williams (a Ministry of Agriculture official) and Zoe Tresilian Williams of Trenant, Point Green, Devoran.
May be added in future to World War 2 names
ADAMS	Lewis	Able Seaman Lewis Adams D/J/12221, Royal Navy, HMS Chelsea died aged 46 on 1 April 1941. He has no known grave and is listed on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, panel 46, column 1. Listed on CWGC as the son of James and Mary Adams. The local connection is his wife, Dorothy Mary White Adams, Devoran, Cornwall.
THOMAS	P J	Corporal Peter John Thomas, 7917955, 1st Royal Armoured Corps, Royal Tank Regiment died in Holland aged 24 on 30th September 1944. He is buried in Uden War Cemetery, the Netherlands / Holland. Peter Thomas is listed on the CWGC website as the son of Harry and Elsie Thomas of Devoran, Cornwall.
WORTH	W N	Engine Room Artificer 3rd class, William Norman Worth, D/MX 51189, Royal Navy, died aged 26 aboard HM Submarine Oxley on 11 September 1939. Remembered on panel 34, column 1 of the Plymouth Naval Memorial. Listed on the CWGC website as the son of Norman Joseph Worth and Gwendoline Worth, the Devoran connection is his listing as the husband of Gwendoline Mary Worth of Devoran, Cornwall.

Last updated 27 October, 2022

War Memorials Trust