Research Forum

Private Walter Henry EAGLES on the 7th Dragoon Guards was killed in France on the 8th or 9th August 1918.  His entry in the Commonwealth Graves Commission site gives his widow’s name as Adeline Mary EAGLES of 18 Clarendon Road, Weston-super-Mare. 

This summer (2015) in a field near to the British CWGC cemetery at Caix these pieces of this stone cross were found. 

In the Cemetery itself there is an official CWGC Stone dedicated to the memory of Walter Henry EAGLES.  It looks as if this small cross originally marked his grave and could have been initiated by his family.

It is hoped to trace members of his family to tell them about this find.

As far as we can ascertain Walter Henry EAGLES, who was born in Exeter on the 4th April 1881, had married Adeline Mary HUCKER in 1917 just a year before his death.   I can find no children born to them.  His widow did not remarry and continued to live in this area – she died in Drove Road Hospital, Weston-super-Mare in 1954 having lived at “Craig Nos”, Oldmixon Road for many years (she was certainly there in 1939 living with a John BRICE). Probate of her will was granted to her younger brother Albert HUCKER of Exeter. 

Walter Henry EAGLES is not included on the War Memorial in Grove Park but I know that Dave Tyler has done some basic research about him and about others who had connections with Weston but are missing from that Memorial.  

The story of how these pieces of the cross were found is a very interesting one and has been sent to us by a Canadian, Anne Philpot, who visited Caix Cemetery this year to attend the official interment of her great uncle, Lieutenant Clifford Neelands who was killed in the Battle of Amiens in August 1918.  His remains had been discovered nearby in 2006/2007 with others and after identification were given a military funeral in May 2015.  Read about it here.

While Anne was in France these pieces of the little stone cross were found on land adjoining the cemetery. These photographs are used by permission of Anne Philpot in the hope that we can find some members of the EAGLES or HUCKER family to tell them about this little stone cross and perhaps hear from them how it came to be there.

Does anyone have information about either family?  There are HUCKERs buried in Weston Cemetery but no EAGLES.   

If you have any suggestions for finding some living members of either family we would be very happy to have them.  Thank you.