QOOH / OY ROLL OF HONOUR
Remembered this Month of February 2025
During this month we pay our tributes and due reverence to those soldiers who had served in a unit holding the QOOH or OY appellation, who gave their lives in pursuit of peace for the Nation. And especially that we are able to live our lives as we wish, without fear of dictatorships, race, or creed.
The names of the Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, and Other Ranks who were either killed in action (K); missing in action (M); died of wounds (DW); died in captivity (DC); or otherwise died in service (D); for remembrance during the month of February 2025 are listed below.
Age at date of death, if known, is shown in brackets following date of death.
2nd Anglo-Boer War
1901
15/2/1901 (22) Tpr Arthur Thomas Beeching DW, at Krugersdorp, West Rand, Gauteng Province, S Africa (wounded at Modderfontein 31/1/1901, Gauteng Province)
Buried in Burgershoop Cemetery, Krugersdorp, West Rand District Municipality, Gauteng, South Africa
16/2/1901 (29) Tpr Maurice Richard Church K, at Hartebeestfontein, N-West Province, S Africa
Buried at Klerksdorp Old Municipal Cemetery, Klerksdorp, Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality, North-West, S Africa
16/2/1901 (31) Tpr Frank Douglas K, at Hartebeestfontein, N-West Province, S Africa
Buried at Klerksdorp Old Municipal Cemetery, Klerksdorp, Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality, North-West, S Africa
16/2/1901 (22) Tpr Harry White K, at Hartebeestfontein, N-West Province, S Africa
Not known where buried/commemorated
18/2/1901 (28) Sjt Thomas Henry Pickett K, at Hartebeestfontein, N-West Province, S Africa
Buried at Klerksdorp Cemetery, Klerksdorp, Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality, North-West, S Africa
1902
25/2/1902 (22) Tpr Henry William Hinton K, missing believed dead at Yzerspruit, nr Klerksdorp, N-West Province, S Africa
Believed to be buried (as an Unknown Soldier) at Klerksdorp Old Municipal Cemetery, Klerksdorp, Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality, North-West, S Africa
26/2/1902 (29) Shg Sth John Hurst K, near Wolmaransstad, Transvaal, S Africa
Not known where buried/commemorated
26/2/1902 (23) 2/Lt Tom Willis K, near Wolmaransstad, Transvaal, S Africa
Not known where buried/commemorated
First World War
1915
22/2/1915 (19) Pte Rowland Dickins K, at Zillebeke, Belgium
Commemorated at Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
1916
3/2/1916 (19) Pte Richard Charles Claridge D, of accident at Kings Lynn, Cambridge, England
Commemorated at Oxford (Osney St. Mary) Cemetery, Oxfordshire, UK (originally buried at Holy Trinity Church, St. Ebbes, Oxford. This church was demolished in 1957)
8/2/1916 (20) Pte Thomas Percival Stone K, at Vermelles, Pas-de-Calais, France
Buried at Vermelles British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France
1919
10/2/1919 (32) Pte Robert Lund Parkinson D, of illness at Ormskirk, Lancashire (on return from Belgium)
Buried at Tarleton (St. Mary) Churchyard, Tarleton, Preston, Lancashire, UK
17/2/1919 (26) Pte John Edward Reeves D, of sickness in Germany
Buried at Cologne Southern Cemetery, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
1921
14/2/1921 (33) Pte Herbert James Young D, of phthisis asthenia at Wallingford, Oxon
Buried at Watlington (St. Leonard) Churchyard, Oxfordshire, UK
World War Two
1942
6/2/1942 (21) L/Bdr Eric Garside K, by mortar fire at Punggol Point, Singapore
Buried at Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore (originally buried at Changi cemetery)
7/2/1942 (34) Pte William Haynes (RASC att) K, in a bombing raid at Changi, Singapore
Buried at Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore
7/2/1942 (29) L/Sgt Roy Lillie DW, at Tanglin Military Hospital, Singapore
Commemorated at Singapore Memorial, Singapore
7/2/1942 Pte John Hartley Swinglehurst (RASC att) K, in a bombing raid at Changi, Singapore
Buried at Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore (originally buried at Changi Cemetery, Singapore)
11/2/1942 (31) L/Bdr Daniel Chattaway K, at Singapore Race Course
Buried at Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore
12/2/1942 (21) L/Sgt John Thomas Richardson K, on Bukit Timah Road, Singapore
Commemorated at Singapore Memorial, Singapore
13/2/1942 (41) Dvr John Bernadine Mercer (RASC att) M, last seen in Beach Rd, Singapore
Commemorated at Singapore Memorial, Singapore
13/2/1942 (21) Dvr James Harold Wright (RASC att) M, last seen in Beach Rd, Singapore
Commemorated at Singapore Memorial, Singapore
14/2/1942 (20) Dvr Leonard Bertram Manning (RASC att) DW, at Tanglin Hospital, Singapore
Commemorated at Singapore Memorial, Singapore
15/2/1942 (29) Gnr Robert Bird DW, at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Mandalay Rd, Singapore
Buried at Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore
15/2/1942 (21) Gnr Ronald Lewis Busby K, by m/gun wound to the head at Thompson Rd, Singapore
Commemorated at Singapore Memorial, Singapore
15/2/1942 (27) Gnr Bernard Lionel Challis K, by shellfire at Mandalay Road, Singapore
Buried at Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore (originally buried outside Tan Tock Seng Hospital by 198 Fd Amb)
15/2/1942 (23) Gnr Cyril Chapman K, in Thompson Rd, Singapore
Buried at Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore (originally buried in Lornie Rd, Singapore)
15/2/1942 (29) Sgt Ernest John Claydon K, by bomb in air raid at Fort Canning, Singapore
Buried at Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore (originally buried at Fort Canning Rise Cemetery)
15/2/1942 (24) Sgt George Cross K, in air raid at Fort Canning, Singapore
Buried at Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore (originally buried nr Raffles Girls School)
15/2/1942 (36) Bdr James Gee K, in air raid at Fort Canning, Singapore
Buried at Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore (originally buried at Fort Canning Rise Cemetery)
15/2/1942 (33) Capt Ronald Cecil Brooke Greville M, missing after escape attempt, Singapore
Commemorated at Singapore Memorial, Singapore
15/2/1942 (25) Lt John James Hatchett, MiD M, missing after escape attempt, Singapore
Commemorated at Singapore Memorial, Singapore
15/2/1942 (21) Gnr John Griffith Jones K, in Thompson Rd, Singapore
Commemorated at Singapore Memorial, Singapore
15/2/1942 (21) Gnr Walter James Pitches M, missing, last seen in Halifax Road, Singapore
Commemorated at Singapore Memorial, Singapore
15/2/1942 (23) Gnr Frederick Reginald Scates M, missing, last seen in Halifax Road, Singapore
Commemorated at Singapore Memorial, Singapore
15/2/1942 (28) Gnr Sydney William Taylor K, in air raid at Fort Canning, Singapore
Buried at Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore
15/2/1942 (33) Sgt Raymond Richard Trace M, missing believed killed at Singapore
Commemorated at Singapore Memorial, Singapore
15/2/1942 (31) Gnr Frederick G Westwood K, when his A/T gun was surrounded at Thomson Road, Singapore
Buried at Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore
15/2/1942 (30) Gnr Alfred Edwin Wilson K, whilst attached to 7 MRC at Singapore [7 MRC (Military Reinforcement Camp) was 7 miles, north, out of Singapore off Upper Serangoon Road]
Commemorated at Singapore Memorial, Singapore
15/2/1942 (20) Gnr George Arthur Worton K, when his A/T gun was surrounded at Thomson Road, Singapore
Buried at Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore
1944
3/2/1944 (23) Gnr Arthur Roy Little D, in England
Buried at Kidlington (St Mary) Burial Ground, Oxfordshire, UK
22/2/1944 (31) Bdr Arthur Clarence Somerville DC, of avitaminosis and dysentery at Chungkai, Thailand
Buried at Chungkai War Cemetery, Thailand
1945
10/2/1945 (37) Gnr Herbert Walter James Selwood DC, at Manila, Philippines
Buried at Sai Wan War Cemetery, Hong Kong
QOOH Men Who Were Transferred Into Other Units in World War One
During the First World War, and with the high number of casualties happening, there was an urgent need for replacement soldiers to back-fill these gaps. Many hundreds of these came from men of the 2/1st and 3/1st QOOH. Whilst being given a Service Number when signing up to the QOOH, these men were then re-issued a second Service Number on transfer, and a great many men were lost to the QOOH records. Over time, a lot of records have been found informing us of a number of these transfers and where they ended up, and of course, their casualty numbers. In the section below we list the QOOH men who were transferred into these other units and subsequently lost their lives. I would like to give great credit to Mike Cross and Harry Staff who have been delving into these further records and without their due diligence these QOOH men would most likely not be remembered here on this page. As new information comes to light, these lists will be updated and is certainly a ‘Work-in-Progress’ situation.
In the lists below can be found the soldier’s original QOOH Service Number, his new secondary Service Number, and the Battalion he was posted to. It has been found that some QOOH soldiers had been transferred more than once, and this is mentioned in the text below where this has been uncovered.
QOOH Men Transferred Into Secondary Units
Infantry Battalion Names
1917 QOOH OBLI Bn
12/2/1917 (34) Pte Edward Eyels 3269 203292 1st/4th Oxf & Bucks LI
DW, at Herbecourt, Somme, France
Buried at Hem Farm Military Cemetery, Hem-Monacu, Somme, France (originally buried at Achille British Cemetery, Flaucourt, Somme)
20/2/1917 (23) Pte William Henry Franklin 2571 32789 6th Oxf & Bucks LI
K, at Gillemont, Somme, France
Commemorated at Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France
20/2/1917 (21) Pte William George Greenway 6703 32808 6th Oxf & Bucks LI
K, at Gillemont, Somme, France
Commemorated at Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France
20/2/1917 Pte George Webb 3066 32894 6th Oxf & Bucks LI
K, at Gillemont, Somme, France
Commemorated at Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France
26/2/1917 (24) Pte George William Woodward 3125 33028 6th Oxf & Bucks LI
DW, at Meaulte, Somme, France (received at Cappy, Somme)
Buried at Grove Town Cemetery, Meaulte, Somme, France
28/2/1917 (20) Pte William Henry Guy Wallen 3010 203417 1st/4th Oxf & Bucks LI
DW, at Bray-sur-Somme, Somme, France (received at Cappy, Somme)
Buried at Bray Military Cemetery, Bray-sur-Somme, Somme, France
1918
13/2/1918 Pte Henry Herbert George Viney 286406 30761 2nd/1st Bucks Bn, Oxf & Bucks LI
DW, at Foreste, Aisne, France (received at Nesle, Aisne)
Buried at Foreste Communal Cemetery, Aisne, France
Rank Abbreviations
2/Lt – Second-Lieutenant
Bdr – Bombardier (artillery equivalent to Corporal)
BQMS – Battery Quarter Master Sergeant (artillery equivalent to Company QMS)
Capt – Captain
Cpl – Corporal
Dvr – Driver (RASC equivalent to Private)
Gnr – Gunner (artillery equivalent to Private)
L/Bdr – Lance-Bombardier (artillery equivalent to Lance-Corporal)
L/Cpl – Lance-Corporal
L/Sgt – Lance-Sergeant (a local promotion of a Bombardier /Corporal by his commanding officer, usually with extra pay)
Lt – Lieutenant
Lt-Col – Lieutenant-Colonel
Maj – Major
Pte – Private
QMS – Quarter Master Sergeant
RSM – Regimental Sergeant Major
Sdlr – Saddler (maker and repairs to Saddles)
Shg Sth – Shoeing Smith (Shoeing of horses)
Sgt – Sergeant
Sjt – Serjeant
SSgt – Staff Sergeant
SSM – Squadron Sergeant Major
Tpr – Trooper (cavalry equivalent to Private)
Tptr – Trumpeter (cavalry equivalent to Bugler)
Post-Nominal Letters
Post-nominal letters, are letters placed after a person’s name to indicate that an individual holds a military decoration, or honour :-
DSO – Distinguished Service Order (awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the Armed Forces during wartime).
MC – Military Cross (for officers only until 1993, when it was opened up to all ranks) – awarded for acts of exemplary gallantry during active operations against the enemy on land.
MM – Military Medal (other ranks’ equivalent to the Military Cross until 1993) – awarded for bravery in battle.
MiD – Mentioned in Dispatches (is one whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the High Command, in which his or her gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy is described)
These awards in the British Armed Forces, were, and still are, published in the London Gazette.
As more details of soldiers who have served with the OY and QOOH become available, this Roll of Honour list will be updated. This is very much a ‘work-in-progress’ item.
If you know of any person whom you think should be remembered in our Roll of Honour, please inform any of these people –Mick Luxford, Mike Cross, or Harry Staff – for consideration, thank you.
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