Budby Chapel

War Memorial

The War Memorial
Detail of the First
World War plaque
Detail of the Second
World War plaque

A Roll of Honour was erected in the Chapel after the First World War, listing all those men who had gone to the service of King and Country from their employment on Thoresby Estate and Rufford Hunt Kennels. Of the five members from Budby only two survived.

A meeting was held during May 1920 with the Parishioners of Perlethorpe and Budby to discuss the provision of War Memorials for both villages.

In Budby it was decided to erect an Ionian Cross, rising from a small raised platform, enclosed by a wall and rail. The site was agreed to be on the high road as the most conspicuous position when entering the village from any direction. Subscriptions from some forty persons, with a generous donation from the fourth Earl Manvers, paid for the memorial.

The Cross is made out of Clipsham stone from the borders of Lincolnshire and Rutland. The height from the ground is 4.6m and the arms of the Cross 80cm long.

A bronze plate at the foot of the Cross reads:

IN GRATEFUL
MEMORY OF THOSE
MEN FROM THIS
PARISH WHO GAVE
THEIR LIVES IN THE
GREAT WAR

H. COOPER
G. GRATTON
J. KNIGHT
G. ROBERTSON
F. WATKINSON
H. WIDDOWSON

A second plate has been added:

IN COMMEMORATION
OF THOSE LOST
IN THE 2ND WORLD WAR

CPL WILFRED ALBERT MENDHAM

AGED 20 YEARS

SEAMAN GEORGE MENDHAM

AGED 16 YEARS

The Dedicatory Service of this memorial was held on Sunday afternoon, 31st July 1921, and the Cross was unveiled by Earl Manvers, in the presence of a large gathering of people.

The Hon and Revd Robert Dalrymple gave the address “full of comfort, of praise, and of encouragement to those who survived to try to imitate those who had laid down their lives for King and Country, and for an ideal, namely, the triumph over right over wrong.”

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission provides some further detail on some whose names appear on the Budby monument:

Sgt Herbert W Widdowson

Service No: 35161 Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) “D” Coy. 2nd/8th Bn. Age: 29, Date of Death: 07/04/1917 Additional information: Son of Walter and Emma Widdowson, of Derby Rd., Hathern, Leicestershire; husband of Maude Widdowson, of Budby, Ollerton, Notts. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 10 C 10 D and 11 A. Thiepval Memorial.

Pte George Gratton

Service No: 15297 Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) 11th Bn Age: 21 Date of Death: 01/07/1916 Additional information: Son of Mrs. Catherine Gratton, of Kneesall, Newark, Notts. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 10 C 10 D and 11 A. Thiepval Memorial.

The details of John Knight and George Robinson are somewhat elusive and cannot be defined with any certainty as there are several entries with none giving this district as a place of residence. However the following can be considered the closest match as they did join the Sherwood Foresters at the same time as some of the others on the estate.

J Knight

Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Sergeant Regiment/Service: Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) Unit Text: 9th Bn. Date of Death: 27/04/1918 Service No: 9253 Additional information: Husband of M. E. Knight, of 38, Compsull Rd., Romiley, Cheshire. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: III. D. 13. Cemetery : Philosophe British Cemetery, Mazingarbe.

George Robertson

Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) Unit Text: 9th Bn. Age: 28 Date of Death: 04/10/1917 Service No: 13565 Additional information: Son of Donald and Susan Robertson, of 9, Watt St., Forfar. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 99 to 102 and 162 to 162A. Memorial: Tyne Cot Memorial.

No similar link can be so placed with the entries for Horace Cooper and Frederick Watkinson.

Wilfred Albert Mendham

Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Corporal Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Age: 20 Date of Death: 30/06/1942 Service No: 1352671 Additional information: Son of William Alfred and Gladys Lillian Emmaline Mendham, of Budby, Nottinghamshire. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: 2. C. 17. Cemetery: Fayid War Cemetery.

Frederick George Mendham

An entry has now been found (with thanks to Rachel Farrand) which appears to relate to Seaman George Mendham:

Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Boy 1st Class Regiment/Service: Royal Navy Unit Text: H.M.S. Hood Age: 17 Date of Death: 24/05/1941 Service No: P/JX 162597 Additional information: Son of Mrs. W. Mendham, of Skegness, Lincolnshire. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 51, Column 3. Memorial: Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

The wreck of HMS Hood was discovered in 2001 and the site was officially designated a war grave in 2002. Mendham is named on the HMS Hood website.