Berkshire and The War: the "Reading Standard" pictorial record. Volume 4. p 931

The 1st Berkshires'™ Thanksgiving Service - €”continued.

Not only did he welcome those present for themselves but also as representatives of the shattered and disabled and those serving abroad who were not there in person, and yet who were in a sense, for they could not doubt that they were with them in heart and s
spirit.

They welcomed them to that old church, which had so many proud records of the Berkshire Regiment. In the chancel hung the old colours of the 66th, and in the south aisle there was a window commemorating the officers and men who fell in 1880 in South Afghanistan. There were in the north brasses and tablets in memory of the Egyptian wars from 1882-1886, the Boer war of 1899, and adjoining the north aisle was their beautiful memorial chapel built to keep fresh the commemoration of those in the parish who died during the war of 1914, many of whom were Royal Berkshire men.

The Traditions of the Regiment.

They had long and honourable traditions of days gone by, but they had if possible exceeded those traditions during the last war. By what they had done and suffered they had shown from the very beginning a spirit of loyalty, courage and devotion unsurpassed by any in history. In so doing they were giving them a lesson they all needed to learn. They had shown them that traditions were given to urge us on to more and more honourable deeds in the future. If that were not so traditions would become drags on progress and reform. In Reading they had a long and honourable history, but that was only given to spur them on to greater developments and further progress. They had great British traditions of justice, honesty and mercy, but they meant to use them for the sweeping away of all that was base and ignoble and attaining that which was highest and best in the national life. They had great Christian traditions based on foundations that would last for ever -€” built on the Rock of Ages, but they as Christian people knew the deadly danger of apathy, stagnation and self-complacency, if their great history did not help them to new hopes of progress for the future.

Officers Attending.

Captain M. P. Pugh, D.S.O., M.C., who had returned since the cadre came home, was in command of the 1st Berks and looked in the best of health. Other officers of the 1st Batt. present were Capt. W. C. Hanney, M.C., Capt Mason, Lieut. Lapworth, quartermaster, Lieut. T. E. Bryan and Lieut. K. Frost.

Captain J. C. Crawford was in command of the l/4th Battalion.

Officers present from the Depot, Royal Berks Regiment, included Colonel J. G. R. Walsh, O.C., Captain R. D. H. Norman, Adjutant,
Colonel A. F. Ewen, V.D., 151st T.F., Colonel Lockhart, Colonel W. W. Baker, Major T. J. Wheble, and Major M. L. Porter, M.B.E.,
Berks T.F. Association.

The 1st Cadet Battalion, Reading, 4th Royal Berks Regt., was under the command of Capt. J. Cotton, and the companies on parade were: No. 1 Co. (Sutton's), Captain E. Blandy; No. 2 Co. (Town), Cadet Captain F. W. Spring; No. 3 Co. (Herbert's, Cadet Captain A. G. Hibbird; No. 4 Co. (Huntley and Palmers), Cadet Captain R. T. Colegate; No. 5 Co. (Pulsometer), Cadet Capta in E. Langston; No. 6 Co. (Warrick, Allen and Simmonds), Cadet Captain F. G. Hawkes; and No. 8 Co. (St. Andrew's Home), Cadet Captain F. G. Churchill; also Cadet Lieut. I. R. Broad and Cadet Lieut. A. G. W. Dunkley. Lieut. G. A. F. Gillmor, Royal Berks Regiment, acted as Adjutant.

The K.R.R. Cadets were in charge of Capt. Dr. Highet, Lieuts. Farber, Dormer, G. R. Pym and Waight.

Captain H. F. Kingham commanded the Volunteers, and the officers on parade were Lieuts. T. R. Kent, S. Bray, Marriott, Plant and Greenall.

Nos. 1, 2 and 3 Parks of the W.R.A.F. attended under the following officers: Miss Goddard and Miss Lee, and the following N.C.O.'s: Corpls. Coates, Goddard, Roberts, Woolland, Woodcock, Fraser, Sprotley, Jones and Francis.

OFFICER CASUALTIES.

Fifty-three officers have been killed or died of wounds whilst serving with the 1st Batt., viz.:

Second Lieut. G. M. Archdale, Captain E. D'O. Astley, Second Lieut. H. N. Avery.

Lieut. A. R. D. Bacon, Captain G. Belcher, M.C., Captain L. H. Birt, D.S.O., Lieut. J. W. V. Blazey, Second Lieut. F. S. Boshell, Capt. A. J. Bowles, Lieut. R. C. Baker, M.C., Second Lieut. A. D. C. Brazier, the Rev. C. H. B ell, M.C., Second Lieut. S. C. Beresford, Captain F. S. Brain (attached Dorset Regt.).

Second Lieut. R. J. Childs, Lieut. W. J. Cox, Lieut. E. K. Colbourne, M.C., Lieut. H. J. Clarke.

Sec. Lt. H. W. Dobbie, Capt. T. B. Denniss.

Captain E. N. Getting, Lieut. C. W. Green, Second Lieut. G. A. Grimes, M.C.

Lieut.-Colonel C. G. Hill, C.M.G., D.S.O., Lieut.-Colonel G. P. S. Hunt, C.M.G., D.S.O., Lieut. W. L. Humbley.

Capt. E. P. Jackson , Sec. Lieut. F. C. James.

Lieut. T. A. Knott.

Second Lieut. G. J. Lane, Second Lieut. V. A. Lavers, M.C., Second Lieut. A. C. Lynes.

Second Lieut. E. C. Morgan.

Lieut. L. C. Nicholson, D.S.O.

Lieut, and Adjutant A. H. Perrott, Second Lieut. R. G. B. Perkins.

Second Lieut. A. L. Row, M.M., Captain M. C. Radford, D.S.O., Second Lieut. M. G. Roberts, Second Lieut. E. C. Ready.

Second Lieut. E. Saville, Capt. H. H. Shott, D.S.O., Captain O. Steele, Second Lieut. G. C. Stoneham, Second Lieut. M. A. Simon, Captain J. H. Spencer, M.C.

Lieut. C. R. Taffs, Sec. Lieut. H. C. Thorne (East Surreys), attached 1st Berks, Second Lieut. A. B. Turner, V.C.

Captain N. West, M.C., Captain C. P. Wheeler. Captain G. R. Wyld (Wilts), Second Lieut. C. V. Wilson.

[photo, building, exterior] PASCHENDAELE CHURCH, OCTOBER, 1918.
Round this spot many Berkshire lads were engaged in desperate struggles.

[photo, monument, exterior] This memorial was erected by British prisoners of war by the roadside near Stettin, in memory of their comrades. The memorial was designed and executed by British labour.