The City of Lincoln Company of Civic Bell Ringers
Parish and Civic Church of St Mary-le-Wigford
Tuesday, 11 April 2017 in 44m (6–1–17)
1272 Minimus (2m)
(being: 33 extents of Single Court Place & 20 extents of Reverse Canterbury Place.)
1 Jean Williams
2–3 Christopher C P Woodcock (C)
4 Yvonne A Woodcock
Rung with the bells half muffled in memory of the following fifty-two Lincoln men killed in the Great War during April 1917. Specially rung to commemorate the centenary of their deaths, We will remember them.
JOHN WILLIAM BALDWIN, Private 241383, 2nd/5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Died of wounds 3rd April 1917, aged 24.
CHARLES ALBERT JACKSON, Sergeant 200138, 2nd/4th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Killed in action 3rd April 1917.
ERNEST ARTHUR SMITH, Private 201611, 2nd/4th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Died 4th April 1917, aged 21.
EDWARD RAWDING, Pioneer 143022, "A" Rear Company, Special Brigade, Royal Engineers. Died 5th April 1917, aged 25.
JOSEPH GOODYEAR, Private DM2/224755, Royal Army Service Corps attached to 264th Siege Battery Ammuniton Column, VII Corps. Killed in action 8th April 1917, aged 38.
EDWARD WILLIAM NELSON, Lance Corporal S/8761, 9th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders. Died 8th April 1917, aged 23.
FRANK LENYGON, Sergeant 19448, 10th Battalion, King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry). Died of wounds 9th April 1917.
VINCENT TAYLOR, Private 53491, 15th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry. Died 9th April 1917, aged 25.
HAROLD REEVE BEECHEY, Lance Corporal 200, 48th Battalion, Australian Infantry, A.I.F. Died 10th April 1917, aged 26.
ARTHUR EDWARD JESSOP, Private 27262, 1st Battalion, King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment). Killed in action 10th April 1917.
FRANK NEWTON, Private 27276, 1st Battalion, King's Own (Royal Lancashire Regiment). Died of wounds 10th April 1917, aged 26.
JOHN EDWARD ELLIS, Private 25888, 1st Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Killed in action 11th April 1917, aged 39.
GEORGE BOYDEN HASTINGS, Private 43035, "B" Company, 1st Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Killed in action 11th April 1917, aged 23.
WALTER PANTON, Private 1855, 1st Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Died 11th April 1917, aged 28.
CHARLES ROSE, Lance Corporal 241398, 2nd/5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Died 11th April 1917, aged 23.
FREDERICK WILLIAM SMITH, Second Lieutenant, 5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Died of wounds received at Monchy-le-Prieux during the Battle of Arras 11th April 1917, aged 33.
W. J. SMITH, Sergeant 5203, 1st Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Died 11th April 1917, aged 36.
HARRY TASKER, Private 19373, 1st Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Killed in action 11th April 1917.
ALFRED MATTHEW BROUGHTON, Private 19148, 8th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Died of wounds 12th April 1917, aged 28.
HARRY FREEMAN, Private 16627, 8th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Killed in action 12th April 1917.
PERCY HOOTON SKELTON, Private 40861, 8th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Died 12th April 1917, aged 34.
GEORGE WHYLEY, Private 10314, 6th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Died 12th April 1917, aged 20.
FREDERICK [FRED] WRIGHT, Second Lieutenant, 2nd/5th Battalion (Territorial), Lincolnshire Regiment. Killed in action 12th April 1917, aged 27.
DICK ELDERKIN, Private 6589, 16th Lancers (The Queen's). Died of wounds 14th April 1917, aged 27.
HENRY BERTRAM COOLING, Lance Corporal 26187, 3rd Battalion, Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment). Died in United Kingdom 19th April 1917.
C. DIXON, Private 242436, 1st/5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Died 20th April 1917.
THOMAS HENSON, Private 16873, 8th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Killed in action 20th April 1917, aged 19.
STANLEY FOSTON PARKINSON, Gunner 40082, "D" Battery, Machine Gun Corps (Motors) (Tank Corps). Died of wounds 20th April 1917.
FRANK SCARFE, Private 242528, 1st/5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Died 21st April 1917, aged 26.
JOHN E. WILKINSON, Private 305783, 1st/8th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment). Died 21st April 1917.
C. R. PENSON, Sapper 65092, 7th Field Company, Royal Engineers. Died 22nd April 1917, aged 33.
GEORGE ARTHUR BARNETT, Private 9216, 63rd Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Killed in action 23rd April 1917, aged 32.
WILLIAM THOMAS KILMINSTER, Private 18362, 7th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Died 23rd April 1917.
W. F. PLEASANCE, Lance Sergeant 9561, 10th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers. Died 23rd April 1917.
JOHN RANKIN, Second Lieutenant, 7th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Died 23rd April 1917, aged 21.
HARLEY E. REYNOLDS, Lance Corporal 251093, 1st/6th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry. Died 23rd April 1917.
GEORGE HERBERT CLIPSON, Private 26860, 8th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Died of wounds 24th April 1917, aged 39.
E. F. RAMPTON, Corporal 477754, Royal Canadian Regiment. Died 24th April 1917, aged 28.
JOSEPH THROSELL, Private 11535, 7th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Died 25th April 1917, aged 29.
T. H. C. WOOLLEY, Captain, 2nd/8th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment). Died 27th April 1917, aged 28.
HENRY BROWN, Sergeant, 17th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Killed in action 28th April 1917.
GEORGE CHRISTIAN, Private 202414, 8th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Killed in action 28th April 1917, aged 19.
CHARLES COUPLAND, Private 9649, 10th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Killed in action 28th April 1917, aged 21.
CHARLES HENRY GIBBONS, Lance Corporal 6064, 10th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Killed in action 28th April 1917, aged 32.
ARTHUR [FREDERICK] HOLMES, Private 5456 [5455 on questionnaire], 14th (King's) Hussars. Died in Mesopotamia 28th April 1917, aged 26.
ROBERT NEWTON, Private 40472, 7th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment. Died 28th April 1917, aged 20.
VICTOR JOHN ROBSON, Sergeant 13795, 8th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Killed in action 28th April 1917.
GEORGE EDWARD SARGENT, Private 40913, 10th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Died 28th April 1917, aged 40.
LEONARD CLAUDE SEMPER, Lance Corporal 21579, 8th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Killed in action 28th April 1917.
THOMAS ARTHUR SHILLITO, Lance Corporal 40674, 10th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Died 28th April 1917, aged 21.
FREDERICK WATERFIELD, Private 16628, 8th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Killed in action 28th April 1917.
FREDRICK WILLIAM HENRY RUDD, Private 202068, 2nd/4th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Died 29th April 1917, aged 23.
When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say, For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today.
Honourable age does not depend on length of days, nor is the number of years a true measure of life.
This quarter especially remembers Harold Reeve Beechey. He was one of eight brothers from the same family who went off to fight in the Great War and was the third of five to be killed, with only three returning home, one being crippled. He was killed in action on 10th April 1917, aged 26.
He survived the Hell of Pozières (Somme) but was sent to England to recover from his wounds. He wrote home "Very lucky, nice round shrapnel through arm and chest, but did not penetrate ribs. Feel I could take it out myself with a knife." Harold was patched up and sent back to France to fight again in November 1916. He wrote bitterly to his mum "To deny a fellow the right of a final leave seems to me to be miserable spitefulness on their part." His death was mercifully speedy being killed by a bomb in Bullecourt on 10th April 1917. Amy wrote "I am thankful that he did not suffer long. Poor boy, he had been invalided twice and wounded once and we hoped he would come through."
Amy Beechey their mother was presented to King George V and honoured by the King and Queen for her immense sacrifice, "It was no sacrifice, Ma'am," she told Queen Mary. "I did not give them willingly."
This quarter also especially remembers John William Baldwin, died of wounds 3rd April 1917, who is named on the War Memorial here in St Mary le Wigford’s Church.
They are all commemorated on the City War Memorial on the High Street.
The thirty-third of the monthly Great War Commemoration Quarters in Lincoln.
(Rung also for the Lincoln Diocesan Guild)

This performance is linked to the event The City of Lincoln Company of Civic Bell Ringers — Lincoln Remembers (WW1 commemorations)