Waberthwaite War Memorial, Cumbria
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| 1. Waberthwaite village (from in front of the school) |
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| 2. Waberthwaite War Memorial and village school |
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| 3. The names engraved on Waberthwaite War Memorial |
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posted by ritsonvaljos at 10:11 pm
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Additional information
The parish of Waberthwaite, Cumbria
The mostly rural and sparsely populated parish and township of Waberthwaite is situated in S.W. Cumbria. Between the Cumbrian mountains to the east and the Irish Sea its population has never exceeded 400 and in 2001 it was just a little under 300. Thus, although the male population was relatively small at the time of the World Wars of the 20th Century the ones who were lost would have been well known to everyone in this tight-knit and friendly community.
Photograph No. 1 (above) shows the view of some of the dwellings in the parish looking northwards from the village school. There is also a small parish church (Church of England) dedicated to St John St John which is of medieval origin. There is also a surviving Viking Cross which shows the church's foundation dates from before the Norman Conquest.
Waberthwaite is perhaps best known for being "the home of the traditional Cumberland Sausage". For generations the Woodall family has been curing meat products especially from the pig (i.e. cured ham, bacon, sausages). In the 18th and 19th Centuries the proximity of the Cumbrian sea port of Whitehaven a little distance to the north of Whitehaven led to the importation of new and exotic spices to the district.
Many of these imported spices were introduced into local products, including the traditional Cumberland Sausage (which now has PGI status).Woodall's keeps to the traditional family recipe and the firm has been a regular supplier to the rich and famous - including Buckingham Palace in London.
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The Waberthwaite Parish War Memorial
The Waberthwaite parish War Memorial is in the form of a grey granite cross and located in front of the village school [Photograph No. 2]. As with many war memorials throughout Europe, this memorial was originally erected in the aftermath of the First World War to commemorate local people who had lost their lives in that conflict.
There are 10 names from the 1914 - 1918 war engraved on the plinth at the base of the war memorial. After the Second World War the name of one additional villager who had died in the 1939 - 1945 war was added. Photograph No. 3 shows the list of all the names on Waberthwaite's War Memorial.
This is what is engraved on the memorial:
"1914 - 1918
To the Glory of God
John McGuffog
James Henry Saville
Robert Conchie
John Spencer Clark
George Downing Walker
William Ben. Braithwaite
Joseph William Pritt
John Barwise Osborn
Joseph Steele
George Ashburner
'Invictis Pax'
1939 - 1945
William Robson Ratchford"
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N.B. - 'Invictis Pax' can be translated into English as "Peace to the Unconquered".
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission citations
This is the CWGC citation for William Robson Ratchford (WW2 casualty):
Stoker William Robson Ratchford
Name: RATCHFORD, WILLIAM ROBSON
Rank: Stoker 1st Class
Service No: C/KX 96588
Date of Death: 24/06/1941
Regiment/Service: Royal Navy, H.M.S. Auckland
Panel Reference: 47, 3.
Memorial: CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL, Kent
Additional Information:
Son of James and Jane Ratchford, of Waberthwaite, Cumberland.
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These are the CWGC citations for Waberthwaite's WW1 casualties:
Sergeant John McGuffog (served as William John Johnstone)
Name: JOHNSTONE, WILLIAM JOHN
Rank: Serjeant
Service No: 1081
Date of Death: 28/10/1914
Age: 27
Regiment/Service: 4th Dragoon Guards (Royal Irish)
Panel Reference: Panel 3 - 5.
Memorial: YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL, Belgium
Additional Information:
Son of Mr. and Mrs. J. McGuffog, Broad Oak, Bridge End, Waberthwhaite, Cumberland;
Husband of Florence Hilda Johnstone (formerly McGuffog), of 70, Fenwick St., Woolwich Common, Woolwich, London.
..................................
Private James Henry Saville
Name: SAVILLE, JAMES HENRY
Rank: Private
Service No: 2015
Date of Death: 15/06/1915
Age: 17
Regiment/Service: King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment), 1st/4th Bn.
Panel Reference: Panel 5.
Memorial: LE TOURET MEMORIAL, France
Additional Information:
Son of John William and Amy Saville, of Waberthwaite, Cumberland.
............................
Private Robert Conchie
Name: CONCHIE, R
Rank: Private
Service No: 18689
Date of Death: 05/04/1916
Regiment/Service: King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment), 6th Bn.
Grave Reference: XIX. C. 15.
Cemetery: AMARA WAR CEMETERY, Iraq
Additional Information:
(Not listed)
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Private John Spencer Clark
Name: CLARK, J S
Rank: Private
Service No: 721450
Date of Death: 10/04/1917
Regiment/Service: Canadian Machine Gun Corps, 13th Coy.
Grave Reference: I. G. 79.
Cemetery: BARLIN COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION, France
Additional Information:
(Not listed)
...............................
Private George Downing Walker
Name: WALKER, G D
Rank: Private
Service No: 12856
Date of Death: 26/08/1915
Regiment/Service: Border Regiment, 7th Bn.
Grave Reference: I. I. 2.
Cemetery: RIDGE WOOD MILITARY CEMETERY, Belgium
Additional Information:
(Not listed)
..................................
Private William Ben Braithwaite
Name: BRAITHWAITE, WILLIAM BENN
Rank: Private
Service No: S/11514
Date of Death: 12/10/1916
Regiment/Service: Seaforth Highlanders, 7th Bn.
Panel Reference: Pier and Face 15 C.
Memorial: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, France
Additional Information:
(Not listed)
.................................
Private Joseph William Pritt
Name: PRITT, JOSEPH WILLIAM
Rank: Private
Service No: 203065
Date of Death: 19/07/1917
Age: 19
Regiment/Service: Lancashire Fusiliers, 3rd/5th Bn.
Grave Reference: I. I. 2.
Cemetery: COXYDE MILITARY CEMETERY, Belgium
Additional Information:
Son of Myles S. and Mary J. Pritt, of Far Bank, Corney, Cumberland.
......................................
Private John Barwise Osborn
Name: OSBORN, J
Rank: Private
Service No: 19691
Date of Death: 31/05/1916
Age: 25
Regiment/Service: Border Regiment, 11th Bn.
Grave Reference: C. 36.
Cemetery: AVELUY COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION, France
Additional Information:
Son of John and Kate Osborn. Born at Allonby, Maryport, Cumberland.
.........................................
Lance Corporal Joseph Steele
Name: STEELE, JOSEPH
Rank: Lance Corporal
Service No: 200738
Date of Death: 28/04/1918
Regiment/Service: King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment), 1st/4th Bn.
Panel Reference: Panel 19 and 20.
Memorial: LOOS MEMORIAL, France
Additional Information
(Not listed)
.......................................
Private George Ashburner
Name: ASHBURNER, GEORGE
Rank: Private
Service No: 63909
Date of Death: 31/10/1918
Age: 24
Regiment/Service: Lancashire Fusiliers, 18th Bn
Grave Reference: I. A. 7.
Cemetery: HARLEBEKE NEW BRITISH CEMETERY, Belgium
Additional Information:
Son of John and Sarah Ashburner.
Born at Broughton-in-Furness, Lancs.
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Dedication
This article is dedicated to 'The Fallen' of Waberthwaite in the two World Wars:
"Some day, some time we may understand
Until then 'Remembrance' remains, their only friend".
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'Peace to the Unconquered':
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There is a name missing from the Waberthwaite war Memorial:
William Richard Canham
William was born in Northumberland on 16th April 1921, but by 1939 he and his mother had moved Cumberland. By the time of William’s death they were living in Woodgate in Waberthwaite.
William died on 27th November 1940 when his ship, MV Glenmoor, carrying coal from the Bristol Channel to Durban and Capetown and straggling behind convoy OB 248 was torpedoed by U-104 190 miles north-west of Slyne Head light house, County Galway. Only Two crew members survived the sinking. They were picked up by Royal Navy ships and returned to Liverpool.
After his death William was awarded the War medal, the Atlantic Star and the 1939-45 Star for his death in service during the Battle of the Atlantic. He is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial to those men and women of the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets who died in World War 2 and have no known grave.
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