Name
Bernard Owen James Atkins
1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
05/10/1916
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
36226
Princess Charlotte of Wales’ (Royal Berkshire) Regiment
6th Bn.
'B' Coy.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
PUCHEVILLERS BRITISH CEMETERY
Plot V, Row D, Grave 3.
France
Headstone Inscription
"TILL THE DAY BREAK MOTHER"
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, St Matthew’s Church Memorial, Oxhey, Not listed on the Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Bernard Owen Atkins was born in 1894 in Ealing, Middx, son of Owen and Mary Ann Elizabeth Atkins (nee Harwood) of Watford.
His parents married 1887 in the Wycombe, Bucks, district. Owen died 1947 in Watford aged 83, and was buried 20 January in Vicarage Road Cemetery, Watford; Mary died 1959 in St Alban’s, Herts, aged 90, and was buried 5 February, also in Vicarage Road Cemetery.
His father had moved from Croydon in Surrey, where he worked as a coachman and domestic servant to Harrow Weald and then to Oxhey, where he was employed as a domestic gardener. Bernard had an older sister, Daisy, and a younger brother, John.
On the 1901 Census, aged 6 he lived in Highcroft Cottages, Harrow Weald, Middx, with his parents and one sibling.
He attended Callowland Board School, Watford, from 16 April 1902 to 7 July 1904, leaving then because of moving to Pinner, Middx.
1911 Census records Bernard 16 and John 15, they were both working as errand boys and living with their parents at 78 Pinner Road, Oxhey, Herts.
Wartime Service
Formerly 6007 in the Hertfordshire Regiment
Additional Information
His mother, Mrs. M. A. E. Atkins, 78 Pinner Rd, Oxhey, Watford, Herts. ordered his headstone inscription: "TILL THE DAY BREAK MOTHER". There are In Memoriams for Bernard in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 6 October 1917, 5 October 1918 and 4 October 1919. Son of Owen and Mary Arm Elizabeth Atkins, of Watford, Herts. His mother Mrs. M. A. E. Atkins ordered his headstone inscription: "TILL THE DAY BREAK MOTHER", at that time she was recorded at78 Pinner Rd, Oxhey, Watford, Herts. Information provided with kind permission of Bushey First World War Commemoration Project – Please visit www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk. Unfortunately, Bernard’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk, Jonty Wild, Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
