John Deakin

John Deakin was born in Ruckley, Acton Burnell, Shropshire in 1895, the son of George and Mary Deakin who, at the time of his death, lived at Chapel Farm, Wigmore. In 1901, when he was six, he was living at Brierley Hill Lingen with his parents and  and at the age of 16, John was working as a waggoner for a farmer in Willey, Presteigne.

Aged 21, he enlisted in Knighton and was a private in the 1st Battalion of the Herefordshire Regiment, no.238987, and went into training. However, before completing training and after only six months service, he died of pneumonia in Oswestry, aged 22, on the 9th March 1917. He is buried in Wigmore Cemetery.

His parents had the words ‘Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness’ inscribed on his tombstone.

Thomas A George

(After much research, we have come to the conclusion that the Thomas A George on our memorial is actually Thomas Frederick George and that the ‘A’ is a mistake. He is not given a middle initial ‘A’ in any of the census documents – the memorial is the only place it occurs.)

Thomas and John George (see below) were brothers. They were born in Leintwardine in 1882 and 1885 to John George (born in Wigmore) and his wife Ruth.  In 1891, they were living at Grange in the parish of Adforton. In 1901, the family was still there, but the boys had gone into employment elsewhere. Thomas aged 19 was working as a cattleman at Pentre Farm, Cascob and, aged 29 and still single, as a waggoner for a farmer, Mr Jackson of Priddleton, Leominster. The rest of his family had now moved to Villa Cottage Wigmore.

On the 18th February 1914 at Byton Parish Church, the Rector Mr Newberry officiated at the marriage of Thomas Frederick George, then a labourer, aged 32 to Alice Stevens, a spinster aged 19 of Byton.

Thomas enlisted in Leominster, Herefordshire and was originally posted as Private No. 204664 of the Middlesex Regiment. He was transferred and served as Private No. 48823, 10th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers. Only two months before the end of World War One, with the Allies at last pushing the Germans back, Private Thomas Frederick George was killed in action, 1st September1918, during the Second Battle of Bapaume in northern France. He is buried in Bancourt British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.

His widow Alice was left to bring up two children; Ruth E. born 1916 and Leonard T. born early in 1919, after his father’s death. In 1920 Alice married Thomas J Williams of Brick Cottage, Byton.



Unlike all the other names on the Storr-Barber monument, Thomas is not named on the war memorial in Wigmore cemetery. This is possibly because his name is on the monument in Presteigne.

John George

Thomas George’s brother John, aged 16, was working as a groom at Felton farmhouse in Bromfield but by 1911 at the age of 26 he had moved to Yorkshire and was again working as a groom at The Cliff, Terrington, North Riding.

Sometime between then and early 1917, he emigrated to Australia and was working as a farmhand at Kurrin Kuttin, Via Corrigan, West Australia. He joined up on 16th August 1917 at Blackboy Hill and embarked at Melbourne on the ‘Aeneas’ 30th Oct 1917 and disembarked Devonport 26th Dec 1917.

He was posted to France, via Dover as reinforcement for 51st Bn of the Australian Infantry, Private no. 7983 on 1st April 1918. Nineteen days later, he was killed in action at Villers Bretonneux where huge numbers of Australian troops died. He was buried by the Rev D B Blackwood near Bois D’Aquemnes and then reburied in the Adelaide Cemetery, Villers-Bretonneux.

His wife Bessie had the words “Thy will be done” added to the gravestone. She never remarried and died in 1975 aged 89.

Henry G Guntrip

Known as Harry, Henry was born in Weobley in 1885 to William and Jane Guntrip, later of Boars Farm Wigmore and eventually at the time of Harry’s death living in Burrington.

Aged 26, Harry was living in digs in Moss Side, Manchester and working as a heating apparatus engineer. He joined the Manchester Regiment at the outbreak of war and after serving in France was invalided home. After recovery, he was transferred to the Liverpool Regiment, 14th Btn Private no.56328 going to Salonika in November 1916. Where, aged 30, he died of wounds received in battle. His three brothers appear to have survived the war. He is buried at Karasouli Military Cemetery in Greece which contains 1,422 Commonwealth burials of the First World War.

Albert E Gurney

Albert was born in Docklow in 1891, to William and Mary Gurney, but by 1901 is living in Yatton Marsh, one of six children: William, Albert, Alice, Thomas, Mary and Arthur. In 1911, he and his sister Alice were both working for Mrs Stead at Brick Barns, Wigmore, Albert as a farm labourer and Alice a domestic servant.

Albert enlisted in Knighton, becoming Private no.31365 in the 19th Battalion Welsh Regiment. He died of wounds on 7th February 1917 aged 26 and is buried at the Mendinghem Military cemetery in Belgium.

His mother had been widowed and had married again, becoming Mrs Hughes of Sunny Bank, Wigmore.

John Clifford Morgan

John Clifford Morgan was born in Wigmore in 1895 to John and Minnie Morgan of The Stores, his father being the village butcher and grocer.

John was educated at Lucton school and, after assisting in his father’s business, enlisted in Leominster in March 1916 in the motor cycle section of the machine gun corps, service no. 32051. He then became a sergeant in the tank corps, service no. 201346. The Hereford Journal of 11th August 1917 reported that he had been seriously injured whilst in charge of a tank that was in collision with a train and was hospitalised in France.

After returning to duty, he died of wounds in France on 20th November 1917 aged 22.

On 5th January 1918, the Leintwardine Leader reported: ‘The sad news reached Mr and Mrs Morgan on Saturday December 1st from the Major of a certain corps of tanks, one of which was in Sergeant Morgan’s charge, who wrote, “He was one of my most valued NCOs and had been recommended by me for a commission which he should have obtained had he survived this action. Keen at his work and a real good sort, we shall all miss him. He was always cheerful and willing and he was equally popular with all ranks.” Another officer writes: “Although your son was severely wounded in the action, he continued his work as long as possible for the capture of about 100 prisoners. It was a very awkward point he had to attack and he behaved wonderfully well. When his tank caught fire and they had to evacuate it, he did all that was possible for a man to do and he was highly recommended by his officer.”

He was buried at Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery and his father had the words: He gave his life for others, added to his grave-stone.

His brother Thomas Trevelyan Morgan was killed in action in Italy in 1943 and is named as Trev Morgan on the monument in Wigmore cemetery.

Osborne J Oakley

Osborne John Oakley was born in Leintwardine in 1885, the son of William, a labourer from Aymestrey, and Jane Oakley.  In 1891, the family was living in Newton near Walford and in 1901, aged 15, Osborne was working as a carter on a farm at Birtley. By 1911, he was living and working as a farm labourer at Lower Woodbatch and is described as head of the family although his father (aged 82 and retired), mother and a niece are living with him. His father predeceased him in 1915.

He enlisted at Birtley in the 5th Battalion Herefordshire Regiment attached to the 5th Battalion King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, service no. 238961. He was killed in action in Belgium on 23rd August 1917, aged 31. His name is listed on the Tyne Cot Memorial in Zonnebeke, Belgium, which is one of four memorials to the missing from Ypres.