Woodnewton – acreage 1396
141 men, 147 women, 78 families - 40 men went to war and killed Information taken from the Roll of Honour 40 Went to war, 37 returned.
141 men, 147 women, 78 families - 40 men went to war and killed Information taken from the Roll of Honour 40 Went to war, 37 returned.
Corporal Garner of the Northamptonshire Regiment – Wounded in 30 places
Corporal Garner of the Northamptonshire Regiment, a native of Woodnewton, who is related to Mr Fred Garner of Tallington, sends tidings of a terrible experience, having lost an eye, a leg and being wounded in nearly 30 places.
He states that a shell exploded under his nose and half stunned him. His left arm was smashed at the wrist, another bullet lodged in his elbow, his right eye had ‘gone west’ and a lump of iron in his face smashed his jaw bone.
He received nine or ten wounds in the right thigh, and his left leg has gone altogether,
‘Its in France somewhere, so you will see that I have finished with the service.
My small book saved a bullet going through my heart’.
Corporal Garner advises a comrade who is still at the front thus,
‘if you take my tip you will keep away from all shrapnel, it is very unhealthy. I have had seven operations and may have some more yet through it’.
Corporal Garner of the Northamptonshire Regiment, a native of Woodnewton, who is related to Mr Fred Garner of Tallington, sends tidings of a terrible experience, having lost an eye, a leg and being wounded in nearly 30 places.
He states that a shell exploded under his nose and half stunned him. His left arm was smashed at the wrist, another bullet lodged in his elbow, his right eye had ‘gone west’ and a lump of iron in his face smashed his jaw bone.
He received nine or ten wounds in the right thigh, and his left leg has gone altogether,
‘Its in France somewhere, so you will see that I have finished with the service.
My small book saved a bullet going through my heart’.
Corporal Garner advises a comrade who is still at the front thus,
‘if you take my tip you will keep away from all shrapnel, it is very unhealthy. I have had seven operations and may have some more yet through it’.
Arthur Walter Fox was born in 1882 and was 28 in 1911, and is described as a builder’s labourer. He and his wife Sarah, had two small children living in only two rooms in Woodnewton. He enlisted to the Northamptonshire Regiment 6th Battalion (25186), but was killed Flanders aged 35 on February 17th 1917, probably during operations on the Ancre and may be in the actions of Miraumont, on February 17th & 18th . Leaving wife Sara to bring up Mary his daughter aged 7 and Arthur their son aged 6.
Charles Simmons was the eldest son of Arthur Simmons and was working as a horse man on a farm. In 1911 he was living at home in Woodnewton with his parents and his two brothers in a dwelling with five rooms. He appears to have enlisted in to the Northamptonshire Regiment the labour corps aged 23 on November 24th 1914. He received shrapnel wound on March 6th 1915 in France, but appears to have continued in the army and was discharged on March 9th 1919. James Pridmore enlisted into the 75883, "B" Bn., Tank Corps and died on November 23rd 1917. He is remembered at the Cambrai Memorial, Louverval. We have no further information about him. Charles William Jackson was born in Woodnewton in 1897 and he lived with his father Fredrick, who was a baker, and his mother Sarah in a five roomed house. He enlisted in Apethorpe and was drafted into the 7th Battalion The Queens Royal West Surrey. He was however killed in action France/Flanders aged nineteen on November 18th 1916 probably in the battle of Transloy on the Somme. He is commemorated Stumps Rd Cemetery Grandcourt. The Pub at Woodnewton
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Percy Compton who was born in 1893 and in 1911 was a labourer living in Woodnewton with his parents, his four brothers and his four sisters in a small four roomed dwelling. He was enlisted into the 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment and was a Company Sergeant Major. He was a regular soldier who was on "Old Contemptible" and had served at Ypres in August 1914.
He won the DCM when he was leading a patrol over "no mans land" in broad daylight when they were pinned down by machine gun fire, all his patrol were either wounded or killed, he manually picked each one up and returned them to the British lines and he did that SIX times and was not personally injured. He was awarded the following medals: Distinguished Conduct Medal Military Medal Belgian Croix de Guerre 1914 Star 7 Bar War Medal 1914-1918 Medal The Croix de Guerre award was rare for WW1 He was killed 21 September 1918 and is remembered at Vis-En-Artois Memorial The Vis-en-Artois Memorial bears the names of over 9000 men who fell in the period from 8 August 1918 to the date of the Armistice in the Advance to Victory in Picardy and Artois, between the Somme and Loos, and who have no known grave. Another member of the Fitzjohn family who was injured in the war and was a Woodnewton resident. Harvey Fitzjohn, b 1897 at Woodnewton. He served in the Northamptonshire Regiment, no 40110, but lost an eye and received shrapnel wounds in his leg, which were never removed. For his sight disability, he received a pension of £1 a week war pension. His son George, who was resident in Woodnewton until about 10 years ago, and now lives at Deeping has some prayer books in a case and his war medals. George Henry Fitzjohn b.1879 joined the Suffolk Regiment, 45422. He was injured at the Battle of Somme and took an honorary discharge on 27 August 1920. The story about him goes that he lost an arm and leg during the battle and was kept alive by dripping water in the trenches. He had a replacement limb fitted at Roehampton after his discharge. |