Rectory Lane Cemetery, Berkhamsted

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).

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Viewing: pre-1914 conflicts

Viewing: WWI burials

Viewing: WWII burials

Viewing: CWGC burials

Viewing: names on the memorial plaque

Key

WG = Commonwealth War Grave = served WWI/WWII

List

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  Plot x551

  Horace Allen (x551) plot

  Horace Frederick Allen (1893–1929)

  Served in WWI, Royal West Kent Regiment, wounded 1918
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  Plot 862 WGCommonwealth War Grave

  Allen plot

  Private Reginald Alfred Allen (1915–1939)

  Served in WWII, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire regiment; apparent suicide in 1939
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  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
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  Plot

  Joseph Avery plot

  Joseph Avery (1865 – 1919) (1896–1916)

  Bedford Regiment 1689 and Royal Defence Corp 13044
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  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
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  Plot

  Frederick Ernest Bedford plot

  Frederick Ernest Bedford (1893–1929)

  Driver Royal Field Artillery 605 & 890551
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  Plot 1125 WGCommonwealth War Grave

  John Harold Bird (1125) plot

  Private John Harold Bird (1125) (1907–1945)

  Private in the Home Guard, 7th Hertfordshire Battalion
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  Plot

  Arthur Roland Bolton plot

  Arthur Roland Bolton (1893–1919)

  Served in WWI, Royal Flying Corps; died of illness
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  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
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  Plot

  Charles S. Brewer plot

  Charles S. Brewer (d. 1913)

  1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment, died during training in Kent
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  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
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  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.
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  Plot 302

  Burge plot

  Bruce Burge (1895–1992)

  Architect of the ‘Dutch’ Houses around the Bridgewater Road area.
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  Plot

  Arthur Chennells plot

  Arthur Chennells (1890–1915)
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  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
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  Plot 632

  Clark plot

  Joseph Clark (1874–1954)

  Husband of Nellie Mathers Clark
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  Plot 813

  Clarke plot

  Private Harold Julius Clarke (1893–1915)

  Private, 4th Battalion Canadian Infantry, killed at Ypres
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  Plot 997 WGCommonwealth War Grave

  Cook plot

  Hubert Edward Cook (d. 1940)

  Bombardier in the Royal Artillery, served in WWII
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  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
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  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
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  Plot

  Cornelius Crowley plot

  Cornelius Napier Crowley (1891-1929) (d. 1913)

  1st Class Stoker HMS Blanche, SS/109146
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  Plot 932 WGCommonwealth War Grave

  Plot for Dixon, Furness

  Harry Francis Furness (932) (d. 1945)

  Craftsman, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
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  Plot 779

  Albert Dollimore (779) plot

  Albert Dollimore (779) (1895–1918)

  Private, Army Service Corps, Reg. No. M2/188002
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  Plot 500

  Drage plot

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

  Frank Duncombe plot

  Frank Duncombe (1879–1926)

  Served in WWI, Bedfordshire Regiment
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  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
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  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
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  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
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  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
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  Plot x240

  Foster plot

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

  Gambier plot

  Admiral George Cornish Gambier (d. 1879)

  Royal Navy Admiral
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  Plot

  Leonard Garment plot

  Leonard Garment (1888–1916)

  Private, Hertfordshire Regiment, died of tuberculosis
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  Plot

  Albert Edward Garrett (1897-1929)

  Albert Edward Garrett (1897-1929) (1893–1929)

  PO Rifles, 374662
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  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.
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  Plot 934 WGCommonwealth War Grave

  Hill plot

  James Grainger Hill (1921-1942) (d. 1942)

  Served in WWII, Royal Air Force
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  Plot 1142

  Leslie John Horwood (1142) plot

  Leslie John Horwood (1142) (d. 1944)

  Royal Artillery Gunner in WWII, died of tuberculosis aged 23
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  Plot 443

  William Hunt plot

  William Hunt (d. 1927)

  Liverpool born, keen cricketer, died at 32
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  Plot

  Latchford plot

  Walter Latchford (1896-1923) (1857–1937)

  Lance Bombadier (890235) Royal Field Artillery
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  Plot 503 WGCommonwealth War Grave

  Leggatt plot

  Cyril Leggatt (or Leggett) (503) (d. 1918)

  Ordinary Seaman, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserves; accidental death
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  Plot 1128

  Peter Lawson Lubbock (1128) plot

  James Morton
  Peter Lawson Lubbock (1128)
  (d. 1918)
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  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
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  Plot

  Herbert S. Moss plot

  Private Herbert Stanley Moss (1897–1922)

  Prisoner of war in France during WWI
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  Plot 617 WGCommonwealth War Grave

  Thomas Newns (617) plot

  Thomas Newns (617) (d. 1941)

  Private Pioneer Corps, 13080034
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  Plot x602

  Osborne plot

  Ernest John Osborne (x602)
  Archibald Ernest Osborne
  (d. 1941)

  Grave of father & son, fought in the second Boer War & WWI
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  Plot 292 WGCommonwealth War Grave

  Perry Plot

  Serjeant Brian Perry (292) (d. 1915)

  Serjeant, Inns of Court Officer Training Corps
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  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
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  Plot 916 WGCommonwealth War Grave

  5552 Private A. Pocock

  Private Arthur Pocock (1894–1918)

  Enlisted Hertfordshire Regiment, died at Hertfordshire County Asylum 1918
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  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.
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  Plot 542 WGCommonwealth War Grave

  W.J. Short (542) plot

  Wilfred James Short (542) (1896–1916)

  Served in WWI at Ypres, Canadian Pioneers
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  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
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  Plot 261

  Horace Lockwood Smith Dorrien (261) plot

  Horace Lockwood Smith Dorrien (261) (1858–1930)

  Decorated WWI army officer and former Governor of Gibraltar
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  Plot 378

  Sprunt plot

  Jane Sprunt
  John Daziell Sprunt
  (1858–1930)
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  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
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  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
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  Plot 796

  Sutton plot

  Major-Gen. Alexander Arthur Sutton, KCB (d. 1941)

  Royal Army Medical Corps. Major-General, fought in the Boer War
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  Plot 747

  Sutton plot

  Colonel William Henry Arthur Douglas Sutton OBE (d. 1953)

  Colonel, Royal Army Medical Corps
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  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 (341) (1833–1887)

  Captain in the Queen Victoria's Royal Body Guard and author
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  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 (772) (1894–1920)

  Lieutenant, Royal Garrison Artillery; wounded in WWI
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  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

Related Content

Further Reading

Commemorating the World War 1 Fallen

For more information please contact

 James Moir

Project Manager

 07545 786 372