The 1914 – 1918 & 1939 – 1945 War Casualties of Woburn Sands & Aspley Heath

Woburn Sands - Where the Memorial originally stood
Where the Memorial originally stood, in The Square, outside The Swan.

This research was originally written in 2000, and kindly published by the Woburn Sands Town Council in 2001. Further research and newly discovered details have now been added to that research here.

It has been split it into three parts:

 

1. The 1914 – 1918 War and Woburn Sands

This section includes links to individual pages on each of the World War One names on the Woburn Sands War Memorial, and details on others connected with Woburn Sands who lost their lives, and the story of the erection of the memorial after the war.

 

2. The Knoll School Cross

The Old Boys of The Knoll Prep School, Aspley Heath, who are commemorated by a Memorial Cross in the grounds.

 

3. Between the Wars and The Second World War

Links to individual pages for each of the World War Two names on the Woburn Sands Memorial, the names on a plaque once on show in the Natwest Bank, others connected with Woburn Sands who lost their lives in World War Two, and what happened to the Memorial since.

 

Research & Acknowledgements

Readers interested in researching other service men who lost their lives are directed to The Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the “Soldiers Died in the Great War” indexes.

The Army records for the First World War were badly burned in the Blitz. Only about a third survived, and these were damaged, not only by the fire, but also the water used in extinguishing the flames.

The born, resided and enlisted details come from “Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-19”. This index lists all fatal casualties by regiment, along with how and where killed. Whether some of the residences listed as being “Woburn Sands” are correct is debatable, as men from other local villages seem to have used the town name as an all encompassing area.

If you are able to add to any of the details here, or have photos of any of the other men, I would be very interested to hear from you.

For assistance in compiling the history of the War Memorial and the names upon it, I would like to thank the following:

Woburn Sands Town Council
Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Record Services
Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
The Naval and Military Press Ltd., “Soldiers Died in the Great War”
The National Archives of Canada
The National Archives of Australia
Woburn Sands and District Society
London Public Library, Ontario
Mr C. P. Lawson, Aylesbury
The late Mrs Dolly Mills, Woburn Sands
Mr Peter Boon, Woburn Sands
Mrs Diane Sutton, MKHA
Mr R. Davidson, New Zealand
Mr Charles Bradley
Both Beds. and Bucks. County Library Services
Members of the Great War Forum Discussion Board, especially Will O’Brien
Members of the Mercantile Marine Discussion Board
Members of World Naval Ships Forum Discussion Board, especially Terry Dickens
The Malayan Volunteers Group
Mr Steve Fuller and his excellent website, “The Bedfordshire Regiment in the Great War

…and the many other personal contributors, local, national and international, and those websites and indexes that make information available in order that We will Remember Them.

 

Page last updated Jan. 2019.