COPTHORNE
WAR MEMORIAL
World War 1 - Roll of
Honour with detailed information
Compiled and copyright © John Harrison 2005
Copthorne
is a village about four miles east of Crawley. The village has its
own war memorial at the parish church.
This memorial is in the school chapel and contains photographs of
all the casualties.
BLACKIE |
John
Stewart |
Lieutenant,
5th (Reserve) Battalion, attached 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade Born
about 1897. Son of the late Mr & Mrs J A Blackie of Glasgow.
Killed in action 18th October 1916. No known grave. Commemorated
on Thiepval Memorial. Pier and Face 16B & 16 C.
The battalion moved to the front line west of Lesboeufs on 16th
October. Over the next two days it was in action east of Lesboeufs
on the northern slopes of the Morval Spur towards Le Transloy, suffering
261 casualties before being relieved. |
BRADSHAW |
Richard
Edward Knynaston |
Lieutenant
1/12th (Country of London) Battalion, London Regiment (The Rangers).
Richard was born in the village of Little Parndon in Essex about
1895. He was the third child and elder of two sons of William Graham
and Dora Sophia Bradshaw. By 1905 William had moved to Crawley Down
where both Kelly’s Directory and the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission state they lived at Down Park which is between the village
of Crawley Down and Copthorne. He was also Deputy Chairman and a
Director of the London City and Midland Bank. An Old Etonian, left
Eton College 1914.
His
brother William Douglas Bradshaw served with the Royal Field Artillery
and was killed nearly four months later on 31st October, also on
the Somme. Both brothers are included on the War Memorials at Copthorne
and Crawley Down.
Richard was killed in action on 1st July 1916, the first day of
the Battle of the Somme. His remains were not found for burial and
he is commemorated on Thiepval Memorial. Pier and Face 9C. |
BRADSHAW |
William
Douglas |
Second
Lieutenant 88th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. He was born in the
village of Little Parndon in Essex about 1896 and was the fourth
child and younger of two sons of William Graham and Dora Sophia
Bradshaw. By 1905 William had moved to Crawley Down where both Kelly’s
Directory and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission state they
lived at Down Park which is between the village of Crawley Down
and Copthorne. He was also Deputy Chairman and a Director of the
London City and Midland Bank.
His
brother Richard (above) served with the 1/12th Battalion, London
Regiment and had been killed almost four months earlier on 1st July.
Both brothers are included on the War Memorials at Copthorne
and Crawley Down and he is recorded
on both war memorials as Douglas.
He was killed in action on 31st October 1916 and is buried in Aveluy
Communal Cemetery Extension. Plot/Row/Section L. Grave 49. Aveluy
is a village just north of Albert in France. He is one of forty
members of the Royal Field Artillery buried here. |
DANIELL |
Archibald
Steuart Lindsey |
Second
Lieutenant 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade Born about 1895. Son of
Marion Hamilton-Field Richards (formerly Daniell) of 4, Draycott
Place, London and later of 35. Wellington Square, Chelsea and the
late Lindsey I-A Daniell (died in 1914). Grandson of Sir Steuart
Colvin Bayley, GCSI. Gazetted to the 5th (Reserve) Battalion, Rifle
Brigade in June 1914. Joined the 1st Battalion, in August 1914.
Killed in action 19th December 1914. Buried in Rifle House Cemetery
near ‘Plugstreet Wood’, Ploegsteert. Plot IV. Row G.
Grave 5.
Extract
from De Ruvigny's Roll Of Honour 1914-1918, Vol. 2, page
92:
DANIELL,
ARCHIBALD STEUART LINDSEY, 2nd Lieut., 5th (Reserve), attd.
1st, Battn. The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own), only child
of Lindsey Daniell, by his wife, Marion, dam of Sir Steuart Colvin
Bayley, G.C.S.I. ; b. 6 June, 1895 ; educ. Winchester ;
was gazetted 2nd Lieut. 5th Rifle Brigade in June, 1914 ; served
with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders, and was killed
in action at Ploegsteert 19 Dec. 1914. He was mentioned in Despatches
[London Gazette. 17 Feb. 1915) by F.M. Sir John (now Lord) French,
for gallant and distinguished service in the field.
Extract
from Bond of Sacrifice: Officers Died in the Great War 1914-1916,
Volume 1, page 100-101:
2nd
LIEUTENANT ARCHIBALD STEUART LINDSEY DANIELL, 5th (attd. 1st) BATTN.
RIFLE BRIGADE (THE PRINCE CONSORT'S OWN), was the only
child of Lindsey and Marion Daniell, and grandson of Sir Steuart
Colvin Bayley, G.C.S.I. he was born on the 6th June, 1895, and was
educated at Winchester. He joined the Special Reserve of Officers
in June, 1914, and was gazetted to the 5th Battalion, Rifle Brigade,
and attached to the 1st Battalion, which he joined at the front
at the end of August, 1914. He was killed while leading his platoon
into action at Ploegsteert on the 19th December, 1914, and was mentioned
in Sir John French's Despatch of the 14th January, 1915.
|
DOUGLAS |
Brian
Charles O’Driscoll |
Captain,
Connaught Rangers and Royal Air Force. Born about 1894. Only son
of James and Eva Douglas of 96, Inverness Terrace, Hyde Park, London.
Killed in a flying accident on 21st October 1918. Buried in New
Extension at St Leonard’s Church, Heston, Middlesex on 24th
October 1918. Grave 23 & 24 F. |
HAYWARD |
Edward
Ronald |
Second
Lieutenant, 99th Battery, Royal Field Artillery. Born about 1897
at Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Son of Mr R F & Mrs Freda Hayward
of 1865, Barclay Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Educated
at Winchester. Entered Royal Military Academy, Woolwich in October
1915 and Gazetted to the Royal Horse Artillery. Killed in action
20th December 1916. Buried in Mikra British Cemetery, Kalamaria,
Greece. Grave 1882. |
HEDLEY |
Joseph
Walton |
Captain,
2/5th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers. Joseph was born in Langho,
Lancashire about 1880, the youngest son of Matthew and Jane Hedley.
His father was the Vicar of Langho Hospital for Infectious Diseases.
Joseph was educated at Clitheroe School followed by the Merchant
Taylor’s School at Crosby before going to Brasenose College,
Oxford and qualifying a Batchelor of Arts in 1903; matriculated
1899. He became an Assistant Master at ‘Mr Rendall’s
School, Copthorne’. He was gazetted as a Second Lieutenant
in December 1914 and went to the Front in May 1915.
Joseph died of wounds on 12th September 1916 and is buried in Heilly
Station Cemetery, Mericourt L’Abbe. Plot IV. Row F. Grave
6.
On the 7th September 1916 the battalion moved to trenches between
Delville Wood, Trones Wood and Ginchy. Although attached to the
16th (Irish) Division for the assault on Ginchy that took place
by this division on 9th September they did not take part until the
following day and attacked Hop Alley and Ale Alley. Some troops
entered Hop Alley but were forced out by German shelling and machine
gun fire at a cost of 350 casualties.
He is also listed on the Copthorne War
Memorial |
HENDERSON |
Andrew
William |
Captain,
1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade. Elder son of the late William Henderson
of 4, Windsor Terrace West, Glasgow. Attended Balliol College, Oxford;
matriculated 1913. Killed in action 1st July 1916. No known grave.
Commemorated on Thiepval Memorial. Pier and Face 16B & 16C.
This was the First day of the Battle of the Somme. The battalion
attacked the Redan Ridge. Despite being held up by fire from the
Ridge Redoubt and The Quadrilateral it entered the German trenches
by 10.00 AM. It became involved in heavy close quarter fighting
and a German counter attack drove them back. In a few hours the
battalion suffered 474 casualties and was almost immediately relieved.
Brother of Thomas Harvey Henderson (below) |
HENDERSON |
Archibald
Wright |
Second
Lieutenant 223rd Battalion, Machine Gun Corps. Killed in action
30th December 1917. No known grave. Commemorated on Thiepval Memorial.
Pier and Face 5C & 12 C . |
HENDERSON |
Thomas
Harvey |
Captain
6th (Reserve) Battalion, attached 10th (Service) Battalion, Rifle
Brigade. Younger son of the late William Henderson of 4, Windsor
Terrace West, Glasgow. Would have followed his brother to Balliol
College if he had not enlisted. Commissioned into the Rifle Brigade
in December 1914. Severely wounded in February 1915. Killed in action
30th November 1917. No known grave. Commemorated on Cambrai Memorial,
Louverval. Panel 10 & 11. Awarded the Military Cross 1915 and
bar in August 1917 as well as being mentioned in despatches in May
1916. Battalion, Adjutant at the time of his death. Brother of Andrew
William Henderson (above). |
INNES |
Donald
McLeod |
Second
Lieutenant attached 14th (Fife & Forfar Yeomanry) Battalion,
The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders). Born about 1899 at Cambridge,
younger and only surviving son of Hugh McLeod Innes and his wife,
Margaret (Nee Bird) of 6, St Elegius Street, Cambridge. Also attended
Repton School; Exhibitioner in Classics of Trinity College, Cambridge.
Joined the Cambridge University OTC in January 1917, was commissioned
the following June and in France two months later.
Grandson of Lieutenant General James John McLeod Innes VC, Royal
Engineers. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for shooting the crew
of a field gun while under enemy fire and single handedly keeping
the enemy troops away during the Indian Mutiny. His VC is now in
the Royal Engineers Museum, Chatham Scholar of Repton School. Exhibitioner
of Trinity College, Cambridge. Died 6th October 1918 from wounds
received on 22nd September. Buried in Abbeville Communal Cemetery
Extension. Plot IV. Row G. Grave 16. He is 1 of 13 members of the
Regiment buried here.
Also commemorated on the Cambridge
St Paul War Memorial.
His brother, Patrick, served in the RGA and was killed in action
on Vimy Ridge on 30th May 1917. He is buried in La Targette British
Cemetery, Neuville-St. Vaast. Plot I. Row A. Grave 3. |
LAWRENCE |
Guy
Francis |
Lieutenant,
2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards. Born about 1893. Second son of
the Honourable Mrs Hildegarde Lawrence of ‘The Orchard’,
Norton, near Worcester and later of ‘Kingston Cottage’,
Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire and the late George Lawrence. Killed
in action 27th August 1918. Buried in Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery,
Souchez. Plot VIII. Row L. Grave 36. |
LITTLEDALE |
Willoughby
John |
Captain,
2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
Born about 1895. Only son of Willoughby Aston Littledale and his
wife, Violet, of 21, The Boltons, South Kensington, London. Later
educated at Eton. Accepted fro Trinity Collage, Oxford, but went
to the RMA, Sandhurst on the outbreak of war. Commissioned in December
1914, to France in May 1915. Wounded at Beaumont Hamel in November
1916 during the latter stages of the Battle of the Somme. Killed
in action ‘in the front line’ 23rd March 1918. Buried
in Bancourt British Cemetery. Officer commanding ‘A’
Company. |
MAY |
Herbert
Cecil |
Second
Lieutenant, 6th (Reserve) Battalion, attached to 18th (Service)
Battalion, (Arts & Crafts), King’s Royal Rifle Corps.
Born about 1899. Son of Nathaniel Alfred & Eugenie Angela May
of 20, Wetherby Gardens, Earl’s Court, London. Also educated
at Winchester College. Died of wounds 29th September 1918. Buried
in Zantvoorde British Cemetery. Plot V. Row C. Grave 19. |
MENZIES |
William
Allan |
Second
Lieutenant, 163rd Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Born
in 1897 in Ootcamund, India. Son of Dr JA Menzies of 6, Castle Hill
Avenue, Folkestone. Later educated at Rugby School. Enlisted into
the London Scottish in October 1914. Commissioned in the Royal Garrison
Artillery in January 1916. To France on 26th December 1916. Killed
in action 14th June 1917. Buried in Dickebusch New Military Cemetery
Extension. Plot III. Row C. Grave 33.
The London ‘Times’ contained a quote from his Battery
commander ‘Killed instantly, extremely promising and a gallant
young officer’. |
PATON |
John
Edward |
Second
Lieutenant, 2nd Battalion, Monmouthshire Regiment. Born about 1895.
Son of John and Susan Paton of Waun Wern, Pontypool, Monmouthshire.
Killed in action 31st December 1914. Buried inCalvaire (Essex) Military
Cemetery, south of Ploegsteert. Plot I. Row B. Grave 12.
Extract
from De Ruvigny's Roll Of Honour 1914-1918, Vol. 1, page
285:
PATON,
JOHN EDWARD, 2nd Limit., 2nd Battn. Monmouthshire Regt.
(T.F.), eldest s. of John Paton, of Waun Wern, Pontypool,
co. Monmouth, J. by his wife. Susan, dau. of the late Edward Jones,
of Snatchwood Park, Pontypool; b. Pontypool. 6 Sept. 1895
; educ. Copthorne School ; Winchester College, and in the spring
of 1914 passed the entrance examination for Pembroke College, Cambridge,
where he was to have taken up residence in Oct., but after the outbreak
of war in Aug., was given a commission as 2nd Lieut. in the 2nd
Monmouthshire Regt., 14 Oct. ; went to France, 5 Nov. 1914, and
was killed In action at Le Bizet, 31 Dec. following ; unm.
He was buried in the Essex Regt. Cemetery, Calvaire, near Le Touquet.
2nd Lieut. Paton was mentioned in F.M. Sir John (now Lord) French's
Despatch of 14 Jan. 1915, for gallant and distinguished service
in the field. While at Winchester he was In the O.T.C., In which
he attained the rank of Sergt, ; took Certificate "A"
in 1912, and was one of the eight to represent the College at Risley
in 1913 and 1914.
Extract
from Bond of Sacrifice: Officers Died in the Great War 1914-1916,
Volume 1, page 349:
2nd
LIEUT. JOHN EDWARD PATON, 2nd BATTALION MONMOUTHSHIRE REGIMENT,
T.F., was the eldest son of John and Susan Paton, Waun Wern, Pontypool,
and was born in that town on the 6th September, 1895.
He was educated at Copthorne School, Sussex, and at Winchester College.
In the spring of 1914 he passed the entrance examination for Pembroke
College, Cambridge, where he was to have taken up his residence
in October, 1914, had it not been for the var. At Winchester he
was in the O.T.C., in which he had attained the rank of Sergeant,
and was one of the eight selected to represent the school at Bisley
in 1913 and 1914. Ile obtained Certificate " A " in 1912,
thus qualifying for a commission, which he obtained in October,
1914.
2nd Lieutenant Paton was killed in action at Le Bizet on the 31st
December, 1914, and was buried in the cemetery of the Essex Regiment
at Calvaire, near Le Touquet. He was mentioned in Sir John French's
Despatch of 14th January, 1915, for gallant and distinguished service
in the field. |
RODOCANACHI |
Paul
John |
Second
Lieutenant, 53 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. Paul was born on 7th
August 1898, the second son of John Matthew Rodocanachi and his
wife Nettie Clough. John Rodocanachi died in Calcutta at the early
age of 58 in April 1912, Nettie later returned to England. She remarried,
the Commonwealth War Graves Commission notes her becoming Mrs Nettie
Hulme King and living at Park Farm, Holbrook; which is just to the
north east of Horsham. Paul was killed in action on 27th July 1917
while serving with 53 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. He is buried
in Torreken Farm Cemetery No 1. Section/Plot/Row C. Grave 6.
Also listed on the Crawley Down War Memorial.
No 53 Squadron was formed at Catterick, North Yorkshire on 15th
May 1916. It was a reconnaissance unit, carrying out artillery spotting
duties. Initially equipped with a variety of aircraft, in December
1916 it adopted the BE 2 which it flew for the next few months and
moved to St Omer in France on Boxing Day. In February it began to
re-equip with the RE8 which it flew for the rest of the war. It
changed bases numerous times until settling at Clairmarais South
in April and stayed until September. |
STAINTON |
Walter
Adam |
Lieutenant,
3rd Battalion, Grenadier Guards. Younger son of Mr & Mrs Stainton
of 1, Wyndham Place, London. Later educated at Eton and the Royal
Military Academy, Sandhurst. Commissioned in January 1916 and to
the Front the following July. No known grave. Commemorated on Thiepval
Memorial. Pier & Face 8 D. Originally ‘Missing’
and later confirmed killed in action on 14th September 1916.
The battalion reached its assembly positions east of Ginchy on the
14th September for an attack towards Lesboeufs the following day.
Lt Stainton was killed during these preparations. A further 412
men were killed during the attack. |
TOTTIE |
Eric
Harald |
Lieutenant,
1st Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. Born about 1895. Son of
Mr W H Tottie and Mrs Mary Barron Tottie (Nee Blake) of ‘Sherlocks’,
Ascot, Berkshire. Her grandfather was Commodore George Blake of
the United States Navy. Died 22nd September 1914 from wounds received
two days earlier. Buried in Vailly British Cemetery. Plot II. Row
D. Grave 16.
His brother, Oscar William Tottie, was a Lieutenant in the Royal
Navy who was serving on ‘HMS ’Aboukir’. This was
one of three old cruisers sunk by a U boat on the same day. This
was the 22ne August 1914; he died on the same day as his brother.
Extract
from De Ruvigny's Roll Of Honour 1914-1918, Vol. 1, page
285:
TOTTIE,
ERIC HARALD, 2nd Lieut., 1st Battn. (5th Foot) The Northumberland
Fusiliers, yst. s. of W. H. Tottie, of Sherlocks, Ascot
; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders, and
died 22 Sept. 1914, from wounds received in action at the Battle
of the Aisne on the 19th of that month.
Extract
from Bond of Sacrifice: Officers Died in the Great War 1914-1916,
Volume 1, page 349:
2nd
LIEUTENANT ERIC HAROLD TOTTIE, lst BATTN. NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS,
who died on the 22nd September, 1914, at Braisne, from
wounds received in the Battle of the Aisne on the 19th September,
aged nineteen years, was the son of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Tottie, of
Sherlocks, Ascot. He only received his commission from the R.M.C.,
Sandhurst, on the 15th August, 1914, and was posted to the 1st Battalion
of his regiment.
|
TUDOR |
Percival
Bradbury |
Second
Lieutenant 26th (Jacob’s) Mountain Battery, Indian Mountain
Artillery. Died of illness contracted while on active service 1st
November 1918. Educated New College, Oxford University. Buried in
Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery, Iraq. Plot VII. Row K. Grave
2. |
WALLER |
Richard
Alured |
Second
Lieutenant, 5th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers. Richard was
born, and baptised, in Little Packington near Coventry in Warwickshire
about 1884, the son of the late Canon Ernest Alured Waller and of
Mrs Mary Waller of St Bartholomew’s Church, Little Packington,
Warwickshire. Mrs Waller later lived at ‘The Stone House’
Allesley, Warwickshire. Ernest Waller was the grandson of Sir Jonathan
Wathen Waller (formerly Phipps), Groom to the Bedchamber to King
William IV. Richard was educated at Marlborough and University College
Oxford. He was married in 1912 at St Barnabas, Pimlico and lived
at The Cottage, Crawley Down with his wife Ethel (nee Drake). She
was the youngest daughter of Mr & Mrs John Tippet Drake of Plumstead,
Kent. They had one daughter, born in September 1917. He was a master
at Copthorne School; the 1911 census shows him as Resident Assistant
Master.
He enlisted at a Private in one of the ‘Public Schools’
battalions of the Royal Fusiliers, service number PS/10728 and served
in France from August 1916. He returned to England in December that
year and was commissioned in May 1917, returning to France the next
month. He was wounded in August and had only just gone back again
when he died. He died of pneumonia on 1st November 1917 and is buried
in Tincourt New British Cemetery. Plot II. Row D.Grave 3.
There are a number of family memorials in the church at Little Packington. |
Last updated
3 September, 2017
|