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In November 1916 it was announced that a brother of Mr. W. Young, of Clifton Reynes, had been awarded the Military Cross for bravery on the battlefield.

Sidney Page, the son of Mr. S. Page, was promoted to the rank of Major in November 1916 in the Rand Light Infantry. Having seen service throughout the Boer War with the Bucks Yeomanry, in the aftermath he remained in South Africa, and, successfully passing his law exams, became Public Prosecutor at Pretoria. He was then appointed a magistrate of the Transvaal, and held this appointment until joining the South African infantry at the outbreak of war. Under General Botha he went through the German South West African campaign, and then served with General Smuts in East Africa. A brother had enlisted as a private in the Grenadier Guards, and was subsequently promoted to corporal.

At the Vicarage, during December 1916 a jumble sale was held, the object being to raise funds to buy Christmas presents for the village men on active service. Even a bedstead was included, and a total of £8 1s 6d would be raised. Mr. W. Young had accepted the responsibility for sending the parcels.

In April 1917 unofficial news was received that Private Walter Huckle, of Clifton Reynes, had been killed in the recent heavy fighting on the Western Front. A letter from a comrade also serving in the Oxon and Bucks Light Infantry states that he “was at work with us up to dinner-time and was sent on with some others to look after some billets for us. A wall was either blown down or fell on him and buried him, and the poor chap was dead when they got him out. It was a shock to us when we heard of the sad occurrence.”

Born in Olney, before joining up, Private Huckle was the licensee of the public house in Clifton Reynes, the business of which was being carried on by his wife, Alice. No official news of his death had yet been received.

(Aged 35, Private Huckle died in France on Saturday, March 31st, 1917, and is buried in Tertry Communal Cemetery, Somme, France.)

At the parish church, Miss Phyllis Gilbert, the second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Gilbert, of Clifton Reynes, married Bertram Pebody, the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. W.E. Pebody, of Olney, on Tuesday, April 2nd 1918. The bridesmaids were Miss Marjorie Gilbert, sister, and Miss Cissie Pebody, sister, and, with the church having been decorated with primroses and daffodils, the service was fully attended. Afterwards, about 100 guests enjoyed a reception at College House, and at 4p.m. the couple left for a honeymoon at Llandudno. The many gifts included a canteen of silver and cutlery from Messrs Pebody Ltd.

At the Newport Pagnell Petty Sessions, on Wednesday, September 18th 1918 John Gilbert, a farmer of the village, was summoned for having failed to notify the police of the arrival of sheep from Scotland on August 10th. He pleaded guilty, but said he hadn’t the faintest idea that notice was needed. He had asked the police several times for a copy of the Dipping Order, and on three occasions had even sent down to Newport Pagnell, as well as sending a postcard, but no copy had yet been received. The sheep had been dipped once, and they were the first that he had from Scotland. As for the dipping facilities, there was no difficulty for he had a most convenient place, where he had dipped thousands for other farmers. In passing sentence the chairman said that the regulations had come into force in May 1915, and he should have known. A fine of 10s was imposed, with 5s 3d costs.

On the evening of Sunday, January 7th 1923 there was a crowded congregation in the Parish Church, when the Bishop of Buckingham attended to consecrate the new High Altar, and Captain George Bowyer, M.C., M.P., unveiled an oak screen. Erected to the memory of the village fallen, this had been placed at the entrance to the ancient Lady Chapel, which had been restored for use as a Chapel of Remembrance for the war dead. With paving of Poringer Yorkshire stone, all the work had been completed under a faculty from the Chancellor of the Bishop of Oxford, whilst as for the screen the cost of about £200 had been raised by public subscription. In gold letters, on the centre panel were engraved the words;

1914 - 1918
In Memory of those who fought and died
In the Great War.

On the side panels in gold letters were the names of the fallen. For the service of consecration and dedication every household in the village was represented, with the ex servicemen attending to pay their respects. The bell ringers rang a muffled peal before the service, which included a powerful sermon from the Bishop of Buckingham. Then in his address Captain Bowyer said that it was good that memorials were being erected across the country, “whether in the parish churches or on the village greens, because it would encourage the spirit of peace which must be a prelude to the ending of wars. Surely it was also good for those who came after to have a memorial of what the men and women of this generation did for the freedom which they would inherit. They would remember as they looked upon one of those memorials not only the material but the spiritual side of life, and would realise the perseverance and patience displayed by those in whose memory it was set up.” The memorial was then dedicated by the Bishop of Buckingham, and following a hymn the Russian Cantakion with its message of hope was beautifully sung by Miss Bertha Richens, Miss Savoury, Mr. Ealey and Mr. Abbott, of Emberton, all of whom occupied a position in the Chapel of Remembrance behind the memorial screen. ‘The Last Post’ was then sounded by Superintendent Knight, of the Olney Ambulance Corps, and the pronouncement of the Blessing by the Bishop brought the service to a close.