St Alban's Church Yard Forest Town

Commonwealth War Graves WW1
By Pauline Marples

Photo:WW1 War Graves St Alban's Church Forest Town 29 August 2009

WW1 War Graves St Alban's Church Forest Town 29 August 2009

P Marples

Clipstone Camp

This Nottinghamshire  churchyard was used for the burials from Clipstone Camp, a WW1 military training camp that was established approximately 2 miles away from Forest Town. There are 29 war graves situated in the churchyard to the front and side of the church. Listed below are the inscriptions on the headstones

Twenty seven of the war graves are set in neat lines and they are of soldiers who were at Clipstone Camp. Some of them died from influenza.

Local Soldier

One war grave is set slightly back from the others, this is possibly because it is the grave of a local person not one from Clipstone Camp. It is of Private Harry Wilson who died in the Red Cross Hospital, Louth, Lincolnshire. His parents lived in Eighth Avenue, Forest Town.

Civilian Nurse

Also set apart from the other war graves, and situated just inside the main entrance to the churchyard is the war grave of ADA ELIZABETH YOUNG who was a civilian nurse at the Clipstone Camp Hospital. There is also a brass memorial plaque to her inside the church.

Inscriptions

The inscriptions in alphabetical order, not as they appear in the church yard.

12437 Private/R A BELL, East Surrey Regiment/16th July 1919/ Son of Major Otto J. Bell/Thy Will Be Done

4785 Private/ W BLAKEY,.Duke of Wellington's Rgt./31st May 1916/Ever Remembered

15864 Private/G E BREW,Machine Gun Corps (Inf). 5th December 1916.

T2/016906. Private/ F P L CLARK, Army Service Corps/ 3rd March 1916./ Though Dead He Still Liveth In The Memory Of those Who Loved Him

24663 Private/ W COLEMAN, Norfolk Regiment/ 12th July 1918.

TRS/173414/J H CURRY/Durham Light Infantry/ 9th November 1918.

4133 Corporal/A ERNEST/ Duke of Wellington's

160263 Private/ A ETIM, Machine Gun Corps (Inf)/ 3rd July 1918.

6/51608 Private/E GOULDSTONE/.Notts and Derby Regt./18th November 1918.

G/99217 Private/W H HOWELL/ Middlesex Regiment. 14th May 1919.

5929. Private/ P HUDSON/Duke of Wellington's Regt/ 8th November 1916.

PrivateTRS/173331/M G LAWSON/ Durham Light Infantry/7th November 1916/Greater Love Hath No Man than This

83868 Serjeant/J LINTON/Royal Garrison Artillery/24th January 1917/Thy Will Be Done.

35593 Private/D J MALCOLM/Royal Fusiliers/17th July 1918.

158644 Lance Corporal/W MUSGROVE/Machine Gun Corps (Inf)/5th July 1918.

S/19792 Private/J O'LONE,/Gordon Highlanders/ 13th August 1919/ Rest In Peace

168581 Serjeant/ F A ORRIDGE/Royal Engineers/27th August 1917/In Memory/ Of Our Dear Brother/harry And Elaine/Peace After Pain.

278123 Private/P R PARKER/Essex Regiment/18th November 1918/he Was Faithful Unto Death.

55415 Private/T PETERS/East Yorkshire Regiment/ 22nd February 1918.

159292 Private/ G R PIKE/Machine Gun Corps (Inf)/7th July 1918/Peace Perfect Peace/It Is Enough/Earths Struggles Now Have Ceased.

T4/235758 Private/Sam PRESTON/RoyalArmy Service Corps/ 25th June 1918/Too Dearly Loved to Be Forgotten.

8057 Private/H ROSEWELL/Royal Army Medical Corps/3rd December 1916/Peace Perfect Peace

8217 Rifleman/J SIMPSON/West Yorkshire Regt/21st January 1917/At Rest

3877 Private/J J SYMONDS/West Yorkshire Regt/11th March 1916/And With The Morn/Those Angel Faces Smile/Which I Have Loved/Long Since And Lost A While.

35677 Corporal/A V WADDINGTON/.Lincolnshire Regiment 5th December 1918./For Ever With The Lord.

126429 Private/ F C WELLS/ Machine Gun Corps (Inf). 2nd January 1918.

58786 Private/ H WILSON/Leicestershire Regiment/10th July 1918/. Father In Thy Gracious Keeping/ Leave We Now Our Dear One Sleeping

343793 Corporal/ W H WILSON/Labour Corps/And Durham Infantry/3rd June 1918

Member/ ADA ELIZABETH YOUNG/Voluntary Aid Detachment/15th July 1918/Thy Will Be Done

Additonal Information

For additional information look at the Commonwealth War Graves web site or HMSO Book Nottingham 1-121 'The War Graves Of The British Empire -Cemeteries and Churchyards in Nottinghamshire

This page was added on 18/09/2009.

Comments about this page

Reginald Alfred Bell ( Violent death at Clipstone Camp).

Bell Reginald Alfred , Private 12437, 3rd East Surrey Regiment died from gun shot to the head 16th July 1919 aged 18. he was the son of Major Otto Joseph Bell of 7,Palliser Court, Baron's Court, London and the late Sybil Ormond Bell.

Notes taken from the Coroner’s report by G.G. Warburton, Deputy Coroner dated 18th July 1919 state - Reginald Alfred Bell L/12437, the East Surrey Regiment stationed at Clipstone Camp was on the 16th July 1919 shot by a rifle fired by Private 12314 G. Woodward of the same Regiment, whereby he sustained injuries to the mouth and neck and died there immediately, at Clipstone Camp aforesaid, and that the said Reginald Alfred Bell accidentally and by misadventure was killed. That he was 18, and an Engineers Assistant of Manor House, Hampton on Thames.

Brief notes from the Military Court of Enquiry - Private Woodward had in fact shot two soldiers at the same time, the other being Private 49137, C. Alexander shot through the right thigh which was severe and he will not be able to continue in the army. On that fateful day Pte Woodward was cleaning his musket in his hut after he and other soldiers had returned from the Rifle Range at the camp. It was claimed by Woodward that he did have a miss-fire and that the bullet was left on the range. On this day at about 12-15 hrs he showed Pte 12458 H Hickman whilst still on the rifle range a round of ball ammunition with a dent in the cap and he then placed it in his jacket pocket. In their hut Woodward showed Pte 12455 C Ings the same ammunition. Private Bell was declared dead at the scene at 14-15hrs. He is buried in St Alban Churchyard, Forest Town, Nottinghamshire. He was training at Clipstone Military Training Camp which was not far from this church.

By Reginald Alfred Bell

By Reginald Alfred Bell
On 31/01/2013

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