Private Horace William Sharman

Cransley

Northamptonshire Regiment

Killed May 9th 1915

Age 24

Ringing World 2nd July 1915

Pte H W Sharman of the 2nd Batt. Northants Regiment has been officially reported missing, but news has been received from two of his comrades that he was killed by a shell during the desperate fighting on May 8th and 9th. He was a well- known ringer in the Kettering district. His introduction to a tower took place at Cransley in 1909, and he soon made rapid strides, ringing his first peal in the following year. Altogether he had rung 24 peals for the Central Northants Association, 14 of which he had conducted. A safe ringer in all the standard methods, he will be much missed in ringing circles in the Kettering district. He was 24 years of age. His career as a soldier was short. Offering himself on the outbreak of the war he was rejected, but again offering himself in December was drafted into the Northants Regiments in training at Weymouth and went out to France on April 25th, so had only been there a fortnight before he was killed.

Private Alfred John Knight DCM

Kettering

Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)

Killed 12th October 1917

Aged 22

Ringing World 24th November 1917

Another ringer has been decorated for bravery on the field, the DCM, having been awarded to Pte A J Knight of Kettering, Northants Company who is serving in the Northants Regiment. Writing to his parents the other day Pte Knight said: “I have a surprise for you. I have been awarded the DCM. I have kept it a secret for some time, but it is for an affair which happened at the same place that Col. Ripley was wounded”

Private Knight is 22 years of age, and enlisted in September 1914, and has been at the front since July 25th 1915. Before joining the army he was a very active member of the Kettering band of ringers, having mastered all the standard methods from Grandsire Triples to London Surprise, and had rung 14 peals of Stedman, Double Norwich and Cambridge Surprise.

Private William Henry Snart

Kettering

Northamptonshire Regiment

Killed May 10th 1915

Aged 17

Ringing World June 11th 1915

As we briefly announced last week the ranks of Kettering ringers has suffered a loss by the death of Pte William Henry Snart one of the parish church company and eldest son on Mr J H Snart of 10 Melton Street Kettering, who was killed in action on May 10th. News of his death at the front was conveyed in a letter addressed to his parents by Sgt J Harris who belonged to the same company and who went to the front with Pte Snart in February. The letter intimates that the deceased fell in action, being hit in the head by a rifle bullet, and conveys the sympathy of the men of the company. Pte Snart was a choir boy at Isham Church where he was taught to handle a bell by Mr E Maurice Atkins. He joined the Kettering ringers soon after he left school and for three years had been most assiduous in his duties in the belfry. He was only 16 years of age when he went to the front and was in the trenches on his 17th birthday. The bells of the Parish Church have been muffled to his memory, and at Isham after service on May 22nd 720 Bob Minor was rung with the bells muffled.

Sergeant Arthur Cedric Plant

Kettering

Northamptonshire Regiment

Killed 4th August 1916

Aged 20

Ringing World 18th August 1916

The Kettering band have lost another very promising young ringer by the death of Sergt Arthur Plant of the Northamptonshire Regiment who was killed in action in France on August 4th last, and much sympathy will go to Mr and Mrs Plant who have lost their only son. Writing to his parents CQMS Frost says: “Your son was killed instantly on the morning of the 4th of August when he was marking out a trench quite close to the enemy. He was the nicest boy I ever had dealings with. Nothing was too hard for him and he was the most obliging lad one could wish to meet. We are all extremely sorry to have lost him. I am sure he would have died happy, because it was his nature to always look on the sunny side of life. One thing you can always treasure in your mind is that he was a good soldier and always a brave one.” Sergt Plant enlisted as soon as war broke out. Seven weeks ago he came home on leave and joined his fellow ringers for Sunday Service. Of a quiet unassuming nature he made rapid strides in learning change ringing having mastered Grandsire, Stedman and Double Norwich in a very short time. His only two peals were rung just before war broke out (Grandsire and Double Norwich) both at the first attempt.

Private John Deacon

Desborough

Royal Fusiliers

Killed 23rd August 1917

Aged 25

Nothing was recorded in the Ringing World at the time but some of the following appears in a display in Desborough Heritage Centre.

John was born in Desborough, the son of Tom and Ellen Deacon of Nichols Street. In civilian life, he was an agricultural labourer. Prior to going to France with his regiment, he had been a keen bellringer at St Giles Church.

He only spent a few months in France and Flanders before being killed near Langemarch in Belgium during the 3rd battle of Ypres.

He is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial and on Desborough War Memorial.

His fellow Bellringers rang a muffled peal at St Giles after news of his death.

In 1919 his sister Ada was inspired to take up ringing to fill his place.

His relatives David Loake and Kim Beasley are currently ringers at St Giles.

Corporal Frank Septimus Andrew

Isham

Royal Fusiliers

Killed 30th November 1917

Aged 27

Ringing World 28th December 1917

News has just been received that Corpl Frank S Andrew, 9th Royal Fusiliers, a member of the Isham (Northants) Society has been killed in action by a shell during the German Counter- attack on November 30th. Twenty-seven years of age he was one of the original band which learned to ring when the bells of Isham Parish Church were restored in 1906 and he had made great strides in the art. Under the able tuition of Mr J E Chapman of Kettering this band became attached to the Central Northamptonshire Association and succeeded in ringing its first peal on Boxing Day 1907, which was seven 720’s of Bob Minor. The first peal in seven methods was accomplished on September 15th 1909 and this was done without any outside help. The deceased took part in both these peals. Removing to Coventry in 1913 his interest in the art continued and under the guidance of Mr Roberts became proficient in the standard eight-bell methods. He was not a great believer in peal ringing, having only rung about a dozen of which at least one was conducted by himself. The sad news of his death was received on Saturday 15th December and the same evening a band got together and a 720 of Double Oxford Minor, his favourite method, was rung with muffled clappers. This was rung at a very slow rate, the time being nearly 30 minutes. On Sunday afternoon last a special memorial service was held after which the whole pull and stand and some muffled touches were rung.

Able Seaman Harold Edgar Walpole

Geddington

Royal Navy Volunteer Reserves

Killed 11th November 1918

Aged 19

Not a lot is known of his bellringing activities but further research by Alan Regin of the Central Council for Church Bellringers has revealed:

Harold was born and bred in Geddington the son of Henry and Mary Walpole of 26 Wood Street. He worked at the Cooperative Clothing Factory in Kettering. (probably alongside Pt Bert Chapman also of Geddington) He was the last known bellringing casualty of WW1.

Private Bertrum Chapman

Geddington

Essex Regiment

Killed 29th September 1915

Aged 23

Bell News 30th October 1915

Mr and Mrs Isaac Chapman, of Geddington have received official news of the death of their son, Pte Bertrum Chapman, which occurred in France on September 29th from wounds received in action on the 26th. He was 23 years of age, and enlisted on September 14th 1914, being attached to the 11th Essex Regt. Before enlisting he was employed as a cutter in the Co-operative Clothing Factory at Kettering. As a token of respect and sympathy a muffled peal was rung on the church bells, deceased at one time being one of the ringers. Mr and Mrs Chapman have received much sympathy in their sad bereavement.

Private Ben Saddington

Cranford

Cheshire Regiment

Killed 14th June 1917

Aged 23

Private George Holland

Cransley

Northamptonshire Regiment

Killed 3rd April 1916

Aged 27

Sapper George William Faulkner Fallowdown

Kettering

Royal Fusiliers

Killed 28th June 1918

Aged 24

Air Mechanic (2 nd Class) Richard Williamson

Pytchley

RAF

Killed 18th June 1918

Aged 19