The war memorial in Hadleigh, Essex, was erected in 1922. Carved stone plaques around its sides bear the names of the forty-eight men from the parish who died during World War I. The base commemorates those who died in World War 2, although no names were added. It remains an impressive structure for a small town.
In January 1919, a parish meeting in Hadleigh resolved to erect a monument in the recreation ground to honour the men of the parish who had fallen in the war. Nearly two years later, in November 1921, a 20-foot-high Portland stone memorial was agreed upon. Sufficient funds had been subscribed, with the exception of the cost of the foundations. The total cost was £280 — equivalent to over £16,000 today. It was not fully paid off until January 1925.
The memorial was unveiled on Sunday 15th October 1922, with a turnout of nearly 2,000 people. Dozens of floral tributes were laid at its base.
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- Chelmsford Chronicle (20 Oct 1922)
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- Illustrated London News (21 Oct 1922)
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- Southend Standard (19 Oct 1922)
The front plaque reads:
This monument is erected to the honoured and undying memory of the men of this parish who laid down their lives for their king and country in the Great War A.D. 1914-1919.
The men were very good unto us and we were not hurt.
They were a wall unto us both by night and day.
Sam 25 15-16
LEST WE FORGET
In addition to the outdoor monument, a plaque within St James the Less Church lists 49 soldiers in the order in which they died, with the exception of “F. Tucker”, who appears first under 1916 but should have been listed at the beginning of 1917. One name appears on the church plaque but not on the outdoor memorial: “S.A. Haves (of Leigh)”.
The church’s memorial shrine was dedicated by the Bishop of Barking on Sunday 29th October 1922, two weeks after the unveiling of the larger outdoor memorial.
“A beautiful war memorial shrine, dedicated at the Parish Church on Sunday by the Bishop of Barking, is composed of dark oak, with the names of those from the parish who fell in the war inscribed in raised and gilded letters on a marble panel. Standing at 8ft. 3in. high, the shrine was designed by the Rev. D. Adamson, rector. Ok alter rails of Norman design have been placed in the chancel, and on the wall is a brass tablet, suitably inscribed. The cost of the memorial was covered by voluntary subscriptions.”
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- Chelmsford Chronicle – Friday 03 November 1922
Newspaper article reproduced with the permission of the British Newspaper Archive and The British Library Board
The Soldiers
Click on a name to find out more about each soldier and how they were connected to Hadleigh. Please note, this is a work in progress.
| NAME |
REGIMENT | RANK | NUMBER |
| ALLEN, James Edward | 1st Essex Regiment | Corporal | 12071 |
| ALLEN, Sidney Charles |
Garrison Artillery, Anti-Aircraft Department (Parkhurst) | Acting Bombardier | 59529 |
| ARNOLD, John Albert | Royal Field Artillery, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, 21st & 7th City of London Battalion (London Regiment) | Private | 69574, 19681, 656179 & 368003 |
| BUSH, Herbert John |
2nd Essex Regiment | Private | 40137 |
| CALVERLEY, Harold Henry |
12th Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) | Private | 10486 |
| CARTER, Frederick | Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort’s Own) 10th Battalion | Rifleman | S/9242 (33612) |
| CHOPPEN, Fred |
7th King’s Royal Rifle Corps | Rifleman | R/10818 |
| CHOPPEN, Stephen |
9th Essex Regiment | Lance Corporal | 12073 |
| CLIFFORD, Harold |
11th Royal Sussex Regiment | Acting Sergeant | G/15706 |
| COLLINS, Charles Claude | 3rd (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), Territorial Force | Private | 4386 |
| COLLINS, Reginald |
2nd/24th London Regiment | Sgt | 721265 |
| COMPTON, John Hugh |
2nd East Surrey Regiment | Private | 1170 |
| COOLLEDGE, John Henry |
Royal Fleet Reserve | Leading Stoker | 305541 |
| COWELL, Richard |
231st Labour Corps | Private | 342578 |
| COWELL, William |
9th Essex Regiment | Private | 12076 |
| EADE, Charles |
2nd Bedfordshire Regiment | Private | 18040 |
| FARELY, Thomas Henry |
1st Canadian Labour Corps | Private | 823816 |
| FEAKIN, Robert James |
2/6th Essex Regiment, 7th Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry | Private | 35124 |
| GILBERT, Alfred |
1st Essex Regiment | Private | 16081 |
| GINN, Alfred M |
Military Mounted Police | Warrant Officer | P/8 |
| LINCE, Charles William John |
Duke of Cambridge’s Own, 23rd Middlesex Regiment | Private | G/43364 |
| MASON, Ernest Edward |
2nd Essex Regiment | Private | 10553 |
| MASON, Reuben |
13th Hussars | Private | 6791 |
| McCORMICK, John Rowland |
3rd Royal Fusiliers | Private | 1409 |
| MEGGS, Stewart Gordon |
213rd Siege Battalion, Royal Garrison Artillery Territorial Force | 2nd Lieutenant | |
| MUNDAY, Henry |
1st East Yorkshire Regiment | Corporal | 7976 |
| PETCHEY, Sidney George | 9th Essex Regiment | Lance Corporal | 19195 |
| PIPER, George George | 5th Essex Regiment | Private | 251697 |
| RAISON, Arthur Stanley | 32nd Royal Fusiliers | Private | 53033 |
| RAYNER, Joseph | 18th Northamptonshire Regiment | Private | 19011 |
| SCOUGALL, Douglas Muir | 1st/15th London Regiment (Rifle Brigade) | 2nd Lieutenant | 4274 |
| SEWELL, Frederick William | 1st South Staffordshire Regiment | Private | 41783 |
| SMITH, Harold George | Royal Naval Reserve | Acting Quartermaster | 192680 |
| SMITH, Percy Louis | Royal Flying Corps (111th Squadron) | Airman (2nd Class) | 49720 |
| SNOW, Henry | 1st Essex Regiment | Private | 8638 |
| STAINES, Archie | Royal Garrison Artillery | Bombardier | 60372 |
| STAINES, Sidney Charles | 5th Coldstream Guards | Private | 17385 |
| STAINES, Wilfred James | 9th Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) | Corporal | 7678 |
| STIFF, George | 10th Essex Regiment | Private | 16109 |
| STOCKWELL, James | 2nd Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) | Private | G/9375 |
| STOKES, William | 2nd Leicester Regiment | Private | 9843 |
| TUCKER, Cecil | 17th Royal Fusiliers | Private | G/60331 |
| TUCKER, Frederick | 1st Border Regiment | Private | 33797 |
| UNDERWOOD, John William | 9th Royal Fusiliers | Private | 78216 |
| WALLACE, Charles Frederick | 29th Vancouver Battalion, Canadian Infantry (British Columbia Regiment) | Private | 75478 |
| WHITE, Philip | 1st Essex Regiment | Acting Sergeant | 10554 |
| WIFFEN, Harry John | 56th Field Coy. Royal Engineers | Corporal | 13113 |
| WOODFORD, Alfred | 1st Essex Regiment | Private | 3/940 |
Below is a chronological list of the soldiers who died, as engraved on the church plaque.
1914
- WIFFEN, H J – 23rd August 1914 (KIA, age 37)
- COOLLEDGE, J H – 22nd September 1914 (DOW, age 32)
1915
- COMPTON, J H – 25th April 1915 (KIA, age 17)
- McCORMICK, J – 3rd May 1915
- SNOW, H – 8th May 1915
- STOKES, W – 15th May 1915
- WOODFORD, A – 22nd June 1915 (DOW, age 23)
- GILBERT, A – 6th August 1915 (MIA, age 36)
- EADE, C – 16th June 1915 (DOW, age 20)
- SMITH, H G – 8th August 1915 (KIA, age 34)
- CALVERLEY, H H – 28th September 1915 (MIA, age 19)
- GINN, A M – 1st October 1915
- STOCKWELL, J – 14th November 1915
- COWELL, W – 17th December 1915 (DOW, age 18)
1916
- PETCHEY, S G – 2nd April 1916
- STAINES, S C – 16th April 1916
- CHOPPEN, S – 25th May 1916 (AD, age 21)
- MUNDEY, H – 1st July 1916 (KIA, age 33)
- STIFF, G – 20th July 1916
- WALLACE, C F – 22nd July 1916 (DOI, age 25)
- RAYNER, J – 19th August 1916
- CARTER, F – 3rd September 1916 (KIA, age 16)
- CHOPPEN, F – 15th September 1916 (KIA, age 27)
- RAISON, A S – 19th September 1916
- BUSH, H J – 15th October 1916 (KIA, age 31)
- FEAKIN, R – 7th October 1916 (KIA, age 19)
- COLLINS, C C – 5th Dec 1916 (DOI, age 36)
1917
- TUCKER, F – 27th January 1917* (MIA, age 32) *engraved in the wrong place on the church memorial
- MEGGS, S G – 3rd March 1917 (DOI, age 22)
- MASON, R – 5th March 1917
- SCOUGALL, D – 4th May 1917
- COLLINS, R – 7th May 1917 (KIA, age 19)
- STAINES, W J – 23rd June 1917
- STAINES, A – 14th August 1917
- FARLEY, T – 19th August 1917 (DOW, age 19)
- CLIFFORD, H – 18th September 1917 (KIA, age 34)
- HAVES, S A – 26th September 1917
- LINCE, C J W – 22nd September 1917 (MIA)
- MASON, E – 10th October 1917
- SEWELL, F W – 26th October 1917
- PIPER, G C – 2nd November 1917 (MIA)
- TUCKER, C – 28th November 1917 (KIA, age 27)
- SMITH, P L – 3rd December 1917
1918
- ALLEN, S C – 24th April 1918 (DOI, age 24)
- ARNOLD, J A – 26th April 1918 (DOW, age 19)
- WHITE, P – 4th November 1918 (DOW, age 30)
- UNDERWOOD, J – 28th August 1918
- COWELL, R – 19th November 1918 (DOI, age 25)
1919
- ALLEN, J E – 8th April 1919 (DOI, age 22)
KIA: Killed In Action
MIA: Missing In Action
DOW: Died Of Wounds
AD: Accidental Death
DOI: Died Of Illness