TO THE
GLORY
OF GOD
And in
Enduring
Remembrance
Of the men
Of
HORNING
Who fought bravely and
Sacrificed their lives in
THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1919.
Erected by their fellow parishioners
23124 Private William King, 7th. Battalion, Border Regiment, formerly 18734 Norfolk Regiment.
Born 1881 at Stoke Holy Cross, Norfolk, the son of George and Mary Ann King.
Husband of Annie Elizabeth King, nee Lake, of Number 3, Row 11, North Quay, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.
Resident of Upper Street, Horning.
Enlisted on 1st. February 1915 at Norwich, Norfolk.
William was killed in action, aged 35, in the attack on Delville Wood on Monday 7th. August 1916. He has no known grave and is commemorated on Pier and Face 6A and 7C of the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.
19166 Private John Henry Holmes, 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards.
Born 1893 at Horning, the son of John, a pork butcher, and Sarah Ann Holmes of Falgate, Horning, as of the 1911 census.
Enlisted in Glasgow, Scotland.
John was killed in action, aged 22, on Tuesday 12th. October 1915. He has no known grave and is commemorated on Panel 5 to 7 of the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France.
John is remembered on his father and mothers headstone a few yards away from the memorial.
11460 Sergeant John James Hewett, 86th. Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery.
Born in Horning, the son of Robert J., a marshman, and Emma Louisa Hewitt, nee Rice, of Lower Street, as of the 1911 census.
Resident of Horning.
Enlisted at Norwich, Norfolk. The 1911 census records John as regular soldier serving with the Royal Artillery.
The 86th. Battery was part of 6th. Division under General Charles Townshend. After an initially strong advance, Townshend found himself out-manoeuvred and allowed many of his troops to become besieged in the city of Kut-al-Amara. After failures to relieve the besieged troops, they were finally forced to surrender on the 29th. April 1916. After agreeing terms, Townshend marched his troops out into captivity, and certain death for most of them. Most of the Arabs left in Kut were hanged by the Turks for helping the British.
The prisoners began a forced march from what is now Iraq into Turkish prison camps. During May 1916, 2,000 British troops, started the march, some were still in khaki, some were almost naked. The first day they walked 15 miles without food or water. Behind the column were many dead or dying, those who dropped out were killed by the Arab guards. They were first taken to a temporary camp at Shumran about 80 miles from Kut. The Kurdish guards had stolen the troops food rations and even their water bottles and boots. There were international protests at the treatment of the prisoners. It was later estimated that the death rate was over 70%.
John died on 29th. April 1916. It is not known if he was one of those who died during the final hours of the siege or in the subsequent treatment of the prisoners by the Turks. He has no known grave and is commemorated on Panel 4 and 61 of the Basra Memorial, Iraq.
John was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.
30116 Private James Edgar Smith, 7th. Battalion, The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment).
Born in Ormsby St. Margaret, Norfolk, parentage unknown, foster son of Elizabeth Slaughter, of Upper Street, Horning, wife of Charles Slaughter.
Enlisted in Wroxham, Norfolk.
James was killed in action, aged 19, on Thursday 24th. October 1918. He was buried with a temporary cross at map reference 57B. L5. G. 6. 1. and was reburied in Plot II, Row H, Grave 3 at Cross Roads Cemetery, Fontaine-au-Bois, Nord, France.
18222 Private Paul Samuel Brooks, 9th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment.
The son of Benjamin, a Prudential insurance agent, and Anna Maria Brooks of Runham, Norfolk
Husband of Catherine Brooks, nee Reeve, of 4 Stonemasons Square, St. George Street, Norwich, Norfolk. The couple were married in 1900 and would have four daughters, Elizabeth Alice Annie, twins Alice Pauline and Catherine Sarah and Constance E.
The 1901 census records Paul working as a farm stockman
Resident Upper Street, Horning and employed as a groom-gardener as of the 1911 census.
Enlisted at Norwich.
Paul was killed, aged 35, in action in an attack on the German strongpoint called The Quadrilateral (Ginchy) on Friday 15th. September 1916. He has no known grave and is commemorated on Pier and Face 1C and 1D of the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.
His company-sergeant, in writing of him, said: “He was a man of the best, a good soldier, and died doing his duty like a man and a very brave hero."
17676 Private Henry William Crane, 7th. Battalion, Norfolk Regiment.
Born in 1897 in Horning, the son of Henry, also recorded as Harry, a boatman, and Emma Crane of Lower Street, Horning,
Enlisted at Norwich, Norfolk.
Henry was killed in action, aged 20, in the attack on Glencorse Wood on Friday 10th. August 1917. He is buried in Plot I, Row E, Grave 1 at Windmill British Cemetery, Monchy-le-Preux, Pas de Calais, France.
50569 Private Albert James Twiddy, 4th. Battalion, The King's (Liverpool Regiment), formally S/4/157278 Army Service Corp.
Born in 1887 at Norwich, Norfolk, the son of Malakie, a Midland & Great Northern Railway gatekeeper, and Bessie Twiddy of Catfield.
Brother of Willie, Earnest and Levi.
Husband of Florence Eliza Twiddy, nee Preston of Wreningham, Norfolk, married in 1917
The 1901 census records the 13 year old Albert already working as an agricultural labourer living at his widower father property, 'Gate House', Catfield
The 1911 census records Albert as a journeyman baker living in the household of his employer, Benjamin Sims at Lower Street, Horning, Norfolk.
Enlisted at Norwich, Norfolk.
Albert died of wounds, aged 30, on Friday 20th. September 1918. He is buried in Grave: B. 22. at Five Points Cemetery, Lechelle, Pas de Calais, France.
Albert is also commemorated on the Catfield, Norfolk war memorial.
38409 Private Robert James Platford, 2/6th. Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, formerly G/11865 Royal Sussex Regiment.
Born c.1898 in Horning, he son of James and Margaret Platford of New Cottages, Ranworth, Norfolk and of Upper Street, Horning as of the 1911 census.
Robert was a resident of Horning.
Enlisted at Norwich, Norfolk.
Robert died, aged 20, on Friday 11th. October 1918 at Heilbronn, Germany, indicating that he was a Prisoner of War. He is buried in Plot II, Row B, Grave 15 at Niederzwehren Cemetery, Stadtkreis Kassel, Hessen, Germany with the personnel inscription,
'WE LOVED YOU WELL
BUT JESUS LOVED YOU BEST
FAREWELL'
Robert is also commemorated on the Ranworth, Norfolk war memorial.
Lt. Jacob William Slaughter, 5th Battalion, (Saskatchewan Regiment) Canadian Infantry.
Born 12th. August 1894 at Horning, the son of Walter, a maltster, and Rosetta Linda Slaughter of Horning.
Husband of Ivy Maud Slaughter, nee Gidney, later wife of Evan E. Gilden of Orchard House, Alby, Norfolk.
Father of Victor R. J. Slaughter,
Jacob enlisted in Canada on 23rd. September 1914, initial as 13547 Private. The enlistment papers record that his occupation was as a blacksmith, 5 foot , 10.5 inches tall, with a fair complexion, grey eyes and light brown hair.
Jacob was killed in action, aged 23, on 9th. August 1918. He is buried in Area D, Grave 10 at Manitoba Cemetery, Caix, Somme, France with the personal inscription
'TILL WE MEET'
Jacob is commemorated on Page 501 of the First World War Book of Remembrance, Canadian Virtual War Memorial and on the Alby, Norfolk war memorial.
G/9129 Private Frederick Arthur Chambers, 5th. Battalion, Royal West Surrey Regiment.
Born in 1879 Hoveton St. Peter, Norfolk, the son of Robert and Harriet Chambers.
Resident at Council Cottages, Horning.
Enlisted at Norwich, Norfolk.
Frederick was killed in action on Wednesday 17th. October 1917. He is buried in Plot I, Row O, Grave 9 at Monchy British Cemetery, Monchy-le-Preux, Pas de Calais, France.
28633 Private George Cyril Johnson, 6th. Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, formerly 17677 Norfolk Regiment.
Born in 1897 at South Walsham, Norfolk, the son of George and Selina Johnson of South Walsham.
Resident of Horning.
Enlisted at Norwich, Norfolk.
George died, aged 21, of pneumonia at 3 Stationary Hospital, Rouen on Monday 22nd. July 1918. He is buried in Section Q, Plot III, Row J, Grave 25 at St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France with the personal inscription
'PEACE PERFECT PEACE'
MORS JANUA VITAE
TO THE GLORY OF GOD
And in enduring remembrance of
JOHN RICHARD SOUTHGATE Royal Norfolk Regiment
Who sacrificed his life for his country
In the Great World War 1939-1945
Whosoever shall lose his life for my sake
Shall save it.
5779081 Private John Richard Southgate, 4th. Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment.
Born 1913, the son of Edgar Walter and Mary Ann Southgate, nee Allen, of 11 Council Cottages, Horning.
John died, aged 30, as a prisoners of war of the Japanese on Wednesday 17th. November 1943. He was originally buried in Grave: 14 at Chinese Cemetery, Krian Krai and was re buried in Grave: 2. P. 75. at Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, Kanchanaburi, Thailand on 9th. February 1946.
The monument is in the churchyard of St. Benedict's. It takes the form of a stone Celtic wheel-head cross with carved knot-work to the cross-head and upper half of shaft.
The war memorial received Grade: II listed building status on 14th. November 2017.