Mrs Sarah Wearne of Bampton kindly agreed that her account of the history of the Bampton War Memorial published in Vol 3. No 1 of the Bampton Beam in April 1988 could be reproduced. Entitled Bampton War Memorial and War Graves, and contains the following information: References to William Wheeler. Arthur George Martin, Thomas Wells and Sidney Clark, Daniel Skinner, Thomas Gillett, George and William Poole, Thomas and John Wells, James and Charles Cripps. Walter and Alfred Lay, William Morton, Walter Greenfield Lindsey Conveyance for the upkeep of the Memorial National Inventory of War Memorials Application Forms for membership of the British Legion Conveyance for the upkeep of the Memorial National Inventory of War Memorials Members of British Legion Mr Standley Smith Philip Shaw Gordan Shute Peter Anson Smith Dr Bernard Rose John Parrish Alistair G Newing Major John Alvey William Henry Challinor Mayhead A.F Munford W J Hastie Frederick James Loxton J.C.A. Edgell M.I. HallMr J Curley James Patriuck Dunstan J.F.G. Coles Reginald James ChambersG A Bishop Rev John Paul Burrough A C Newport Thomas Alexander Ritchie G Timms Robert Asgill Colvile Col MWT Roberts OBE Arthur Beckley Royston Shergold Yvette Helene Brown Bryan Deane Article on Invasion of Madagascar and a sketch Map Leaflet and Letters from Right hon Douglas Hurd and Peter Smith Ref: War Pensions
Newspaper article about Bombing around us in WWII August 16th 1940 RAF Brize Norton. Two German aircraft bombed the base. Nos 1 and 3 C-type hangars plus 4 aircraft were destroyed or written off. It was the most spectacular attack on any British airfield during WWII. One civilian, Frederick Harden was killed, he was 61 and came from Witney. On the same day six civilian Irish workmen were killed in the raid on RAF Stanton Harcourt which was under construction. Stanley Jenkins describes in his book,Witney Through Time, how one of the bombs landed on Church Green and second exploded behind the Eagle Brewery. The bombs caused blast damage to the grammar school and many houses. their reports speak of army vehicles parked round Church Green being destroyed, windows being shattered in he church, the council offices and the police station as well as several shops. In addition, falling glass from the glazed roof of the weaving sheds at Mount Mills, the home of blanket manufacturers James Marriott and Sons, damaged the looms and production of blankets was halted while they were repaired. Remarkably the only injuries appear to have been cuts and bruises and building repairs were quickly carried out.
This is Frank Hudson's parents who lived in Plantation Cottages and used the ration card to get their provisions from Local Shops in Bampton. The retailers mentioned on the card are Butcher - H Taylor and Sons, Butter and Margarine - GW Dutton Sugar, Bacon Tea and Jam - Mitchells Grocer
Frank received these pictures of the graffiti on the roof of Kings Lynn library in 2018 from someone at the library. Work was being done on the library and the men saw the writing/graffiti cut into the stonework and photographed it. A lady at the library did some research and found out William Hudson and Aubrey Cato came from Bampton and she found Frank. Frank had no idea at all his father (known to all in Bampton as Bill) had ever been to Norfolk or that he’d been there on fire and Zeppelin watch on the roof of Kings Lynn library. His friend Aubrey Cato was on the roof with him and his initials are all cut into the stone.Both went on to Flanders. Their immediate superior found them huddled in a fox hole together and ordered one to get out, as one only to a hole was allowed for safety reasons. Bill got out and as he walked away, a shell came over and right into the fox hole where Aubrey was and of course killed him instantly. It wasn’t until after Bill died Frank leant his father had been awarded the Military Medal. Frank was clearing his father’s home in Broad Street and found his father’s Military Medal. In the south chancel of the church in Bampton, there is a wonderful, framed list of every single man from Bampton who fought in WWI. Those with a gold cross by their name were killed, those with a red cross came home injured. Any medals awarded are listed by the names.
