St Nicholas Church, Moreton, Dorset

Discussion in 'War Cemeteries & War Memorial Research' started by Tony56, Oct 3, 2021.

  1. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    Moreton St Nicholas 00.jpg

    Moreton cemetery is famous for the final resting place of T E Lawrence and whose funeral, attended by Winston Churchill, took place in the church of St Nicholas.


    TEL Funeral

    Lawrence_TE 01.jpg Lawrence_TE 02.jpg


    The church is famous in its own right for the magnificent etched windows, installed when the church was refurbished, after it was bombed on 8 October 1940. The windows were designed by Laurence Whistler.

    Moreton St Nicholas 01.jpg Moreton St Nicholas 02.jpg


    One window contains, on the lower right hand side, the image of a crashed spitfire and has two sets of initials engraved on one of the propeller blades:

    Moreton St Nicholas 03.jpg Moreton St Nicholas 04.jpg Spitfire window.jpg


    I can't work out who RG and WG were - a recently married pilot of a spitfire that crashed nearby or was lost on active service would seem logical, anyone know of one?

    The church of St Martin, in nearby Wareham, contains an effigy to Lawrence of Arabia.

    TEL Wareham.jpg
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2021
  2. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    Inside the church is a Roll of Honour for those who died in service:

    Moreton St Nicholas 05.jpg Moreton St Nicholas 06a.jpg

    PRIVATE HARRY BISHOP S/28217
    Cameron Highlanders 1st Bn.
    Died 24 February 1917
    Age 25 years old
    Buried or commemorated at AFFPUDDLE (ST. LAURENCE) CHURCHYARD
    Son of George Bishop; husband of Amy Bessie Bishop, of Melcombe Cottage, Broadmayne, Dorchester. Born at Moreton.
    Personal Inscription BLESSED ARE THE DEAD WHICH DIE IN THE LORD

    Casualty

    PRIVATE JAMES BLANDAMER 17127
    Dorsetshire Regiment 6th Bn.
    Died 06 August 1916
    Buried or commemorated at THIEPVAL MEMORIAL

    Casualty

    TROOPER JAMES FINLAYSON CAMERON 9/780
    Otago Mounted Rifles, N.Z.E.F.
    Died 21 August 1915
    Age 38 years old
    Buried or commemorated at HILL 60 (NEW ZEALAND) MEMORIAL Turkey (including Gallipoli)
    Son of Thomas and Martha Cameron, of Craigielaw, Longniddry, Scotland.

    Casualty

    LIEUTENANT TOM FINLAYSON CAMERON
    London Regiment (London Scottish) 2nd/14th Bn.
    Died 30 April 1918
    Age 33 years old
    Buried or commemorated at JERUSALEM WAR CEMETERY Israel
    Son of Thomas and Mary Cameron, of Moreton, Dorset; husband of Joan Cameron, of 30, Elm Park Mansions, Chelsea, London.

    Casualty

    PRIVATE DONALD CAMERON 44
    London Regiment (London Scottish) 1st/14th Bn.
    Died 15 November 1914
    Age 28 years old
    Buried or commemorated at BOULOGNE EASTERN CEMETERY
    Son of Thomas and Mary A. Cameron, of Pallington, Dorchester. Native of Moreton, Dorset.
    Personal Inscription IN GOD'S GRACIOUS KEEPING

    Casualty

    PRIVATE WILLIAM GEORGE CLIFFORD COX PLY/1604(S)
    Royal Marine Light Infantry 2nd R.M. Bn. R.N. Div.
    Died 28 April 1917
    Age 20 years old
    Buried or commemorated at ARRAS MEMORIAL
    Son of Mr. and Mrs. Cox, of 23, Affpuddle, Dorchester, Dorset.

    Casualty

    RIFLEMAN W G HART 331029
    Hampshire Regiment 1st/8th Bn.
    Died 19 April 1917
    Age 20 years old
    Buried or commemorated at GAZA WAR CEMETERY
    Son of Robert and Mary Ann Hart, of Moreton Station, Dorchester, Dorset.
    Personal Inscription A VOICE IS FROM OUR HOUSEHOLD GONE THE ONE WE LOVE SO DEAR

    Casualty

    PRIVATE F A HAWKINS 10778
    Dorsetshire Regiment 1st Bn.
    Died 13 March 1915
    Age 20 years old
    Buried or commemorated at RAMPARTS CEMETERY, LILLE GATE
    Son of Henry and Jane Hawkins, of Moreton, Dorchester.
    Personal Inscription ANCHORED SAFE WHERE STORMS ARE O'ER

    Casualty

    BOY 2ND CLASS IVOR WILLIAM JOHN MEARS J/94269
    Royal Navy H.M.S. "Impregnable."
    Died 28 February 1919
    Age 16 years old
    Buried or commemorated at MORETON (ST. NICHOLAS) CHURCHYARD
    Son of Mr. H. W. and Mrs. E. J. Mears, of The Street, Moreton.
    Personal Inscription THY WILL BE DONE

    Casualty
    Mears_IWJ.jpg

    LIEUTENANT WALTER EVELYN PARKE MiD
    Durham Light Infantry 2nd Bn.
    Died 13 October 1914
    Age 23 years old
    Buried or commemorated at OUTTERSTEENE COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION, BAILLEUL
    Son of Lt. Col. Lawrence Parke and Mrs. L. Parke, of Moreton Heath, Moreton, Dorset.

    Casualty

    LIEUTENANT JOHN AUBREY PARKE
    Durham Light Infantry attd. 9th Bn. Rifle Brigade
    Died 25 September 1915
    Age 23 years old
    Buried or commemorated at YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
    Son of Lt. Col. Lawrence Parke and Eveline J. Parke, of Moreton Heath, Moreton, Dorset.

    Casualty

    PRIVATE H G RAWLES 6494
    Dorsetshire Regiment 1st Bn.
    Died 09 September 1914
    Buried or commemorated at MONTREUIL-AUX-LIONS BRITISH CEMETERY

    Casualty

    COMPANY SERJEANT MAJOR WILLIAM LANGFORD WARR 203201
    Hampshire Regiment 1st/4th Bn.
    Died 12 September 1918
    Age 39 years old
    Buried or commemorated at TEHRAN MEMORIAL
    Son of William and Mary Warr, of Moreton Heath, Moreton, Dorsetshire.

    Casualty

    LIEUTENANT PHILIP TREGENWELL FETHERSTONHAUGH-FRAMPTON
    Royal Warwickshire Regiment attd. 2nd Bn. The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)
    Died 03 May 1915
    Buried or commemorated at YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL

    Casualty
    Frampton.jpg

    SAPPER RICHARD JOHN BENNETT 1944481
    Royal Engineers 250 Field Coy.
    Died 24 April 1944
    Age 23 years old
    Buried or commemorated at MORETON CHURCH CEMETERY
    Son of Robert and Evelyn Mary Bennett, of Weymouth.

    Casualty

    and his brother
    SUB-LIEUTENANT (A) DAVID ROBERT BENNETT
    Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve F.A.A. 1770 Sqdn. H.M.S. Indefatigable.
    Died 11 August 1944
    Buried or commemorated at TRONDHEIM (STAVNE) CEMETERY
    Son of Robert and Evelyn Mary Bennett, of Weymouth, Dorsetshire.
    Personal Inscription "AGE SHALL NOT WEARY THEM"

    Casualty
    Bennett 01.jpg Bennett 02.jpg

    LIEUTENANT JOHN ALBANY MACKAY COUSINS 255830 Military Cross
    Royal Armoured Corps 11th Hussars
    Died 28 October 1944
    Age 21 years old
    Buried or commemorated at BERGEN-OP-ZOOM WAR CEMETERY
    Son of the Revd. Canon Alfred Edmund Cousins, M.C., B.A., and Margaret Rothnie Mackay Cousins, of Winfrith, Dorsetshire.
    Personal Inscription STRONG IN FAITH BRAVE IN DUTY LOYAL AND TRUE

    Casualty

    PRIVATE WILLIAM ARTHUR PRIDE 6028911
    Cambridgeshire Regiment 1st Bn.
    Died 14 February 1942
    Age 24 years old
    Buried or commemorated at KRANJI WAR CEMETERY
    Son of William Arthur and Ethel Kate Pride, of Moreton, Dorsetshire.
    Personal Inscription FATHER, IN THY GRACIOUS KEEPING LEAVE WE NOW OUR LOVED ONE SLEEPING

    Casualty
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2021
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  3. Tolbooth

    Tolbooth Patron Patron

    According to the guidebook to the church the window was designed in 1982 and was the gift of an anonymous donor.

    "..the window commemorates an RAF pilot shot down in the Battle of France in 1940. Salisbury cathedral, near where he was stationed, and his cottage-home are seen from the air, with the English Channel and the French coast beyond. Two pairs of initials and the years of a brief marriage are inscribed on the broken propeller"

    Possibly enough to identify the pilot ?
     
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