Ashtead War Memorials - Introduction
The purpose of this website is to
change the names on Ashtead's war memorials from inscriptions to
people.
Where possible this begins with the formal detail of when and
where they died, the unit they were serving with and so on.
It is hoped that over time members of their family or those the
families of those who knew them may come forward with information
and photos about the life behind the name. There may also be
information from the local newspapers or church or club magazines
of the time. Where the person is buried or commemorated
elsewhere, perhaps someone will provide good quality images of
the headstone.
Memorials in the village of Ashtead
The Rector, the Rev RA Waddilove, maintained worship at the two Ashtead churches throughout the [First World] war. Open-air services were held on Sunday evenings in summer after the Summertime Act came into force in 1916. There were memorial services to those killed in action, including one for Capt Kenneth J Maples on 30 May 1915, another for George Taylor of the Royal West Surreys on 27 Feb 1916, and a third, on 13 June 1916, for Lord Kitchener. The Rector was single-handed in 1918, the services alternating between St Giles' and St George's. Canon Hunter, former Vicar of Christchurch, Epsom, gave much assistance as did many other visiting clergy.
The British Legion Roll of Honour recorded the names of sixty-two Ashtead men who gave their lives in the First World War. Seventeen of these were 1914 volunteers, including ten privates and four officers. In 1934, the names on the Roll inscribed in the Golden Book were placed in a case in the chancel of St Giles' Church. A War Memorial was erected in 1920 close to the north-west corner of St George's Church.
The end of the [Second World] war [in Europe] was marked by a special service at St Giles' Church on 8 May 1945, celebrating VE or Victory in Europe Day. On the following Sunday afternoon a Thanksgiving Service was held with the British Legion, the Home Guard and other organisations taking part. The names of the 70 Ashtead men who fell in the war were added to the British Legion Roll of Honour and to the Ashtead War Memorial.
The Ashtead Branch of the Royal British Legion This dates from 1924 and ever since then it has helped ex-service men and women, raising money for all manner of causes. These have included the renovation of the war memorial in 1926 and 1948/49, as well as its refurbishment in 1990/91.
from A HISTORY OF ASHTEAD edited by JC Stuttard (Leatherhead & District Local History Society, 1995): p120-21, p141, p215