We arrived around 6 pm on Saturday July 26th - to our holiday home in Easton-on-the-Hill - and after briefly unpacking, got back into the car and drove the five-minutes down the road to the village of Duddington - the place of the ancestral Wyles family! As it was still Summertime - the light was still good and the sun still warm. The place was peaceful and tranquil - beautiful to experience. I had just spent a few minutes sat in the empty St Mary's Church. A moment of quiet contemplation - preparing for the week of genealogical study which lay ahead of the entire family!

It would be interesting to see any photographs of the original row of cottages that were removed to make way for the 1931-constructed "Community Hall". I suspect the buildings removed were Workers' Cottages as the area covered by the hall is not that great in real terms. Having said that, it is a reasonably designed structure with a spacious interior. Indeed, having taught martial arts for most of my adult life - this hall would be ideal for keep-fit and self-defence. Of course, this hall existed during WWII (1939-1945) and I have been researching for some time as to whether Duddington possessed a Home Guard Unit similar to that recorded as serving in nearby King's Cliffe. This hall is administered by Fineshade and Duddington Parish Council - and I have linked their website to the above photograph.

Sometimes, after teaching two-hours of martial arts on Sunday mornings - we would shower, eat, get in the car and drive to Duddington from South London. This would have been around 2008-2009 - and we would make the three-hour drive - arriving about 4 pm. During Summertime, this would be a great and inspiring experience. I have never been inside the Duddington Hall - or even seen inside it personally - but I was once considering teaching a Taijiquan class in Duddington - but we thought the local people would not be interested. Still, you never know, I have practiced Taijiquan movements in the quiet leafy area. After-all, Duddington is mostly empty of all people - as I have met only about 5-people in 17-years! There are photographs of the interior of the Duddington Community Hall on the Fineshade and Duddington Parish Council website.

A photograph (taken in 1906) is included in Brian Andrews - which features the cottage demolished to make way for the new Village Hall. Instead of a row of Workers' Cottages being removed as I speculated above - it would seem that only a single - large (thatched-roof) cottage was removed to clear space. Brian Andrews thinks that this structure was removed in 1932 - but this does not match with the date of the hall on its own plaque. Of course, there might be an explanation for this. The later date could be wrong - or the planned hall 1931 was not completed and/or opened until 1932, etc. Whatever the case, this 1906 photograph records the building that eventually had to make way for progression, as it were.

 With Kai-Lin - our 8-year old daughter - wanting to play everyday at the beautiful play area in Highfield - I got ample chances to walk behind the new housing estate to see what is left of the "Highfield". Oddly, the North-end of Duddington has always been the area from which we have entered Duddington. Despite this fact, we mever seem to have noticed two utility huts nestled in the trees and long grass. My initial instict was that this was something to do with the military - and I still think this is the case. I think the original buildings are pre-WWII or contemporary with WWII - with the post-WWII versions having the original windows "filled-in" with brick-work! The above video provides footage from behind the two huts - which are more fully described below!

The above photographs and video are of the left-hand Utility Hut which possesses a sign stating it is the property of "BT" (British Telecom) - but this sign seems very old - perhaps pertaining to the time when BT was still a nationalised entity. Today, this hut has been modified for modern communication involving what looks like fibre-optics and internet usage. Whatever the case, the extra windows and doors have been bricked-up and replaced with highly securitised variants accessed through coded keypads. There is an electric "buzz" about the place which now has a permanently "open" gate. Still, as i said above, some of the brick-work looks rather extravagant for a humble Utility Hut. The trees and bushes grow thickly on all sides - but the interior ground area of the hut remains clutter-free for easy access.

The above photographs depict the right-hand Utility Hut which is now empty and derelict - but was once a "Switching Station" - which originally dealt with the electricity supply to Duddington. This effectively regulated how the households in Duddington accessed the National Grid - which must now be through a much more efficient and hidden system. Again, windows and doors are filled-in with brick-work - but some of the original brick-work appears overly ornate for such a mundane function. I think there may have been Home Guard activity in Duddington during WWII - perhaps a "Special Force" comprised of younger men operating under a false-front, so-to-speak. This is just an unfounded idea on my part constructed from various pieces of evidence I have acquired over the years. There might be nothing to it.

After photographing and filming the War Memorial in the centre of the village - dealt with elsewhere on this website - we drove up the hill to the Church. Remember that we are always looking for clues pertaining to the Wyles surname - but are willing to collect any and all supporting evidence that others might find useful for researching their surnames. Genealogy is a funny business - with data collected years ago containing no apparent or obvious meaning - suddenly becoming vitally important when one more "connecting" piece of information is added. In this regard, researching family history is similar to building a jigsaw - sometimes you cannot be sure what you have got!

Like many of the so-called "villages" - Easton-on-the-Hill appears to be bigger than a village. I think that as these places are so spread-out - have acres of free space to move about in - these designations stiill hold. It seems to still be a village - even though it has the size and population of a town. Like a number of Churches in the area - the local people and Priest has taken time to record the details of all the graves in the Churchyard and publish this data in an indexed book. This is how we found "Alfred Norman Wyles" (1921-1962) buried in the yard - with Diane Wyles later discovering that he was born in Stamford (son of William Wyles). He joined the RAF during WWII - fought-in - and survived the "Battle of Britain"!

We visited Easton-on-the-Hill on Friday August 1st, 2025. That is, we visited the village proper - as we were staying on the outskirts of Easton - in a refurbished Worker's Cottage. As we are always seeking-out graveyards and War Memorials - we headed into the old village to witness the beautiful stone buildings and enjoy the sedate and peaceful environment. Of course, we collected the names on the War Memorial - which at the centre of the village and acts as a roundabout for the three lanes that meet there. This military data has been added to a different part of this website.

The Village Hall looks like a Church - and even possesses a clock-tower - but the Church itself (the subject of another post) lies about half a mile away - up a steep hill (possibly the hill from which the place gets its name). It would appear that much of the village activity usually linked to the Church - actually carries-on in the village centre - saving everyone an arduous walk! Throughout our research over the years, the name "Wyles" has come-up a number of times connected to this place. Again, coming here and seeing it with my own eyes helps me understand the general history of my family - as if I am living it in parallel to them - but in another dimension!

As the hall was locked, we were not lucky enough to see inside it - although picture do exist on the Internet. Although many church or village halls appears to be architectural "after-thoughts" to the more substantial building of a Church - the Village Hall of Easton-on-the-Hill is a masterpiece of design and represents a truly traditional construction steeped in history whilst still performing a vital function in the present. In many ways, Easton-on-the-Hill is quiet, traditional, and yet modern in its own way and on its own terms. After-all, Easton-on-the-Hill is only 3 miles North-East of Duddington! 

​Dear C

​I accessed the National Archives - looking for evidence of a Duddington Home Guard - and I discovered the attached document. This ascribes the '2nd Huntingdonshire' Home Guard Battalion to a Sergeant recommended for a BEM - and who appears to have marched as a Home Guard representative in 1952 during the Coronation of QEII (this is described in the document). Was there a Home Guard contingent reformed this late after WWII just to take part in this march?

​Furthermore, if it is correct that the 1st and 2nd Peterborough Battalions of Northants were transferred to Huntingdonshire - as suggested in the standard Northants work - and if each kept its own number designation, then this would have meant that Huntingdonshire would have possessed two '1st' and '2nd' Battalions! Of course, you have pointed-out a contradiction in this.

​Best Wishes

Adrian

​Dear Hunts Archive

​I am researching whether the village of 'Duddington' - listed as now being in 'Northants' - possessed a 'Home Guard' Unit between 1940-1944.

​Although nearby King's Cliffe possessed such a Unit in the Northants Home Guard - I have reason to believe that 'Duddington' may have been included in the '2nd (Peterborough District) Battalion' which existed in the 'Northants Home Guard' between 1940-1942 - before being transferred to the Huntingdonshire Home Guard - within which it served between 1942-1944. 

The '2nd (Peterborough District) Battalion' (also known as the '2nd Soke of Peterborough Battalion') possessed '4' Companies designated 'A'-'D' - and patrolled an eighty square mile area. Interestingly, it was the '2nd (Peterborough District) Battalion' Home Guard Unit which was responsible for guarding the RAF King's Cliffe Aerodrome - and not the nearby King's Cliffe Home Guard Unit. Today, all postal addresses in Duddington possess a 'Peterborough' (PE) Postcode, etc.

Thank you for your time in this matter.

Yours Sincerely

Adrian Chan-Wyles

Northants Home Guard was comprised of 15 Battalions - with each Battalion being comprised of 3 Companies. Each Company was usually comprised of 3 Platoons. A Platoon should be comprised of around 30 men. Of course, these are ideal numbers not always followed due to local conditions. Incidentally, 3 Battalions usually form a 'Brigade' - with 3 Brigades forming a 'Division'. The book referenced below gives the exact designation of the King's Cliffe Platoon - although we do not know the exact number of the Platoon - which was part of 'A' Company of the 3rd (Oundle) Battalion of the Northants Home Guard. ​

​Chapter VII – The Battalions Reviewed, Page 75

Another interesting observation quoted below states that the 2nd (Soke Peterborough) Battalion of the Northants Home Guard also covered the King's Cliffe (and by implication - Duddington) area, Just what this means is open to interpretation - but it seems to suggest that some Home Guard Units 'overlapped' their defensive capabilities:

​Chapter VII – The Battalions Reviewed, Page 73

Quoted from: ​BG Holloway – Zone HQ Intelligence and Public Relations Officer (Editor) & H Banks A Company, (Northampton) Battalion (Collaborator), The Northants Home Guard (1940-1945) – A History of the Services of Men and Women of Northamptonshire Who in the World War of 1939-1945 Forsook Their Rest and Leisure to Rally in the Defence of the Homeland and Defiance of the Invader, The Naval & Military Press Lrd, (2019)

My mother - Diane Wyles - received the above photograph from an individual online. This person stated that her father served in the King's Cliffe Home Guard between 1940-1944 (that is during most of WWII). This confirms that King's Cliffe possessed a Home Guard Unit and strongly suggests that the nearby village of Duddington (situated 4.7 miles North of King's Cliffe) also possessed a Home Guard Unit! As of yet - we do not know the Platoon, Company or Battalion designation - but this is an ongoing research project and we will post all our resulting findings on this website! 

The soldier standing second from the left in the back row is one 'Jim Bollans' (the 'father' in question) - although we cannot ascertain whether this gentleman is a 'Private' or an 'NCO', etc. As the sun was shining brightly during the taking of the photograph - we have not been able to successfully enlarge and/or clarify the details of the cap-badge - which could give us the Battalion designation - but it could be the Northants insignia as follows:​

​On the bottom of the WWI Monument situated at the gate of St Mary's Church - Duddington - there is a section recording the death of a 'Sergeant' Killed in Action in North Africa during WWII! His name is obscured by the wreath. This means there were men in Duddington who had joined the British Army during WWII. Interestingly, although there is a metal plaque and hand-written list honouring the Duddington men who fought during WWI - there is nothing recording the men who fought during WWII. 

​This might explain why I cannot find anything about a Duddington 'Home Guard' during WWII! The dedicated online website detailing the Northants Home Guard mentions all the surrounding areas - but does not mention Duddington, King's Cliff or Gretton for that matter! Given that the British government ordered (in 1942) that all areas of the UK had to have an 'Invasion Plan' - these areas must have possessed some type of Civil Defence Force. This makes me wonder whether perhaps the Duddington Home Guard defence did not fall in the Northants area.

​ I have contacted the local Vicar for Duddington, the Northants Records Office, the Women's Institute, King's Cliffe Museum and an 'expert' on the history of the Home Guard - and none of these depositories of knowledge have anything to add to this subject. However, the general consensus is that Duddington probably did possess a Home Guard - even if their is no tangible evidence for it! 

Dear Merrill 

Thank you for your very interesting email regarding Private Edward Vaught and my following article: 

69th (South Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot – Battle of Quatre Bras (1815)  
​
I have never seen an official 'Discharge' Document issued to Enlisted Men when leaving the British Army during the early 1800s - and I must thank you for sharing this with me. We will examine the text of this Document and see if we can extract any further data or conclusions - although you seem to have done a very good job.  

As you know, many of the men from this era were often recruited from over-crowded inner city areas and were usually 'illiterate' (partially or completely). Therefore, when issued with these 'legal' documents - they probably made the mistake of not attaching too much importance to them. I suspect these Documents granted certain legal rights and obligations on behalf of the British governmet, etc, to Veterans of the British Army.  

The designation of the 'East' Indies (India) and the 'West' Indies (Caribbean) seems a little vague - but can be explained. Of course, soldiers recruited in the UK were often relatively 'small' in number and transported all over the Empire to secure stability - and where necessary train 'Native' troops recruited into 'newly' formed Regiments of the British Army.  

This is the case with the West Indies and a very good historical assessment of the late 18th and 19th centuries is dealt with in Barry Renfrew's book entitled 'Britain's Black Regiments - Fighting for Empire and Equality'. The author discusses how 'White' British soldiers were brought over to the West Indies to 'train' 'Black' men (usually 'Slaves' or 'former' Slaves) who had volunteered to join the local British Army Units. I believe that these 'Slaves' were granted their 'Freedom' with Enlistment. 

Interestingly, components of the newly created West Indian Regiment were transported to the British colony of 'Sierra Leone' in West Africa - which I had no idea was part of the British Empire until I read the above book! On occasion, 'White' soldiers (recruited in the UK) are traversed through the area. This type of peripheral military data is often of interest to various historical researchers - as the professional (military) authors have gained access to difficult to find historical documentation.  

Within 'India', as far as I am aware, The East India Company was permitted to recruit and train a 'Private Army' which was commanded directly by the East India Company (and not the British government) - but was to be used only in the pursuance of British government business and political objectives (which 'mirrored' the business interests of the East India Company). The East India Company locally recruited ethnic Indians as private soldiers - and 'White' Officers from the UK (at least in the early days) - these 'Officers' were either recruited from retired British Army personnel or directly from University, etc. Even so, British Army Units (recruited from the UK and directly controlled by the British government) were still traversed through India on occasion. 

The following is what we think we can read from the 'Discharge' Document of Private Edward Vaught. He apparently could 'Sign' his own name - but does not seem to know his exact date of birth. The British Army authorities seem to be assuming that Edward Vaught was '18' in 1811 - which would suggest the birthdate was somewhere within the year of 1793: 

Colonel: Liet Gen Sir John Hamilton Bart 
Discharge: Edward Vaught (Private) 
Reason: Being affected with tape worms and being lame from an old (permanently hot) wound on right thigh - Charles Whyte (possibly Regimental ‘Doctor’ or ‘Surgeon’). 
On These Grounds - Demobilisation Process is Authorised: By Maj Gen Commanding - Dated 6th May 1828.  
Age: About 34 years 
Height: 5 foot 6 inches 
Hair: Dark Brown 
Skin: Dark Complexion  
Occupation: Labourer 
Character: Good 
British Army: 69th Regiment of Foot (Company and Platoon not clear) 
First Enlisted: Durham, Norfolk - 20th January 1812 - Age 18 - Limited Service. 
Re-Enlisted: Cannonne - East Indies. 13th March 1819 (aged 25 years) - Unlimited Service. 
East Indies 28th June 1817 - 24th February 1826.   
British Army: 69th Regiment of Foot (Waterloo)  
Duration of Service: 25th December 1811 - 28th May 1828. 
Total Years of Service: 16 years and 156 days. 
Signed: Charles Cuyler - Commander 69th Regiment of Foot - (Demobilisation Granted) 28th May 1828. 

With regards to Private Edward Vaught - the Discharge Document states his service could have been 'In East or W. Indies' - and that he served in these theatres between 1817-1826. However, as the 'time served' data column contains only a capital 'E' - I suspect this refers to military service in the 'East India' theatre alone - an assumption supported by the fact that there is no date entry attributed to a capital 'W' (or the 'West Indies' - a matter probably dealt with by a different form already printed with a 'W'. If a soldier had served in both theatres - then a form containing a pre-printed capital 'E' and 'W' would have been used).  

This seems like a 'medical' discharge as he had tape worms and an inflamed wound as you say. Oddly, it seems he joined the British Army on the 25.12.1811 - but his 'official' join-up is recorded as being the 20.1.1812 (under 'Limited Service'). He seems to have been considered '18' even in 1811 although 'both' dates are retained - with his Service being taken from the earlier of the two. As you can see, 'Drummers' and 'Trumpeters' were recruited - quite often boys as young as 8 or 9 years old at the time. His second 'Enlistment' was in India during 1817 when he about 24 years old (designated as 'Unlimited Service'). He was in India until the 24.2.1826 (around 33 years old) - after which he must have returned to the UK - where he was finally 'Discharged' on the 6.5.1828 (aged around 34 or 35 years old). 

As to whether Private Edward Vaught was at the Battle of Waterloo - it would seem to be the case from the 'Battle Honour' of 'Waterloo' being added to his Discharge Notes. Although the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 69th Regiment of Foot were amalgamated in 1816 - it seems that each part (or Division) of this Regiment retained its own distinct 'Battle Honours'. Whilst the 1st Battalion saw action in India and Java, etc - during the time period under discussion - the 2nd Battalion was the Unit of the 69th Regiment of Foot which fought at the Battle of Waterloo. I suspect that Private Edward Vaught enlisted in the '2nd Battalion' in 1811-1812 and was eventually deployed to Belgium during 1815 (where he would have been 22 years old). Perhaps this is where he picked up his leg wound. It would seem a musket ball or piece of shrapnel had embedded itself in his thigh - and after its extraction the wound was 'cauterized' - but never fully healed. If this is the case (as we cannot be sure), then it is remarkable that he continued to serve for another 13 years as a professional soldier in the British Army without complaint!  
​
Kind Regards 
Adrian