Private 3758, 1/4th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment. Died of wounds at Gallipoli 31 August 1915. Enlisted Peterborough, Northants. Embarked in the Balkans 29 July 1915. In the 1881 census he was aged 1, born Fenstanton, son of Robert and Eliza Allen, resident Hilton Road, Fen Stanton, St Ives, Huntingdonshire. In the 1911 census he was aged 31, born Fenstanton, unmarried, a Bricklayer, son of Eliza Allen, brother of James, Agnes and Matthew Allen, resident Church Street, Fenstanton, Huntingdonshire. Married Florence Nelly Hutson (1889) on the 2 March 1912, Florence had a child, which Henry took as his own, the following year Florence gave birth to Robert, sadly Robert died in 1913, Walter was born 1913 and Henry 1915. Buried in 7th Field Ambulance Cemetery, Turkey. Special Memorial B. 48. See also Fenstanton

Photographs © Kevin Pearce 2024

Private 41667, 6th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action 8 April 1918. Aged 19. Born Hemingford Grey. Resident St Ives Huntingdonshire. Enlisted Bedford. Son of Herbert and Rosetta Armes, of 2 Oxford Rd, St Ives. Buried in Gommecourt British Cemetery No. 2, Hebuterne, Pas de Calais. Plot IV. Row K. Grave 4.

Private 43108, 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Born St Ives. Enlisted Huntingdon. Resident St Ives. Formerly 1548 Hunts Cyclists Battalion Killed in action 23 April 1917. No known grave. Commemorated on Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 5.

Extract from National Roll of the Great War:

BYATT, P. E., Private, Bedfordshire Regiment. - Volunteering in 1915 he was drafted in the following year to the Western Front. In this theatre of war he was in action at Albert, Vimy Ridge and on the Somme front, and did good work uniil he fell gloriously on the Field of Battle at Arras on April 23rd, 1917. He was entitled to the General Service and Victory Medals. - 'A costly sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.' - North Road, St. lves, Hunts. - Z1555.

2nd Lieutenant, 8th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. Died 16 August 1918. Aged 23. Son of John Walter and Lavenia Maud Cater of Bridge St, St Ives, Hunts. Born Ashford, Midd'x. Buried in St Sever Cemetery, Rouen, France. Plot B. Row 5. Grave 1.

Second Lieutenant, 105 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. Died on Sunday, 17th March 1918.Killed in flying accident, serving as pilot with 105 Squadron flying a BE.12. Buried in St. Ives Public Cemetery, Huntingdonshire. Grave 3726.

Second Lieutenant, 106th Battery, Royal Field Artillery. Died of wounds 7 October 1915. Aged 23. Son of George Dennis Day and Margaret Jade (Meta) Day of "Rheola", St Ives. Buried left of the pathway in St Ives Public Cemetery, Hunts.

Flight Commodore Royal Naval Air Service. Missing presumed killed Wednesday, 27th February 1918. Aged 21. Son of G. Dennis Day (Solicitor) and Margaret J. Day, of "Rheola," St. Ives, Hunts. One of the war poets. Father was town clerk of St. Ives. Served as Flight Sub-Lieut. at Trimley 1916, then as Flight Lieut. at Martlesham, 1917, on home defence duties, and at Isle of Grain as test pilot. To Seaplane Defence Flight, St. Pol (redesignated 13 Squadron 15^th January 1918), as Flight Commander, January 1918. Noted as a courageous and aggressive patrol leader. Credited with 5 combat victories: 1 captured, 2 shared destroyed, 2 out of control; he is therefore technically an 'ace'. Killed flying Sopwith Camel; leading his patrol in attack on 6 enemy seaplanes, 25 miles north of Dunkirk, was shot down in flames into the sea. He was seen to be clinging to the wreckage of his aircraft, and although the wreckage was recovered by a warship. his body was not found. (His elder brother, Dennis Ivor Day, b. 10 February 1892 at St. Ives Royal Naval Divn. & 2nd Lt. Royal Field Artillery; died at Boulogne, 7^th October 1915, of wounds received 27^th September 1915 at Vermelles during Battle of Loos. Buried at St. Ives. A noted oarsman and a Cambridge rowing Blue. See "De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour" Vol. 1 Part 2 for biography and photograph of Dennis Ivor Day.) No known grave. Commemorated on CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL, Kent. Panel 30.

[Listed as S Gunner on memorial] Gunner 64427, 9th Siege Battery, 71st Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 13 November 1918. Aged 23. Son of William & Harriet Gale of The Broadway, St Ives. Birth registered in the January to March Quarter 1895 in St Ives Registration District, Huntingdonshire. In the 1901 census he was aged 5, son of William & Harriet Gale, born St Ives, resident The Broadway, St Ives, Huntingdonshire. Buried in Vadencourt British Cemetery, Maissemy, Aisne, France. Plot I. Row C. Grave 24.

Lance Corporal 106274, "B" Squadron, 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles (Saskatchewan Regt.) Died Tuesday, 6th June 1916. Aged 26. Born 12 August 1889 in St Ives. Son of William Sparrow Harrison and Emily Harrison, of 6,Cromwell Place. St. Ives, Hunts. Farmer by trade. Unmarried at attestation. Attested 1 December 1914 and passed fit 29 December 1914, aged 25, height 5 feet 6½ inches, girth 35½ inches, complexion fair, eyes brown, hair brown; religious denomination Church of England. No known grave. Commemorated on YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 18 - 26 - 28. National Archives of Canada Accession Reference: RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 4110 - 7

Private 7729 11th Battalion, Australian Infantry, A.I.F who died on Sunday, 13th January 1918. Age 29. Son of George and Emma Hewson; husband of Ethel Maud Hewson, of 16, Lichfield Rd., Southtown, Great Yarmouth, England. Native of St. Ives, Hunts. No known grave. Commemorated on the YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 7 - 17 - 23 - 25 - 27 - 29 - 31

Notes by Alan Davis:

Pte. 7729 Charles William Hewson, 11th Bn. Australian Infantry.

Charles, as he preferred to be known, left home in St Ives during the summer of 1913 bound for Australia and soon found work as a farmer in the community of Burracoppin, not far from Perth. In April 1917 he enlisted in the Australian Infantry at Blackboy Hill Camp in Western Australia and this is where he completed his initial training. In June 1917 he disembarked Freemantle aboard H.M.A.T. A30. ‘Borda’ and arrived in Plymouth at the end of August. He undertook further training at Sutton Veny near Warminster and finally disembarked Southampton, arriving in Le Harvre, France, on 30th December 1917. Within days he had joined his unit near Wulverghen, not far from Ypres [Iper] in Belgium. Barely two weeks later, on 13th Jan 1918, the 11th Bn. War Diary recorded the following event.

‘No. 5 post located at 0 35 d 31 blown out by enemy during early morning. Casualties 4 O.R. killed and 5 wounded.’

Sadly, Private Charles William Hewson was one of those ‘Other Ranks’ killed in action on that day and he is No known grave. Commemorated on the Ypres [Menin Gate] in Belgium.

His younger brother, Walter George Hewson, emigrated with him to Australia and worked as a labourer in the same community of Burracoppin in Western Australia. Joining the 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, he saw action in Gallipoli and France, was twice wounded in action and finally reached the rank of Sergeant. He returned to Australia in November 1918 and died in Kwinana, Western Australia on 27 June 1967.

[Listed on memorial as S Gunner, MASTERS on SDGW] Private 3878, 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards. Killed in action 6 November 1918. Aged 30. Born and enlisted St Ives, Hunts. Husband of Hilda M Marsters of Hemingford Grey, St Ives. Buried in Maubeuge-Centre Cemetery, Nord, France. C.48.

Private 26830, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action 10 October 1917. Aged 29. Born & resident St Ives. Enlisted Cambridge. Son of Jacob & Francis Stevens of The Quays, St Ives, Hunts. Brother of above. Buried in Ridge Wood Military Cemetery, Voormezeele, Heuvelland, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Plot I.Row C. Grave 1.

Extrcat from National Roll of the Great War:

STEVENS, R. V., Private, 1st Bedfordshire Regt. - After volunteering in September 1915, he underwent a period of training, and later proceeded to the Western Front, where he took an active part in the Battles of the Somme, Arras and Ypres, and in heavy fighting at Loos. He died gloriously on the Field of Battle on October 11th, 1917, and was entitled to the General Service and Victory Medals. - 'A valiant Soldier, with undaunted heart he breasted life’s last bill' - The Quay, St. Ives, Hunts. - Z4291/A.

2nd Lieutenant 8th Battalion Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Killed in action 26 September 1915. Aged 26. Son of Lucy Watts of West Garth, St Ives, Hunts and the late W A Watts. No known grave. Commemorated on Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panels 95 & 97.

Fusilier 5837364 1st Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt.) who died on Friday, 12th May 1944. Age 21. Son of William H. Favell, and of Margaret Favell, of St. Ives, Huntingdonshire. His brother Pte. William Arthur Favell died in the United Kingdom. No known grave. Commemorated on the CASSINO MEMORIAL, Italy. Panel 5. Mentioned on family grave in churchyard.

Sergeant Observer 1446136 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve who died on Monday, 13th September 1943. Age 21. Son of Harry Gates, D.C.M., and Gertrude L. Gates, of St. Ives. Buried in St. Ives Public Cemetery, Huntingdonshir. Grave 61.

Lieutenant Colonel 23976 Cdg. 5th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment who died on Thursday, 23rd May 1940. Age 41. Son of Henry Douglas and Caroline Green; husband of Cicely Clare Green, of St. Ives, Huntingdonshire. Buried in WHITE HOUSE CEMETERY, ST. JEAN-LES-YPRES, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Plot 1. Row L. Grave 6.

Sergeant 1605950 Flt. Engr. 50 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve who died on Sunday, 14th January 1945. Age 21. Son of Frank and Minnie Kirby, of St. Ives, Huntingdonshire. Buried in BERLIN 1939-1945 WAR CEMETERY, Brandenburg, Germany. Plot 2. Row D. Grave 21.

Warrant Engineer H.M.S. Victory IV, Royal Navy who died on Saturday, 10th March 1945. Age 43. Son of Henry Thomas New and Hannah Hanscombe New; husband of Beatrice New, of Wyke Regis, Weymouth. Buried in WORTH MATRAVERS (ST. NICHOLAS OF MYRA) CHURCHYARD, Dorset. Section E. Grave 250.

Stoker 1st Class D/KX 106550 H.M.S. Sultan, Royal Navy who died on Thursday, 21st September 1944. Age 24. Son of William John and Hannah Newby, of St. Ives, Huntingdonshire. No known grave. Commemorated on PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL, Devon, Panel 90, Column 1.