Research on the Spratton men

Sources for research

133 men from Spratton are named on the Roll of Honour in Spratton Church. The collection of names for this Roll was mentioned by the Vicar of Spratton, the Reverend George Raw, in his Newsletter as early as 1915 and the final document was presented to the Church by Miss Bevan of Spratton House in July 1920. The Roll gives the name of each man, his regiment and the theatre of war in which he served. Names given are often the name by which the man was generally known rather than the actual name on his birth certificate.

Present day research has found a further 35 men who were born in Spratton or who lived here for some considerable time and who served in the First World War. Sources for these extra names are: the Vicar's monthly Newsletters 1914-19, Absent Voters' List 1918, school log books, census returns, relatives.

It has been difficult to find those men who moved to the village after 1911 if they are not in any of the records listed above. We must wait for the 1921 census. We should be pleased to have information about any man we have missed. Please contact information@sprattonhistory.org

Who were the men from Spratton who served in the First World War?

The men from Spratton who served in the army, navy and the newly formed air force were aged between 18 and 50 years and came from all walks of life. However, we have found a number who tried to enlist before they were 18 years e.g. John Higgs. 48% were from long established families in the village such as the Martin, Buckby, Horne, Taylor and Wykes families. Other families with three or more generations in the village were: Adnitt, Archer, Austin, Balderson, Copson, Gammage, Manning, Norman, Page and Smith.

The majority of men who served (52%), however, were newcomers who mostly came to Spratton seeking employment in the nearby ironstone quarries, on local farms, in the building trade or in service at the large houses in the village. A number of these men married girls from Spratton and stayed here for the rest of their lives.

Most newcomers (35 men) were employed in domestic service as gardeners, grooms, footmen, butlers and chauffeurs. These men and their families travelled around from one large house to another, often for promotion - e.g. from footman to butler, or from under-gardener to head gardener. In Spratton they found work at:

Spratton Hall - Lord Erskine
Broomhill - Sir Mervyn Manningham-Buller
Spratton Grange - Mr Edward Moorhouse
Spratton House - Miss Bevan

Occupations of men from Spratton who served in the First World War

Skilled workers (33.33%, 46 men) including blacksmiths, bootmakers, bakers, carpenters, butchers, grocers and publicans.

Labourers (33.33%, 46 men) including farm workers, ironstone quarry workers and bricklayers.

Domestic servants (25.36%, 35 men) including gardeners, grooms, footmen, butlers and chauffeurs.

Independent means (4.34%, 6 men)

Professional (3.62%, 5 men) including clerks, a trainee teacher, an M.P. and a policeman

When did the men of Spratton join up?

1914	42	Volunteers aged 18 - 38 years joined the Regular Army for 3 years or the duration of the war 18 years olds were not sent overseas
1915	56	Lord Derby's Scheme - 16 October to 15 December 1915. Men aged 18 - 40 years encouraged to enlist now, and be called up later
1916	30	2 March - Conscription of unmarried men and widowers aged 19 - 41 25 May - Conscription of married men 18 - 41 NB. Lower age dropped to 18
1917	13
1918	7	Conscription - maximum age 50 years 18 year olds could be sent overseas
Unknown	19
Total	167	(Baden Gammage in Army but died aged 17)

Spratton men serving in the Army in 1914-18

Of the total number of men from Spratton who went to war (168), by far the majority served in the Army (152). Some were already in the Regular Army, and some were in the Reserves. Others volunteered and some waited until conscription in March 1916. Some teenagers were so keen to serve that they tried to sign up before they were 18. At the moment, we have no information about men in reserved occupations nor about any who applied for deferment to a Military Tribunal (work in progress).

We know that 12 Spratton men had chosen the Regular Army as a career and were already serving when war was declared. Also, one teenager (Baden Gammage) was a boy entrant to the Duke of Edinburgh's Wiltshire Regiment. The Spratton "Regulars" had served in India, Egypt, the North-West Frontier, Malta, South Africa, Ireland and France. They were the first to be mobilised when war was declared in August 1914 and most were sent overseas with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF).

Albert Baldwin, Royal Field Artillery
A J Brown, Northamptonshire Regiment
Thomas Buckby MM, Royal Engineers
William G Buckby, Northamptonshire Regiment
Sir Mervyn Manningham-Buller, Rifle Brigade
Robinson Elsdale, Royal Engineers
Baden Gammage, Duke of Edinburgh's Wiltshire Regiment (died 1917 in Wiltshire)
John C (Jack) Hayter DCM, Grenadier Guards
Harry Hider, Northamptonshire Regiment
John Leeson, Royal Field Artillery (died in action 1918)
George Martin, Royal Field Artillery (died of fever in India 1917)
William H Martin DCM, Royal Irish Lancers
George Reeve MC, MM, Royal Irish Fusiliers (died in 1918)

Other Spratton men (15) had served in the Regular Army and at the end of their term of service they signed on in the "Reserves". They were required to undertake training once a year and agreed to be mobilised should war be declared. These men were mostly called up in August 1914.

John S Austin, Northamptonshire Regiment
Jesse Bowers, Northamptonshire Yeomanry
Albert Green, Northamptonshire Yeomanry
Thomas Horne, Northamptonshire Regiment
Horace Judd, Royal Garrison Artillery
Albert Johnson, Northamptonshire Yeomanry
George Johnson, Northamptonshire Yeomanry
Amos Manning, Royal Army Service Corps
John T Manning, Northamptonshire Regiment
Frank Page, Northamptonshire Regiment
John Pheasant, Royal Army Medical Corps
Abraham Smith, Northamptonshire Regiment, Special Reserve
John W Smith 8964, Northampton Regiment, Special Reserve
William Speechley, Northamptonshir Regiment, Special Reserve
John J Wykes, Northamptonshire Regiment
Walter Wykes, Northamptonshire Regiment, Special Reserve

Some Spratton men volunteered in 1914 and in 1915, quite a few of them under the preferential terms of Lord Derby's Scheme in the autumn of 1915. Others waited for conscription in March 1916 and some had to wait until their 18th birthday.

Which Regiments did Spratton men join?

Spratton men who served in the Royal Navy

Donald Passey
James Ward

Spratton men who served in the Royal Volunteer Naval Reserve

W Archibald Copson
Lord Erskine
Arthur Horne
Ernest Kench
William Tredwell

Spratton men who served in the Royal Flying Corps (became Royal Air Force in April 1918)

Charles Branson
Richard Buckby
W John Frisby
Leslie Knight
William Knightall
William Leatherland
Nathaniel Manning
William Rhodes-Moorhouse VC
William Snedker

Spratton men who died in the First World War

1914	John Smith 6942, Mons John Smith 8964, Ypres
1915	Charles Austin, Ypres, died of wounds Thomas Dickerson, Auber’s Ridge, Ypres Walter Hayter, Ypres Edward Letts, Auber’s Ridge, Ypres William Rhodes-Moorhouse VC, Ypres Arthur Page, Ypres, died of wounds, buried in Spratton William Speechley, Auber’s Ridge, Ypres John Wykes, Béthune
1916	Benjamin Green, Somme Samuel Reeve, Somme Frank Wykes, Beaumont Hamel
1917	Frederick Balderson MM, Passchendaele Thomas Cooke, Passchendaele Harry O Copson, Cambrai Lewis Horne, Vimy Ridge George Manning, Vimy Ridge George Martin, India, died of malaria Cecil Stevens, Prisoner of War
1918	Reginald Hodge, Somme John H Leeson, 26 Oct. George Reeve MC, MM, accident at barracks Sidney Reeve, Somme Joseph Tirrell, Ploegsteert, Belgium Ernest Tite, Ypres John Wadhams, Arras Thomas Wadhams, Arras

Silver War Badge

At least 18 men returned from the war very severely injured. They had lost limbs, been gassed, shelled and shot at. Many had spent a considerable amount of time in hospital. They were issued with a Silver War Badge to wear at home to show that they had been injured in the war.

1915	Lewis Norman John H Pheasant
1916	George Buckby John Copson Joseph Martin F Samuel Page
1917	Jack Hayter DCM (POW) Robert Hodge Jack Wykes Alsin Wykes
1918	William Austin Ebenezer Copson Albert Mains Charles Wadhams
1919	Ernest Clarke Hugh Gooden William Goodwin Frank Smith

Prisoners of War

Lance Corporal Robert Balderson, captured on 28 March 1918. Repatriated 25 November 1918
Private Sidney Gooden, captured 24 March 1918. Repatriated 3 December 1918
Lance Corporal Jack Hayter DCM, captured 27 January 1915. Repatriated 25 March 1916
Private Arthur Manning, captured 22 March 1918. Repatriated November 1918
Private Stephen Page, captured 21 March 1918. Repatriated November 1918
Sergeant William Martin DCM, captured 26 March 1918. Repatriated 24 October 1918
Private Cecil Stevens, captured July 1917. Died at POW camp in Ostende 12 July 1917

Campaign Medals

1914 Star (Mons Star)

Issued to all those who served in France and Belgium between 5 August 1914 and midnight 22/23 November 1914. A clasp, consisting of a small silver rosette on the ribbon, was added for those who had served under fire.

1915 Star

Issued to those who served in a theatre of war before 31 December 1915 and who did not qualify for the 1914 Star.

British War Medal 1914-1920

Issued to those who left their native shore in any part of the British Empire while on service. It did not matter whether they entered a theatre of war or not. All men who served in the main theatres of war qualified for this medal, as did those who left their native shore for service in, for example, India.

Victory Medal 1914-1919

Issued to all those who entered a theatre of war. It follows that every recipient of the Victory Medal also qualified for the British War Medal, but not the other way round. For example, if a soldier served in a garrison in India he would get the British War Medal but not the Victory Medal.

Spratton men awarded medals for distinguished service

Victoria Cross (VC)

The highest award for valour in the face of the enemy. It takes precedence over all other awards and is awarded to all ranks.

Awarded to:

Lieutenant William Rhodes-Moorhouse, Royal Flying Corps, of Spratton Grange. April 1915

Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM)

The second highest award for gallantry after the Victoria Cross and awarded to those below commissioned rank.

Awarded to:

Lance Corporal John (Jack) Hayter, Grenadier Guards, of Haynes Lane, Spratton. 16 October1914
Sergeant William Martin, Royal Irish Lancers, of Station Road, Spratton. 8 July 1917

Military Cross (MC)

Awarded to commissioned officers for acts of exemplary gallantry in the face of the enemy.

Awarded to:

Lieutenant George Reeve, Royal Irish Fusiliers, born in Spratton. 18 July 1917. (Also MM 1915)

Military Medal (MM)

Awarded to non-commissiond ranks for acts of gallantry on land.

Awarded to:

Corporal Frederick Archer, Royal Engineers, Military Medal and Bar, of Station Road, Spratton. 13 October 1917
Corporal Frederick Balderson, Gloucestershire Regiment, of School Road, Spratton. 1917
Sergeant Thomas Buckby, Royal Engineers, of Middle Turn, Spratton. 1917
Regimental Sergeant Major George Reeve, Royal Irish Fusiliers, born in Spratton. Ypres 1915. (Also MC 1917)