Private Bernard James Oakley, like Ronald William Keel, was part of the 4th battalion of the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. Bernard Oakley was killed on 16th October 1944 in Overloon, with four comrades, while taking out three German machine gun nests in an orchard outside Overloon, which had continuously been a danger to British troops.
Bernard James Oakley was temporarily buried at Holtheseweg (J. Weijmans) in Overloon. In May 1947, the 5 KSLIs were reburied at Overloon War Cemetery.
 
Bernard was the son of James and Laura Oakley of Iverley, Staffordshire, England. He was born in 1918.
 
His father, James Oakley was the son of Henry and Phoebe Oakley. Henry had married Phoebe Smith in 1866 in the Stourbridge district of Worcestershire. From at least 1871 until 1891 they were living in Corngreaves Road which is in Cradley Heath which lies between Dudley and Halesowen. Henry was born around 1847/8 and Phoebe 1848/9 – both in Cradley Heath. Henry was employed as an Iron Roller in the iron industry. They appear to have had 11 children as follows: Eliza (1867), Elizabeth (1869), Mary Ann (1871), Harry (1873), Daniel (1875), Martha A (1876), Amy (1878), Edith (1885), Elsie (1887), James (25/5/1891), Ernest (1894). The children had generally left home by the time they were in their early twenties. Eliza, Martha and Edith both worked for a time while living at home as chain makers. Daniel worked as a clerk in 1891, Ernest as a manager in a Chemist’s in 1911 and James was in employment as an Iron Moulder at that time.
 
Bernard’s mother, Laura Pearson, was the daughter of Elijah and Martha Pearson. Elijah had married Martha Stevens in 1890 in the Stourbridge district. Elijah was born in 1866 and Martha in 1869/70. They had two daughters there: Laura (22/2/1891) and Minnie (1893). Censuses indicate that they were all born in Quarry Bank, Staffordshire which is just west of Cradley Heath. In 1891 Laura was living with her parents at Bower Lane. Her father was working as a galvanized iron worker. By 1901 the family were living in New Street and Elijah was described as an iron plate worker. For some reason, at the time of the 1911 census, Elijah, Laura and Minnie were living with Elijah’s parents, David and Sarah Pearson, at Thorns Road but Martha was not present.
 
James Oakley married Laura Pearson in 1917 in the district of Bromsgrove. They had three children as follows: Bernard James (4/11/1918), Kenneth Ernest (1923) and Jill M L (1932).
 
James’ mother, Phoebe Oakley, died in 1920 aged 71 and his father, Henry Oakley, died a year later in 1921.
 
In 1921, James and Laura were living with Bernard at Brooklands Crescent, Cradley. James was now shown as an Iron Founder and Engineer – and was an employer. There too were visitors William and Minnie Mills-Shaw (born 1897 and 1894). William was a motor mechanic at Oakley Bros., Iron Mongers based at the Bell Vale Foundry, Overend, Cradley. It would seem that Minnie was likely to be Laura’s sister, but no marriage to William Mills-Shaw has been found.
 
By 1921 Laura’s parents, Elijah and Martha Pearson were living at 22, Anvil Yard, Cradley, Worcestershire. Elijah was working as a Case and Crate Maker for Mr Stevens, Cradley Heath, Case & Crate Maker who was a Holloware Manufacturer. It is by no means certain, but Elijah may have died in 1934 and Martha in 1937. Eijah’s employer may have been Ernest Stevens. He was a hugely wealthy and successful industrialist who was born in Lye, Staffordshire in 1867. He was a “holloware” manufacturer, making pots, pans and kitchenware that became a household name for decades under the “Judge” brand, made at his factory in Cradley Heath. He made a number of donations to the local community including parks at Quarry Bank and elsewhere, the Mary Stevens Maternity Home, Haden Hill House at Old Hill, Carlisle Hall in Stourbridge and the War Memorial Sports Ground at Amblecote. There is a Mary Stevens Centre at 221 Hagley Road, Stourbridge, West Midlands DY8 2XA. He lived at Thorns Road, the same road in which Elijah Pearson’s father lived for most of his life.
 
A news article in the Birmingham Gazette of 21/9/1936 tells us the following about the growth of James Oakley’s business:
“One of the most successful of post war firms in the area is Oakley Bros. iron founders and manufacturing engineers, of Belle End Foundry, Cradley. Starting in 1919 in a small way with only nine employees, the firm now has extensive, well equipped works employing a staff of more than 200 and turning out about 220 tons of castings monthly. These range from an ounce to a hundredweight. The firm’s speciality is light castings in soft grey iron to meet the needs of many different trades, including the bedstead, shipping, general hardware, and electrical trades.”
 
In September 1939 James and Laura Oakley were living with their three children at Berken House, Iverley, though Kenneth and Jill were not named. Iverley is just south west of the Dudley/Halesowen conurbation. James was described as an Iron Founder and Bernard as an Assistant Works Manager at the Iron Foundry.
 
In 1942, James Oakley, described as the head of a Cradley firm, was elected to the Halesowen Council for the Cradley ward.
 
Then on 2nd November, 1944 the Evening Despatch announced that “Pte. Bernard Oakley eldest son of Councillor J. Oakley of Cradley has been killed in action.”
 
Bernard had attended King Edward VI College in Stourbridge from 1930 to 1934. The School has provided his grades from summer 1933. They show that he was best in his class for history. The Bernard Oakley Prize for History is still awarded annually to College’s most gifted historian.
 
After his death, the following obituary appeared in his school magazine –  the Stourbridge Edwardian in Autumn 1944:
“Pte. Bernard James Oakley, KSLI (1930-34) killed in action in North Western Europe:
Bernard Oakley will be remembered by his school fellows as a tall boy of fine physique who came in from the Iverley direction. Poor health made it necessary for him to leave comparatively early. He joined his father’s business – Oakley Brothers, Ironfounders, Cradley, and later took over the management of a subsidiary company, Stourvale Products Ltd., which appointment he held when he was called up in October 1939. He was posted to a number of duties in the British Isles in the Motor Transport section of his regiment. He had no wish for a commission. He first saw battle in Normandy a few weeks after D-Day. Slightly wounded after four weeks there, he received treatment at a southern hospital and rejoined his unit in time to take part in the rapid advance from Caen to Holland. A mortar bomb killed him instantly. He lies in a small Dutch village.”
 
Bernard’s brother, Kenneth Ernest Oakley, married Roma Doreen Hodgetts the following year, on June 16th 1945 at St Peter’s Church, Cradley. He was described as the second son of Councillor J. Oakley C.C. and Mrs Oakley of “The Grange” Cradley. Roma was the only daughter of Mr & Mrs V. R. Hodgetts of “Fairleigh” Colman Hill Cradley.

Bernard’s parents donated the Bernard Oakley Memorial Gardens and Pleasure Grounds at Colman Hill, Cradley to Halesowen Borough Council in memory of their son. The land consists of about 3 acres of land situated between Colman Hill and Highfield Crescent in Cradley. It slopes towards Colman Hill and has a southerly aspect. New iron ornamental gates with York stone pillars were erected at the main entrance in Colman Hill. A bronze plate on the stone pillar on the left hand side of the double gate has the following inscription: “These Gardens and Pleasure Grounds were laid out and presented on June 27th, 1953 to the Borough of Halesowen by Mr. and Mrs. James Oakley in memory of their son, Bernard J. Oakley, who died on active service in Holland October 16th, 1944.” On the pillar on the right hand side another bronze plate contains the words. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”—John 15-13.

At the ceremony, Mr Oakley introduced Mr Anthony Schrader, Secretary of the Netherlands War Graves Committee A.F.D. Overloon, Holland. He presented him with a silver key with which Mr Schrader unlocked and opened the main entrance gates. Mr Antoon Schrader himself was a hero of the war. He was  born in Maashees in 1920 and worked in the town hall of Vierlingsbeek during the Second World War. However, he was also very active in the resistance and as a resistance fighter he, together with the resistance group from the region, provided assistance to Jewish compatriots, Allied pilots and people in hiding. As a registrar, he knew everything about identity cards and was known as a master forger.

Bernard’s father James Oakley County Councillor and M.I.B.E. (Master of International Business Engineering) died on 21st May 1955 aged 63. His address at the time of his death was given again as Berken House, Iverley.
 
He left around £80,000 in his will of which, after a few bequests, he left two thirds of the residue to his wife, son and daughter and put the other third to maintain the town’s Bernard Oakley Gardens which were Coleman Hill, Cradley Heath.
 
On 12th October the Birmingham Gazette reported that Laura Oakley was herself standing for election to the County Council so she could continue his work.
 
Laura herself died on 14th November, 1972 aged 82. At that time she was living at 63 Park Road, Hagley, near Stourbridge but died at the South Bank Nursing Home, Worcester. Hagley is jus a little to the east of Iverley.
 
By June 1988 it seems that the Bernard Oakley Gardens were suffering from some neglect. A newspaper article in the Sandwell Evening Mail of 29/6/1988 reported that “the gates at the Bernard Oakley memorial gardens off Drews Holloway, Cradley were almost impossible to open because of the concentration of rubbish.” The Halesowen Township Council wanted it cleared up. The same paper announced on 28/2/1990 that the traders in Halesowen were rallying round to help restore the Bernard Oakley Memorial Gardens in Colman Hill to their former glory. It mentioned that the gardens and a Dutch corner memorial stone were given to the town in memory of Mr Oakley’s son, who was killed during the second world war. However, in another article on 23/4/1992 it reported that Halesowen Township Council had raised £150 but subsequently discovered that there was around £16,000 in the trust fund which has been lying dormant since local government reorganisation in 1974. It seems that this had never been passed and which, it seems, had been forgotten about and never been passed from Halesowen Borough Council to Dudley Council. This would now be passed over and the Township Council agreed to seek assurances from councillors that the money will be used for the gardens.
 
It seems that Kenneth and Roma Oakley had no children. It is thought that Roma died in 2014 and Kenneth on 9thJanuary, 2016. Prior to then, they had been living at The Field House, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY8 2RX. This is on Norton Road in Iverley, not far from Berken House.
 
No address, marriage of death record could be found with any certainty for Bernard’s sister, Jill Oakley. However, it is probably she who, at 28, was the Ladies Captain at Criccieth Golf Club in 1963. She was living in Hagley near Stourbridge at the time. She had been a member for 7 years and was the winner of several of the club’s leading competitions. Her other hobbies were swimming, painting and motoring.
 
A company called James Oakley and Sons Ltd was incorporated on 2nd April 1937. It was dissolved on 8th November 2011. The registered address was 5 Hagley Court South, The Waterfront, Brierley Hill, West Midlands, England, DY5 1XE. Two of the directors were Kenneth Ernest Oakley, born July 1923 and Roma Doreen Oakley, born January 1924. Both were living at The Field House, Iverley, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY8 2RX. Kenneth had been appointed on 8thOctober, 1992. Catherine Annabelle Wright, born April 1947 and living at 231 Stourbridge Road, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY10 2XB was also a director and company secretary.

From FindMyPast website: Civil and Parish Birth, Marriage and Death Records; England Census and 1939 Register Records; Electoral Rolls; Military Records

Mariëtte Schrader, daughter of resistance fighter Antonius Adrianus Joseph (Antoon) Schrader (Maashees and Overloon, 25 April 1920 – Veldhoven, 25 February 2000)
King Edward VI College, Stourbridge: Matt Skidmore – College Archivist,  Emma Parker Administration Assistant

Website blackcountrynostalgia

Ernest Stevens

Birmingham Gazette of 21/9/1936, 1/10/1955, 12/10/1955
Evening Despatch 7/5/1942
Birmingham Daily Post 24/5/1955
Liverpool Daily Post 26/3/1963
Birmingham Post 17/9/1972
Sandwell Evening Mail 29/6/1988, 28/2/1990, 23/4/1992

Research Paul Steeman, Leo Janssen, Elaine Gathercole