Constructed of Portland Stone and erected in 1920, the Village War Memorial stands on the High Street, just to the left of the Churchyard gates. The Memorial acts as a centre for commemoration each year, on Remembrance Sunday, and as a record for future generations of the names of those brave individuals who left the village to fight in two World Wars and who never returned. Indeed, to this day, twenty five of them (listed below with an asterisk after their names) still have no known grave.
The base of the Memorial bears the names of thirty two casualties of the First World War and six from the Second World War. As follows :
1914 to 1918
| Name | Unit | Died | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick Andrews (*) | 7th Bn Bedfordshire Regt | Sept 1916 | 24 |
| Percy Andrews | 7th Bn Lincolnshire Regt | June 1918 | 19 |
| Frederick George Armstrong | 9th Bn Rifle Brigade | Mar 1918 | 27 |
| Frederick Batchelor (*) | 2nd Bn Bedfordshire Regt | Sept 1918 | 23 |
| Horace Batchelor (*) | 8th Bn Bedfordshire Regt | Sept 1916 | 27 |
| Frederick William Clark | 4th Bn Bedfordshire Regt | Aug 1918 | 32 |
| Percy Thomas Clark | 4th Bn Bedfordshire Regt | Nov 1916 | unknown |
| Leonard Cook | 1st Canterbury Regt, NZEF | June 1917 | 25 |
| William Coot | 7th Bn Northamptonshire Regt | Apr 1918 | 38 |
| Frederick David Curl | 10th (Prince Of Wales) Hussars | Oct 1914 | 36 |
| Horace Charles Day | 7th Bn Bedfordshire Regt | Jan 1916 | 21 |
| Joshua Dyer | 2nd Bn Royal Sussex Regt | Sept 1916 | 19 |
| John Featum (Feetham) | 6th Bn Royal West Kent Regt | Oct 1916 | 36 |
| James Fensom | 11th Bn Essex Regt | Oct 1915 | 35 |
| Alfred Flitton | 693rd Agricultural Company | Nov 1918 | 33 |
| Arthur Flitton | 7th Bn Royal West Surrey Regt | July 1916 | 32 |
| William Ernest Flitton | 11th Bn Essex Regt | Aug 1917 | 39 |
| Horace Godfrey (*) | 2nd Bn Bedfordshire Regt | July 1917 | unknown |
| Percy Godfrey | 2nd Bn Bedfordshire Regt | Oct 1916 | 25 |
| Edgar Harris | 7th Bn Bedfordshire Regt | Mar 1916 | 23 |
| Horace Harris (*) | 7th Bn Bedfordshire Regt | Sept 1916 | 26 |
| George Kitchener | 6th Bn Bedfordshire Regt | Nov 1915 | 18 |
| Arthur Frederick Lee (*) | 2nd Bn Royal Sussex Regt | May 1915 | 27 |
| Elijah Peacock | 1st Bn East Surrey Regt | Oct 1917 | 19 |
| Charles Peddar | 3rd Bn Bedfordshire Regt | Sept 1916 | 24 |
| Harry Peddar | 1st Bn Bedfordshire Regt | Apr 1918 | 21 |
| Dennis Riley (*) | 2nd Bn Bedfordshire Regt | May 1915 | 28 |
| Walter Robinson | 4th Bn Royal Fusiliers | Aug 1918 | 19 |
| John (Jack) Silvester (*) | HMS Hawke, Royal Navy | Oct 1914 | 34 |
| William Smith (*) | 8th Bn Bedfordshire Regt | Dec 1915 | 40 |
| Ernest William Stevens | 8th Bn Bedfordshire Regt | Sept 1916 | 34 |
| Henry (Jack) White (*) | 1st Bn Scots Guards | Oct 1914 | 28 |
1939 to 1945
| Name | Unit | Died | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albert George Bandy (*) | 1st Bn Northamptonshire Regt | June 1944 | 24 |
| Douglas Arthur Batchelor (*) | 2nd Field Coy, Royal Engineers | May 1944 | 20 |
| Frederick Charles Harvey | Civilian Munitions Worker | Mar 1944 | 16 |
| Leslie John Horwood (*) | Royal Artillery | Apr 1944 | 23 |
| Glenister Leslie Morton | 17th Field Regt, Royal Artillery | Aug 1943 | 22 |
| Allan Lane Tuckey (*) | HM Levant Schooner No 24, RNVR | Apr 1944 | 21 |
In November 2007 a Project was begun to create a written record of the stories of these men and their sacrifice. As at today’s date this work continues with the hope of preparing and publishing a booklet that will be available to those visiting the village or those whose own ancestors might be amongst those named. During this research thirty seven other men, with strong Flamstead links, have been identified who are not themselves recorded on the War Memorial. These are :
1914 to 1919
| Name | Unit | Died | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Hine Adcock | 3rd Bn Bedfordshire Regt | Nov 1918 | 23 |
| James Frederick Lester Adcock | Motorised Transport Army Service Corps | July 1918 | 33 |
| Charles Andrews | 5th Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers | Oct 1919 | 33 |
| Ernest Joseph Baldwin (*) | 21st Bn (Surrey Rifles) London Regt | Sept 1916 | 35 |
| Lawrence Alfred H Barrow | 11th Bn Royal Sussex Regt | Aug 1916 | 21 |
| Bertie Brazier (*) | “S” Bty Royal Horse Artillery | June 1915 | 24 |
| Frank Bunce (*) | 2nd Bn Grenadier Guards | Sept 1916 | 34 |
| Charles Burgess | 38th Royal Field Artillery Brigade | Sept 1917 | 34 |
| Herbert Butterfield | 217th Siege Bty RGA | June 1917 | 34 |
| Aubrey Spencer Cain | 11th Bn Suffolk Regt | Apr 1917 | 20 |
| Harry Leslie Cain (*) | 10th Bn Kings Royal Rifle Corps | Sept 1916 | 21 |
| Frederick George Charge | 212th Siege Bty RGA | Mar 1917 | 36 |
| Charles Cooper | 1/1st Hertfordshire Regt | Feb 1919 | 38 |
| George Coote (*) | 1st/2nd Field Coy. (NM) Royal Engineers | Oct 1915 | 32 |
| Leonard Coote | 8th Bn Bedfordshire Regt | Apr 1916 | 36 |
| Stanley Coote | 6th Bn Bedfordshire Regt | May 1916 | 21 |
| Wilfred William Coote (*) | 4th Bn Bedfordshire Regt | Apr 1915 | 21 |
| Sidney Arnold B Devis | 9th Bn Duke Of Cornwall Light Inf | Jan 1918 | 22 |
| Percy Draper | 11th Bn Essex Regt | Oct 1918 | 26 |
| Leonard George Fisher (*) | 2nd Bn Bedfordshire Regt | Oct 1916 | 23 |
| George Flitton | 6th Bn Northamptonshire Regt | Feb 1917 | 26 |
| George William Flitton | 10th Bn Royal Warwickshire Regt | Sept 1918 | 18 |
| Frederick Ginger (*) | 4th Bn Loyal North Lancs Regt | July 1917 | 22 |
| William Ginger (*) | 2nd Bn Bedfordshire Regt | Oct 1916 | 39 |
| Alexander Grant | 1st Bn Bedfordshire Regt | Aug 1918 | 31 |
| Alfred Hobbs
Percy Impey |
22nd Bn Australian Infantry Regt
1st Bn Bedfordshire Regt |
Dec 1915
June 1915 |
18
23 |
| Lawrence Frederick Jackson (*) | 2nd Bn Bedfordshire Regt | Oct 1916 | 20 |
| Rolland Hill Kingham (*) | 17th Coy Machine Gun Corps | Mar 1918 | 36 |
| Leopold Randolph Richardson | 14th Bn (Scottish) London Regt | Sept 1916 | 29 |
| Cecil Clement Robinson (*) | 7th Bn Bedfordshire Regt | Mar 1917 | 37 |
| Frederick Rolt | 1/4th Duke Of Wellington’s Regt | June 1917 | 31 |
| Thomas Skinner | 1st Bn Bedfordshire Regt | Nov 1914 | 33 |
| William Souster | 8th Bn East Surrey Regt | May 1917 | 33 |
| Clarence James Thody | 8th Bn Manchester Regt | Aug 1918 | 33 |
| Harry Whinnett (*) | 1st Bn Rifle Brigade | April 1915 | 30 |
1939 to 1945
| Name | Unit | Died | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vincent James Seymour | General List, Canadian Army | July 1945 | 55 |
These individuals would typically have been born in the Flamstead Parish and then moved away whilst still children, or have lived for only a short time in the village prior to their military service and eventual death. Indeed, a number of these are recorded on other local War Memorials including Markyate, Redbourn, Studham, Great Gaddesden, Slip End and St Albans.
There is also a small wall mounted memorial, within St Leonard’s Church, to the above named 2nd Lieutenant Lawrence Barrow of the 11th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment. His Father, Reverend A H Barrow, was Vicar of Flamstead from 1916 to 1923 and officiated at the unveiling of the War Memorial in November 1920.
Five of the above named men are actually buried in the village graveyard “God’s Acre”. These are :
Joshua Dyer (of Pepperstock)
A Lance Corporal in the 2nd Battalion the Royal Sussex Regiment, he died of his wounds in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Southampton on the 22nd September 1916 aged only 19. He shares a grave with his sister Kate Dyer (died 1920) and brother Eddy Charles Dyer (died 1911).
James Fensome (of Flamstead)
A Private in the 11th Battalion the Essex Regiment, he died of his wounds in the East Leeds War Hospital, Yorkshire on the 6th October 1915 aged 35.
Alfred Flitton (of Church End, Flamstead)
A Private in the 693rd Agricultural Company, Bedfordshire Regiment Labour Corps, he died in the Military Hospital, Aylesbury on the 1st November 1918 aged 33. Alfred had previously served with the Bedfordshire Regiment before, like many wounded men at the time, transferring to the Labour Corps.
Charles Peddar (of Trowley Bottom)
A Private in the 1st Battalion the Bedfordshire Regiment, he died in the Royal Herbert Hospital, Woolwich on the 9th September 1916 aged 24.
Frederick Charles Harvey (of Trowley Hill Road, Flamstead)
A Civilan Munitions Worker, he died in an explosion at the factory in Hemel Hempstead on the 6th March 1944 aged 16.
There are also a number of local servicemen buried in nearby Churchyards and Cemeteries.
One is buried in Markyate Cemetery …..
Charles Andrews (of London Road, Markyate)
A Private in the 5th Battalion the Royal Irish Fusiliers, he survived the War but was badly injured. He died, aged 33, at home in Markyate on the 25th October 1919.
and one buried in Slip End Churchyard :
Sidney Arnold Bell Devis (of Pepperstock)
A Private with the 9th Battalion the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry. He was invalided out of the Army and died of Tuberculosis in January 1918, at the age of 22.
and one buried in Berkhamstead Cemetery ….
Leslie John Horwood (of Beechwood Park)
A Gunner in the Royal Artillery. He was invalided out of the Royal Artillery and died of Tuberculosis in April 1944, at the age of 23
In addition, we have identified over 170 men and women who served in WW1 and survived, included amongst whom are the following surnames :
Abbott, Andrews, Arnold, Austin, Bandy, Barford, Bassett, Batchelor, Bolton, Brickett, Browne, Bunyan, Burchmore, Burford, Burgess, Carins (or Cairns), Chalkley, Chapman, Clark, Clasper, Connor, Cook, Coot, Coote, Cousins, Curl, Darnell, Day, Devis, Draper, Dudley, Dunckley, Durrant, Dyer, Ellis, Evans, Farr, Fensome, Fenwick, Field, Fisher, Flitton, Forsyth, Freeman, Friswell, Gallagher, Ginger, Godfrey, Grindrod, Groom, Hall, Harris, Hawes, Hayes, Hill, Hobbs, Howe, Humphreys, Impey, Jackson, Jude, Keel, King, Lee, Lissaman, Long, Martin, Mason, Maunders, Mitchell, Morrice, Morton, Munn, Nicholls, Papworth, Parsons, Payne, Peacock, Pearson, Peddar, Pedder, Philpott, Potton, Quinnell, Ratcliffe, Riley, Robinson, Saunders Sebright, Seymour, Shepherd, Stafford, Stokes, Thody, Thomas, Thorne, Timberlake, Toyer, Turpin, Waller, Warden, Welch, Wheeler, White, Williamson, Wright.
If anyone has any further information on any of the seventy two individuals named above, no matter how small, either to do with their lives before the War or their service during it we would be delighted to hear from them. Please contact Simon Goodwin at the Ver Valley Remembrance Group at FlamsteadWarMemorial@googlemail.com or (01582) 842162.
Ver Valley Remembrance Group
Since starting the Flamstead project we have become aware of similar research being undertaken in the neighbouring communities of Redbourn, Markyate, the Childwickbury Estate, the Luton Hoo Estate and the Parish of St Michael’s in St Albans. If any reader of this webpage has any interest in casualties from any of these other areas we would be very happy to forward any e-mails received to the appropriate people.
Alternatively, the following links may be of interest ….
Redbourn
Webpage : www.redbourn.org.uk/Redbourn/WarMemorial
E-Mail : Redbourn.remembers@gmail.com
Childwickbury Estate
Webpage : www.christineaitken.com
Markyate
Webpage : www.dacorumheritage.org.uk/ww1-rolls-Markyate.htm
Luton Hoo Estate
E-Mail : research@lhwg.org.uk
St Michael’s, St Albans
E-Mail : d.dean868@btinternet.com
(Note : Thanks are due to a large number of people who have helped this project by providing information and encouragement to see it completed. Whilst there are too many to name here individually I would especially like to thank Mr Eric Edwards, of the Flamstead Society, who has provided much of the documentary evidence I have been able to quote above)
This webpage was last updated on : 15 August 2023