Hintlesham War Memorial - The Great War

Charles George Chaplin was born in Kirton in Suffolk and brought up with his sister, Charlotte, by their grandmother in Raydon Road. Charles enlisted in Ipswich and was killed in action serving in France and Flanders. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial (Panel 21) in Ypres, Belgium.

Fred’s father, John, was a stockman and farm labourer and his mother was Harriet. Fred was born in Hintlesham and was one of 7 children. His younger sister married Horace Gant who was also  killed in the Great War and came from  Hintlesham. The family later moved to 15, Camden Row, Pinner Green, Middx.

Fred was a “hammerman” (perhaps a foundry worker) and lived at 23 Hayhill Road in Ipswich when he enlisted on 9 December 1914 in Ipswich.  On Fred’s attestation papers of 1914, he is listed as being 22 years and 10 months old.  However, on his gravestone his given age in 1918 was 30.

Sgt Frederick Cuthbert  serverd with 276th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery and was awarded the Military Medal (MM).  He was killed in action and is buried at Poix-Du-Nord Communal Cemetery Extension, France.

The photograph was taken  by Fred’s descendants who visited the grave in 2014.

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Percy was born in Essex (possibly Romford or Kirby Le Soken) and lived on Back Road in Hintlesham. He was born around 1895, the son of Frederick (an undertaker's wood sawer and wheelwright) and Mary. Percy was a farm labourer before enlisting in Ipswich. He was killed in action is buried at Serre Road Cemetery No 2 in the Somme region of France. Plot: XXXIII. E. 2. Percy was Hintlesham's 5th and final Somme fatality.

Albert's father, James Isaac Game, was a retired Royal Dragoon and watchmaker. The family lived in George Street. Albert enlisted in Ipswich and served with the Sufffolks in France and Flanders. He was killed in action on the Somme in 1916. Albert is commemorated at Caterpillar Valley Cemetery (see photograph), Longueval, France. Albert was the third local man to be killed in the 1916 fighting on the Somme.

Horace Josiah Gant was born in Elmsett in 1884 before the family moved to Hintlesham sometime between 1891 and 1901. By 1911 he lived with 2 brothers and a sister in George Street. Horace was a farm labourer and he married Ellen May Cuthbert, a domestic servant at The Hall, Belstead on Christmas Day 1912 in Hintlesham Church (See connection to F Cuthbert below).

Horace enlisted in Ipswich and was Hintlesham's first casualty of the Battle of the Somme. He is buried at Carnoy Military Cemetery, France. Horace & Ellen had a son - Horace Walter Gant - born in Hintlesham on 19 Dec 1913. Horace also had a sister, Alice Sarah Taylor (nee Gant), who was a civilian casualty of World War 2 when a bomb was dropped on Elmsett on the night of 12 May 1941. Ten people were killed including five members of the Taylor family.

Hintlesham’s fourth casualty of The Somme was Thomas J Gant. He was the youngest of seven sons born to John (a shepherd)  and Laura Gant (nee Hammond) in 1897 and lived at Mill Cottage in Hintlesham.  Laura died in 1900 and John married Alice Eliza Taylor in 1902.

Thomas is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial (see photograph) – pier & face 2C. The Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916. Thomas’s older brother Jack also died in the Great War serving with the Australian army.

Arthur William Green was born in Hintlesham and lived at Akenham. His parents are believed to be Charles and Sarah Green who lived at Old House Farm in Hintlesham. Arthur enlisted in Bury St Edmunds and first served with the Norfolk Regiment before becoming part of the Welsh Regiment.

Arthur was a driver, trained in the management and use of horses. The six horses drawing the gun, or wagon, were driven by three drivers, all on the nearside horses, and much training was required before drivers would be rated as competent. The drivers also looked after the horses and the management, condition and state of health of these animals was regarded as one of the most important functions in the battery.

Private A W Green is buried at The White House Cemetery, St Jean-Les-Ypres, Belgium. Arthur’s brother, Frederick John Green, was also killed in the war.

Charles Leslie Green was born in Hintlesham in 1880. His parents were Sarah and George Green. He enlisted in Ipswich and died on the same day as Orlando Lloyd (below) and is commemorated on the La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial. Both Charles and Orlando were members of the British Expeditionary Force. At the outbreak of war he was based at the Curragh Barracks in Ireland. The battalion moved to England before arriving in Le Havre on 17 August 1914. The battalion's first action followed the BEF's retreat from the Battle of Mons. Charles and Orlando were killed at the Battle of Le Cateau, the second battle of the Great War. Details of the regiment and the Battle of Le Cateau at http://bit.ly/1nUY3yT

Frank Edgar Green was born in Hintlesham in about 1891. His father, Alfred, was a labourer and his mother, Mary, a dressmaker and they lived on George Street at the turn of the century before moving into Duke Street . In 1911 he enlisted enlisted in Ipswich and in the summer of 1916 he married Alice E Beaumont.  Frank  died in hospital in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania aged 26, At the outbreak of the First World War, Tanzania was the core of German East Africa. Frank’s brother, Wesley, was also killed in the Great War.   Frank’s grave is 7,022 miles from Hintlesham while his brother’s, in Istanbul (Constantinople) is 1,939 distant.  Their names on the memorial in Hintlesham are on the same panel, while their graves are 8,030 miles apart.

Frank was the son of Mrs. Alice Leeks, of Red House Cottage, Hintlesham, Ipswich. He was born in Hintlesham and brought up by Alice and her (possibly second)  husband John.  Frank, like his step father, was a farm labourer and he enlisted in Ipswich and joined the Suffolks (service number formerly 27027). At a later stage he joined the 4 Battalion of the Royal Fusilers. Private F W Green died from his wounds and is buried at Sunken Road Cemetery, Boisleux-St.Marc, France.

Frederick was the son of Charles and Sarah Green, of Old House Farm, Hintlesham, Suffolk. He was one of at least 8 children and in 1901 was living in George Street. Frederick married Agatha and originally served with the Suffolks.  Frederick died as a result of his wounds while serving with the South Staffordshire Regiment and is buried at Bac-Du-Sud British Cemetery, Bailleulval, Nr Arras.

Sidney Maurice Green was born in Hintlesham and lived on Duke Street. His father, David was a labourer and his mother was called Annie. Sidney became a stockman before joining the Greadier Guards. His brother, Wilfred, was also killed as a result of WW1 (see below). Sidney was killed in action and is buried at Bucquoy Road Cemetery, Ficheux, France

Wesley was the second son of Alfred and Mary Green of Duke St. and baptised in 1889. His father was a farm labourer and his mother a dress maker. n the 1911 census, Wesley is listed as a footman at Melford Hall in Long Melford. Wesley is buried at Haidar Pasha cemetery in Istanbul, Turkey. The cemetery was used by the Turks during the war for the burial of prisoners of war. After the Armistice, Istanbul was occupied and Wesley may well have been serving in the city at this time. Wesley had 2 brothers and 2 sisters. Frank Edgar Green, his younger brother (see above), also died in the war.

Wilfred Henry Green was born and baptised in Hintlesham in 1891, the son of David and Annie Green. In the 1911 census,  his occupation was listed as domestic gardener and he was living with his parents in Duke Street.

Wilfred married Gertrude in 1914 and  served with the Suffolk Regiment.  He survived the war and according to family members he was a prisoner of war.  He returned to Hintlesham,  but in 1924 died as a result of his physical and mental injuries. At the time of his death,  it must have been felt he was as much a “casualty” of the war as those named on the memorial and his name was added at least 4 years after the memorial was unveiled.

Wilfred is buried in the graveyard adjacent to the war memorial at St Nicholas Church in Hintlesham.    The gravestone was fading and heavily covered in moss, but after cleaning it is now possible to make out the regimental crest of the Suffolk Regiment .  In spring,  daffodils and primroses grow on the grave (see photo).  Whether Wilfred was buried next to the memorial by purpose, or accident, it is nice to think of Wilfred resting close to his comrades from Hintlesham.

Wilfred’s brother, Sidney, also died in the Great War.

Orlando James Lloyd was killed in the first month of the Great War. He was the son of William and Esther Lloyd of Hintlesham and was born in Burstall in 1886. Orlando married Sarah Green in Bramford on 16 August 1913 and they had a daughter, Elwythe. Orlando enlisted in Ipswich and was a pre-war soldier who had served in Malta and Egypt. At the outbreak of war he was stationed at the Curragh in Ireland.

The battalion sailed to France via England and joined the British Expeditionary Force (see also Charles L Green above) on 17 August 1914. Nine days later Orlando died at the Battle of Le Cateau. Orlando is commemorated on the La Ferte-sous-Jouarre Memorial, Seine-et-Marne, France. There is also a memorial (see photograph) to the Suffolk Regiment near Le Cateau. (Regimental records list Orlando as Orlander & killed 9/4/15 - I believe these to be errors)

George Dourn Marsh was born in London in 1884, the son of George and Mary Marsh. He was baptised at Notting Hill and at some stage moved to Suffolk and lived with his brother and his family in Ipswich. He was employed as a gardener. Gunner Marsh arrived in France on 14 December 1915. He is commemorated at Ste Catherine British Cemetery near Arras in France. (Photograph: Memorial to the Royal Artillery in London)

Edwin was born in 1886 in Hintlesham, although in some records it is recorded as Burstall. His father was John Mower. Edwin married Ellen in 1909 and had a son, Harold Edwin the following year. He enlisted in Ipswich and served in France & Flanders. He was killed in action and it appears Edwin’s remains were “Known only unto God;” as a result he was listed on the Menin Gate memorial. However, they were discovered at the Old Sanctuary Wood cemetery (see photograph) and identified thanks to his dog tags and he was reburied in 1924 at the new cemetery at Sanctuary Wood. Edwin’s name was subsequently removed from the Menin Gate memorial. He was inadvertently missed off the Burstall memorial, but in addition to appearing on Hintlesham’s memorial,  Edwin  is listed on the East Bergholt  memorial inside the church. His wife Ellen remarried and lived on a farm at Bentley in Suffolk.

Higham was born in Hintlesham in 1887 and was brought up by his mother, Emma, on Duke Street. Higham was a labourer, enlisted in Ipswich and joined the 11 Bn Suffolks who were known as the Cambs/Suffolks. Higham landed in France in December 1915. Private Higham Peirson (also spelt Pearson) was one of 970 men from the battalion who died in the Great War. He was killed in action and buried at Suffolk Cemetery (see photograph) , La Rolanderie Farm, Erquinghem-Lys. Ref: II. A. 9 . The cemetery contains the graves of 43 soldiers from the UK of which 36 served with the 11th and 12th battalions of the Suffolks.

John was born in Hintlesham on 15 June 1884, went to school in the village and was brought up at Cobbler’s Corner. He became a stockman and married Ethel on 28 December 1908. At the time of the 1911 census, they were living on Back Road with Stanley William, their one year old son. John enlisted in November 1914 and his second son, Jack Reggie was born in January 1915.
John served as a Private with the 1st Battalion Suffolk Regiment. Following training, he arrived in France on Tuesday 18th May 1915. By the following week, 30 year old John was killed in action in Ypres. Like so many, he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres, Belgium. (On the Hintlesham memorial,  the listing is John W Squirrell)

One of at least 10 children, James Robert Vince was born in Hintlesham and lived in Duke Street. His parents were Emma and Frederick.​ The family had lived at Lower Farm, Chattisham at the turn of the century (according to the 1901 census) but by 1911 James had left home. Private James Vince died of his wounds and is buried at Plot J12 Dernancourt Communal Cemetery (see photograph) near Albert on the Somme, France.

James served in the Royal Field Artillery "C" Bty 276th Bde. Born in Hintlesham, he was the son of James and Mary Whiting of Chapel House, Hintlesham. Before the war he had worked as a gardener at Cornishead Priory - a grand hotel in Cumbria. In 1911 he was back in Suffolk living with his sister at Gusford Hall Cottage in Belstead. James is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial (Panel 4 to 6 & 162) in Belgium which bears the names of almost 35,000 officers and men whose graves are unknown.