A century ago, a generation of inhabitants of this village were about to have their lives transformed by the excitement and trauma of serving in the First World War. In the London blitz of the Second World War, most of the records pertaining to 1914-18 were destroyed. As a result, we do know about those who died, but not much about those who served and survived. Wrington was a smaller village than now, in 1914 numbering roughly 1200 people. Even so, a large percentage of eligible males signed up, plus one nurse, "Sister Alexander". By 1915 over one in ten of the whole population had gone. In 1915 the local paper named 136. In the cases of some families, four, five or six sons had signed up. Many saw all their sons disappear to fight. The names the paper listed are as follows:

Sister Alexander R.R. Adams Harold Amor Stanley Amor Arthur Ashley A.T. Axford F. Board Thomas Bond Christopher Bond Albert Bragg George Bragg William Bragg Walter Bragg George Brunker William Brunker George Brunker Ralph Brunker Stanley Brunker Eddie Brunker Reginald Brunker John Buncombe F. Buncombe Percy Bush Ernest Bailey Albert Berry Thomas Brean Lewis Brice Frank Berry R. Buncombe William Ball Reginald Carter Henry Chard Henry Crocker T. Coles John Challen Jessie Coles Michael Coles Benjamin Chard Walter Cook William Corfield George Corfield Christopher Corfield Joseph Corfield Gilbert Cleeves William Derrick

Edward Dingley William Diamond  John Dudden Maurice Edwards John Franks Walter Ferris Ernest Garrett James Greenslade Stanley Greenslade Douglas Hocking John H. B. Hesse Alroy Hewitt William Hicks Frank Hollier Bernard Hodges William Hazard Ernest Hatherall Percy Jackson James Keedwell Geoffrey Keedwell (?) Luckwell (Lance Corporal) Percy Lambert Percy Lawder Keith Lawder Edward Lawder Arthur Lea Frank Lea George Lodge William H.Lance Leonard Millard William H. Millard Arthur Millard Oliver Millard Thomas Millard Albert Millard Henry Millard Frank Millard Benjamin Millard Turberville B. Marshall Benjamin Marshall Frank Marshall F. Marshall William Nipper

Frank Nipper Richard Offer Herbert Organ Albert Parsley Alfred H. Perry Harry Perry Arthur Perry Frank Porter Ernest Pineo John Ralls George Reynolds William Reynolds Reginald Reynolds George Robinson John Robinson Alexander Spalding John Shergold Reg. G. Shergold Gibert Thatcher Alfred Tincknell William Tincknell Thomas Tincknell Leonard Thornett Ernest Thornett Geoffrey Tanner A. E. Vowles William Vowles Frank Vowles Eric Vowles Sidney Vowles Fred Vowles John Voysey Bert Voysey Kenneth Wheeler George Wilkins Alfred Wilkins Alfred R. Wilkins Dubric Wood Godric Wood Leofric Wood W. Vincent Wood David Wright Percy Wheeldon W. G. Wilkins.

In addition, further members of the village were recruited, some of whom we know of as they subsequently died, and are remembered on the War Memorial. When we came to the village in 1967 a lot of the families listed above were still very much in evidence, but they have reduced in number since. My grandfather, Pierce Wyatt was still alive in 1967. I had fond memories of sitting on his lap as a child. He was a proper countryman, full of earthy humour. We knew not to ask him about the fighting he had done in the trenches, but knew that he was still having nightmares, reliving that experience for the rest of his life. From this came my interest in those who survived. I am writing some articles on the subject of those from our village who served in the First World War. I am starting with August 1914, when the local bellringers had their last Bellringers Outing of peacetime. If you have any information about those listed above or anyone else from the village that you know served in 1914-18 please let me know. You can email me at <pk@pjckinsman.fsnet.co.uk>, Tel: 01934 862852 Philip Kinsman