Name
Wilfred Warn
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
22/07/1916
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
C/1016
King's Royal Rifle Corps
16th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HEILLY STATION CEMETERY, MERICOURT-L'ABBE
Plot II, Row C, Grave 22.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour,
Croxley Green Village Memorial,
All Saints' Church Shrine, Croxley Green,
Rickmansworth Urban District Memorial,
Oddfellows Memorial, Rickmansworth
Pre War
Son of Thomas and Elizabeth (nee BASTIN) WARN of Croxley Green, Herts.
His parents married 31 May 1873 at All Saints, Croxley Green. Thomas died 16 October 1929 in Croxley Green aged 78; Elizabeth died 23 May 1934 in Watford aged 83.
Wilfred was born 1888 in Croxley Green, and baptised 5 October 1890 at All Saints, Croxley Green. He resided in Croxley Green, and worked in the grocery store of the Croxley Green Co-Operative Society. He had been a member of the Croxley Green Church Lads’ Brigade.
He has an entry in the National Probate Calendar.
On the 1891 Census, aged 2 he lived in Croxley Green, with his parents and six siblings. On the 1901 Census, aged 12 he still lived in Croxley Green, with his parents and eight siblings. On the 1911 Census, a grocer’s assistant aged 22, he still lived in Croxley Green, with his parents and four siblings.
Wilfred worked in the grocery store of Croxley Green Co-operative Society.
His father worked at Croxley Mill.
Wartime Service
He was one of the Croxley Green Church Lads and enlisted on 2 November 1914. He failed the medical test three times but persisted until he found a doctor willing to pass him. He was 26 when he joined up. On 19 July 1915 he was promoted Lance Corporal and he moved with the battalion to France on 16 November 1915, which became his qualifying date for the 1914-15 Star medal.
He served at Home 2 November 1914 to 15 November 1915, during which time he was appointed unpaid Lance-Corporal 19 July 1915, and in France from 16 November 1915.
He was admitted to 6 Casualty Clearing Station from 2 to 9 January 1916 with influenza.
On 15 July the 16th KRRC had joined a disastrous attack on High Wood with many casualties.
On 21 July the remnants of the battalion were back in High Wood trying to defend the line. Wilfred suffered a shell wound to the head 21 July 1916, dying the next day at 38 Casualty Clearing Station, France.
The All Saints’ Parish Magazine (September 1916) paid tribute to Wilfred’s fine character, and commented that he was in every way a splendid comrade and soldier.
Additional Information
There is an article about Wilfred in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 29 July 1916.
Probate for Wilfred’s estate was granted to one of his seven brothers, Sidney, on 24 January 1917. He left £140.8s.10d.
Acknowledgments
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk), Malcolm Lennox, Brian Thomson, Croxley Green in the First World War Rickmansworth Historical Society 2014.
