The first idea for a memorial was put forward at Hempstead’s Annual Parish Meeting in March 1918. (Frank Foster, the Chairman, lived at Fields Farm.)

These are the names listed.

WORLD WAR ONE
Andrews, Charles Ernest
Andrews, Frank Edgar
Andrews, Walter William
Colman, Harry
Colman, Hugh Charles
Foster, George
Purkiss Arthur
Purkiss, Arthur Macdonald
Purkiss, Willie
Robinson, Arthur
Robinson, Charles
Stubbings, Ernest John
Turner, Arthur William
Tycer, George
WORLD WAR 2
Banks, John Wiiiiam
Barnard, Frank Robert
Bridgman, Francis Harley
Gibbs, Cecil John
This is what we know about the men who are commemorated:
ANDREWS, Charles Ernest
Brother of Frank Edgar Andrews
Born 1884, living in Hill Road at the [1891 and ]1901 census, working as an agricultural labourer
Private 17043, 2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment
Killed in action 1 July 1916, aged 32
Commemorated in Serre Cemetery. 1 July 1916 was the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Many hundreds of the Somme soldiers were killed in the vicinity of this cemetery during the British offensive and it was not possible to retrieve their bodies for almost a year.
ANDREWS, Frank Edgar
Brother of Charles Ernest Andrews
Born 1891, living in Hill Road at the 1891 census
Private 24578. 2nd Battalion., Suffolk Regiment
Died 7 May 1917, aged 26. fighting near Arras.
Buried in Feuchy Chapel, British Cemetery Wancourt, Pas de Calais, France Grave Ref 1 D 20
ANDREWS, Walter William
Born 1892. Living in Saffron Walden at 1901 census, living with mother Emma Foster and stepfather David Foster.
Emigrated to Australia in September 1914 and enlisted in Brisbane Australia Dec 1915, giving his trade as Stoker.
Private 2005. 41st Battalion, Australian Infantry.
Killed in Action 31″ July 1917, aged 26 during the Battle of Messines.
Commemorated on Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Panels no 7-17-23-25-27-29-31. (His service record Indicates he was buried In Messines. These graves were destroyed in later fighting. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate for those with no known grave.)
COLMAN, Harry
Bom 1886, living In Boarded Barn, Hempstead. Son of William Thomas and Frances Eliza Colman and younger brother of Hugh Charles Colman. At the 1901 census his father was listed as a farmer.
Private 1941A, 34th Bn., Australian Infantry.
Killed In Action 11th June 1917, aged 32, during the Battle of Messines. Commemorated on Messines Ridge British Cemetery Ref: 4 F 21.
COLMAN, Hugh Charles
Born 1881, civilian trade Life Assurance Manager. Older brother of Harry Colman.
Private 231031. Royal Bucks Hussars, 2/1 Dorset Infantry.
Became seriously ill while on active service in Egypt and diagnosed with ‘general paralysis of the insane’. Discharged 15th March 1918, no longer fit for war. Intended place of residence Wincelow Hall, Hempstead. Died June 1918, aged 32.
Burled In Radwinter churchyard.
FOSTER, George
Born 1888, living In Hill Road at 1901 census as a farm worker. Son of George Foster.
Private 16578, 9th Battalion, Essex Regiment.
Killed in Action 18th October 1915, aged 27.
Commemorated on Loos Memorial, Panels 85-87 (The Loos Memorial commemorates over 20,000 officers and men in the area from the River Lys to the east and west of Grenay who have no known grave.)
PURKISS Arthur
Born 1884, living In Blagdens Cottage at the 1901 census. Father was a farm labourer
Sapper 310937, 3rd Field Survey Corps, Royal Engineers.
Killed in Action 3rd October 1918, aged 23. Commemorated in Chapel Corner Cemetery, Sauchy-Lestrée, Pas de Calais, Panel Ref. CG. (Sauchy-Lestrée was captured by the 56th (London} Division on the 27th September 1918. The cemetery was used by fighting units during the following five weeks.)
PURKISS, Arthur MacDonald*
Born 1900 in Radwinter, living with parents at 73 Linnell Road, Camberwell, London. At the 1901 census father described as a carman. Nephew of Willie Purkiss
Private 35150, 1st Bn., Royal Welsh Fusiliers. He lied about his age, joining up when he was only 15, despite the minimum age of serving overseas being 19.
Killed In action at the Somme on 4th September 1916, aged 16.
Commemorated In Serre Road Cemetery No. 2 Ref.XXXVlll.C.8. He would have been fighting on the Somme. The Regiment’s roll of honour which Includes his name records action at Becordel-Becourt on 4 September 1916.
PURKISS, Willie
Born 1891,llving in Hill Road, Hempstead at the 1901 census. Son of Mr S Purkiss and uncle of Arthur Macdonald Purkiss, who was the son of his older brother Arthur..
Private 14822, 11th Battalion, Essex Regiment.
Died of a brain haemhorrage sustained on active service on 24 March 1916, aged 25.
Commemorated In Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Ref. V.D.16A

ROBINSON, Arthur
Born 18&4, living In Hill Road, Hempstead at the 1901 census. Older brother of Charles Robinson
Private 4226, 1″ Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment.
Died of wounds 4 June 1915, aged 31.
Burled in Bethune Town Cemetery, Pas de Calais, Grave Ref. V D 86.
See a local newspaper report of Arthur Robinson’s death here
ROBINSON, Charles
Born 1890, living in Hill Road, Hempstead at the 1901 census. Son of Charles and Ann Robinson and brother of Arthur Robinson.
Private 15203, 11th Battalion, Essex Regiment.
Died of wounds 22nd September 1916, aged 25.
Buried In St Severs Cemetery, Rouen. Rf B.20.40.
STUBBINGS, Ernest*
Born 1886 in Hempstead, son of Alice Stubbings and gradson of Denny Stubbings, the village carpenter. At the 1901 census he was living in London with his mother who was a housekeeper domestic. Ernest is described as a Corporation Servant. Enlisted as a career soldier in 1902 and saw service in Egypt, Sudan and India. When he left the army after eight years he joined the reserve but was mobilised at the start of the war and promoted to Corporal in the 3rd Battalion, Rifle Brigade.
Killed In Action 21 June 1915, the first soldier from Hempstead to lose his life in the war.
Buried at La Brigue Farm near Ypres.
TURNER, Arthur William*
Born 1888 In Hempstead. At the 1901 census living with parents near the church. His father and brother were farm labourers.
Private 15685, lst Battalion, Essex Regiment.
Killed In Action at Arras on 14th April 1917, aged 29.
Commemorated on Arras Memorial, Ref. Bay 7.
TYCER, George*
Born 1882, living next to the Royal Oak (pub, now Oak House). A career soldier, joining the Essex Regiment in the Militia and then becoming Private 203075, 2nd Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment. In 1911 he was back in Hempstead working at Hophouse Farm.
Reenlisted in the 2nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment and killed in action at the Battle of Polygon Wood on 26 September 1917, aged 35.
Commemorated on Tyne Cot Memorial, Passchendaele. Panel 75 to 77,
* Note that the memorial on the wall of St Andrew’s Church does not include the above four individuals, possibly because they were Chapel members
WORLD WAR 2
BANKS, John William
Petty Officer, Cook, D/MX 81822. H.M.S. Aldenham RN
Killed In action 14th December 1944, aged 31 when the ship hit a mine on the return passage from the Adriatic to drop off partisans. The ship sank quickly. Out of 189 on board, only 67 survived.
Commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial Panel 91, column 2.
BARNARD, Frank Robert
Born 1912 In Hempstead, his parents Joseph and Jane were living In Hempstead at the [1901 census and probably still were in 1944]. Frank was married to Ethel Barnard. They lived in Putney.
Rifleman 1646440. 9th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles).
Killed In Action 31″ October 1944, aged 32.
Buried in Nedeweert War Cemetery, Netherlands, Ref. 11.A.11.
BRIDGMAN, Francis Harley
Born 1917, the son of John Moore (a tea planter) and Dorothea Bridgman, who retired to Bellropes before the war. His brother Tony was a war hero who was Guy Gibson’s Squadron Leader and could have led the Dambusters raid had be not been shot down: later, as a POW, he was in Stalag Luft III, where he was one of the men who vaulted daily over the Wooden House as cover for those tunnelling below. Francis was Sergeant 911575, 104 Squadron, RAF Volunteer Reserves.
In April 1941, 104 Squadron was re-formed at Driffield as a Wellington medium bomber unit, taking part in the night time bombing offensive against Fortress Europe. Francis was killed In action 25 April 1941, aged 24, when his p[lane was shot down.
Commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial Panel 40.
GIBBS, Cecil John
Probably born in 1914 in Hempstead. His mother, Mrs S. Gibbs, was living In the village at the time of his death.
Private 5832298. 1st Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment.
Captured by the Japanese after the fall of Singapore and taken to Kinsaiyok No. 1 Jungle Camp, Thailand for forced labour, in terrible conditions, on the Burma Railway, where he died of dysentery on 22 July 1943, aged 29.
Commemorated on the Singapore Memorial, Singapore, Column 58.