The photo above is of a brass plaque in the porch of Waters Upton St Michael. The quality of the image is not great, but its content is amazing (click on the image to view a larger version). The plaque names 40 men of Waters Upton who served in the Great War of 1914 – 1918, and gives their ranks plus, for those who served with the army, their regiment. What a fantastic resource for researching those who served in this conflict, especially in view of the difficulties caused by the loss of so many service records from this period.

Below is a transcription of the the information on the plaque. I plan to add notes or biographies for all those listed, and others with Waters Upton connections who served in the First World War, with an index, in due course.

IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION
OF THE MEN OF THE
VILLAGE OF WATERS UPTON WHO SERVED IN
1914 – THE GREAT WAR – 1918

[Column 1]

CAPTAIN  ARTHUR J. DAVIES  R.N.

A.B.  ALBERT WYLDE  R.N.

MAJOR  E. J. FISK  R.F.A.

CAPTAIN  ANDREW TAYLOR DAVIES  2/11 GURKHA RIFLES

CAPTAIN  REGINALD W. DAVIES  R.A.M.C.

SERGEANT  CHARLES G. OWEN  R.H.A.

SERGEANT  ROBERT E. WOOLLEY  26^TH MIDDLESEX REG^T.

CORPORAL  J. P. TUDOR  8^TH. K.S.L.I.

CORPORAL  SAMUEL WOOLLEY  R.E.

L/CORP^L.  GEORGE BENNETT  R.A.S.C. M.T.

L/CORP^L.  THOMAS JAMES  SHROPSHIRE YEO.

L/CORP^L.  HUBERT V. WOOLLEY  M.F. POLICE

BOMB/^DR.  WILLIAM WOOLLEY  R.F.A.

GUNNER  ALFRED RIDGEWAY  R.G.A.

GUNNER  SYDNEY F. BROOKES  R.H.A.

GUNNER  JOHN JAMES  R.F.A.

GUNNER  GEORGE WOOLLEY  R.F.A.

SAPPER  JOHN PICKEN  R.E.

SAPPER  JOHN FERRINGTON  R.E.

SAPPER  ROBERT WOOLLEY  CANADIAN R.E.

                    [Column 2]

                    DRIVER  THOMAS BEECH  R.F.A.

                    DRIVER  FREDERICK WOOLLEY  R.E.

                    DRIVER  HENRY E. BEECH  R.F.A.

                    TROOPER  THOMAS EVANS  SHROPSHIRE YEO.

                    PRIVATE  E.S. TUDOR  19^TH. CHESHIRE REG^T.

                    PRIVATE  GEOFFREY CARTWRIGHT  1^ST. BLACK WATCH

                    PRIVATE  ALFRED GEORGE  R.A.S.C.

                    PRIVATE  THOMAS CARTWRIGHT  2^ND OX & BUCKS. L.I.

                    PRIVATE  WILFRED A. BROOKES  5^TH MANCHESTER REG^T.

                    PRIVATE  CHARLES E. BENNETT  R.A.S.C. M.T.

                    PRIVATE  WILLIAM BENNETT  R.A.S.C. M.T.

                    PRIVATE  ALFRED BENNETT  8^TH K.S.L.I.

                    PRIVATE  HARRY WYLDE  KING’S L/POOL

                    PRIVATE  JOHN EVANS  R.A.F.

                    PRIVATE  J. BUCKLEY  2^ND K.S.L.I.

                    PRIVATE  RICHARD JAMES  11^TH KING’S L/POOL

                    PRIVATE  THOMAS WOOLLEY  R.E.

                    PRIVATE  GEORGE WOOLLEY  YORKS. L.I.

                    PRIVATE  J. WOOLLEY  WELSH GUARDS

                    PRIVATE  WILLIAM G. RIDGEWAY  13^TH DEVONS

[At bottom of plaque]

IN 1914 THE TOTAL POPULATION WAS 162

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