Bream Cenotaph
reproduced with the permission of the author
This book was published by Black
Dwarf Lightmoor at the end of 2001.
The author is Ian Hendy, a former chairman of Bream Sports Club,a history teacher,
parish councillor and well respected resident of the village of Bream.
The book is the result of a combination of Ian's knowledge of the history of
the world wars, extensive research into local contemporary accounts of events
and - best of all - many personal accounts and memento's gleaned from the families
and friends of those men and women whose names appear upon this fine monument.
Ian has researched each person in the context of what was happening to them
and their service units at the time leading to their unfortunate and untimely
deaths in the service of their country. The generosity of the people back home
in the village is described with the villagers already extremely poor, making
collections for their boys in service across the water.
The cenotaph has deservedly occupied the prime position in Bream since 1921, looking out across a superb view of the Forest of Dean. Ian generously donated proceeds from the sale of his book to the cenotaph restoration fund.
The appeal of this book is not limited to the Bream, "Breamers", the Forest of Dean or "Foresters". The quality of this work deserves a wider audience. It is a book about the effects of war upon a village in England. Although some of the peculiarities of Forest life are brought to the fore, it could be any village. In those days, everyone in a village knew everyone else, making each loss, a loss for the whole village, not just for the families involved.
If anyone would like a copy of the book, you can visit the Black Dwarf web site mentioned above where this and other local books and memorabilia are available.
The Book is titled "Retrieving Wenty's Sturty Bird",150 pages, ISBN 1 903599 03 2, Author Ian Hendy, Publisher Black Dwarf Publications, 47-49 High Street, Lydney, Glos, GL15 5DD. Price £11.99.
The names on the Bream Cenotaph are :
| The First World War | The Second World War |
|---|---|
|
A. BROOKES
|
M. BATH
|
|
A. DODGSHON
|
N. BAKER
|
|
E. EVANS
|
W. CROTE
|
|
P. FROWEN
|
L. COURT
|
|
H.L. HOWELLS
|
R. CARPENTER
|
|
T. JONES
|
T. CHALLENGER
|
|
W.T. KEAR
|
W. DREW
|
|
J. KENT
|
S. DREW
|
|
E. KILBY
|
D. DAVIES
|
|
L.LODGE
|
E. GRINDLE
|
|
E.LUCAS
|
D. HANCOCK
|
|
L. MAYNE
|
D. JENKYNS
|
|
J. MATTY
|
V. JAMES
|
|
G. NELMES
|
P. MEEK
|
|
W.H. PEARCE
|
R. MOORE
|
|
A.E. THOMAS
|
C. MORGAN
|
|
H. WALSEY
|
C. MARSHALL
|
|
A. WATKINS
|
J. NEILSON
|
|
O. WILKS
|
J. OVERINGTON
|
|
E. WORGAN
|
T. TURLEY
|
|
G. WYNN
|
D. WINTLE
|
|
W.WILDIN
|
|
|
S. WILKS
|
|
|
DOREEN BROOKS
|
|
|
DOROTHY HANCOCKS
|
Reg Batten and Fred Yorke , two of Bream's soldiers during World War One
Reg Batten of Bream with the B.E.F.
The next link brings up 2 postcards from the B.E.F. sent home in December 1918.
If you wish to comment on this photo or can supply names of people please click here
WANTED: Old photos, old postcards, ephemera and memories of the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. U.K.- please click here to make contact.