Rectory Lane Cemetery, Berkhamsted

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Military graves

In Rectory Lane Cemetery there are many graves with military connections to conflicts of the 19th and 20th centuries.

In all, there are 14 CWGC burials of the First World War and 13 of the Second World War in Rectory Lane Cemetery. In addition there are a further 23 others buried here who served in WWI or WWII, but for various reasons did not qualify for a CWGC headstone.

During World War I (1914–18), 200 men and boys who were born or lived in Berkhamsted lost their lives. While many who were killed in action were interred in the large battlefield Cemeteries of Belgium and France, a number were buried in Rectory Lane Cemetery. Some returned home and died later as a consequence of their wounds; others fell victim to the 1918 Flu Pandemic.

In Rectory Lane Cemetery there are a number of headstones of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC, formerly the Imperial War Graves Commission). These can be distinguished by their simple, white stone design. These were granted by the CWGC to military personnel who died in service — whether in combat, training accidents, air raids or from disease — during the periods around the First and Second World Wars:

4 August 1914 – 31 August 1921 (WWI)
3 September 1939 to 31 December 1947 (WWII)

These are the 50 names that have also been included on the memorial plaque in the Garden of Remembrance, commemorating those who died in WW1 & WWII as a result of injuries sustained.

Because of the age of this burial ground, we also remember those interred here who served in earlier conflicts, such as the Egyptian War (1882) or the Boer War (1899–1902).

68 burials found

Use the buttons above to change view.
Click on a red map marker below to see burial details.

Viewing: pre-1914 conflicts

Viewing: WWI burials

Viewing: WWII burials

Viewing: CWGC burials

Viewing: names on the memorial plaque

Plot x551

Horace Allen (x551) plot
Horace Frederick Allen (1893–1929)
Served in WWI, Royal West Kent Regiment, wounded 1918
Plot 862 WGCommonwealth War Grave

Allen plot
Private Reginald Alfred Allen (1915–1939)
Served in WWII, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire regiment; apparent suicide in 1939
Plot 366 WGCommonwealth War Grave

Atkinson ( 366) plot
Captain Rupert Norman Gould Atkinson (1896–1919)
M.C., D.F.C., Croix de Guerre (Belgium), served in WWI Royal Flying Corps
Plot

Joseph Avery plot
Joseph Avery (1865 – 1919) (1896–1916)
Bedford Regiment 1689 and Royal Defence Corp 13044
Plot 369 WGCommonwealth War Grave

Bavin plot
Second Lieutenant Geoffrey Wynne Bavin (369) (1897–1916)
2nd Lieut. RAF, died in plane crash at Upavon, Wiltshire in 1916
Plot

Frederick Ernest Bedford plot
Frederick Ernest Bedford (1893–1929)
Driver Royal Field Artillery 605 & 890551
Plot 1125 WGCommonwealth War Grave

John Harold Bird (1125) plot
Private John Harold Bird (1907–1945)
Private in the Home Guard, 7th Hertfordshire Battalion
Plot

Arthur Roland Bolton plot
Arthur Roland Bolton (1893–1919)
Served in WWI, Royal Flying Corps; died of illness
Plot 939 WGCommonwealth War Grave

Plot for Borton, Ron
Sergeant Ronald Herbert Borton (939) & (940?) (1920–1943)
Sergeant, Army Air Corps, died in a plane crash
Plot

Charles S. Brewer plot
Charles S. Brewer (d. 1913)
1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment, died during training in Kent
Plot 623 WGCommonwealth War Grave

Bunn plot
James Bunn (623) (d. 1959)
Master builder who served with the Royal Engineers on the Western Front in WWI
Plot 623

Maurice Alex Bunn (623) plot
Maurice Alex Bunn (623) (d. 1941)
RAF Pilot Officer, killed in 1941 in a plane crash at RAF Ingham, Lincolnshire.
Plot 302

Burge plot
Bruce Burge (1895–1992)
Architect of the ‘Dutch’ Houses around the Bridgewater Road area.
Plot

Arthur Chennells plot
Arthur Chennells (1890–1915)
Plot 540?

Arthur J. Chennels plot
Private Arthur John Chennells (1896–1916)
Private, 2nd Bedfordshire Reg, wounded at Battle of Mons; accidental death on London Underground
Plot 632

Clark plot
Joseph Clark (1874–1954)
Husband of Nellie Mathers Clark
Plot 813

Clarke plot
Private Harold Julius Clarke (1893–1915)
Private, 4th Battalion Canadian Infantry, killed at Ypres
Plot 997 WGCommonwealth War Grave

Cook plot
Hubert Edward Cook (d. 1940)
Bombardier in the Royal Artillery, served in WWII
Plot 837

Cooper Plot
Arthur Thomas Cooper (837) (d. 1924)
Air mechanic, Royal Navy Air Service; served in WWI on a minesweeper in Malta & the Aegean
Plot 917

Maud Cottingham (917) plot
Sister Maud Cottingham (917) (d. 1918)
Northern Irish nurse, in service to the Inns of Court OTC, died in the Spanish flu epidemic
Plot

Cornelius Crowley plot
Cornelius Napier Crowley (1891-1929) (d. 1913)
1st Class Stoker HMS Blanche, SS/109146
Plot 825

Dean plot
Matilda Eliza Dean
Joseph Dean
William Arthur Dean (1887 – 1917)
Horace Dean (1891 – 1918)
(d. 1913)
Plot 932 WGCommonwealth War Grave

Plot for Dixon, Furness
Harry Francis Furness (932) (d. 1945)
Craftsman, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Plot 779

Albert Dollimore (779) plot
Albert Dollimore (779) (1895–1918)
Private, Army Service Corps, Reg. No. M2/188002
Plot 500

Drage plot
Alfred Drage (500)
Frances Miriam Drage
(1895–1918)
Plot

Frank Duncombe plot
Frank Duncombe (1879–1926)
Served in WWI, Bedfordshire Regiment
Plot 1072 WGCommonwealth War Grave

L.G.B. Edmonds plot
Sergeant Leslie George Bert Edmonds (d. 1945)
Trainee RAF Air Gunner, killed by a V2 rocket in London
Plot 594 WGCommonwealth War Grave

Elliott plot
Reginald Charles Elliott (d. 1916)
Served as R.C. Newell, Royal Naval Reserve; accidental death prior to WWI
Plot 831 WGCommonwealth War Grave

Ernest Evans (831) plot
Private Ernest Evans (831) (1896–1921)
Served in France in WWI, later 1st Beds and Herts Battalion; accidental death
Plot 365

Foot plot
Brigadier General Richard Mildmay Foot (365) (1865–1933)
Decorated army officer, served in the Boer War & WWI, director at Cooper, McDougall & Robertson
Plot x240

Foster plot
Lieutenant-Colonel Henry James Foster
Edward Charles Foster
Rose Foster
(1865–1933)
Plot 107

Gambier plot
Admiral George Cornish Gambier (d. 1879)
Royal Navy Admiral
Plot

Leonard Garment plot
Leonard Garment (1888–1916)
Private, Hertfordshire Regiment, died of tuberculosis
Plot

Albert Edward Garrett (1897-1929)
Albert Edward Garrett (1897-1929) (1893–1929)
PO Rifles, 374662
Plot 1079 WGCommonwealth War Grave

Arthur W. Greenwood (1079) plot
Arthur W. Greenwood (d. 1942)
1891 - 1942 Chief Engine Room Artificer (Ch. E.R.A.), C/M 7196 Served in both world wars.
Plot 725

Plot for Henley, Spendlove
Nelson Henley
Lieutenant Robert Douglas Spendlove ("Bobbie")
(d. 1942)
Plot 934 WGCommonwealth War Grave

Hill plot
James Grainger Hill (1921-1942) (d. 1942)
Served in WWII, Royal Air Force
Plot 1142

Leslie John Horwood (1142) plot
Leslie John Horwood (1142) (d. 1944)
Royal Artillery Gunner in WWII, died of tuberculosis aged 23
Plot 443

William Hunt plot
William Hunt (d. 1927)
Liverpool born, keen cricketer, died at 32
Plot 285

Keyser plot
Francis Henry Keyser
Emily Mary Keyser
(d. 1927)
Plot

Latchford plot
Walter Latchford (1896-1923) (1857–1937)
Lance Bombadier (890235) Royal Field Artillery
Plot 503 WGCommonwealth War Grave

Leggatt plot
Cyril Leggatt (or Leggett) (503) (d. 1918)
Ordinary Seaman, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserves; accidental death
Plot 1128

Peter Lawson Lubbock (1128) plot
James Morton
Peter Lawson Lubbock (1128)
(d. 1918)
Plot 915 WGCommonwealth War Grave

Joseph A. Ludlow (915) plot
Private Joseph Albert Ludlow (1888 – 1918) (1888–1918)
Private, Hertfordshire Regiment & Royal Defence Corps, died on Armistice Day 1918
Plot

Herbert S. Moss plot
Private Herbert Stanley Moss (1897–1922)
Prisoner of war in France during WWI
Plot 617 WGCommonwealth War Grave

Thomas Newns (617) plot
Thomas Newns (617) (d. 1941)
Private Pioneer Corps, 13080034
Plot x602

Osborne plot
Ernest John Osborne (x602)
Archibald Ernest Osborne
(d. 1941)
Grave of father & son, fought in the second Boer War & WWI
Plot 292 WGCommonwealth War Grave

Perry Plot
Serjeant Brian Perry (292) (d. 1915)
Serjeant, Inns of Court Officer Training Corps
Plot 788 WGCommonwealth War Grave

Pike plot
Private Sydney Eric Pike (788) (1894–1916)
Private, Royal Welsh Fusiliers WWI, died of injuries Battle of the Somme aged 22
Plot 916 WGCommonwealth War Grave

5552 Private A. Pocock
Private Arthur Pocock (1894–1918)
Enlisted Hertfordshire Regiment, died at Hertfordshire County Asylum 1918
Plot 296a

Porrett plot
John Ernest Porrett (286a)
Elizabeth Porrett
(1894–1918)
Plot 830 WGCommonwealth War Grave

Plot for Davis, Reynolds
Corporal Ernest Alfred Reynolds (830) (d. 1920)
Served in WWI, Bedfordshire Regiment, Battle of the Somme, Albert, Bazentin, Thiepval & Ancre; died of trench fever
Plot

Arthur Ringsell plot
Arthur Ringsell (1879–1926)
Served in Boer War, Bedfordshire Regiment, WWI Army Service Corp. Committed suicide at Berkhamsted Castle 1926.
Plot 542 WGCommonwealth War Grave

W.J. Short (542) plot
Wilfred James Short (542) (1896–1916)
Served in WWI at Ypres, Canadian Pioneers
Plot 427 WGCommonwealth War Grave

Plot for Simpson, Simpson, Walklate
Second Lieutenant Leonard Simpson (427) (d. 1920)
2nd Lieutenant, Royal West Surrey Regiment, died of influenza
Plot 261

Horace Lockwood Smith Dorrien (261) plot
Horace Lockwood Smith Dorrien (261) (1858–1930)
Decorated WWI army officer and former Governor of Gibraltar
Plot x310

Robert Algernon Smith-Dorrien plot
Robert Algernon Smith-Dorrien (1814–1879)
Churchwarden of St Peter's and brother of Augustus Smith
Plot 378

Sprunt plot
Jane Sprunt
John Daziell Sprunt
(1814–1879)
Plot 1139 WGCommonwealth War Grave

Peter Robert Street (1139) plot
Peter Robert Street (1139) (1920–1943)
Flying Officer, RAF; one of 2 brothers who served in WWII; killed on a training exercise
Plot 1132 WGCommonwealth War Grave

R. Street (1132) plot
Richard Street (1132) (1922–1944)
Sergeant, RAF; one of 2 brothers who served in WWII; killed on a training exercise
Plot 796

Sutton plot
Major-Gen. Alexander Arthur Sutton, KCB (d. 1941)
Royal Army Medical Corps. Major-General, fought in the Boer War
Plot 747

Sutton plot
Colonel William Henry Arthur Douglas Sutton OBE (d. 1953)
Colonel, Royal Army Medical Corps
Plot 707

Vercoe plot
Frederick Gordon Vercoe (1893–1919)
Lieutenant, The Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment, served in WWI in Egypt & India
Plot 341

Arthur Campbell Walker (341) plot
Arthur Campbell Walker (1833–1887)
Captain in the Queen Victoria's Royal Body Guard and author
Plot 1083 WGCommonwealth War Grave

John Murray Watt (1083) plot
John Murray Watt (1083) (1903–1943)
RAF Flight Lieutenant, served in WWII in Iceland
Plot

Harry John Willmore plot
Harry John Willmore (1896–1921)
Served in Royal Navy (service number 236852), died only eight years after being demobbed, aged 39
Plot 772 WGCommonwealth War Grave

Ernest Willmore (772) plot
Lieutenant Ernest George Willmore (1894–1920)
Lieutenant, Royal Garrison Artillery; wounded in WWI
Plot 693 WGCommonwealth War Grave

Plot for Wood, Jordan
Corporal Charles Wood (693) (1887–1918)
Air Mechanic, Royal Flying Corps/RAF, served in WWI; died on Armistice Day 1918