First World War Roll of Honour in St. Martin’s Church

MEN OF NEW BUCKENHAM WHO DIED IN THE GREAT WAR Herbert Land and his brother Ernest of New Buckenham joined the army to go to the First World War.  Both were fortunate to survive and their names join the 127 others in the Roll of Honour displayed in various versions in St Martin’s Church.  The brothers’ details were researched by Herbert’s grandson Evan Waite who then researched the war details of the 16 men who had given their lives. Evan’s results in more detail are compiled in his book New Buckenham - the supreme sacrifice  which was placed in St Martin’s on permanent display on 11 November 2018. Note also in St Martin’s a modest plaque in the North aisle showing the names of the 12 men of New Buckenham who gave their lives in the Second World War.

Pictured on the left is a handwritten Roll of Honour which was found behind the later version (above) which was removed for preservation and re-framed in 2017. The document in this frame lists ‘Men from this parish on active service for their King and Country’ whereas the later version lists ‘Men from this parish who served King and Country’. Many well-known local families are mentioned. This earlier ‘working copy’ is probably a rare survivor. As news came that one of the people listed had fallen, their names have been marked round in pencil. After the conflict ended the later smarter version was made as a lasting record with the names of the fallen marked out in red.

Sister K. Westgate is also shown, separately from the men. Females on active service were rare. She was a nursing sister who served on a troop ship at Gallipoli with Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve ‘QAIMNSR’. She survived and married in New Buckenham church on 8^th October 1920. (From notes by Charles Stimpson)

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Two versions of the Roll of Honour hang in St. Martin’s Church.

Charles Wilfred BEALES Charles BOLTON Robert Kidd CHAMBERS Joseph Oscar COLEMAN Fred Alfred GARRARD Leonard Douglas HUNT Albert Ernest HUNT Frederick LAMBERT John George Gregory OLLEY Herbert John OSBORN Frank Cecil POWELL Bernard Wilfred PRENTICE Alfred C RUDD George Alfred SELF Frederick SNELLING Thomas William TITE