UPP2

Site St Peter’s Church, Upper Arley DY12 1XA

Latitude 52.421631

Longitude -2.348693

Date unveiled Not Known

White Plaster Plaque and wall carvings

Name of Fallen

Surname	Forename	Rank	Number	Regiment	Date of Death	Age	Country	Notes Place of Death or Remembrance	Ref
Woodward	Robert	Captain		1/3rd South Wales Borders	9 May 1915	38	France	Guards Cemetery Windy Corner Cuinchy	UPP2

The Memorial to Robert Woodward is located on the south wall at the east end of the church near the altar. It comprises a circular white plaster plaque bearing a portrait of Robert Woodward in relief. Below is a lengthy inscription with the lettering actually carved into the stone of wall.

Inscription

In happy thanksgiving for the simple life and noble death  

Captain Robert Woodward born

 Dec 12 1877 of Christ Church, Oxford Barrister at law Inner Temple 

Eldest son of Robert and Mary Woodward of Arley Castle 

At the outbreak of the Great War he was gazetted to the

S. Wales Borderers & joined the 1^st Batt in France 

March 5 1915 

He gave his life May 9 1915 

Wounded earlier in the day & unable to carry arms 

He led his men into battle & fell in front of the enemy

 Trenches at Richeboug L”Avoue 

He set his face steadfastly 

Be thou faithful unto death & I will give 

A crown of life

Following Robert Woodward’s death on 9th May 1915, it was decided to plant a tree in his memory. He had cultavated a sapling from the decendants of the original “Sorbus domestica” known as the Whitty Pear which had grown in the Wyre Forest from 1678. A Vagrant burned down in 1862 following a grievance, possible after being caught poaching.

The tree is difficult to cultivate but one had been grown from a pip following the destruction of the tree. Robert had germinated the Whitty pear from decendents of the Original tree. The sapling was planted on the site of the original tree. On 30th March 1916 it was planted by Robert’s mother Mary Jane Woodward. The site is not far from the Forestry Commission Visitor Centre.

Sources

Rememberthefallen .co.uk, IWM, The true Service Tree of Worcestershire by Hermione Garry

Compilers Name  Judith Mee           Photos by Judith Mee      Date 20 Sept 2018