BURTON DASSETT WAR MEMORIAL

World War 1 & 2 - Roll of Honour with detailed information
Compiled and copyright © Steve Potts 2009

The Burton Dassett war memorial is to be found on the village green on Bottom Street, Burton Dassett. It takes the form of a Latin Cross with flared ends, an octagonal column, square plinth and a two stepped base. There are 15 names for World War 1 and 10 for World War 2 in th eform of an additional brass plaque containing details of an American Bomber crew unrelated to the village that crashed there. The memorial wa sunveiled by General Gage 22nd January 1922, the monies being raised by public subscription; the masons were J F Booth and Sons. The memorial was fully restored between 1996 and 1997 to commemorate the centenary of the parish council. The original masons Booths became Hornton Quarries Ltd, so the restoration of 1996 was carried out by the same firm that built the memorial in 1921. The parish incorporates the villages of Northend and Knightcote. The memorial is exceedingly weather worn and could do with a refurbishment.

Photograph Copyright © Steve Potts 2009

ERECTED BY THE INHABITANTS OF
BURTON ASSETT
IN HONOUR OF THE MEN OF THIS PARISH
WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE
IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1918

ALLIBON	[Francis] Bernard	[Spelt ALLLIBONB on SDGW] Private G/15662, 2nd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Killed in action 1st July 1916. Born Burton Dassett, enlisted Rugby, resident Banbury. Formerly 65365, Royal Field Artillery. Buried in HAWTHORN RIDGE CEMETERY No.2, AUCHONVILLERS, Somme, France. Section B. Grave 13.
BAKER	Edward [Harold]	Private 35223, 16th [SDGW] or 19th [CWGC] Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Killed in action 27th September 1918. Aged 19. Born Leamington, enlisted Coventry. Son of Edward Thomas and Sarah Ann Baker, of Knightcote, Leamington Spa. No known grave. Commemorated on VIS-EN-ARTOIS MEMORIAL, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 3.
BAKER	William [John]	Private 11003, 7thn 9Service) Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment. Killed in acxtion at Gallipoli 9th August 1915. Aged 31. Born Birmingham, enlisted Rugby, resident Leamington. Son of Edward Thomas Baker, of Knightcote, Leamington, and the late Sarah Ann Baker. No known grave. Commemorated on HELLES MEMORIAL, Turkey. Panel 134 to 136.
BALDWIN	Harry	Sergeant 13593, 6th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Killed in action 19th February 1917. Born and resident Burton Dassett, enlisted Rugby. Buried in A.I.F. BURIAL GROUND, FLERS, Somme, France. Plot V. Row A. Grave 23.
BENFIELD	Bertram [George]	Private 41336, 1st Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. Died of wounds 16th April 1918. Aged 19. Enlisted Coventry. Son of Ernest George and Mary Ann Benfield, of North End, nr. Leamington, Warwickshire. Formerly 8/18433, Training Reserve Battalion. Buried in AIRE COMMUNAL CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France. Plot II. Row C. Grave 26.
FRANKLIN	[Arthur] Oliver	Private 10670, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Killed in action 1st August 1917. Born Melmdon, Northamptonshire, enlisted Warwick, resident Northend. Formerly 15456, Royal Warwickshire Regiment.
HAMMOND	[Claude] Douglas	Private 9026, 4th Dragoon Guards (Royal Irish). Killed in action 24th August 1915. Aged 19. Born Radya, Cardiff, enlisted Rugby, resident Leamington. Son of Mary Edith Hammond, of Northend, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, and the late Arthur Warren Hammond. No known grave. Commemorated on YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 3 to 5.
LOWE	Herbert [William]	Lance Corporal 32528, 12th 9Service) (Bristol) Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment. Died 25th August 1918. Aged 26. Born Northend, enlisted Leamington. Son of William and Jane Lowe, of Northend, Leamington Spa. Formerly 17727, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. No known grave. Commemorated on VIS-EN-ARTOIS MEMORIAL, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 6.
MANN	F	No further information currently available
MANN	William	Sergeant 52898, "D" battry, 78th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died of wounds 14th July 1916. Aged 27. Born Leamington, enlisted Banbury. Son of James and Harriett Mann, of Northend, nr. Leamington. Buried in WARLOY-BAILLON COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION, Somme, France. Plot III. Row E. Grave 27.
MUMFORD	Percival Stephen aka Percy	Private 32844, 14th (Service) Battalion (West of England), Gloucestershire Regiment. Killed in action 22nd October 1917. Born Ashorne, enlisted Warwick. Baptised 7 August 1898 in Newbold Pacey, Warwickshire, son of James and Lucy Mumford. In the 1911 census he was aged 13, the son of Jams and Lucy Mumford, born Ashbourne, Warwick, resident Gaydon Inn, Gaydon, Warwickshire. No known grave. Commemorated on TYNE COT MEMORIAL, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 72 to 75. Photograph © Copyright Stephen Savage 2016
NEALE	J	No further information currently available
VARNEY	John	Private 188293, 3rd Battalion, Labour Corps formerly 12th Battalionm, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Died January to March 1918. Baptised 14th February 1897 in Burton Dassett. Son of Richard and Emily Gertrude Varney. In the 1901 census he is aged 4 living with his parents in Knightcote. In the 1911 census he was aged 14, born Burton Dassett, son of Richard and Emily Varney, resident Knightcote, Burton Dassett, Warwickshire. His discharged papers show that he had been wounded on the Somme 3rd September 1916, on his discharge on 11th August 1917 he was 'no longer fit for war service' King's Regulations Para 392 (XVI) (he had also been operated on) and the register of deaths at nearby Southam (6 miles from Knightcote) has the death of a John Varney, age 22, registered during the first quarter of 1918. At discharge age 20, height 5 feet 7 inches, fresh complexion, blue eyes, light brown hair, trade Farm Labourer, home address Knightcote, near Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. Enlisted 11th December 1915, mobilized 29th March 1916, awarded Silver Badge No. 135401 on 2nd November 1917.
VARNEY	Levi	Private 20713, Coldstream Guards. Killed in action 27th April 1918. Aged 35. Born Knightcote, enlisted Bishop's Itchington, resident Eknnightcote, near Leamington. Son of William and Eliza Varney; husband of Annie Elizabeth Varney, of Knightcote, Leamington. Buried in NIEPPE-BOIS (RUE-DU-BOIS) BRITISH CEMETERY, VIEUX-BERQUIN, Nord, France. Section C. Grave 12.
WICKHAM	Oliver [Samuel]	Private 203312, 1/4th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment. Died in Palestine 1st October 1917. Born Burton Dassett, enlisted Bishop's Itchington. Buried in BAGHDAD (NORTH GATE) WAR CEMETERY, Iraq. Plot XXI. Row T. Grave 44.
Erected to the memory of the airmen from the 407th Bomb Squadron, United States Air Force, whose aircraft crashed near this village during an operational flight on the morning of 13th November 1943 Photographs Copyright © Steve Potts 2009 Front (l to r) 2nd Lt Henry B Johnson, bombadier; 2nd Lt Leo E Dunaway, co-pilot; 2nd Lt Hiram T Fisher, pilot; 2nd Lt Donald Gusar, navigator Standing(l to r) sgt Robert W Rhudy, ball turret gunner; s/sgt Thomas T Arnold, radio operator; sgt Samuel M Aston, waist-gunner; s/sgt Donald A Yoder, navigator; sgt Edward E Payette, tail gunner; sgt Edward E Herlihy, waist-gunner
ARNOLD	T T	Staff Sergeant - body repatriated
ASTON	S M	Sergeant - body repatriated
DUNAWAY	Leo E	2nd Lieutenant O-680422, 407th Bomber Squadron, 92nd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces. Entered service from Oklahoma. Awarded the Purple Heart. Buried in Madingley War Cemetery, Cambridgeshire. Plot F Row 2 Grave 65
FISHER	H T	2nd Lieutenant - body repatriated
GUSAR	D	2nd Lieutenant - body repatriated
HERLIHY	E C	[Llisted as HERHILY on memorial incorrectly] Sergeant - body repatriated
JOHNSON	Henry B	2nd Lieutenant O-744474, 407th Bomber Squadron, 92nd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces. Entered service from California. Awarded the Purple Heart. Buried in Madingley War Cemetery, Cambridgeshire. Plot C Row 1 Grave 6
PAYETTE	Edward E	Sergeant 11031367, 407th Bomber Squadron, 92nd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces. Entered service from Rhode Island. Awarded the Purple Heart. Buried in Madingley War Cemetery, Cambridgeshire. Plot F Row 2 Grave 99
RHUDY	Robert W	Sergeant 13119103, 407th Bomber Squadron, 92nd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces. Entered service from Nebraska. Awarded the Purple Heart. Buried in Madingley War Cemetery, Cambridgeshire. Plot B Row 7 Grave 52
YODER	D A	[Listed as YEDER on memorial incorrectly] Staff Sergeant

Last updated 6 January, 2019