At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.
The lasting tribute to these men
Taking pride of place on the Village green is the War memorial built from Breedon stone, donated by JG Shields the quarry owner. It was dedicated and unveiled by the Countess of Loudon on November 28th 1926 before a crowd of around 500 people including 50 ex-soldiers of the parish. The names of the fallen in two World Wars are inscribed on a slab of Aberdeen granite.
The original design and building by Messrs Salt, Barsby and Lester, local craftsmen, incorporated a low circular wall which was removed during refurbishment of the Green in 1956.. It remains an assembly point for a Remembrance Sunday, each year.
Memorial trees can also be found on the village green. Each of the trees was planted as an individual memorial as denoted by separate memorial plaques. In late 2000, the poplar trees were largely destroyed by high winds and were subsequently replaced by Green Spire Limes.
Lance Corporal Wilfred Adkin, 3539 5th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment.
Born in Castle Donington in 1891, Wilfred lived in Breedon and worked as a farm labourer for J G Shields. He sustained gunshot wounds in the trenches on 28 September and despite amputation to control the bleeding he died at Royal Herbert Hospital, Woolwich on 1 November 1915, aged 24.
Burial Place – NC 989, Castle Donington Cemetery
Private Bert Bonser, 99920 Machine Gun Corps
Born in Wilson in 1897, by the time he was 15 he was a junior porter at Tonge Station and was the 9th of 10 surviving children. One of five serving brothers he was gassed with deadly chlorine probably during the 2nd battle of Ypres. The hospital in which he was lying was destroyed by German bombs, so he was removed to Sandgate, where he died 18 June 1918 aged 21.
Burial Place – St Hardulph & St Mary – Breedon
Guardsman Samuel Edward Bradbury, 29708
3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards
Born in Castle Donington 1895, by 15 years of age Samuel was working as a waggoner’s lad on a farm in Findern. He was killed in action on 7 September 1918 aged 22, in the trenches near Canal Du Nord during the Hundred Days Offensive, which eventually brought an end to the First World War.
Commemoration Moeuvres Communal Cemetery, France
Private John Gadsby, 1716 5th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment
Born in Breedon in 1892, he was the son of a quarryman, and lived on Melbourne Lane in the village until he enlisted, at which stage he was working as a farm labourer. He was shot dead on leaving the trenches we think during the 2nd Battle of Ypres 11 May 1915, aged 23. He was the first man from Breedon to be killed during WW1.
Commemoration Lindenhoek Chalet Military Cemetery – Belgium
Corporal George Hart, S4/055635
Army Service Corps
Born in Griffydam 1888, George married in 1910 and when he enlisted in 1914 he left a wife and young daughter Constance at home. He was the grandson of the late Ben Hart, innkeeper at the Hollybush & Sexton of Breedon church. He died from smallpox in India 22 June 1918 aged 29 years where he had served for twelve months in the Royal Army Service Corps Field Bakery
Buried at Bangalore (Hosur Road) Cemetery, India
Lance Sergeant George Hicklin, 13350
3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards
Born 1887 in the Shardlow Union Workhouse, by 1911 George was listed as one of the 46 men forming the H.M. Guard at Buckingham Palace. In July 1916 he went to France with the British Expeditionary Force. He died in Flanders from a lung infection whilst a prisoner of war 20 January 1918 aged 31. Buried Fourmies Communal Cemetery, France
Private John Sidney Johnson, 14681 6th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment
Born 3 September 1895, Griffydam Sidney was one of nine children. By the age of 15 he was employed as a carter at the Lime Works. He was killed in action on the eastern edge of Epinette Wood, during the battle of Cambrai 23 March 1918, aged 22. Commemoration – Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France
Private Frank Moore, 31702 7th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment
Born in Newton Regis June 1897, he lived in Ashby before enlisting in Coalville. His father was a farm labourer at Staunton Harold. He was killed in action age 20 years on or after 1 October 1917 during a heavy barrage, at Polygon Wood, a small wood located about four miles east of Ypres. Commemoration – Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium
Private Samuel Powdrill, G/15053 11th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment
Born 1889, Samuel was the oldest of 11 children. He lived in Park Cottages, Wilson, prior to Breedon in 1911 and was employed as a carter in the limestone quarry before going to war. He was killed in action 31 July 1917, age 28, the opening day of the battle of Passchendaele at Pilckem Ridge.
Buried Buffs Road Cemetery, Belgium
Private John Henry Shaw, 2813
5th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment
Born 7 August 1895 at Castle Donington. He was the son of Harry and Fanny Elizabeth Shaw living at Breedon Brand as a teenager. He enlisted in 1914 and after a spell in France returned home in August 1915. He was admitted to York Military Hospital on 17 April 1916 and had his appendix removed on the 19th. He died in hospital, aged 21 on the 28 April 1916 from peritonitis. Buried – St Peters Church, Bardon Hill
Lance Corporal Claude George Taylor, R/11483 8th Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps
Born in Breedon in 1891, he lived in Holly Cottage which still stands on the Green overlooking the memorial. He was killed in action on 24 August 1916 aged 25 in the battle of Delville Wood, close to the river Somme, it was a battlefield often deep in mud.
Commemoration – Thiepval Memorial, France
Private Vernon Woollard, 40730 1st Battalion Leicestershire Regiment
Born in Gayton Norfolk 1897, Vernon was living in Breedon by 1914. He was the eldest of seven surviving children and his father was a gamekeeper. He was killed in action aged 20 years on 27 September 1916 during the Battle of Morval; an attack during the Battle of the Somme. Commemoration Thiepval Memorial, France.
Private George Walter Wright, 241643 5th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment.
Born in Breedon 1886 he was employed as a quarryman during 1911 in Breedon. He was wounded in July 1917 during the British Flanders offensive and died 14 December 1918, aged 32 years. He had remained in Germany.
Commemoration – Berlin South-Western Cemetery, Germany
Fallen men of the Parish WW2 1939 – 1945
Private John Kinsey, S/52692
Royal Army Service Corps. Died 17/06/1940 aged 39 killed in action. Commemorated at Dunkirk Memorial
Edward Kinsey, 4859003 1st Battalion Leicestershire Regiment. Died 20/01/1945 aged 29. Killed in action. Buried at Jonkerbos Cemetery, Netherlands
Extract from Parish Magazine, April 1918. “We hear from time to time of the miserable condition of our lads who have the misfortune to fall in to the hands of the Germans. As far as we know at present only one of our Breedon boys, Claude Gorham, is in this unhappy position. We are dispatching to him six parcels of food per month, we shall be glad for any contributions you may be able to raise on his behalf. Each man costs at least £3 per month we are naturally anxious that all help should be forthcoming in order to cover the cost. The vicar will gladly receive and forward and sums”
The village came together on Sunday 11th November 2018, a century after the guns fell silent we paid tribute to the fallen men of the Parish who had lost their lives during the conflict of WW1. A nationwide Day marking the Centenary of the end of the First World War and paying tribute to the millions killed or wounded in battle to help ensure freedom survived.
The village came back together later the same evening to meet and this time celebrate. The beacon was lit during the evening as part of the national ‘Beacons of Light tribute’ preceded by a candlelit walk to the church for the ceremony including the Last Post and muster with the candle bearers.
breedonpriorychurch.org 