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1914 - 1918
Our young men from Bloxham were called to fight for their King and Country, enlisting for the army at the nearby town of Banbury.
Among them were three brothers, sons of M. and Mrs. Carter: two died and Harry came back wounded in the leg. George Henry Collins with his cousin Richard Quartermain enlisted on the 23rd August 1915. They were posted from England to France on the 22nd December 1915. They fought together in the trenches and both came back to Bloxham. Harry had been seriously wounded while on active service in Salonica. Other men didn't come back.
Thirty three died.
After The War 1919
There was a War Memorial meeting on Tuesday evening May 6th 1919 held at the Church School to consider the question of a War Memorial.
The meeting was well attended, and unanimously decided in favour of placing the memorial on the village green. The cost was to be met by house to house collection, and any balance was to be handed over to Horton Infirmary.
September 1919 Bloxham War Memorial was built in Horton Stone, the stonemason was Noah Clifton from the village: his son, Leslie age 18 years, had been killed fighting for his country.
The Unveiling
The War Memorial was unveiled on 20th September 1920 by Sir Rhys WILLIAMS our M.P. at that time. The Service was conducted by the Vicar Revd. W. Fothergill Robinson; the church band played the music to a large crowd of villagers taking part; the service ended with the last post
We were most fortunate in having a fine day for the unveiling of this fine memorial. The opinion: very beautiful and worthy of our loved ones and lovely village.
In 1920 Mr. Laurence Turner came to Bloxham with three members from the Diocesan War Memorial advisory committee, they all agreed that the cross was the finest cross they had seen.
Where the Almighty Father Reigns in Love for evermore Amen.