Men commemorated on the Raunds War Memorial
WORLD WAR 1

Frederick William Bailey

1st Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment

Killed in Action 26th October 1917

Born 1898, the son of Charles and Eliza Bailey of 69 Marshalls Road

A shoe worker by trade employed by Adams Brothers.  Described as a “very promising” member of the Raunds Temperance Band.

Horace Bugby

1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regiment)

Killed in action 31st March 1918

Born in 1898, only son of Walter and Rose Bugby of 3 Grove Street

A shoe worker employed by Owen Smith.  A well-known musician having played in the Raunds Temperance Band for several years.

Jack Pentelow

Royal Field Artillery

Died 24th September 1920 [he was demobbed but suffered a long and painful illness presumably because of his war service]

Born in 1890, youngest son of George and Elizabeth Pentelow of New Cottages, 65, Marshall’s Road

Employed as a journeyman boot and shoemaker. 
His musical talents were fully displayed on solo cornet in the Raunds Temperance Band

 

WORLD WAR 2

Frederick Cyril Bailey

HMS Swift, Royal Navy

Died 24th June 1944

Born in 1925, son of Charles and Edith Bailey of 65 Marshall’s Road [Same address as the Pentelows above].  Employed by Mr Webster, butcher.  Member of the Raunds Temperance Band.

Cyril John Clarkson

3rd Battalion, Grenadier Guards

Died 14th March 1946

Born in 1925, son of George and Florence Clarkson of Bass’s Yard, off Brook Street.  Had been training to join the police force before being called up.  He was a keen member of the Temperance Band playing cornet.

Harry Rice

1st Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers

Died 7th April 1943

Born in 1920, son of Bert and Olive Rice of Chelveston Road.  Employed as a clicker for Adams Brothers.  He was an enthusiastic musician having been a member of the Temperance Band for ten years.

Ronald York

2nd Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment

Killed in action 30th April 1944

Born in 1919, son of Harold and Alice York of Grove Street.  Member of the Temperance Band.

 

All the above information has been taken from: A WALL UNTO US – The Raunds Roll of Honour 1914-1920 & 1939-1946. 
Compiled by Steve Bence and Andrew Dace. 
Published by the Raunds War Memorial Research Group, 2007

 

The British Bandsman, 5th December 1914 also recorded that the following members of Raunds Temperance Band had enlisted:

L Hodson - Trombone - Raunds Temperance,

A Hall - Bass - Raunds Temperance,

O Cuthbert - Cornet - Raunds Temperance,

H Cuthbert - Horn - Raunds Temperance.

Many other band members went on to serve in the First World War particularly after boot and shoemaking had been removed from the list of reserved occupations and when conscription was introduced.  Unfortunately, the number of men called up was so great that the newspapers and periodicals no longer published the names of those men leaving for active service.

 

On the home front in World War 1

In the early days of the war boot and shoemaking was on the list of reserved occupations so the band could continue pretty much as normal.  Despite the men of the Temperance Band working long hours, they still found time to turn out in aid of wartime good causes as the following extract from the 1st of February 1916 issue of Brass Band News shows:

​

"Raunds Temperance are, I think, the most active of all our county bands.  For instance, they have, amongst other things, given their services for the "Daily News" Plum Pudding Fund, the Serbian Flag Day, Dr Mackenzie's Tobacco Fund for Gordon Highlanders and Northants Regiments, Woodbine Club Fund for Raunds Wounded Soldiers, played for dances for Red Cross Committee etc and they are still down for a number of similar things.  They do all this as a duty because they realise how much the inhabitants of Raunds appreciate their band and have proved time and again that whatever is necessary to keep a good band will be found."
 

As the war progressed boot and shoe making was removed from the list of reserved occupations and conscription was introduced.  This had a big impact on the bands of Northamptonshire.  In larger towns, such as Kettering and Rushden, which could support multiple bands, the remaining bandsmen of the towns were able to come together to form viable bands.  Raunds, having only the one band, had to take a different approach as the following extract from the 1st of April 1917 issue of Brass Band News shows.

"Raunds Temperance are continually on the move and have filled up with many of their late members.  As a matter of fact, Raunds' bandsmen never do leave.  They retire sometimes after many years’ service, but they always stick to the band and are always ready to do anything to further the band's interest.  And so many of them have again taken up their old instrument and are regularly in their place at rehearsals."
 

The fact that the band were able to keep going during the First World War meant that they were well placed to rebuild the band after the war.  Other bands in Northamptonshire would not be so fortunate.

 

Rushden Echo & Argos 4th October 1918: “WOUNDED—Pte. Horace Hyde, of the Royal Fusiliers, son of Mrs. Haynes, 9, Primrose-hill, Raunds, has been severely wounded in both legs. He lay for three days in a shell-hole after being wounded before he was found. Pte. Hyde is only 18½ years of age, and has been a member of the Raunds Temperance Band since he was eleven years old. Previous to joining the Colours he was employed by the Regulation Boot Co., Ltd. Mrs. Haynes has another son and her husband serving.”

 

I searched the names on the War Memorial to see if Raunds Temp player, young Horace, was on there. Fortunately he wasn’t so I did some further research. I found this “On Armistice Sunday in those inter-war years Raunds Square would be packed tight with people. The distress and grief were a solid presence. Many of those adults had lost a father, brother, husband, uncle or friends. All stood to attention during the playing of the National Anthem - some sang the words, others stood silent. On one occasion Horace Hyde, the Solo Cornet in the Band, broke down playing the Last Post. All of us were brought up into this atmosphere of grief that followed the Great War”