Lest we forget…

Knapton War Memorial

The Grade II listed Memorial stands in the churchyard near the front entrance of St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Knapton and takes the form of a rough hewn stone cross with an upright semi-circular plinth, resting on a stone base.

The front face of the plinth is recessed and smoothed to hold the inscription and the names of those killed in the First World War.

The right face of the plinth has also been recessed and smoothed to hold the inscription and names from the Second World War.

War Memorials Trust :: Ref No: WMO67908
Our War Memorial was in good condition when the War Memorials Trust gave a grant in November 2010 for its maintenance.
You can view the War Memorial Trust’s Knapton page here or contact them here, quoting the reference number above.

Knapton War Memorial with wreath image
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Knapton’s Roll of Honour

There are seven names for World War 1 and three for World War 2

War Memorial - Inscription 1914-18 small image
Memorial Inscriptions

TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND
IN PROUD AND GRATEFUL MEMORY OF
THE MEN OF THIS PARISH WHO FELL IN
THE GREAT WAR 1914 – 1918

AND THE WORLD WAR
1939 – 1945

War Memorial - Inscription 1939-45 image

Knapton’s Roll of Honour  : :  we will remember them…

Surname First Name(s) Rank / Regiment Known Details
1914 1918      
BARCHAM Tom Colin Serjeant 15744 Killed in action Thursday 12 October 1916
    7th Bn, Norfolk Regiment Born Knapton. Enlisted Norwich. No known grave
      Commemorated on Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 1 C and 1 D
       
LAMBERT Douglas Second Lieutenant The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Killed in action Wednesday 13 October 1915
    6th Battalion No known grave
      Commemorated on Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 15 to 19
       
MACE Albert John Private 43247 Killed in action Friday 22 March 1918
    7th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment Born Knapton. Lived Paston Green. Enlisted Norwich
    Formerly 23945 Norfolk Regiment Buried in Hermies Hill British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Plot IV. Row B. Grave 12
       
SWANN Percy William {alt SWAN] Private 43297 Killed in action Monday 23 April 1917. Age 26
    1st Battalion, Norfolk Regiment Son of George & Ann Swann, Knapton. Enlisted Norwich
      No known grave. Commemorated on Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 3
       
TURNER George Private 16988 Killed in action Wednesday 19 July 1916
    8th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment Born Knapton. Enlisted Norwich. No known grave
      Commemorated on Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 1 C and 1 D
       
WILD George Private G/14284 Killed in action Friday 9 August 1918.
    7th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment Born Knapton. Enlisted Wroxham. No known grave
      Commemorated on Vis-en-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 6
       
YAXLEY Robert Christmas Driver 82867 Died of wounds Tuesday 1 May 1917. Age 36
    45th Bty. 42nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery Born Knapton. Enlisted Norwich. Son of Ann Yaxley of Trunch, Norfolk
      Buried in Duisans British Cemetery, Etrun, Pas de Calais, France. Plot II. Row O. Grave 1
       
1939 – 1945      
WATTS Frederick Corporal Frederick was killed on Sunday 14th January 1945, aged 27 yrs old.   The Watts family had
    Royal Ulster Rifles lived at 3 Council Houses, Knapton.   His mother, Annie Elizabeth, was widowed in 1939 and
      was, for a time, a cleaner at Knapton School.   Siblings were Victor, Stanley, and sister Miriam
      He is commemorated at Imphal Cemetery in India.  (Imphal is the capital of Manipur State in
      NE India and borders on upper Myanmar, Burma)
       
WOOD, DFC Thomas R Russell Flying Officer 67642 Thomas died on 3rd June 1942   The cause, loss, and crash site are not established.
    115 Squadron He was flying a Wellington Bomber and four of those killed are commemorated on the
    Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Runnymeade Memorial.   Thomas is buried in Becklingen War Cemetery, Soltau,
      Niedersachsen, Germany. Plot 26. Row G. Grave 12.   This is a military cemetary located in the
      state of Lower Saxony in north Germany on the Lüneburg Heath.
      He received the posthumous award of the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for services rendered
      as a pilot a year after his death.  He was the son of BR Wood, Conservator of Forests in
      Cameroon.   Attempts to find out why his name is on our Memorial have been in vain.
       
WOOLLSEY Sydney Ernest Rifleman 6846991 Born in 1918 in Knapton and died in Calais on the 26th May 1940. His mother, who lived in
    7th Battalion Knapton, had his name put on the Memorial Marck (Les Hemmes) Churchyard, Pas de Calais,
    King’s Royal Rifle Corps Grave 7.   We believe he was living in Croydon before he joined up, possibly living with his
      half-sister, May Elizabeth Frances (née Wild), who was living there with her husband and child
      before 1939.   He attended Paston Grammar School (now known as Paston 6th Form College)
      and is listed on the School’s Roll of Honour.

Acknowledgements
These records were compiled using information from the Roll-of-Honour.com website, who carried out the research.   You can view the Knapton area of their website here
World War 1 – Detailed Information.   Compiled and Copyright © Transcribed by David Rudram; Researched by Lynda Smith – 2003