As part of Ringing Remembers, eight Winchester District bell ringers rang a peal of 1918 changes of Bob Triples at St John the Baptist church, New Alresford on Sunday 21 October 2018. This ring was organised to commemorate the twelve bell ringers who died in the Winchester District in the Great War and were a loss to the community. The ringers together represented the towers who had lost a ringer.

The bell ringers were:

Roy Lemarachel rang for St Mary’s,  Bishopstoke and was the conductor

Rodney Skinner rang for St Nicholas, Bishops Sutton

John Croft as chairman of Winchester District rang for St Michael and All Angels, Cheriton

Elizabeth Johnson rang for St John the Baptist, New Alresford

Ann Lemarachel* rang for St Stephen’s, Sparsholt

Colin Cook rang for Winchester Cathedral

John Colliss rang for Winchester Cathedral

Gerry Cornick rang for Holy Trinity, Wonston

*Jenny Watson was due to ring but was unwell so Ann LeMarechal kindly took her place.

Short video clip here

Ringers of Winchester District who were killed in the Great War

Bishopstoke, St Mary

• Battery Sergeant Major Frederick William Hutchinson

Service number 352049, 71^st  Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Mentioned in Despatches. He was killed in Battle of Cambrai on 30 November 1917, aged 37.  He is commemorated on the Cambrai War Memorial in Louverval, France. Born in Ireland in 1878 and married to Gertrude with one son Frederick. He worked as an electrician for the London and South Western Railway Company and lived at 29 Church Road, Bishopstoke.

F.W.Hutchinson photograph, April 1912.

Bishops Sutton, St Nicholas

• Corporal Charles Henry Money
  Service number B/2165 3^rd Battalion Rifle Brigade. Died on 7 November 1918 aged 33 years. Buried in Cross Roads Cemetery, Fontaine-Au-Bois, Nord, France, II. C. 23. Born in 1895 in Bishops Sutton to James Money (a yardman or stockman on farm) and Sarah Money of Sutton Manor Farm, Bishops Sutton.

Cheriton, St Michael and All Angels

• Private Percy Holmes
  Service Number 22204, 1^st Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment (formerly service number 23101, Hampshire Regiment). Died of wounds at home on 18 December 1916 aged 40 years and is buried in the churchyard. Born in Cheriton in 1876, son of Richard Holmes (a farmer) and Emily Holmes of Malt House Farm, Cheriton

New Alresford, St John the Baptist

• Serjeant William Curtis DCM
  Service number 20623, 26^th Field Coy, Royal Engineers. Died on 18 May 1918 aged 27 years. Buried in Cambrin Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France, N. 50. Born in New Alresford in 1891 to Walter Curtis (a hire carter) and Frances Curtis, of Pound Hill, Alresford, and husband of Josephine Kate Curtis, of 10, Clifton Road, Maida Vale, London.
• Private William Harold Jackson
  Service number 30212, 2^nd /4^th Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment. Enlisted in Winchester and died on 5 November 1917 aged 19 years en route to Egypt. He is commemorated on Chatsby Memorial in Egypt. Born in 1898 to William James Jackson (schoolmaster at Stourpaine School, Dorset) and Annie Jackson of Broad Street, Alresford.

 

Sparsholt, St Stephen

• Rifleman William Henry Daniels
  Service number B/784, 7^th Service Battalion Rifle Brigade. Died 13 August 1916 aged 25 years. No grave but his name is on Thiepval memorial Pier and Face 16 B and 16 C. Born in Houghton in 1891 and resident of village as agricultural labourer. Son of Frederick Daniells (a carpenter) and Mary and brother of Miss Hilda Daniels, of Sparsholt, Winchester.

 

Winchester Cathedral, Holy Trinity, SS Peter, Paul and Swithun

• Aircraftsman William H. Chute (Billy)

Service number 25437 Royal Flying Corp. Enlisted on 11 April 1915 as a rigger and was promoted to air mechanic 3 by 1918. Died of injuries sustained in war in 1924 aged 32. Born in Winchester in 1892, grandparents were William H. Chute (a fellmonger’s assistant) and Jane Chute of 12 Lower Brook Street, Winchester.

• Sergeant Charles H. Russell Jnr.

Service number 200016, 1st/4^th Battalion Hampshire Regiment. Imprisoned after surrender of British Forces following siege of Kut-al-Amara in April 1916. Died a few days after the Armistice of influenza on 17 November 1918 aged 31 years. Buried in Haidar Pasha Cemetery, Turkey Reference I. H. 12. Born in Winchester in 1887 and son of Charles Russell (a carpenter rand cathedral ringer) and Emma Russell, of 76, Lower Brook Street, Winchester.

 

Wonston, Holy Trinity

• Private Edwin George Hillary
  Service Number 10470, 2^nd Battalion Hampshire Regiment. Enlisted in Winchester and died 13 August 1915 aged 25. Born in Micheldever in 1892 and resided and worked in Sutton Scotney as a gardener.  Son of Edwin Charles Hillary (a jobbing carpenter) and Alice Mary Hillary, of Hunton Mill, Sutton Scotney. Commemorated at Helles Memorial, Turkey Panel 125-134 or 223-226 228-229 & 328.

 

• Private Victor Frederick Hillary
  Service Number 10477, 2^nd Battalion Hampshire Regiment. Enlisted in Winchester and died 13 August 1915, aged 18 (age occasionally shown as 19) Born in 1898 in Hunton, Micheldever and resided in Sutton Scotney. Son of Edwin Charles Hillary (a jobbing carpenter) and Alice Mary Hillary, of Hunton Mill, Sutton Scotney. Commemorated at Helles Memorial, Turkey Panel 125-134 or 223-226 228-229 & 328.
• William H. Brooks
• Herbert H. Jerram

Born in 1898 to Albert W Jerram (a blacksmith) and Mary K Jerram, living at the Blacksmith’s shop, Wonston.

Brothers Edwin and Victor Hillary both died when H.M.T. “Royal Edward” was torpedoed after leaving Alexandria for the Gallipoli Peninsula with reinforcements for the Dardanelles.