St Ouen war memorial

St Ouen parish war memorial

The Parish of St Ouen memorial to those born or living in the parish at the outbreak of the Great War is outside the Parish Hall on the main road.

Other memorials

The memorial has a central stone with the names of the dead from the Great War inscribed on it with steps leading up to it.

On either side there is an arm, each with a panel, one with the names of the men who died in the Second World War, the other with the name of a civilian.

The memorial is the only parish memorial to list a civilian among its names. Louisa Mary Gould died in Ravensbruck Concentration camp in 1945. The memorial also records the names of 37 men who died in the Great War and six names of men who died during the Second World War.

Individual stories

William George Risbridger

William Risbridger was the son of Henry and Elvina Celestine Risbridger, of Romsley Villa, St Ouen. He was formerly a gardener for Mr Watkins of The Poplars, Millbrook, and one of the first boys to join the St Ouen Boys Brigade before the war. his father had been a soldier and had three sons who served during the Great War.

Before the war William lived at Mossigiel, Les Landes. He joined the 7th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles serving as a Rifleman and was killed in action at Third Ypres on 16 August 1917. He is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the missing.

Frank Hamon

The son of Centenier Francis and Lydia, nee Le Feuvre, of Portinfer, St Ouen, Frank Hamon left Jersey for Canada in the spring of 1914 in search of a new life. He joined the Canadian Garrison Artillery, becoming a Gunner. He never left Canada, succumbing to influenza on 20 December 1918. He is buried in Paspebiac Cemetery, New Brunswick.

Arthur John Syvret

Arthur Syvret is remembered on the memorial even though he was Australian. He was the son of Captain John and Louisa Syvret of Yeo Street, Semaphore, South Australia, who left the Island some 30 years before Arthur’s death on 25 December 1916 at the age of 28. He was born in Exeter, South Australia, but is remembered as a Jerseyman who died in the war.

The family had previously lived at Maison Neuve, St Ouen. Arthur was a Lance Corporal with the Australian Pioneers and had previously served in the Gallipoli campaign. He died in Northern France after a shell blew his left leg away. He is buried in the Etaples Military Cemetery.