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War Memorial - Church Square

Church Square War MemorialThe Leighton Buzzard War Memorial stands in Church Square. It is reputed to be unique amongst British Memorials, being at the time (and possibly still is), the largest single block of granite ever quarried in the British Isles. The block is 25 feet 3 inches high and 3 feet 2 inches square, weighing 22 tons. The Monolith was quarried in the Shap quarries about 1870 and remained in Messrs. Farmer and Brindley's yard at Westminster, until it was brought to Leighton in 1920.

The erection of the memorial took three days to complete, and during this, Mr Harry Yirrell and Mr Fletcher Brotherton, placed a lead tube containing silver and copper coins of the realm, in a bolt hole at the base, directly under the centre of the granite block.

An unveiling and dedication service took place on the second Anniversary of Armistace - 11th November 1920.

Wording on monolith facing into Church Square:

Church Square War Memorial

THIS
MONOLITH
IS ERECTED
IN HONOURED MEMORY
OF THE
LEIGHTON BUZZARD
MEN
WHO FELL IN DEFENCE OF
THEIR KING AND COUNTRY
1914 - 1919

Wording and names on the monolith for World War One - east side (facing the Post Office):

THE HONOURED DEAD
Church Square War Memorial
PTE. H. ABEL
PTE. F. ADAMS
PTE. E. G. ADAMS
PTE. J. ADAMS
PTE. A. H. ADCOCK
PTE. H. C. ANDREWS
PTE. W. G. ARIS
PTE. R. ATKINS
PTE. J. W. AUGER
1st A.M. P. W. AVERY
PTE. S. W. BAKER
SGT. R. J. BEAUMONT
PTE. J. BIERTON
PTE. A. BOLTON
PTE. C. BOON
L. CPL. F. BOYCE D.C.M.
SGT. W. BRANDOM
PTE. H. BRANSOM
2nd LT. F. C. BRASINGTON
PTE. J. F. BROWN
PTE. B. F. BROWN
GNR. J. G. BUTCHER
SPR. R. P. BUTCHER
PTE. G. CHURCH
PTE. J. T. CLARE
PTE. W. T. CLARE
PTE. F. W. CLEAVER
SIG. A. J. COOK
PTE. E. CORNISH
PTE. G. COSBY
PTE. A. J. DAWSON
PTE. W. DAWSON
TRPR. C. G. DAY
PTE. W. E. DEAN
CPL. P. H. DIMMOCK
PTE. F. DIMMOCK
PTE. W. A. DINHAM
PTE. A. J. DUDLEY
SGT. W. EGGLETON
PTE. W. EVANS
PTE. A. J. FAULKNER
PTE. R. K. FOXON
2nd LT. J. D. FRIPP

A.B. A. J. GALLOWAY
PTE. G. GARNETT
PTE. W. GARNETT
GNR E. J. GASKIN
L.CPL. C. F. GIBBS
PTE. A. T. GIDDINGS
SGT. J. GINGER
TRPR. L. GIRLING
CPL. W. J. GOING
PTE. F. H. GOING
PTE. H. GOING
PTE. E. J. GOODMAN
2nd LT. C. H. GREEN
PTE. G. GRIFFIN
GNR. H. E. GRIFFITHS
PTE. F. C. GROOM
GNR W. J. HACK
PTE. C. HALL
PTE. H. G. HALL
L.CPL. G. HALSEY
SGT. E. J. HARRIS
SGT C. HARRIS
PTE. W. HART
L.CPL. J. HELEY
GNR. S. HOLLAND
PTE. W. R. HOLMES
PTE. E. HOLMES M.M.
PTE. A. HORN
PTE. J. HORN
DVR. G. HUMBLES
DVR. W. HUMBLES
PTE. R. J. HYDE
PTE. T. HYDE
PTE. F. G. JAKEMAN
PTE. H. JANES
SGT. G. A. JANES
PTE. C. JANES
PTE. C. R. JOHNSON
PTE. M. L. JOHNSON
CPL. J. G. JORDAN
PTE. G. KEEN
PTE. A. KEMBER
PTE. T. G. KEMPSTER

Wording and names on the monolith for World War One - east side (facing All Saints Church):

Church Square War Memorial THE HONOURED DEAD

PTE. J. KING
PTE. F. J. KING
A.B. G. A. KING
PTE. T. W. KITELEY
PTE. A. H. LANCASTER
PTE. J. LAWSON
2nd LT. J. A. LEE
CPL. H. J. LUCK
PTE. E. H. LUCK
PTE. S. J. LUCK
PTE. A. McCUBBIN
PTE. J. MAJOR
SIG. P. W. MARKS
PTE. A. T. MASON
C.S.M. E. R. MATTHEWS M.M.
GNR. F. C. MEAD
PTE. J. J. MEAD
PTE. F. MEAD
TRPR. R. MILES
PTE. L. MOORE
PTE. W. NASH
PTE. J. G. NEWBURY
PTE. E. F. ODELL
PTE. W. PAGE
PTE. H. J. PANTLING
PTE. S. J. PANTLING
SPR. L. PANTLING
SGT. J. H. PARKER
PTE. W. PARSONS
PTE. A. J. PAYNE
PTE. L. PAYNE
TRPR. A. A. PEARSON
PTE. W. G. PEASE
PTE. F. E. PERRY
PTE. R. E. PHILLIPS
PTE. F. PHILLIPS
RFN. A. G. PLUMMER
LT. A. J. POUCHOT D.C.M.
PTE. G. PRATT
PTE. J. A. PROCTOR
PTE. E. G. PURYER
PTE. H. A. QUICK
PTE. F. J. QUICK

PTE. J. RAYNER
L.CPL. T. E. REDDING
SPR. W. REEVE
2nd LT. F. R. RICHMOND
CAPT. H. S. RICHMOND
PTE. S. ROBERTS
PTE. G. T. ROSE
PTE. G. W. ROWE
CPL. F. C. RUFFHEAD
PTE. A. SAMUEL
SPR. R. SANFORD
PTE. J. B. SHCKLETON
PTE. H. SHACKLETON
PTE. S. SHEPHERD
PTE. H. SMITH
PTE. R. SMITH
PTE. J. SMITH
PTE. W. A. SMITH
PTE. J. SMITH
PTE. A. J. SMITH
PTE. W. N. STEADMAN
PTE. J. N. STEADMAN
CPL. T. J. STEVENS
PTE. W. STEVENS
SPR. W. S. STEVENS
PTE. H. G. STEVENS
PTE. W. STEVENS
PTE. E. J. TEW
SPR. A. THOMPSON
RFN. A. J. TILBROOK
C.S.M. W. D. TOE M.M.
PTE. W. TOMS
LT. H. A. R. TOOLEY
CPL. G. L. TOWERS
TRPR. H. B. TURNEY
PTE. T. UNDERWOOD
SPR. F. WARD
L.CPL. J. WERNHAM
PTE. F. J. WEST
L.CPL. W. S. WHYBROW
PTE. L. G. WHITBREAD
L.CPL. B. F. WHITMAN

Wording and names listed on plinth under the monolith, for World War Two - facing into Church Square:

1939 - 1945

SPR. F. G. BADCOCK
PTE. H. P. BAINES
GNR. R. G. BASTIN
PTE. G. H. BILLINGHAM
CAPT. R. W. BUTLER
GNR. A. J. COOPER
PTE. A. J. CLARK
GNR. H. T. CLAYTON
A.B. A. V. CREIGHTON
STOKER P. DAVIES

CPL. W. J. DELL
SGT. R. H. DENNISON
A.B. C. G. EGGLETON
SGT.OB. R. L. FITSELL
SGT. C. S. FLEMMING
SGT. F. J. FOSTER
A.C.I. W. G. GARNER
ADJT. S. A. E. GASKIN
BDR. K. GILBERT
CPL. E. H. GILL

Church Square War Memorial

Wording and names listed on plinth under the monolith, for World War Two - east side (facing All Saints Church):

1939 - 1945

P.O. A. C. GRIFFIN
PTE. F. GROVES
PTE. C. E. HEWITT
PTE. S. T. J. HYDE
CFN. W. JARDINE

MAJOR L. J. JORDAN
PTE. F. J. KING
A.C.I. W. J. KING
PTE. W. J. LANCASTER
L.SGT. H. J. LAW
PTE. W. H. LEE

L.CPL. F. LINNEY
PTE. P. C. MARKS
PTE. A. H. MORRIS
P.O. C. T. MORSE
L.BDR. K. OLNEY

Church Square War Memorial

Wording and names listed on plinth under the monolith, for World War Two - east side (facing the Post Office):

1939 - 1945
SURG.LT. S. W. PRATT
MARINE V. PRUDENT
2nd LT. G. A. ROWE
MARINE E. G. SIFLEET
CPL. H. P. SIMMS
PTE. K. E. D. SMITH
F.O. L. F. STANNARD
MARINE C. E. STEVENS
SGT. W. C. WARD
PTE. R. WASHINGTON
DRIVER C. J. WEST
GNR S. BRAY
L.BDR. W. J. WHITMAN
GNR. R. W. J. WOODLAND
FUSILIER P. W. WRAY
MAJOR J. H. PROCTER 1950
Church Square War Memorial

Wording and name on the monolith, for the Korean War - east side (facing All Saints Church):

KOREAN WAR 1950 - 53

PTE. G. HYDE