In July 1915 a letter was sent to Company members by the Clerk Frank Chorlton Lingard stating that:
‘The Court have decided to form a list or Roll of Honour of all freemen and liverymen of the Company serving in the present War and of their direct descendants who may not be actually members of the Company.
I shall be glad if you will send me any particulars that may assist me in compiling this record at the present time, and also any future particulars of promotions, etc.
The Court feel that this record will be of considerable interest to future generations of Barbers, and trust that you will assist in making such record as complete as possible.’
The Court Minutes for the First World War were lost when the Hall was destroyed by incendiary bombs in 1940, and no records of any Roll of Honour survive.
A number of members’ sons and relations who saw war service are, however, recorded in the Company’s Livery Lists as being given Honorary Freedom in 1919. These included Hugh Lingard (1898-1972) son of Frank Chorlton Lingard, and Denys Charles Gerald Shoppee (1892-1958), grandson of Charles Shoppee, Master in 1878. Both served in the Royal Navy.
Lingard (who himself served briefly as Company Clerk in 1938) joined up in late 1916, served aboard HMS Warspite, saw action again in WW2 and retired in 1943 with the rank of Commander.
Shoppee, who had entered service in 1905 served aboard several vessels during WW1 including submarine HMS G4 during the Battle of Jutland, was mentioned in despatches in 1915 and was awarded the DSC, the Croix de Guerre, Chevalier Legion of Honour of France and Chevalier Order of Leopold of Belgium. He retired with the rank of Commander in 1932.
