Private, 20963, Francis William WARNER 8th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment Died, 24th May 1916
Francis William Warner was born in Raunds in 1897, the son of John William and Jane Warner of Bassen (Bass’s) Yard in Brook Street. A former scholar at the Wesleyan Sunday School, he received a Bible and hymn book at the school’s 102nd Anniversary celebrations in August 1914.
Soon after enlisting he was taken ill and sent home where he died.
He received a full military funeral on the 2nd June at the Wesleyan Chapel, the service being conducted by the Reverend Joseph Burrows, father of Arnold Hayes Burrows who had been killed just two months earlier.
Francis Warner is buried in the Wesleyan Methodist Chapelyard, Raunds, his being the only grave there marked by a standard Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone. He was awarded the British War and Victory medals.
Private, 110, Percy WATSON 54th (1st/1st East Anglian) Casualty Clearing Station, Royal Army Medical Corps Died at Sea, 13th August 1915
Born in 1891, Percy Watson was the son of George and Mary Watson. Before the war he was employed as a cabinet maker at Asbery & Son of High Street. He had also been a keen member of both the Church Vestry Class and Scout Troop, serving in the latter alongside fellow future Great War victims Sam Brayfield and Jack Spicer.
Percy is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Turkey, panels 199/200,236/239 or 328, on the Gallipoli peninsula and was awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War and Victory medals.
Private, 57581, Albert WEBB 26th (Bankers) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) Killed in action, 3rd August 1917
Albert Webb was born in Raunds on the 20th August 1886 and was baptised at the Wesleyan Church, the son of George and Mary Webb. A shoeworker by trade, he married Annie Elizabeth and at the time of him joining the Colours they were living in Winstanley Road, Wellingborough.
He is buried in Bedford House Cemetery, Belgium, grave enclosure No.4, grave reference XIV.B.14 and was awarded the British War and Victory medals.
Private, 42529, Ernest WEBB 9th Battalion, Alexandra Princess of Wales’s Own (Yorkshire Regiment) Died of wounds, 8th September 1918
Ernest Webb, the son of Harry and Annie Webb of Thorpe Street, was born in Raunds in 1892. In late 1914 he married Miriam Ingram of Irthlingborough where they set up home.
He is buried in Cavalletto British Cemetery, Italy, plot 1, row D, grave 14 and was awarded the British War and Victory medals.
He is also remembered on a family headstone in Raunds Cemetery and on the Baptist Chapel Old Scholar’s Roll of Honour. However, he is neither named on the St. Peter’s Church Roll of Honour nor, at his wife’s request, on the Irthlingborough War Memorial although her tribute to him appeared in the “In Memoriam” column of the local newspaper on the anniversary of his death for several years after the war.
Private, 121792, George WEBB 193rd Company, Machine Gun Corps Died of Wounds, 24th March 1918
George Webb was born in Raunds in 1886, the son of Matthew and Dinah Webb. In late 1905 he married Margaret Alice Wilson and at their home in Chelveston Road they brought up eight children.
He was known amongst friends as “Pudden” and was famous in local football circles as the captain and centre forward of Raunds Town Football Club and also Fletton United.
His obituary in a local newspaper described him as being “of a very genial disposition and one of the fairest players that stepped on to a football field.”
George Webb is buried in Etaples Military Cemetery, France, grave reference XXXI.H.17A and is also remembered on the Stanwick War Memorial and Church Roll of Honour and on a family headstone in Raunds Cemetery. He was awarded the British War and Victory medals.
Private, 200298, George Henry WEBB 1st/4th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment Died, 7th September 1918
Born at Denford Ash in 1889, George Henry Webb was the son of Samuel and Bertha Lydia Webb. Prior to joining the Army he worked for the Islip Iron Company of Slipton.
In March 1920 the Rushden Echo reported that “the bodies of the men of the 1st/4th Northants killed on service in the east have been removed to Ramleh Cemetery, south east of Jaffa.”
This included George Henry Webb who is now buried in grave AA.5 in what was then Palestine and is now Israel.
He was awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War and Victory medals.
Private, 7945, John Arthur WEBB 1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment Killed in Action, 28th January 1915
John Arthur Webb was born in Raunds in 1887, the son of Thomas Mitchell and Catherine Jemima Webb of 10, Francis Street and we believe that in late 1913 he married Margaret E Mayes and they set up home in Pytchley.
He was a professional soldier having served in the Northamptonshire Regiment for five years up to 1912 including six months in India. On his return to England he worked on the farm of Mr Sykes and had enjoyed sixteen months of the rural life when war was declared.
John A Webb has no known grave so is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial, France, panels 28 to 30, he is also remembered on a family grave in Raunds Cemetery. He was awarded the 1914 Star with Clasp, British War and Victory medals.
Private, 40776, Arthur James WHEATLEY 7th/8th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Died of Wounds, 18th September 1918
Arthur James Wheatley, the younger son of Jabez Pulpher and Annie Wheatley was born in Raunds on the 7th November 1896 when the family lived in High Street. Prior to conscription he was employed by Owen Smith, bootmakers.
He is buried in La Kreule Military Cemetery, France, grave reference IV.A.5. He is also remembered on Ireland’s Great War Roll of Honour and, as his parents had since moved to Rushden, on their War Memorial and Church Roll of Honour. He was awarded the British War and Victory medals.
Private, 30920, Ernest WHITE 6th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment Killed in Action, 5th April 1918
Ernest White was born in Raunds in 1883, the youngest child of Daniel and Eliza White. A shoemaker/clicker by trade and a former Sunday School scholar at the Baptist Chapel in Rotton Row, he enlisted at Raunds in the 6th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment.
He has no known grave but is remembered on the Pozieres Memorial, France, panels 54 to 56 and also on the Baptist Chapel Roll of Honour of Old Scholars. He was awarded the British War and Victory medals.
Private, 51208, Frederick Athol WHITE 4th Battalion, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment) Died, 15th February 1919
Frederick Athol White was born in Raunds in 1898, the second son of Walter and Nellie White of Wellington Road. His elder brother Roland also served his country in the Great War and survived.
Several letters sent to his mother during those final few weeks survive. These include one from his commanding officer in which he describes his death as “deplorable after coming through so many dangers”, three from the matron at the hospital giving details of his current condition, the circumstances of his death and the whereabouts of his personal belongings, and a number of tributes from pals in his Platoon.
Private White is buried in Ste Marie Cemetery, France, division 64, grave reference VI.I.2 and was awarded the British War and Victory medals.
Lance Corporal, 3/8632, Samuel WHITEMAN 1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment Killed in Action, 10th November 1914
Samuel Whiteman was the first of three family members to be “killed in action” during the Great War, he is also the only one of the three not named on the Raunds War Memorial. He was born in Raunds in 1890, the son of William and Johanna Elizabeth Whiteman, the younger brother of William (see below) and uncle of Walter (see also below). In 1911 he married Ellen Elizabeth Bailey, setting up home in Irthlingborough.
He has no known grave but is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium, panels 43 & 45. He is also remembered on the Irthlingborough War Memorial and Church Roll of Honour and was awarded the 1914 Star with Clasp, British War and Victory medals.
Private, G/22145, Walter WHITEMAN 6th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) Killed in Action, 18th September 1918
The Whiteman family suffered more than most in Raunds during the Great War losing three members, the youngest of whom was Walter.
He was born in the town in 1899, the son of fellow casualty William (see below) and Blanche Whiteman of Westbourne Grove. His uncle Samuel (see above), William’s brother, was also a victim of the conflict.
Walter Whiteman is buried in Epehy Wood Farm Cemetery, France, grave reference V.B.4 and although named on the Town War Memorial his name does not appear on the St. Peter’s Church Roll of Honour. He was awarded the British War and Victory medals.
Private, 15127, William WHITEMAN 7th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment Killed in Action, 27th September 1915
William Whiteman was one of three family members to die during the Great War, his brother Samuel (see above) and son Walter (see also above) were also killed in action.
He was born in Raunds in 1881, the son of William and Johanna Elizabeth Whiteman. He married Blanche Knight in the summer of 1899 and at the time of his demise their family home was in Westbourne Grove.
William Whiteman has no known grave but is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, France, panels 91 to 93. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War and Victory medals.
Private, 47339, George James WHITMORE 2nd Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment Killed in Action, 24th March 1918
George James Whitmore was another of the town’s older casualties of the Great War. He was born in Raunds in 1875, the son of Jabez and Emily Whitmore. In the winter of 1910 he married Agnes Brown and they raised two children in their Midland Road home. Like the majority of working folk in the area he was employed in the shoe trade.
He has no known grave but is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial, France, panels 54 to 56. He was awarded the British War and Victory medals.
Private, G/151903, Leonard WHITNEY 53rd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers Died, 11th April 1919
Leonard Whitney was the son of Thomas and Ada Whitney of 6, Gladstone Street. He was born in Raunds in 1900 and prior to being called up was employed as a shoe maker.
He joined the 53rd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers during the final months of the war and never left England. The Battalion was called a Young Soldiers Battalion, one of many similar battalions in other regiments.
Leonard is buried in Ripon Cemetery, Yorkshire, England, grave reference D.721. There is no record of him being awarded any of the campaign medals, this may have been because he had not fulfilled the basic eligibility requirement that “one had to leave one’s native shore”.
Lance Corporal, 9790, Albert James WILLMOTT 1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment Killed in Action, 19th August 1916
Albert James Willmott was born in Raunds in the spring of 1894, the son of Thomas and Rosina Willmott. However, his name does not appear on the Town War Memorial probably because the family had moved to Stanwick by the time of the 1901 Census.
He is buried in Flatiron Copse Cemetery, France, grave reference I.D.8 (the name on his headstone is J Wilmott) and he was awarded the 1914 Star with Clasp, British War and Victory medals.
Able Seaman, R/6470, Edward WILLMOTT Hawke Battalion, Royal Naval Division Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Killed or Died as a direct result of enemy action, 28th September 1918
Born in the town on 1 October 1899, the younger brother of Albert James (see above), Edward Willmott is the only Royal Navy Great War casualty from the town. Shortly after his death he was buried in a grave 11.75 miles north east of Bapaume, the location of the grave, however, was subsequently lost.
Able Seaman Willmott is commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial to the Missing, France, on Panels 1 and 2, and like his brother, he is not named on the Raunds War Memorial.
Private, 3/8631, Ernest WOOD 1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment Killed in Action, 24th October 1914
Ernest Wood, together with Cecil Burton, were the first men from Raunds to fall in the Great War. His brother Evelyn (see below) also died during the hostilities.
Born in Raunds in 1888 and a shoemaker by trade, Ernest was one of at least ten children in the family of Edward and Ann Wood of Mapletoft Street.
Having no known grave he is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium, panels 43 and 45, and was awarded the 1914 Star with Clasp, British War and Victory medals.
Private, 34300 Evelyn WOOD 12th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment Killed in Action, 3rd September 1918
Evelyn Wood was born in Raunds in 1886, the son of Edward and Ann Wood and the brother of Ernest (see above), also a victim of World War One.
He married Maud Cope in the winter of 1904 and they lived with their four children in Denford Road, Ringstead. Prior to being called up he worked for the Unity Co-Operative Society.
Evelyn Wood is buried in Wytschaete Military Cemetery, Belgium, grave reference IA.B.8 and is also remembered on the Ringstead War Memorial and Church Roll of Honour. He was awarded the British War and Victory medals.
Private, 2815, John WRIGHTING 3rd Battalion, The Rifle Brigade Died of Wounds, 1st January 1915
Born in Raunds in 1886, the younger brother of William (see below), and husband of Florence Ellen Brockliss, John Wrighting was a career soldier, having first joined the Colours in May 1908. He was wounded in late 1914 and died on New Year's Day, 1915. At the time of his death he and his wife were living in Irthlingborough and he is remembered on their War Memorial.
Having no known grave, Private Wrighting is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial, Belgium, Panel 10 and was awarded the 1914 Star, British War and Victory medals. Like his brother, he is not named on the Raunds War Memorial.
Private, 18981, William WRIGHTING 7th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment Killed in Action, 17th August 1916
"Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919” lists the death of the above William Wrighting and states that he was born in Raunds but he is not named on the Town War Memorial.
We believe this to be same William Wrighting recorded in the 1901 Census as the then 22 year old Raunds born son of George and Charlotte Wrighting who were now living in Finedon. The Census also records William’s occupation as a currier/labourer.
He has no known grave but is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France, pier/face 11A & 11D and was awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War and Victory medals.
