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Introduction

While there are numerous Commonwealth War Grave Cemeteries throughout the parts of the world, there are numerous war graves located in local churchyards. These are often the graves of service personnel who died of wounds while convalescing at home or died of other causes while a member of one of the armed forces.

This page details the presence of service personnel buried in my local churchyard, and are commemorated with a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone.

Holy Trinity (Church of England) Church (Stephen Stratford 2001)

William Leonard Parkins

Number T4/160039 Driver William Leonard Parkins was born and resided in Leverstock Green (Hemel Hempstead). He enlisted at a recruitment centre in Whitehall (London) and became a soldier in the (later Royal) Army Service Corps. 

William Parkins died on 23 December 1916 at The Military Hospital, Sidney Hall, Weymouth. The cause of death was nephrites and anaemia. He was 31 years' old.

Driver Parkins (Stephen Stratford 2006).

Driver Parkins is buried at Leverstock Green's Holy Trinity (Church of England) Church.

Frank Edward Coker

Number 1688595 Private Frank Edward Coker was a soldier in the Royal Berkshire Regiment. He was born in Buckinghamshire, the son of Edward and Sarah Jane Coker and husband of Rosie Frances Coker. In civilian live, he was a domestic gardener, living in the Pimlico area of Hemel Hempstead.

On 14 April 1945, while on leave, Private Coker died at West Herts Hospital (Hemel Hempstead) of a Perforated Appendix. He was 31 years' old.

Private Coker (Stephen Stratford 2006).

Private Coker is buried at Leverstock Green's Holy Trinity (Church of England) Church.

Gordon Sampson Clear

Number 116769 Flying Officer Gordon Sampson Clear was a member of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR). He was the son of Edwin Arnold and Margaret Ethel Clear, and was married to Joyce Ella Clear. He lived in Leverstock Green, an area of Hemel Hempstead, and a few minutes walk from where he is now buried.

At the time of his death, Flying Officer Clear was stationed with 139 Squadron at RAF Marham. He had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his previous service during World War Two.

At the time of his death, 139 Squadron was flying two-seater Mosquito Mark IV twin-engined aircraft. Flying Officer Clear was the Observer in the Mosquito piloted by Flight Lieutenant Michael Myers Wayman, DFC, RAFVR.

At 17:50 on 20 March 1943, a Mosquito Mark IV (DZ496 XD-) piloted by Flight Lieutenant Wayman took off from RAF Marham as part of a 12-strong Mosquito raid on the Louvain and Malines Railway yards. However. only the Louvain yards were actually reached.

Flight Lieutenant Wayman/Flying Officer Clear's Mosquito was hit by flak which disabled one of the two engines. Later that evening, at 19:25, this Mosquito attempted a landing at RAF Martlesham Heath airfield, Suffolk, but Flight Lieutenant Wayman's first attempt at landing the now one-engine Mosquito was unsuccessful. While preparing for a second attempt, the Mosquito crashed at Foxburrow Wood near Brightwell.

Both Flight Lieutenant Wayman and Flying Officer Clear died later that night, 20 March 1943, at East Suffolk Hospital. Flying Officer Clear was aged 31 years' old.

Flight Lieutenant Wayman was subsequently buried at Sunderland (Ryhope Road) Cemetery, Durham.

Flying Officer Clear (Stephen Stratford 2006).

Flying Officer Clear was subsequently buried at Leverstock Green's Holy Trinity (Church of England) Church.

The Local War Memorial

The impact of the First World War (The Great War) on UK home life can't be understated. A population that had been somewhat sheltered from the losses of previous conflicts was greatly affected by the loss of life in The Great War.

One of the visible effects of The Great War was the appearance of numerous war memorials in every town and village in the UK. Whist the UK's national memorial is the Cenotaph, located in Whitehall (London) and the Grave of the Unknown Soldier in Westminster Abbey (London), every city, town and village had its own memorial.

Following the Second World War, additions were made to these memorials to commemorate a city/town/village contribution to those service personnel who died during this war.

This section is concerned with the names on my local war memorial, which is located near the church which contains the graves of some of the people listed. Using my local war memorial as an example, the different impact of the two world wars can be seen by the number of people listed for each war: 29 for the First World War and 9 for the Second World War. 

Leverstock Green War Memorial (Stephen Stratford 2006)

The First World War 1914-18

Click here to view the list of World War One names listed on the war memorial.

First World War Names (Stephen Stratford 2006).

No service number, forename, service branch or regiment is shown on the memorial. This has made the task of researching the person behind the name extremely difficult and time consuming.

The Second World War 1939-45

Click here to view the list of World War Two names listed on the war memorial.

Second World War Names (Stephen Stratford 2006).

No service number, service branch or regiment is shown on the memorial. This has made the task of researching the person behind the name extremely difficult and time consuming.