Private Cecil Francis STEVENS
1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment 17500
Cecil was born in Northampton on 3 June 1892, the son of William Stevens, a shoe finisher, and his wife Phoebe (née Wykes). He seems to have attended the village school in Spratton for a short time, but by the time he was eight years old the family were living in Rushden, Northamptonshire. Ten years later in 1911, Cecil was working as a metal caster in Holloway, London.
Cecil volunteered for the Northamptonshire Regiment on 27 February 1915 and gave his address as Finsbury Park, London. He was sent overseas with the regiment and was wounded in the fighting on 21 August 1915. He was sent back to hospital in England to recuperate and, having recovered, he returned to the Front in March 1916. He was disciplined twice in 1917 for being late falling in on parade. In July 1917 he took part in the Battle of the Dunes on the Belgian coast and received a gunshot wound to the chest. He was captured and taken prisoner by the Germans and died of his wounds in the German Prisoner of War camp in Ostende. Cecil is buried in the Ostend Military Cemetery, Belgium. He was awarded the 1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
His effects were forwarded to his mother Phoebe Stevens who was living with her mother in Spratton. Phoebe died in Spratton in 1918. Cecil’s medals were sent to his father William Stevens at Cooper’s Yard, Spratton. The Vicar of Spratton, the Reverend George Raw listed Cecil as one of Spratton’s ‘gallant war dead’ in his Newsletter of November 1917.
Ostende Military Cemetery, Belgium
Ostende Military Cemetery, Belgium
EXPLORE SECTIONS
MEN WHO SERVED
- Private Charles Herbert AUSTIN (known as Herbert)
- Corporal Frank AUSTIN
- Lance Corporal James William AUSTIN
- Private John Samuel AUSTIN
- Sergeant William Henry AUSTIN
- Sergeant Bertie Henry BALDERSON
- Corporal Frederick Charles BALDERSON MM
- Lance Corporal Robert Samuel BALDERSON
- Private George William BUCKBY (known as William)
- Private Henry Andrew BUCKBY
- Richard Henry Horne BUCKBY
- Transport Sergeant Thomas BUCKBY MM
- Company Quartermaster Sergeant William Gander BUCKBY
- William Archibald COPSON (known as Archibald)
- Sapper Ebenezer COPSON
- Private Ernest Edward COPSON
- Pioneer Henry Owman COPSON (known as Harry)
- Private James COPSON
- Private John William COPSON
- Private Joseph COPSON
- Private Arthur Sidney GOODEN (known as Sidney)
- Private Hugh Henry GOODEN
- Sergeant Joseph Eric GOODEN (known as Eric)
- Private Arthur Thomas HAYTER
- Driver Frank Leonard HAYTER
- Private Harold Herbert HAYTER
- Lance Corporal John Charles HAYTER DCM (known as Jack)
- Private Walter Ernest HAYTER
- Ordinary Seaman Arthur Charles HORNE
- Private John William HORNE (known as William)
- Lance Corporal Lewis HORNE
- Private Thomas HORNE
- Driver John Henry LEESON
- Corporal Joseph Henry LEESON (known as Harry)
- Thomas Baden Powell LEESON (known as ‘Bard’)
- Private Albert MANNING
- Corporal Amos MANNING
- Private Arthur Cecil MANNING
- Private George MANNING
- Sergeant George William MANNING
- Sapper Henry Stanley MANNING (known as Stanley)
- Private John Thomas MANNING
- Private John William MANNING
- Air Mechanic Nathaniel MANNING
- Driver/Saddler Samuel MANNING
- Gunner George Albert MARTIN
- Private Joseph MARTIN
- Private Thomas Henry MARTIN (known as Harry)
- Private Thomas Walter MARTIN (known as Walter)
- Pioneer Walter Ernest MARTIN
- Sergeant William Higgs MARTIN, DCM
- Private Arthur Walter PAGE
- Private Francis Samuel PAGE (known as Sam)
- Private Frank PAGE
- Private Stephen PAGE
- Lieutenant George REEVE MC MM
- Private Richard Henry REEVE (known as Harry)
- Private Samuel REEVE
- Private Sidney Philip REEVE
- Private Frederick Thomas RICHARDSON
- Private John William RICHARDSON
- Private Percy John Partridge RICHARDSON
- Private Abraham Bert SMITH
- Private Alfred SMITH
- Private Frank SMITH 46648
- Private John Samuel SMITH
- Private John William SMITH (6942)
- Private John William (William John) SMITH (8964)
- Private Charles Walter WADHAMS
- Private John Edward WADHAMS
- Private Thomas Edwin WADHAMS
- Private William WADHAMS