War Memorial - Beaudesert School

Beaudesert School, Beaudesert, Leighton Buzzard was built in 1894 as a Boys School, and functioned until 1959, when it moved to Appenine Way, as is known as Brooklands School. The old building continued to be used as a primary school until 1980-81 when it was demolished to make way for new housing.

During the First World War 617 'Old Boys' joined the armed forces, and of these 90 were killed.

After the end of the war, a subscription was started for the building of a memorial to those who had died. A leading British Architect, Paul Waterhouse, was employed to design the memorial.

Paul Waterhouse was the son of the architect of Barclays Bank in the High Street, Leighton Buzzard (the building was the former residence of Francis Bassett). The resulting memorial is 5 feet high, with three panels. The centre panel is surmounted by a statuette representing a boy crusader in coloured alabaster.

Following the closure and demolition of the school the memorial was moved to the Chapel of Rest in the Vandyke Road Cemetery, Leighton Buzzard. A fund started by the old boys of the school has paid for the repair of the memorial and its re-erection and re-dedication in October 2004 at the Royal British Legion headquarters, West Street Leighton Buzzard.

The names as they appear on the left hand panel of the World War One memorial are as follows:

PTE. SYDNEY ABERY PTE. EDWARD G. ADAMS PTE. JAMES ADAMS PTE. LIONEL ALLDRITT PTE. CHARLES ANDREWS PTE. JAMES BAKER M.M. PTE. STANLEY W. BAKER SERGT. ROBERT BEAUMONT PTE. HENRY BRANSOM PTE. ARTHUR C. BRANTOM LT. WILLIAM H. BRANTOM D.C.M. SERGT. WILLIAM BRANDOM PTE. BERTIE F. BROWN SIGNALLER ALBERT J. COOK PTE. ERNEST CORNISH PTE. ALFRED J. DAWSON PTE. WILLIAM J. DAWSON TROOPER CYRIL DAY CPL. PERCY H. DIMMOCK PTE. FRANK DIMMOCK PTE. ALFRED J. DUDLEY SERGT. WILLIAM EGGLETON PTE. WILLIAM EVANS PTE. ALEC FAULKNER PTE. KENNETH FOXON GUNNER ERNEST J. GASKIN L.CPL. CYRIL F. GIBBS PTE. HERBERT GOING BOMBR. JOHN HACK PTE. CHARLES HALL PTE. HENRY G. HALL L.CPL. WILLIAM HALL PTE. FREDERICK B. HANKIN PTE. WILLIAM HART L.CPL. JOHN HELEY

The names as they appear on the centre panel of the World War One memorial are as follows:

PTE. EDWARD T. HOLMES M.M. PTE. WILLIAM G. HOLMES PTE. JOHN HORN DRIVER GEORGE HUMBLES PTE. RICHRD J. HYDE PTE. THOMAS HYDE PTE. FREDERICK G. JAKEMAN PTE. CLAUDE JANES PTE. THOMAS JANES PTE. GEORGE KEEN PTE. THOMAS KITELEY PTE. HENRY LANCASTER PTE. JOHN LAWSON LT. JOHN LEE SIGNALLER PERCY W. MARKS C.S.M. ERNEST MATTHEWS M.M. PTE. ALEXANDER McCUBBIN GUNNER FREDERICK C. MEAD PTE. JAMES J. MEAD PTE. JOHN MEAGER PTE. EDWARD G. ADAMS PTE. PERCY AVERY

The names as they appear on the right hand panel of the World War One memorial are as follows:

TROOPER REGINALD MILES PTE. JOSEPH G. NEWBURY PTE. ERNEST O'DELL PTE. WILLIAM PAGE PTE. HORACE J. PANTLING SAPPER LEONARD PANTLING PTE. SIDNEY J. PANTLING PTE. WILLIAM PARSONS PTE. FRANK PHILIPS LT. JOHN A. POUCHOT D.C.M. PTE. GEORGE PRATT PTE. ERNEST J. PURYER PTE. FREDERICK J. QUICK PTE. HAROLD A. QUICK PTE. WILLIAM REEVE L.CPL. THOMAS REDDING PTE. GEORGE ROWE CPL. FREDERICK RUFFHEAD SAPPER RALPH SANFORD PTE. SIDNEY SHEPHERD PTE. HARRY SMITH PTE. JAMES SMITH PTE. JOSEPH SMITH PTE. ROBERT SMITH PTE. WILLIAM A. SMITH PTE. HENRY G. STEVENS SAPPER SAMUEL W. STEVENS PTE. WILLIAM STEVENS C.S.M. WALTER D. TOE M.M. PTE. WILLIAM TOMS TROOPER HENRY B. TURNEY PTE. ROBERT J. TURNEY PTE. THOMAS UNDERWOOD L.CPL. JAMES WERNHAM PTE. LEONARD G. WHITBREAD PTE. SAMUEL W. WHYBROW

After World War Two, Beaudesert School also created a Book of Rememberance for those who fell in that war, and a plaque was placed in their War Memorial Garden (which was at the rear of the school). The Rememberance Book is now held at Leighton Buzzard Library, and is in a purpose built cabinet on the inner staircase between floors. A book "The Beaudesert Story" by Peter Aldridge and Robert C. Kiteley, reproduces a list of the names of those who fell in World War Two. They are as follows:

Frederick G. BADCOCK, Sapper, R.E. Henry R. BAINES, Pte., R.B.R. Rudolph G. BASTIN, Gunner, R.A. Albert J. CLARK, Pte., B. & H.R. Alfred J. COOPER, Gunner, R.A. Reginald T. COX, Pte, B. & H.R. Percy DAVIS, Stoker, R.N. William J. DELL, Cpl., R.M.C. Ronald H. DENNISON, Sergt., R.A. Charles G. EGGLETON, A.B., R.N. Richard L. FITSELL, Sgt. Obs., R.A.F.V.R. Sydney C. FLEMMING, Sergt., B. & H.R. Frederick J. FOSTER L/Sergt., R.A. William G. GARNER, A.C.2, R.A.F. Ernest R. GASKIN, Adjutant, Salvation Army Kenneth H. GILBERT, Gunner, R.A. Arthur C. GRIFFIN, Fl./Lt., R.A.F.V.R. Bernard F. R. HEDGES, Gunner, R.A. Sydney T. J. HYDE, Pte., B. & H.R. Lionel J. JORDAN, Major, R.A.O.C. Arthur D. Kempster, Pilot (1st Officer) A.T.A. William J. KING, A.C.1, Airgunner, R.A.F. Harold J. LAW, L/Sergt., R.A. William H. LEE, Pte., The Lincolnshire Regt. Frederick LINNEY, L/Cpl., R. Scots. Percy C. MARKS, Pte., Sussex Regt. Alan H. MORRIS, Pte., Seaforth Highlanders Arthur W. MURGETT, Sapper, R.E. Kenneth OLNEY, L. Bombr., R.A. James T. SEAR, Pte., B. & H.R. Victor G. SELLS, Driver, R.A.S.C. Kenneth E. D. SMITH, Pte., B. & H.R. Kenneth W. STANBRIDGE, Pte., Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Leslie F. STANNARD, Flying Officer, R.A.F.V.R. Cyril E. STEVENS, Marine, R.M.C. Leslie W. TURNER, Gunner, R.A. Charles F. W. UNDERWOOD, Flt. Officer, R.A.F. William C. WARD, Sergt., B. & H.R. William J. Whitman, L/Bombr., R.A.

The book "The Beaudesert Story" by Peter Aldridge and Robert C. Kiteley, also list the following ex-pupil who lost their life in the Korean War:

George HYDE, Pte., Black Watch