News - Old Basing Memorial Project

Memorial Awarded Listed Status

Post author By Chris Hawkins
Post date 11/11/2020

St Marys Old Basing War Memorial

Old Basings War Memorial has been awarded grade two listed status by Historic England along with 132 others in the UK. Oddly this was picked up by the Helensburgh Advertiser and on the Daily Mail website ( who seemed to think the Old Basing memorial was the Basingstoke one) and our local paper the Basingstoke Gazette.

Old Basings memorial is added to hundreds of other memorials that have already been granted listed status. The Historic England Press release said:
“In 2014, Historic England committed to listing 2,500 war memorials by the end of 2018 to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War. It achieved this target, listing 2,645, but decided to continue the work as many more cherished memorials worthy of listing status were identified.”

Tags Grade 2 Listed Monument, Historic England

Uncategorized

Thankful Villages

Post author By Chris Hawkins
Post date 30/09/2020

During the research of the names on the Old Basing War Memorial I was reminded me of the Thankful or Blessed ( and Doubly Thankful ) Villages of the UK.

A Thankful Village was one where all members of the armed services survived the war. And in the case of the Doubly Thankful villages are ones where no deaths were recorded in WW1 and WW2.

In the England and Wales there are 53 ( civil parishes ). Scotland and Ireland have none recorded. Only one village in France is thought to be a Thankful Village.

Arthur Mee

The idea was popularised in the 1930s by Arthur Mee who is best known for his work in The Harmsworth Self-Educator, The Children’s Encyclopædia, The Children’s Newspaper and the Kings England.

Hampshire has no Thankful Villages.

News and updates

WW2 and Old Basing

Post author By Chris Hawkins
Post date 22/04/2020

Initially we aim to cover those from the village you died during the 1st World War. But we will return in time to those lost during the 2nd World War and the Malayan Emergency.

Those listed on the Old Basing War Memorial from those conflicts are:

Raymond G. Blake
Leonard W. Cass
Maurice J. Cowdray
Kenneth S. Crisfield
David W. Date
Leonard R. Fouracre
Frederick Gunner
Arthur W. Hedderley
Charles A. Hine
William Inkpen
William Kemp
Geoffrey A. Ridge
Sidney J. Paris
Leonard R. Paris
Ernest D. Ticehurst
Frederick T. Tyler

Pte Donald Bone ( 1st Devon Rgt. Malaya 1950 )

Any information, pictures or stories about the above are very much welcomed. Please drop us a line via the contact page.