IHSMemorial Playing Field
Inkpen's
memorial
to those from Inkpen killed in both the first and second world
wars, is a living memorial.
The memorial playing field came into being in 1946 and was
expanded in 1952. The Inkpen Parish Council is the corporate
trustee and has in recent years sought to widen the appeal of
the playing field to include all age groups. The facilities are
constantly being updated with the refurbishment of the pavilion
being the latest venture. We hope that those from Inkpen and
Kintbury that died during WW1 and WW2 would find the playing
field a fitting legacy.
World
War
1
Captain J P R Marriott, Naval Assistant to the First Sea
Lord
Captain Marriott from Totterdown, Inkpen, is forth from the left in
picture below. The Armistice, which ended hostilities on the Western
Front of World War I, was signed at 5:00 AM on November 11, 1918, in
the Rethondes Clearing of the Compiègne Forest in France. This
agreement, between the Allies and Germany, took effect at 11:00 AM,
the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month,"
marking the end of major fighting.
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The
following WW1 and WW2 data has been compiled by the Inkpen and Kintbury Family History
Group, led by Vin Foster and
Linda Crawford of Inkpen:
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Herbert Allen |
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1911 Census Data |
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WW1 - Inkpen Fallen |
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WW1 Secret - War Diaries |
World War 2
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Alan Carter |
John Fass |
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Fred Palmer |
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World War 2
The Bismark
John
Marriott of Totterdown, and later The Folly in Inkpen, was a
midshipman on the King George V during one of the most
important actions of WW2. The extract from his journal can be
found here. It
is a direct account of the sinking of the Bismark, one of the
German pocket battleships. It is hard to imagine what such an
experience this must have been.
Captain Bob Ryder VC RN
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The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award
of the Victoria Cross for daring and valour in the attack on
the German Naval Base at St. Nazaire, to: Commander Robert
Edward Dudley Ryder, Royal Navy. For great gallantry in the
attack on St Nazaire. He commanded a force of small
unprotected ships in an attack on a heavily defended port
and led H.M.S. Campbeltown in under intense fire from short
range weapons at point blank range. Though the main object
of the expedition had been accomplished in the beaching of
Campbeltown, he remained on the spot conducting operations,
evacuating men from Campbeltown and dealing with strong
points and close range weapons while exposed to heavy fire
for one hour and sixteen minutes, and did not withdraw till
it was certain that his ship could be of no use in rescuing
any of the Commando Troops who were still ashore. That his
Motor Gun Boat, now full of dead and wounded, should have
survived and should have been able to withdraw through an
intense barrage of close range fire was almost a miracle. The London Gazette. 19 May 1942 |
You can read the extract from the Remembrance Sunday Service
at Inkpen 10 November 2019 here.
Plane Crash on Walbury Hill
Inkpen Home Guard WW2
On parade at the Village Hall (1) and at the Sawmills (1, 2)
During WW29th Battalion, Parachute Regiment Came to Inkpen.
During the lead up to D-Day, members of the 9th Battalion, Parachute Regiment due to land and capture the Merville Battery in Normandy were sent to Inkpen. An intensive training course was set up in a valley around Inkpen where a mock-up battery was constructed. Whilst on this training course they were put to the test to see if they could capture and destroy the battery, with live ammunition being used on some occasions.
The battery in Inkpen was built within seven days, and troops were immediately sent there to begin conducting their training. Constructed around the battery were pretend minefields and rows of barbed wire plotted around the area.
Security was strict around the area and the troops were kept in at the training zone until they could prove that they were not going to let out any secrets. The battalion’s commander, Lieutenant Colonel Terrence Otway, made sure this was the case by arranging women from the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) to come to the site, where they would attempt to allure the men into telling them things about what they were doing. Any who failed would not be granted a 48 hour leave pass at the end of their training.
Link - https://theddaystory.com/markers/mock-up-of-merville-battery-inkpen-berkshire/
Photos of the Merville Battery WWII commemorative plaque, which over looks Inkpen and West Berkshire from Walbury Hill in Berkshire are here (1, 2, 3).
The following has been kindly provided by Ruth Bowler
ALAN CARTER:
Corporal 916325 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. d. 26 Dec 1941 Buried South of chapel in Methodist Burial Ground, Inkpen. Inscription: “ Till we meet again”
JOHN ERNEST FASS:
49851. 1st Battalion Welsh Guards. d. 30 June 1944 aged 33yrs. Buried St Manvieu War Cemetery, Cheux, France. Grave 111.F.9 Re-buried here on 17 Sept 1945. Son of Sir Ernest Fass K C.M.G. CB.OBE and Lady Fass (nee Neame) of Inkpen. Husband of Elizabeth Mary Fass of Sonning, Berkshire.
(RONALD) FRED(ERICK) PALMER :
Leading Seaman P/JX 17899 Royal Navy. H.M.S Vortigern d. 15 Mar 1942 aged 22yrs. Remembered on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Son of Charles Nation Palmer and Ruth Emily Palmer of Inkpen.
Vortigern was sunk off Cromer on 15 March 1942, whilst defending a coastal convoy against attack by E-boats. She was torpedoed by the E-boat S104, and sank with the loss of 110 lives. Only 14 survivors were rescued. Eleven bodies were recovered from the sea by the Cromer lifeboat H F Bailey III. The wreck site is designated as a Protected Place under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986. There are twelve war graves in Lowestoft cemetery from HMS Vortigern.