“Lest we forget”

The War Memorial is situated on the wall at the rear of the church. When the Hill Street United Methodist Church in Leicester was closed down in 1931 so that Charles Street could be widened, the Trustees of Hill Street donated to the fledgling Oadby United Methodist Church all of their pews, the organ, their central heating system and £1000 in cash on the understanding that Oadby would display and look after their War Memorial. Oadby Trustees were only too happy to oblige and the War Memorial is still there to this day having survived the structural reorganisation in 1991.

This, of course, means that the names of the young men on the Memorial are not from Oadby but are from the area of the city in the vicinity of Charles Street.

Frank Beck was the son of Frederick and Sarah Jane Beck and was born in August 1889 in Law Street , Leicester. He was baptised at Hill Street United Methodist Church on 23rd September 1889 when he was 5 weeks old. His war service is difficult to research as his name is quite common.

Nothing is known about John Bond, Tom Chapman, William Knight and Sidney Patrick as, unfortunately their names are too common to be picked up from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission information.

Horace Evelyn Eglon was attached to the Gold Coast Regiment which was part of the Royal West Africa Frontier Force. He was a lieutenant on the special list and 32 years old when he was killed in action on 19th July 1917 . He began his period in the army as a Pioneer in the East Africa Pioneer Corps entering the East African War Zone on 10th August 1914 before being commissioned. He was the son of George & May Bridget Eglon and was born in September 1883 in Belgrave, Leicester. Horace was baptised at Hill Street United Methodist Church on 21st October 1883 and was married to Carrie. He is buried in the Dar Es Salaam War Cemetery, Tanzania. (See photo). He was entitled to the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

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