Carbrooke
Carbrooke, Norfolk is an agricultural village, with a surprising & fascinating history, and influences through the centuries from around the world.
Carbrooke War Memorial is located in the Churchyard, with CWGC signage on the metal railings.
Carbrooke Community Poppy Project 2018
Commonwealth War Graves Commission have a website with information detailing the men and women who served and died for our country. They maintain the British War graves located around the world.
Norfolk Roll of Honour Website
Virtually every town and village in the country has a war memorial as a symbol to remember and offer respect to those who have died in war. The vast majority commemorated, were not buried at home, and it would have been highly unlikely that relatives at the time, or soon after WW1 and 2, would have been able to visit a grave if indeed there was one.
World War One
21 men are listed as having lost their lives during WW1,with 17 different surnames mentioned, therefore a number of those who died must have been related, it is most likely that in a close knit society many of the men were in fact related in some way. As the male population of Carbrooke in 1911 was 286, we could say we lost about 7% of our menfolk. The war memorial was installed into the Churchyard around 1922.
Two further names were added in 2013 following research, when the War Memorial was restored.
New name plaque 2013 as the original stonework had become illegible
ROLL OF HONOUR.
From the end of the war discussions were recorded in the Church PCC minutes as to the form, a fitting tribute to those who not only fought and died, but also to those who returned, should be. This discussion appears to have gone on until around 1930, when at last a memorial was commissioned and installed into the church, paid for by donations.
The roll lists 89 men from Carbrooke who served in the war, and was instituted by the Vicar who had not been in Carbrooke during the war. From Carbrooke PCC Minutes.
24th October 1921: The Vicar stated that 35/- for a Church Memorial Roll of all who had joined the army & navy during the Great War. The Council (PCC) decided that a notice be put into the Magazine to the effect that a fund had been left open for any that would care to contribute, and that a better roll might be made, according to the amount received.
At a PCC meeting on May 4 1925: It was suggested a permanent record of those who served in the war be created. It was ascertained there was £1.15.0 in hand. Mr TH Page kindly offered to do the inscription of the roll thereby saving a very great expense. Mr W Murrell suggested Mr Page should complete the Record (frame etc.), at the expense of the fund.
Mr TH Page is probably Mr. Thomas Herbert Page who fought during the war, but could it be his father also Thomas. Mr W Murrell, lost one son, and had the other away fighting.
The Rev. Douglas will make search for the list of names, thought to be in existence, and to the Rev Godfrey if necessary. In the case of insufficient information, it was agreed to consult the donors with regard to the disposal of the money.
Rev.Godfrey was Vicar of Carbrooke during the war. Rev. Douglas took over 1922-25, and then Rev. Chambers became Vicar from 1925, so there was quite an upheaval in the Church system for our parishioners to come to terms with at this difficult time too. As Vicars were most likely the moving force for village activities, these disruptions must have affected ongoing discussions.
Oct 12 1925: War Service list received by the Vicar (Rev. Douglas?) from Mr Godfrey. The names to be published that it may be ascertained to be complete and additions made if necessary.
March 16 1929: discussed that Roll of Honour to be unveiled Easter Sunday afternoon at a United Service with Carbrooke Chapel. (NB; fell between 16 March and 23 April).
July 16 1929: Roll of Honour , it was proposed by Mr Smith, and seconded by Mr Bond that the 30 shillings (anonymously given towards a Roll of Honour for Carbrooke Church), should be given to Mr Moray-Smith as he had not received recognition for the one he had recently painted, which hangs in the church.
Another interesting feature of this memorial is that it is obviously in the style of artwork elsewhere in Carbrooke church produced by artist friends’ (Mr and Mrs Moray Smith ) of ‘Father George’, the well- loved but controversial ‘Red Vicar’ of Carbrooke, and includes several Socialist references.
It wasn’t until we started researching effects of WW1 on the village I realised the importance of this Roll of Honour.
Only initials have been used which makes it difficult to definitively identify each of the men, especially as Carbrooke has common surnames, and there were a number of men with the same initial and surname, some were known by a nickname, or another of their Christian names.
No ranks were recorded to display each man’s equality before God. The initials of the company they served, were included, although some of them served in more than one. A number of names have been added at the end of the list and out of alphabetical order.
We can imagine that other families would have left the village, some people would have died, it is therefore not surprising that names may have been forgotten and some were added later. It is also noteworthy that the discussions were taking place in and organised by the Anglican PCC, many of those who fought would have been from the Methodist church, they are mentioned, but this could have led to discrepancies.
Using ‘Ancestry’, the 1911 census, electoral roll and Baptism records, it has been possible to identify most of the men involved, but it appears that some of them were relations of people living in Carbrooke or had perhaps moved away years previously. Others mentioned are men living in Carbrooke at the time, but whose families appear to have little connection with the village.
The 89 listed, have been put into a family tree programme, and by ‘searching’ all of the relationships in it, so far over 1300 people have been identified as related (not all alive by WW1)! Therefore, there cannot have been a family in Carbrooke, that did not have a connection in some way to a soldier, and in a number of cases, to several.
Carbrooke Roll of Honour
This information has been collated by Helen Riley.
Those from Carbrooke who died in the First World War 1914-18
Wilfred John Bullen
Private 320430 in the Norfolk Regiment
Killed in Action on 12th September 1918
Commemorated at:
Strand Military Cemetery, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium
Additional information:
Born in Caston, Norfolk
Died aged 22. Son of John and Mary Bird of Broadmoor Farm, Carbrooke
Picture kindly supplied by Norfolk County Council Library and Information Service
Sidney Green
Private 51197 in the Bedfordshire Regiment
Killed in Action on 27th August 1918
Commemorated at:
Warlencourt British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France
Additional information:
Born in Roudham, Norfolk
Robert James Tolman
Private 42287 in the North Staffordshire Regiment
Died of Wounds on 23rd April 1918
Commemorated at:
Cologne Southern Cemetery, Cologne,
Nordrhein-Westfal, Germany
Additional information:
Born in Cressingham, Norfolk
Formerly G/94027, Middlesex Regiment
Picture kindly supplied by Norfolk County Council Library and Information Service
Herbert Abbey
Private 29639 in the Norfolk Regiment
Killed in Action on 17th April 1918
Commemorated at:
Serre Road Cemetery, No. 1 Pas de Calais, France
Additional information:
Born in Ovington, Norfolk
Died aged 23. Son of Mr and Mrs G. Abbey of Thompson, Norfolk
William Ainger
Private 45891 in the Leicestershire Regiment
Died of Wounds on 3rd October 1919
Commemorated at:
Kings Lynn Cemetery, Hardwick Road, Kings Lynn
Additional information:
Born in Carbrooke, Norfolk
Died aged 31. Formerly 566 A.S.C. Son of William Ainger, husband of Eva May Ainger 26 Double Row, Highgate, Kings Lynn
Frederick William Watson
Private 28174 in the East Yorkshire Regiment
Killed in Action on 13th November 1916
Commemorated at:
Euston Road Cemetery, Colincamps, Somme, France
Additional information:
Born in Little Cressingham, Norfolk
Died aged 20. Formerly 5409 Norfolk Regiment. Son of Frederick William and Harriet Ann Watson of Manor Farm, Herringswell, Mildenhall, Suffolk
Sidney Sutton
Private G/11919 in the Royal Sussex Regiment
Died of Wounds on 30th September 1916
Commemorated at:
Dernancourt Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France
Additional information:
Born in Little Cressingham, Norfolk
Arthur Cecil Murrell
PrivatePrivate G/21902 in the Royal West Surrey Regiment
Died of Wounds on 7th July 1918
Commemorated at:
Tyne Cot Memorial (for the missing), Zonnebeke,
West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
Additional information:
Born in Pirbright, Surrey
Formerly 21164 East Surrey Regiment
Picture kindly supplied by Norfolk County Council Library and Information Service
Gilbert William Murrell
Private 43156 in the Norfolk Regiment
Killed in Action on 4th September 1916
Commemorated at:
Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France
Additional information:
Born in Carbrooke, Norfolk
Herbert Wyer
L/Sgt 5381 in the Coldstream Guards Regiment
Killed in Action on 2nd November 1914
Commemorated at:
Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial. Lleper,
West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
Additional information:
Born in Carbrooke, Norfolk
Died aged 31. Son of Mr and Mrs John Wyer of Carbrooke, Watton, Norfolk; husband of Annie Louisa Wyer of 217 Wandsworth Bridge Road, Fulham, London
Victor Edward Johnson
Private 18609 in the Norfolk Regiment
Died on 23rd February 1915
Commemorated at:
Felixstowe (Walton) Cemetery, Suffolk, England
Additional information:
Born in Carbrooke, Norfolk
Died aged 17. Son of Edward and Bessie Louisa Johnson of Carbrooke, Watton, Norfolk
Walter Leveridge
L/Sgt 7226 in the Norfolk Regiment
Killed in Action on 14th April 1915
Commemorated at:
Basra War Cemetery, Iraq
Additional information:
Born in Carbrooke, Norfolk
Bertie Leveridge
L/Cpl 43259 in the Norfolk Regiment
Killed in Action on 10th October 1917
Commemorated at:
Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
Additional information:
Born in Carbrooke, Norfolk
Frederick John Beets
Private 17613 in the Norfolk Regiment
Killed in Action on 1st January 1916
Commemorated at:
Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France
Additional information:
Born in Carbrooke, Norfolk
Died aged 21. Son of George and Phyllis Beets of Carbrooke, Caston Road, Watton, Norfolk
Robert Dennis Murrell
Private 43289 in the Norfolk Regiment
Killed in Action on 25th September 1916
Commemorated at:
Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France
Additional information:
Born in Carbrooke, Norfolk
Ernest Fergust Melbourne Back
Private 16855 in the Norfolk Regiment
Killed in Action on 4th September 1916
Commemorated at:
Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France
Additional information:
Born in Carbrooke, Norfolk
William George Harrod
PrivatePrivate 26230 in the Norfolk Regiment
Died on 15th January 1917
Commemorated at:
SS Peter and Paul Churchyard, Carbrooke
(West of church)
Additional information:
Born in Carbrooke, Norfolk
Died aged 19. Son of John and Elizabeth H Harrod of Carbrooke
Picture kindly supplied by Norfolk County Council Library and Information Service
Arthur Daniel Greaves
Private F/2443 in the Middlesex Regiment
Killed in Action on 31st July 1917
Commemorated at:
Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial. Lleper,
West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
Additional information:
Born in Carbrooke, Norfolk
Died aged 31. Son of Mrs D Greaves of Griston, Watton; husband of Mrs M L Page (formerly Greaves) of “Boscobel”, Thetford Road, Watton, Norfolk
Frederick John Williamson
Private 114693 in the Machine Gun Corps. Regiment
Killed in Action on 25th March 1918
Commemorated at:
Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France
Additional information:
Born in Thetford, Norfolk
Bob Williamson is related to Frederick John Williamson, and has more information
William Williamson
Serjeant 7322 in the Norfolk Regiment
Died of Wounds on 31st May 1918
Commemorated at:
Aire Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France
Additional information:
Born in Croxton, Norfolk
Died aged 32. Son of William and Clara Williamson of Kippenash, Carbrooke, Thetford, Norfolk
Bob Williamson is related to Frederick John Williamson, and has more information
Walter H Smith
Driver 84934 in the Royal Engineers
(209th Field Company) Regiment
Killed in Action on 26th April 1917
Commemorated at:
Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez, France
Additional information:
Born in Watton, Norfolk
Carbrooke Roll of Honour
For those who died in the Second World War 1939-45
Hedley Albert Goldsmith
Flt Sergeant (Observer) 957745 in the 217 Sqn RAF Volunteer Reserve
Died on 12th February 1942
Commemorated at:
The Hague, (Westduin) General Cemetery,
Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
Additional information:
Aged 25. Son of Albert E and Laura M Goldsmith, husband of Adeline Bessie Goldsmith of Swaffham, Norfolk
Arthur William (Billy) Fincham
Sergeant (Flt. Engineer) 577642 in the 218 Sqn RAF Volunteer Reserve
Died on 26th April 1943
Commemorated at:
Rheinberg War Cemetery, Kamp Lintfort,
Nordrhein-Westfal, Germany
Additional information:
Aged 19. Son of Arthur William and Dorothea Emma Fincham of Carbrooke, Norfolk
William Kenneth Ambrose
Sergeant 1128541 in the 47 Sqn RAF Volunteer Reserve
Died on 3rd August 1943
Commemorated at:
Alamein Memorial, Egypt
Additional information:
Aged 31. Son of William Brittain Ambrose and Mary Jane Ambrose; nephew of Gertrude M. Saunders of Carbrooke, Norfolk
Alan David Johnstone
Sergeant (Pilot) 1320754 in the 78 Sqn RAF
Volunteer Reserve
Died on 31st August 1943
Commemorated at:
Schoonselhof Cemetery, Antwerpen, Belgium
Additional information:
Age unknown.
Harry Joshua Ruffles
Private 5780328 in the Norfolk Regiment
Died on 8th August 1944
Commemorated at:
Bayeux War Cemetery, Calvados, France
Additional information:
Aged 31. Son of George and Alice Ruffles; husband of Jean Ann Ruffles of Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire
Roland Leslie (Ronnie) Marler
Private 5775903 in the Norfolk Regiment
Died on 6th March 1942
Commemorated at:
Kuala Lumpur (Cheras Road) Civil Cemetery, Malaysia
Additional information:
Aged 26. Son of Amy Evelyn Marler; husband of Dorothy Maud Marler of Plumstead, London
Page last Updated 05.03.2022