Banbury – Southam Road Cemetery

So, here’s the story.  I don’t live anywhere close to here, but I was early for a gig that I’d driven eighty five miles to get to on a Monday evening, and had briefly researched this cemetery beforehand.  Just in case I had time on my hands.  See, I’m a pro. 

What I hadn’t realized was quite how big the place is,…

…which meant finding the men I was after would take longer than anticipated.  Not so much of a pro, then.

On top of which, it was soon obvious…

…that I would probably have the sun shining directly at the camera during much of my visit, which doesn’t help one bit.

Anyway, let’s see how things went, because I ain’t missing the start of the gig.

With the sun behind me, briefly, it didn’t take too long to spot this group of CWGC headstones, although I suspected they were Second World War,…

…which indeed they are.

Three rows, twenty three graves in total,…

…with one more Second World War grave just in front,…

…and another thirteen scattered about the cemetery.

Hmm.  The first Great War burial I encountered, a man who served under an alias, was in a bit of a state.

‘C. O’Leary served as Private C. Leary, Welsh Regiment, 21st November 1918’.

The earliest Great War burial in the cemetery…

…is that of Trooper George Wyles, 1st Life Guards, who died on 30th January 1915, aged 36.  The 1st Life Guards, part of the 7th Cavalry Brigade, were involved in the First Battle of Ypres, arriving in France during the days preceding the battle in October 1914.

And the second Great War burial…

…is that of Private E. T. Lock, Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry, who died on 18th August 1915.

Above & below: Staff Serjeant J. S. Denton, Royal Garrison Artillery, who died on 13th February 1919.

Three Great War graves,…

…all three men of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps.  From left,…

…Rifleman Arthur Burgess, who died on 29th February 1916 aged 33,…

…Rifleman Thomas Howarth, who died on 10th March 1916,…

…and Corporal Walter Reading, who died on 26th March 1916.

Private T. E. Taylor, Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry, who died on 6th October 1916.

Serjeant C. G. Winn M.M., Essex Regiment, who died on 20th June 1920.

Corporal G. Wassell, Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Hussars, the third Great War burial, by date, in the cemetery, who died on 14th January 1916, aged 28.

Serjeant J. A. Vince, Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry, who died on 18th July 1919, aged 50.

Three Great War graves close to the cemetery boundary.  We’ll visit the two graves on the right shortly, but the man buried beneath the headstone on the far left…

…is Private G. E. Edwards, Royal Army Medical Corps, who died on 11th January 1919.

The other two men are both N.C.Os.  On the left,…

…Corporal T. Lewis, Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry, who died on 27th October 1918, aged 27,…

…the other grave that of Serjeant Thomas James Baker, South Staffordshire Regiment, who died on 20th July 1919 of sickness, having been wounded and evacuated to Blighty.

Looking back down the cemetery.  It’s time I was off.

So that’s it, and, for your information, I found most of the men I was after, and the gig was excellent.  All in all, a decent day.