Category Archives: Memorials

Gordon Leonard Stapley

Army, Registered War Grave, Royal Berkshire Regiment, St. Laurence's Church

Gordon Leonard Stapley
Private 41492
6th Royal Berkshire Regt.

 Division 54

Stapley grave

 

Gordon Leonard Stapley was the only son of Mr W J Stapley, of Queen Victoria St. Reading.  He had attended Kendrick School, later amalgamated to form Reading School.  He is buried in a registered war grave and commemorated on a kerb stone of the family grave.   His name also appears on the special memorial in the War Plot.  His grave was lost but the author found the grave and after much digging revealed the kerbstones which had sunk below ground level, although nature will doubtless take its course and the grave may be lost again.

 Gordon Stapley was very artistic and was by trade a stone mason, he worked for his father who had a business designing and making memorial monuments.   His last work was the War Shrine at Knowl Hill Church.  Here to the years and nature have taken their toll and lichens have obscured the 197 names of those soldiers, sailors and airman who were killed and are commemorated on the memorial.

 Gordon Stapley joined the Berkshire Yeomanry in January 1917 and was later transferred to the 6th Battalion of the Royal Berkshire Regt.  He was sent to the front and 24 hours after his arrival was wounded by a shell which landed two yards away from him, causing compound fractures of the right arm.  He was sent to Fazakerley Hospital, Liverpool, and appeared to be progressing satisfactorily when pneumonia developed.  He died on 31st October 1917, aged 25 years.  His was a military funeral.

Stanley Durman

Abbey Baptist Church, Army, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments, Somme

Stanley Durman
Private L/10750 The 7th Battalion
Queens (Royal West Surrey) Battalion.

 Division 71 Extension

Durman S photo Durman D grave

Stanley Durman died on 1st July 1916.  He was the son of Alfred and Maria Durman, of 58, Francis Street, Reading.  He is commemorated on the family grave. Number 17859.   Berkshire Family History Society classification 71G10.

The 1911 census indicates that he was a cutter-up in the sugar wafer department of  Huntley and Palmers. However, his name was not recorded on the depatment’s memorial. His father worked as a porter for a timber merchant and his older brother as a house painter.

 Stanley Durman’s older brother  Alfred  Stephen Durman, also served in the war.  He was a stretcher-bearer of the Royal Berkshire Regiment who was wounded, date not known, and as a result had his left leg amputated.  

Pictures of Private Durman killed 1st July 1916 bear different captions. One stated that his Regiment was the 2nd Royal Berkshire Regiment the other simply Royal Berkshire Regiment.  The addresses on the pictures are identical.  It was not uncommon to transfer men between battalions to make up for losses.  The 7th Queens and 6th Royal Berkshire were in the same Division – the 18th (Eastern) Division. 

An interesting incident illustrates the closeness of the units.  Both units were attacking towards the village of Montauban on the first day of the Somme battles.   When Breslau Trench was captured a wounded German machine gunner was caught, he was found chained to his gun by his ankle.  The initial capture was attributed to the 6th Royal Berks., but was finally confirmed as a capture by the 7th Queens.  (Public Records Office CAB/189).  On 1st July, the 7th Queens attacked at 7.30a.m.  The first advance was held up by heavy fire in front of Breslau support trench, possibly by the same machine gunner.  Later the 7th Queens fought on through Back Trench and Train Ally to Montauban Ally.  The War Diary records that after 12 hours fighting the final objective was reached and consolidated on a front of 200 yards. 

William A. Stacey

Commemorated name/s, Reading Blue Coat School, Somme

William A. Stacey
2nd Corporal 126th Field Company
Royal Engineers

 Division 52

Stacey WA photo Stacey WA mem name

William A. Stacey was the son of William Albert and Ellen Esther Stacey,  of 57, Mason Street, Reading. He died on 22nd March 1918, aged 26. He is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial to the Missing, Panel 10 to 13.

The 1901 census indicates that William was the oldest of four children. His father’s occupation was a grocer’s warehouse man. By 1911 the family were living in Tilehurst and there was a further sibling. William was working and his occupation is given as a cooper at the brewery.