Burbage Fallen
Other Burbage War Memorials
Throughout the area Clubs, Churches, and Workplaces also had their own war memorials to remember members and collegues. In Burbage, these were in the form of plaques, framed photographs and a lamppost.In St Catherine’s Church, there is also a lectern and one of the church bells dedicated to the fallen of the congregation. As organisations close and buildings are demolished these monuments often in obscure places are lost.
Some names can be found on these memorials, which are not on the main village one. This may have been the choice of the family or the person may be on another nearby war memorial such as Hinckley. Alternatively, the same names may be found on many memorials.
ST. CATHERINE'S CHURCH, CHURCH STREET
The Burbage Church Memorial, a beautiful engraved Oak Tablet is on the inside of the west wall of the Church. The service of unveiling and dedication was performed by Col J L Griffiths and Rev R D H Pughe at 8.00pm on the 11th November 1926. The tablet bears the names of 60 men who fell along with their regimental badges.
In 1946, another plaque was added below to accommodate the names of the fallen from WWII.
In St Catherine’s, there are also some individual memorials:
The Lectern - A brass eagle on a pedestal with inscription is as follows-
To the glory of God, and in affectionate memory of 2nd Lieutenant William George Robinson, 8th Leicestershire Regiment, who fell in action in France October 2nd 1917, aged 26. ‘Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends’.
His loving father and mother presented this lectern to Saint Catherine’s Church Burbage.
A Bible - presented by Mr & Mrs James Robinson in memory of their son Ben who fell in France, 25th August 1918.
Southside of Chancel, two memorial plaques;
The Memorial Bell - When the original peal of five bells were recast in 1925 three more were added to form a peal of eight.
The new seventh bell was
cast in memory of the fallen - To the glory of God
In memory of the men who worshipped in this Church who fell in the Great War 1914-1918
In memory of the men who worshipped in this Church who fell in the Great War 1914-1918
Two memorial tablets to the members can be found in the main Church.
The Church Organ, which dominates the Church, was erected in January 1927 to the memory of the boys of this Church who made the supreme sacrifice in the Great War 1914-18. A bronze tablet bearing sixteen names is placed in the centre above the Organ.
On Sunday April 6th 1952, a children’s corner and memorial tablet erected to the memory of five young men of the Sunday School and Chapel Football Team who fell in the Second World War was unveiled.
Mr H Collins, secretary of the Burbage Branch of the British Legion, performed the unveiling ceremony; he read out the names on the tablet and referred to the fact, that the five who gave their lives had been associated with him at the Village School.
THE WESLEYAN CHAPEL MEMORIAL, WINDSOR STREET, UNVEILED NOVEMBER 1921
The sandstone memorial can be found when facing the main building down the left hand side of the church. This is in a sad state of decay, the stone is badly eroded and some names are illegible and there is often a wheelie bin placed in front and tarmac has covered some of the bottom names. Originally, the memorial tablets were inside the church. At some point, two sides have had bricks placed in a type of frame probably in an effort to protect it.
Inside the foyer of the church is a framed name list, which may be the same names as the stone memorial.
On entering the Chapel car park to the left hand side are the remains to a base of a cast iron lamppost, which is inscribed ‘In memory of our fallen’. This may not be in its original position.
A plaque to the four members of the congregation, who died in the Second World War, was originally on the Communion table, this was reinstated back to the Church in 2004. The Names inscribed – Holyoake, Letts, Howkins and Wood.
Report from Hinckley Times November 5th 1921
The Rev Sayer Ellis unveiled a memorial tablet placed in Burbage Methodist church, The tablet bore the names of 35 lads of the Church who fell in the Great War, taking part in the service were the Rev. Arthur Brooks and the Rev. M N Naylor. The Rev. Sayer Ellis assisted in the digging of the grave of L.C. Wilfred Wormleighton, who was killed in France and whose name appears on the memorial tablet.
THE SYCAMORES PUBLIC HOUSE, WINDSOR STREET
In June and July 2004 American veterans of the 307th Airborne Engineers, the 82nd Airborne Division visited Burbage. For four months prior to the D-day landings in 1944, the American Troops had been billeted in the former hosiery factory opposite the Sycamores Public House. As part of the visit veteran Frank Miale unveiled a plaque atached to the wall of the Sycamores in memory of the Amercian Troops billeted in Burbage who lost their lives Wotld War II.
Ralf J Cunningham, Charlie K Edmonson Jnr, Elmer Ellis – Wall to the missing, Roy K Kreiser, Everate H Langford,
Karl J Leverknight
BURBAGE LIBERAL CLUB (NOW SPAR SHOP), LUTTERWORTH ROAD
A lost Memorial: On the 26th May 1921, Major Charles Chamberlain Hurst unveiled a large framed photograph of the members who gave their lives in the Great War a newspaper account survives with the fourteen names of the fallen but no trace was found of the memorial when the club was finally closed in 2007.
The names on the memorial; Pte J Vincent, County of London. Pte. A Diggle, Inniskillings.
Lance–Corpl.S Smith, Leicester Regt. Pte.S Musson, Leicester Regt. Lance-Corpl. J Hill Leicester Regt.
Pte J Paul, Coldstream Guards. Pte A Ghent, Leicester Regt. Pte A Thorne, Northumberland Fus.
Pte. W Smith, Leicester Regt. Pte. D Robertson, Leicester Regt. Lance Corpl P Starky, Essex Regt.
Pte P Malkin, MM, North Staffs. Pte L Shilton, Leicester Regt. Pte. W Letts, Grenadier Guards.
Our Fallen Hero’s in the Great War, 1914 -1918. They gave for us their all.
In April 1946 another Memorial framed photograph was added with the photographs of the six members killed in World War II along with a roll of honour of members of the club who served in the 1939 – 45 War.
Pte S Comer. Northumberland Regt. Sapper Vic Davies.R.E. LD Jones.RASC. Dispatch rider 1st Airborne Div.
Pte PT Kavanagh Leicester Regt. FL Lt W Nickerson RAFV. Trooper B Thatcher 8th Hussars.
WELLINGTON BOMBER, FEATHERSTON DRIVE
On 14th January 2005, Don Bayley TD, Chairman of Burbage Parish Council, in the presence of the RAF, the Canadian High Commission and relatives of the crew, unveiled on the 60th Anniversary of the crash a memorial stone and plaque.
On the evening of 14th January 1945, Wellington Bomber MF-116 with a crew of six was on a training flight from RAF Wing in Oxfordshire. At 11.40pm probably due to mechanical failure, the bomber hit the ground at the junction of the present Higham Way and Featherston Drive, the land was then part of Holt Farm and mainly farmland.
The two Canadians were buried in graves at Blacon Cemetery in Chester with Commonwealth War graves headstones. Pilot Officer Chobaniuk was from Regina, Saskatchewan. Sergeant McMurdo was from Cobourg, Ontario. Sergeant John Thompson is buried in Carlisle. Sergeant Leslie Good is buried in Manor Park Cemetery London. Sergeant John Gunn is buried in Botley Cemetery, Oxford. Sergeant Charles Parker is buried in Wales Village Sheffield.