St. Michael, Cropthorne

Ordnance Survey reference: SP 000452

War Memorial

Contents
Two bronze plaques mounted on the base of the old churchyard cross, facing the road.

The Great War 1914-1919
Cropthorne Roll of Honour Erected by this grateful village to commemorate the names of its faithful sons who fought for England and liberty

Signlr. W. Capener 1st Glos. Regt. 1914
Gunr. G. Mole R.F.A. 1914
Pte. L.E. Corbett 1st Grenadier Gds. 1915
Pte. W. Ireland 1st Worc. Regt. 1915
Pte. W.J.Bott 9th Worc. Regt. 1915
Cpt. H.Lewis 3rd Worc. Regt. 1916
Pte. F.R.Harris 3rd Worc. Reg. 1916
Sergt. E.H.Hyde 9th Worc. Reg. 1916
Pte. A.W.Taylor 3rd Worc. Reg. 1916
Gunr. W.G. Hyde R.G.A. 1917
Pte. G.W. Forrester 1/8th Worcs. Regt. 1917
Coy. Sergt. Maj. F.E.Forrester 1st Worcs. Regt. 1918
"Their Name liveth for evermore"

1939-1945
IRW Parltow L.A.C. Royal Air Force
SC Ray Flight Sergeant Royal Air Force
GAJ Taylor, Sergeant, Royal Armoured Corps
H Watson, Marine, Royal Navy

Inside the church, by the door is this wooden plaque:

Sacred to the memory of
Burnett Gilroy Gardner
2nd Lieut Royal Engineers
who died from wounds
received in action near Ypres
on 7 May 1915
aged 31 years

And a framed parchment Roll of Honour: 

                 Roll of Honour
               In Glorious Memory
            of the men of Cropthorne
        who gave their lives in the wars
                 1914 - 1918
W.J. Bott       Private    Worcestershire Regiment
W. Capener      Sergeant   Gloucestershire Regiment
J.E Corbett     Private    Grenadier Guards
F.E. Forrester  CSM        Worcestershire Regiment
G.W. Forrester  Private    Worcestershire Regiment
F.R. Harris     Private    Worcestershire Regiment
E. Hyde         Sergeant   Worcestershire Regiment
W.G. Hyde       Gunner     Royal Garrison Artillery
W. Ireland      Private    Worcestershire regiment
H. Lewis        Corporal   Worcestershire Regiment
G. Mole         Gunner     Royal Field Artillery
A.W. Taylor     Private    Worcestershire Regiment

                 1939-1945
I.R.W. Partlow  L.A.C.     Royal Air Force
S.C. Ray        Flight Sergeant  Royal Air Force
G.A.J. Taylor   Sergeant   Royal Armoured Corps
H. Watson       Marine     Royal Navy
           Requiescant in Pace
Two brass plaques:
This Brass is erected by Lt Colonel W. Holland
Worcestershire Regt
In Memory of
Private Thomas Forrester
2nd Worcestershire Regt
Who laid down his life for his country
at Newcastle S. Africa March 13th 1901 		Note: The 1904 Pershore almanac records that this brass tablet was erected on 12th January, 1903
In memory of
Daniel Tarplee, Corporal
Royal Field Artillery
who served through the Boer War
1899-1901, and died at Cropthorne
Jany 12th 1904 from illness contracted
During the Siege of Ladysmith
Note: The 1905 Pershore almanac has this entry:
17 January 1904 - Corporal David Tarplee, who died from the effects of the hardships experienced during the South African campaign, was buried with military honours at Cropthorne


A Wooden panel by the organ: 
    1914                               1918
          List of men from Cropthorne
                      who
                     served
              during the Great War

Barrow. A.G       Forrester A.A.      Mole G.
Barrow W.G.       Forrester A.J       Oxenham H.H.
Barrow S.F        Gradwell J.S.       Pitaway C.
Birch J.          Guise C.            Plant T.
Bott W.J.         Guise J.            Pomeroy F.
Bourton G.O.      Guise W.            Price A.
Brookes R.A.      Harris A.G.         Price A.
Brookes A.E.      Harris F.R.         Price A.
Capener W.        Hopkins E.R.        Price H.V.
Churchley W.D.    Houghton J.E.       Price R.
Corbett W.W.      Hyde A.T            Reade W.
Corbett J.E.      Hyde W.G.           Saunders G.
Cropper J.        Hyde E.H.           Stafford J.S.
Cropper S.        Hughes W.           Stock H.
Cropper D.        Ireland W.          Sykes C.H.
Dingley E.J.      Ireland C.          Tarplee E.
Forrester A.R.    Lewis J.H.          Taylor C.A.
Forrester H.A.    Malings F.A.        Taylor G.
Forrester G.W.    Meakins J.R.        Taylor A.W.
Forrester H.J.    Meakins H.B.        Thorne O.T.
Forrester W.H.    Miles G.            Wilkinson H.E.
Forrester F.R.    Millington A.       Wilson G.
And another brass plaque:

The Clock in this tower
was subscribed for by
the inhabitants of Cropthorne
in grateful memory of the 12 men who
gave their lives for their country
in the Great War 1914-1918
"To teach us to number our days"

Three military headstones in the churchyard:
1688215 GUNNER
W J M ORROW
ROYAL ARTILLERY
17TH APRIL 1941 AGE 22
MAY HE REST IN PEACE
5252733 PRIVATE
M J G MORGAN
THE WORCESTERSHIRE REGIMENT
14TH DECEMBER 1941 AGE 19
"MAKE HIM TO BE NUMBERED
WITH THY SAINTS"
EX/4670 MARINE
H WATSON
ROYAL MARINES
26TH AUGUST 1940 AGE 23

This grave is the "bed of gravel" style:#, with inscriptions along the retainiing walls
back:
ASLEEP IN CHRIST
right:
ARTHUR W. IRELAND AT REST FEB 3RD 1941 AGED 82
front:
PTE. WILLIAM IRELAND
WHO GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY
FEB. 1ST 1915, AGE 18
left:
IN LOVING MEMORY OF ELIZABETH IRELAND AT REST MARCH 1ST 1940 AGED 79

Concerning this last grave: I came across this paragraph in the Evesham Journal for 20 February 1915:
KILLED IN ACTION.
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Ireland, of Cropthorne, have received news from the War Office that their son, Pte. William Ireland, was killed in action on February 1, Pte. Ireland joined Lord Kitchener's Army last August. With others, after a short stay at Norton, he was sent to Cornwall and Devonport for training, but shortly afterwards went to France with the 1st Worcesters. He was a member of the Cropthorne Boy Scouts, and a memorial service is being held in Cropthorne church in commemoration of his membership in this movement.

Last modified 21 July 2002