Location: All Saints, West Alvington, Devon, TQ7 3PN
H.T.HILLS
Details on cross:
G.R.U.
55A19
25946 H.T.HILLS
DEVONS
Text type (e.g. hand-written, GRU tags, carved): TAG
Cross dimensions (millimetres please)
Shaft Height: 1040mm
Cross beam width: 410mm
Width of wood: 65mm
Thickness or depth: 20mm
Other information
Mounting to wall: Hanging from top on window splay. North aisle, north wall. Unsecured
Evidence of use in field (earth marking, cracking, staining, shrinkage): Some rotting visible. Square base.
Condition (cracked, paint peeling, woodwork, damage etc): Unvarnished. Signs of repair using wood filler.
Notes and observations:
Hills appears on adjacent War Memorial in church
No date on the cross.
Herbert Thomas Hill, Private 1st Battalion, Devonshire Regiment. Service Number 25948
Died on 4th October 1917 aged 32 during the Battle of Broonsneide. He is buried at Tyne Cot Cemetery.
Herbert is also remembered on Tetbury War Memorial along with his brother Ernest Edmund Hill who was killed on 19th June 1917.
From CWGC:
Son of Thomas and Emily Hill, Tetbury, Gloucestershire; husband of Grace Irene Hill, of 2 Rosedale, Westville, Kingsbridge, Devon.
PTE.A.RICHARDS
Details on cross:
I. W.G.C.
140546 PTE.A.RICHARDS
8/MGC
4.10.18
Text type (e.g. hand-written, GRU tags, carved): TAG
Cross dimensions (millimetres please)
Shaft Height: 1160mm
Cross beam width: 410mm
Width of wood: 70mm
Thickness or depth: 20mm
Other information
Mounting to wall: Hanging from top on window splay. North aisle, north wall. Unsecured
Evidence of use in field (earth marking, cracking, staining, shrinkage): Pointed base and hammer marks on head. No rotting.
Condition (cracked, paint peeling, woodwork, damage etc): Unvarnished. Signs of repair using wood filler.
Notes and observations:
Richards appears on adjacent War Memorial in church
Alfred Dorian Meyers Richards, Private, 8th Battalion Machine Gun Corps and previously of the Devonshire Regiment. Service Numbers: MGC 140546, Devonshire 30616
Died of wounds on 4th October 1918 aged 20 and is buried at Le Cateau Military Cemetery.
Other observations:
From what I can make out neither men were originally from the village; Herbert was born in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, and Alfred in Lymington, Hampshire. Herbert’s occupation was a bookseller and stationer which, coincidently, was the same as Alfred’s father. They also both died on the same day albeit a year apart.
Survey and photographs courtesy of John Vigar and Andy Pritchatt
Date of survey: 12/06/2017
GALLERY FROM JOHN VIGAR
GALLERY FROM ANDY PRITCHATT
