The following is a brief review of the memorial to the fallen of the Great War at Riby, Lincolnshire. Personal details of the twelve men commemorated thereon are drawn from the records of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) and ‘ Soldiers Died in The Great War 1914 – 1919 ‘ Volume 15.
St Edmond’s Church, Riby
The memorial is in the form of a granite column situated just to the right of the main entrance inside the Churchyard. An urn surmounts the column. Inscribed on the column are the words:
THE
RIBY PEOPLE
GIVE PRAISE TO OUR
GOD OF VICTORIES
AND ERECT THIS
MONUMENT IN MEMORY
OF THEIR DEAR ONES
WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES
IN THE
GREAT WAR 1914 – 1918
THESE DIED FOR US
Pte JOHN J BELL Seaforth Highlands Sep 1915
Capt EDWARD BUCKLEY York & Lancasters Sep 1917
Sec Lt ROY BUCKLEY Manchesters Jan 1917
Sergt ALFRED COX Lincolns July 1916
Pte FRED GOODHAND Australians Apr 1917
Pte WALTER LEE Lincolns Sep 1918
Pte WILLIAM H LEE Lincolns Apr 1917
L/Cpl CHARLES H PATTINSON Lincolns Sep 1916
Pte BENJAMIN SMITH Lincolns July 1916
Pte CHARLES W WEBSTER Duke of Wellingtons May 1917
Gunner FRED WEBSTER RGA Sep 1917
Pte FRED WILSON Lincolns Apr 1917
JOHN BELL
John J BELL served as Private S/7456 in the 8th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders. He was killed in action in France on the 25th September 1915 and is commemorated on the Loos Memorial in the Pas de Calais.
EDWARD BUCKLEY
Edward BUCKLEY, the son of J R Buckley of Riby ,was killed on the 30th September 1917 whilst serving as a Captain in the 2nd Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment. He is buried in the Loos British Cemetery, Pas de Calais.
ROY BUCKLEY
2nd Lieutenant Roy BUCKLEY was killed on the 9th January 1917 serving with the 4th Battalion Manchester Regiment and is buried in the Varennes Military Cemetery on the Somme.
ALFRED COX
Alfred COX, Sergeant 683 in the 10th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment ( The Grimsby Chums),was killed on the First Day of the Somme, July 1st 1916.He was the son of Charles and Betsy Cox of Stallingborough and was 22 years of age at the time of his death. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, The Somme.
FRED GOODHAND
Fred GOODHAND, the son of Henry and the late Elizabeth Goodhand of Riby enlisted on the 6th April 1916 as Private 6270 in the 16th Battalion, Australian Infantry. He was killed in action in France aged 32 on the 11th April 1917 and is commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.
WALTER LEE
Walter LEE served as Private 240682 in the 1/5th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment and was killed aged 21 on the 15th September 1918.He was the son of Henry and Betsy Ann Lee of Sturton Yard, Baumber, Horncastle and is buried in the Roisel Communal Cemetery, the Somme.
WILLIAM H. LEE
William H. LEE, brother of the above, was killed on the 12th April 1917 aged 24 whilst serving as Private 11/1565 with the 8th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment. He is buried in the Bailleul Road East Cemetery in the Pas de Calais.
CHARLES H. PATTINSON
Charles H. PATTINSON was killed in action on the 20th September 1916 whilst serving as Lance Corporal 21675 with X Company of the 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment. Then aged 25 he was the son of John and Lavina Pattinson of Annersely Street, Grimsby and the husband of E Pattinson of the Laurels, Riby. He is buried in Vermelles British Cemetery.
BENJAMIN SMITH
Benjamin SMITH is recorded as a member of the Lincolnshire Regiment who was killed in July 1916.Four members of the Regiment with this name are recorded in ‘ Soldiers Died ‘ Vol 15 but none died in July 1916 and none appear on the CWGC data base.
CHARLES W. WEBSTER
Charles W. WEBSTER, the son of Alfred and Anna Maria Webster and the husband of Annie Ann Webster of Beelsby, served as Private 241743 in the 2/5th Battalion Duke of Wellington’s Regiment. He was killed on the 3rd May 1917 aged 30 and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais.
FRED WEBSTER
Fred WEBSTER was killed on the 24th September 1917 in India whilst serving as Gunner 89188 with the 79th Company, Royal Garrison Artillery. He was then aged 22 and was the son of Alfred and Annie Webster of Clixby Top, Grasby, Lincs.He is commemorated on the Kirkee 1914 -1918 Memorial, in India.
FRED WILSON
Fred WILSON was killed on the 23rd April 1917 whilst serving as Private 22774 with the 7th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais.
