Armirage War Memorial WW1

Armitage Cub Scouts
WW1 Memorial Project 2018

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

We gratefully acknowledge the work done by Roy Fallows in researching the stories behind all of
the names on the Armitage with Handsacre war memorial and for Tracy Cunningham who has
compiled it in an accessible format for the Cubs.
For more information Roy's Book can be obtained through the Ridware History Society website.
Armitage with Handsacre Soldiers of the First World War, by Roy Fallows - £7.50 The men
recorded on the villages’ war memorials have been researched. Also men who survived the war
were traced through relatives and their stories told.
http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com
Facebook - Armitage with Handsacre memories from the past

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

John Wilkes First World War.

Unknown

Sadly, we don’t know anything about John Wilkes
other than the fact that he died in 1914.
We don’t know who his family was, where he
lived or how old he was.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

Robert Dobbs First World War.

Private 7868, 2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire
Regiment.

Robert was born in Tunstall on 10th April 1884. His
dad was called George and his mum was called
Anne, he had 5 brothers and sisters. By 1911 his
parents had separated and his Mum had moved
to Handsacre and lived on The Green, near the
chip shop. Robert married a lady called Florence.

Robert was sent to France to fight on the border
of Belgium near Ypres, in October 1914, but sadly
he was only there for 19 days before he was killed
in action on 25th October, aged 30. He has no
known grave but his name is on our War
Memorial, Tunstall War Memorial and the Menin
Gate Memorial in Ypres, Belgium.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

He wrote a letter home before he died leaving all
his belongings to his mum.
This is the memorial in Belgium that has Roberts
name on.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

Thomas Horatio Alfred Leigh First World War.

Private 5624, 3rd Battalion, 1st Coldstream Guards.

Thomas was born in Armitage on 25th May 1886. His
dad was called Samuel and his mum was called Annie
Eliza, he had 8 brothers and sisters and lived on New
Road, Armitage, near the butchers shop in Jubilee
Terrace.
He joined the army in 1904, aged 18, this was a long
time before the War and he spent 3 years in Egypt
where he travelled up the River Nile! He was in the
Camel Corps, so instead of riding horses, he rode
camels!
He left the army in 1912, but was called back in 1914
when War broke out. He was sent straight to France in
the August, but he was only there for 24 days before he
was killed on 14th September, aged 28. He is buried the
Vailly British Cemetery in France but a church service

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

was held for him in the village. He was the first person
from the village to die in the First World War.

This picture isn’t of Thomas, but it does show the Imperial
Camel Corps.
Thomas lived in 1 of these houses, seen then and now.

This is the cemetery where he is buried in France.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

Captain Arthur Legge Samson MC First World War.

Captain, 2nd Battalion, (23rd Foot) Royal Welsh Fusiliers

Arthur was born in London om 1st June 1882. His dad was
called Edward and his mum was called Alice Mary. His dad
was a clergyman and this saw them move to Brereton and
then to Armitage where his dad was vicar at St John the
Baptist Church in Armitage. They lived in Armitage Lodge, a
big house which was behind the big wall near the Plum
Pudding.
Arthur was very clever and went to private school and
attended Eton College and Oxford University.
He was the only commissioned officer with a link to the
village. Arthur was sent to War straight away and while
leading his men into battle, we was shot 17 times. His

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

friends tried to save him but he told them to leave him so
that they weren’t hurt too. He died on 25th September
1915, aged 33.
He is buried in Cambrin Churchyard in France. One of his
medals was the military cross. His parents made had a
special plaque made from him which can be seen in
Armitage Church.

Arthurs memorial plaque in Armitage Church
Arthur, his mum Alice and his dad, Edward.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

Arthur’s family lived in Armitage Lodge, a big house near
the Plum Pudding

This is the cemetery where he is buried in France.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

Benjamin Hollins First World War.

Lance Corporal 2972, 6th Battalion, North Staffordshire
Regiment

Benjamin was born in Rugeley in 1886, his dad was
also called Benjamin and his mum was Ann. He had 4
brothers and sisters. By the time he was 24 he was a
plumber and lived with this wife Hilda & her parents
in Ricardia Terrace, this is just behind the Londis
shop! They had 2 little boys called Benjamin &
George and a little girl called Mabel.
He was sent to France in March 1915, but soon
afterwards he was badly injured and sent to a
hospital in Devon where he died on 12th November
1915, aged 29. He is buried in Armitage Churchyard.
He was the last village soldier to die in 1915.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

This is Benjamin’s Grave in the Churchyard.

This is the row of houses where he lived, at the time
he lived there and how they look now.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

Edwin Salt Hill First World War.

Private 17834, 1st Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers

Edwin wasn’t born in the village, he originally
came from North Staffordshire. He was born in
1889.
He married a lady called Sarah in 1910 but sadly
their first baby died and they decided to move to
Armitage so that Edwin could work at Edward
Johns – now better known as Armitage Shanks.

In 1914 they had a baby called Ronald, but soon
after he was born, Edwin was sent to France in
May 1915. In September of that year, aged 26,
Edwin went missing and was never found. On 25th
September he was declared dead. He has no
known grave.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

This is what Edward Johns looked like when Edwin
worked there.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

Emilio L Badiere First World War.

Warrant Officer, French 8th Infantry Regiment, 6th
Company, Regiment Number 4199.

Emilio is a very special name on the war
memorial, as he was not from the village, he was
actually born in France in March 1891. His dad
was called Paul Joseph and his mum was Helene
Heloise, and they lived just east of Paris! By 1911
he had moved to Armitage on his own to work at
the pottery and lived on New Road with a Mr
Creed and his family.
When war broke out he was sent back to France
to fight and was killed in 1915, just after his 24th
birthday.
He is the only foreign soldier on any UK War
Memorial and it is believed the villagers liked him
so much that they asked for him to be on ours.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

James Henry Clarke First World War.

Private 1230, 1st Battalion, North Staffordshire
Regiment

James was born in Brereton in 1894. His dad was
called Samuel and his mum was Mary Jane. He
had 3 brothers, one of them was called Reginald,
who was also sadly killed in the war in 1915.
When James was 17 he was already working as a
‘pot maker’ at Edwards Johns – better known now
as Armitage Shanks.
In March 1915 he was sent to Belgium to fight,
but he died on the 10th August after an accident
in the trenches, aged 21.
He was buried in a cemetery called Blauwepoort
Farm in Belgium.

This is what Edward Johns looked like when James
worked there.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

This is where James is buried in Belgium.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

Reginald George Clarke First World War.

Private 2119, 1st/6th Battalion, North Staffordshire
Regiment

Reginald was born in Brereton in 1897. His dad
was called Samuel and his mum was Mary Jane.
He had 3 brothers, one of them was called James,
sadly James was also killed in the war in 1915.
Reginald worked in the village making bricks. This
would have likely been in the place where the
doctors surgery stands now.
In March 1915 he was sent to France to fight,
before he left, he made a will on a small slip of
paper, leaving all his possessions to his mum. He
died on 13th October 1915 in a large fight called
The Battle of Loos, aged 19.
He has no known grave, but his name is also on a
large memorial in France called the Loos
Memorial.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

We don’t know who is in this picture, but this is
the brickworks where Reginald worked.
His name is on this memorial in France.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

Samuel Leigh First World War.

Private SE/1987, Army Veterinary Corps.

Samuel was born in Armitage in 1868. His dad was
called John and his mum was called Esther. They
lived in Old Road. By the age of 13 he was working
as a ‘potter’s labourer’ at Edward John’s- better
known as Armitage Shanks! But even before this,
he’d been working with horses a groom.
Samuel married a lady called Sarah and they had 3
children; John, Annie & Samuel. They moved to
Lichfield Road in Handsacre. Sarah later lived in 6
Greenfeilds Avenue.
In the army, Samuel rode horses, but in 1915 he
was injured and sent home to a hospital in
Sheffield where he died on 16th March aged 47.
He is buried in Armitage Churchyard.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

A year later, in 1916 his son John, who was also a
soldier was sent home as he was injured too.
Later in life John worked at Armitage Railway
Station.

This is what Edward Johns looked like when
Samuel worked there.

Samuel’s grave in Armitage Churchyard & a photo
which we believe he is in, showing soldiers from

the Veterinary Corps.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

Thomas Clewlow First World War.

Unknown

Sadly, we don’t know anything about Thomas
Clewlow other than the fact that he died in 1915.
We don’t know who his family was, where he
lived or how old he was.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

Alfred Frederick Hiley First World War.

Private 16962, 2nd Lincolnshire Regiment. Formerly
8143, North Staffordshire Regiment.

Alfred was born in Armitage in 1895. His dad was
called William and his mum was Hannah. He had an
elder brother called William. By the time Alfred was
16 he was working with his dad and brother at the
pottery works, Edward Johns, now mainly known as
Armitage Shanks. They lived in Old Road in Armitage
by Carthy’s shop, but the house has since been
destroyed. Just before the war, they moved to
Rugeley.
In 1914 he joined the army in Lichfield. In June 1915
Alfred was sent to war in France. He was there just
over a year before he was injured. He died of his
wounds soon after on 22nd July 1916 aged about 21,
just after his cousin James was killed & a year before

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

his elder brother. He is buried near his brother in
Longueness Souvenir Cemetery, France.

This is the cemetery in France where Alfred is
buried.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

Joseph ‘Alfred’ Warner First World War.

Private 10180, 7th Battalion, North Staffordshire
Regiment

Alfred was born in 1895 in Armitage on New
Road. His dad was called Thomas and his mum
was Sarah. His family had moved to the village for
the pottery works, Edward Johns, now better
known as Armitage Shanks. He had 5 brothers and
sisters and worked in the pottery with his dad.
He was sent to Gallipoli in July 1915, and wrote
lots of letters to his family in the village. He said
he was working as a sniper and that it was very
hot. He missed his dog back at home and asked if

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

they could send him Christmas presents- mainly
writing paper and sweets. He sent several copies
of the photo above home for his parents and
siblings so that they could remember him if he
didn’t come home.
In January 1916 he was sent to Egypt with some
other soldiers from the village. In February 1916
he was sent to Iraq and in April he wrote home to
say he in hospital as he had been shot through the
shoulder. The hospital was likely to be a tent in
the desert. Another soldier from Armitage was
also with him, James Hiley, and they died just days
apart from their wounds. Alf was 21 years old.
A memorial service was held for him at Handsacre
Methodist Church.
His name is on the Basra Memorial in Iraq.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

Arthur Kitson First World War.

Lance Corporal 18399, 1st Battalion Royal Welsh
Fusiliers.

Arthur was born in Bloxwich in 1892. His dad was
called Thomas and his mum was Martha. He had a
brother, Frank & a sister, Florence. When he was 10,
his mum died, so Arthur and his dad both had to do
2 jobs each. They worked down the coal mines and
also repaired roads.
Eventually Arthur married a lady called Elizabeth
and they had 5 children! They moved to the village
so that Arthur could work at Edward John’s- now
better known as Armitage Shanks!
When war broke out, Arthur joined the army and in
July 1915 William was sent to fight in France. He

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

was quickly promoted to Lance Corporal. On 27th
August 1916 Arthur was killed, aged 24, in The
Battle of the Somme. He has no known grave as his
body was never found, but his name is on the
Thiepval Memorial in France. A Church service was
held in Armitage Church in the September.
This is what Edward Johns looked like when Arthur
worked there.

This is the memorial which has his name on.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

George Salt First World War.

Private 12214, 9th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire
Regiment

George was born in the village in 1890. His dad
was called Leonard and his mum was Clara they
lived in Pike Lane on the big hill by Londis. He had
6 brothers & sisters. George worked at Edward
Johns, now mainly known as Armitage Shanks and
then later at Armitage Railway Station- which
used to be near the Methodist Church. He
married a lady called Alice and they had a son
called Leonard.
He and his elder brother William joined the army
and trained on the Isle of Wight. George was sent
to Gallipoli in November 1915, and then to Egypt
in January 1916 and then to Iraq, where George
was killed on 9th April 1916 aged 26. William died

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

in July 1916, meaning their parents had lost 2
sons.
George’s name is on the Basra War Memorial.
A service was held for him in Armitage Church in
May 1916.

This is the Basra War Memorial.

This is George’s mum, Clara on her 100th birthday.
She had a photo of her 2 sons in her house all of

her life and often cried for them.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

This is the Railway Station where George worked.
This is Station View where George & his family
lived, seen then and now.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

James Hiley First World War.

Private 10272, 7th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire
Regiment

James was born in Armitage in 1893. His dad was
called Henry (Harry) and his mum was Sarah. The
family lived in Handsacre at first, then on Old
Road in Armitage in the old houses looking over
the canal. This was just by the pottery works,
Edward Johns, now mainly known as Armitage
Shanks, where he worked with his dad.
Eventually James joined the army & in July 1915
James was sent to fight in Gallipoli, and then to
Egypt, before finally going to Iraq. On 20th April
1916 James died from wounds in Iraq aged 23. He
has no known grave, but his name is on the Basra
Memorial.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

His cousins, Alfred Hiley and William Hiley who
were also killed in the war.

These are the houses where James lived..

And this is them today…

This is the Basra War Memorial in Iraq.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

William Arthur Bond First World War.

Private 13572, 8th Battalion, South Staffordshire
Regiment.

William was born in Abbots Bromley in 1890. His dad
was called Joseph and his mum was Sarah. He had 1
brother, Charles and 2 sisters, Sarah & Harriet. The
family moved to Tuppenhurst Lane in Handsacre, the
same road that you come down for Hayes Meadow
School! There were only 2 farms on this road, and
William worked at one of these with his sisters.
By the time he was 21 his mum had died and he
joined the army. In July 1915 William was sent to
fight in France. He fought for just under a year and
was killed in early July 1916, aged about 26, at the
Battle of the Somme.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

William has no known grave, and was likely never
found, but his name is on the Thiepval Memorial in
France.

This is the memorial in France with William’s name
on.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

William Ratcliffe First World War.

Corporal 17830, 2nd Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

William was born in Hanley in 1896. His dad was
called Edward and his mum was Martha. William
worked in the potteries near Hanley but the family
moved to Armitage to work at Edward Johns – now
better known as Armitage Shanks. By the time they
moved to the village, William had 5 brothers and
sisters. William, his older brother Edward (who was
also a soldier) and their dad all worked together.
William was a valued member of the local boys club
and Assistant Scout Master! They lived in Ricardia
Terrace, just behind Londis.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

William wanted to join the army to help fight the
war, but was rejected 3 times before finally being
accepted. He was sent to France in May 1915 in the
same battalion as Arthur Samson. He was killed on
24th October 1916, aged 20, while fighting the Battle
of the Somme. It is said that Edward John’s flew
their flag at half-mast as a sign of respect for him.
He has no known grave, but his name is on his
parent’s gravestone in the churchyard. His name is
also on the Thiepval Memorial in France.
This is Arthur with other soldiers in his battalion.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

This is the memorial that has his name on.
This is the stone is the churchyard.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

This is what Edward John’s would have looked like
when William worked there with his brother and

father.

This is the row of houses where he lived, at the time
he lived there and how they look now.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

William Salt First World War.

Private 11037, 9th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire
Regiment

William was born in the village, his dad was called
Leonard and his mum was Clara they lived in Pike
Lane on the big hill by Londis. He had 6 brothers &
sisters. By the time he was 16 William worked at
Hanch Hall as a farm labourer. The family moved
to Station View in Handsacre. Along with his
brother, George, who was also killed, William
joined the army. He joined before George so was
first sent to India. He made a will in April 1915
leaving all his possessions to his mum. In August
1915 he was sent to Gallipoli and then to Basra in
February 1916. At some point William was gassed
and suffered from frostbite, so he was sent home
to recover before being sent to Iraq. His brother,

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

George, was killed in April and William died in Iraq
from disease on the 16th July, aged 30. This meant
their parents had lost 2 sons.
He is buried at Amara War Cemetery in Iraq,
which has now sadly been destroyed.
A memorial service was held in Armitage church
for William and the village presented his family
with a plaque to say thank you.

This was Amara Cemetery.

This is William’s mum, Clara on her 100th birthday.
She had a photo of her 2 sons in her house all of

her life and often cried for them.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

This is Station View where George & his family
lived, seen then and now.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

Albert Steele First World War.

Private 17593, 7th Battalion, South Staffordshire
Regiment

Albert was born near Derby in August 1886. His
dad was called George and his mum was Annie.
He is a bit of a mystery, very little is known about
him, however it is likely that he lived in the village
at some point.
Albert married a lady called Martha in June 1909.
They had 3 children, Herbert, Gertrude and
Albert. Albert Jnr was born in 1914, just before
War was declared.
Albert Snr joined the army and was sent to
Gallipoli via a ship which set sail from Liverpool in
July 1915. He spent months fighting Turkish
soldiers, to no avail, so in December 1915 he was
evacuated to Egypt. In July 1916 he was moved to
France where he ended up fighting in The Battle

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com

of the Somme. He was killed in action on 27th
November 1916, aged 30, although the war
memorial accidently lists him as dying in 1917.
He is buried in Ancre British Cemetery at
Beaumont-Hamel, France.
Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel, France,

where Albert is buried.

For more information see http://ridwarehistory.yolasite.com