Knapton War Memorial
The Grade II listed freestanding memorial stands within a conservation area in the churchyard near the front entrance of St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Knapton and takes the form of a rough hewn granite Latin 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 (1914-1918).
The right face of the plinth has also been recessed and smoothed to hold the inscription and names from the Second World War (1939-1945).
War Memorials Trust
The War Memorials Trust works to protect and conserve war memorials in the UK. The charity provides free advice to anyone as well as running grant schemes to support repair and conservation projects.
Our War Memorial was in good condition when the War Memorials Trust gave a grant in November 2010 for its maintenance.
War Memorials Online
War Memorials Online Ref: WMO67908
War Memorials Online seeks to create the UK’s most comprehensive understanding of the condition of war memorials and plan
for their future conservation to ensure they are fit to commemorate those recorded upon them.
War Memorials Online is run by War Memorials Trust with the support of Historic England.
War Memorial inscription 1914-1918
War Memorial inscription 19139-1945
Acknowledgements
We thank St Peter & St Paul’s Church for the records below which were compiled using information from the Roll-of-Honour website, who carried out the research. World War 1 – Detailed Information. Compiled and Copyright © Transcribed by David Rudram; Researched by Lynda Smith – 2003
| Surname | First Name(s) | Rank | Regiment | Known Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914-18 | ||||
| BARCHAM | Tom Colin | Serjeant 15744 | 7th Bn, Norfolk Regiment | Killed in action Thursday 12 October 1916. 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 | 6th Battalion | The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Killed in action Wednesday 13 October 1915 No known grave. Commemorated on Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 15 to 19 |
| MACE | Albert John | Private 43247 | 7th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment | Killed in action Friday 22 March 1918 Born Knapton. Lived Paston Green. Enlisted Norwich Buried in Hermies Hill British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Plot IV. Row B. Grave 12c |
| SWANN | Percy William | Private 43297 | 1st Battalion, Norfolk Regiment | Killed in action Monday 23 April 1917. Age 26 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 | 8th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment | Killed in action Wednesday 19 July 1916 Born Knapton. Enlisted Norwich. No known grave Commemorated on Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 1 C and 1 D |
| WILD | George | Private 14284 | 7th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment | Killed in action Friday 9 August 1918. Born Knapton. Enlisted Wroxham. No known grave Commemorated on Vis-en-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 6 |
| YAXLEY | Robert Christmas | Driver 82867 | 45th Battery. 42nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery | Died of wounds Tuesday 1 May 1917. Age 36 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 |
| 1939-45 | ||||
| WATTS | Frederick | Corporal | Royal Ulster Rifles | Frederick was killed on Sunday 14th January 1945, aged 27 yrs old. The Watts family had 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 | 115 Squadron, RAF Volunteer Reserve | Thomas died on 3rd June 1942 The cause, loss, and crash site are not established. He was flying a Wellington Bomber and four of those killed are commemorated on the 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 | 7th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps | Born in 1918 in Knapton and died in Calais on the 26th May 1940. His mother, who lived in Knapton, had his name put on the Memorial Marck (Les Hemmes) Churchyard, Pas de Calais, 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. |
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