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Pte. John Stanhope CRABTREE - King's Own (royal Lancaster Regiment)
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Died 22nd October 1916 aged 34
Son of John and Margaret Crabtree, of Witham Lodge, Bracebridge, Lincoln.
Killed in action 22 Oct 1916, formerly 22912 Lincolnshire Regiment Born: Halstead, Essex Enlisted: Stockport
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Born in Halstead, Essex. The Lincolnshire Chronicle announced on 18th November 1916 (pg.7) News received this week of the death of Pte Crabtree, brings to premature close a career which promised great achievement. The procession of excellent scholarship and splendid talents justifying the belief that he would have gained a very high reputation as a (unreadable) Educated at St. Peter-at-Gowts by Mr. Boulton. Pte Crabtree continued a successful school career at the Middle School and later at the Grammar School, where he gained the Divinity Prise for three years After passing the London Matriculation, he secured a situation as assistant master at Bishop?s Stortford. Later he took his London B.A., and as the fruits of his degree was offered the headmastership of Cheadle Hulme School. Near Manchester. He joined the army in April. He was a man of pronounced musical abilities, and as a pianist and organist exhibited rare taste, combined with an exquisite touch, and for several years he was organist of Rampton Church, Notts. Trained at Brockton Camp, he went out on the 24th August, and was transferred to the King?s Own Royal Lancasters, and had only been at the front about eight weeks when he was killed.
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Pte. Thomas DAINES - Army Service Corps
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H. J. DAY - No other information found
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Pte. Albert DOWSETT - 4th Bn. The Buffs
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Died 2nd April 1916 aged 48
Husband of Anna Dowsett, of 40, Castle St., Greenhithe.
Age 48. Born Halstead, Essex, enlisted Dartford, Kent, resident Greenhithe, Kent. In 1911 he was a labourer in a cement works in Greenhithe, Kent, living with his wife Anna Davis [m.1897], and 3 children Wilfred, Dorothy and Margaret, and father in law William Davis. Married Minnie Emma Hadlow in Dover 11 March 1906, aged 23.
Buried or commemorated at FAVERSHAM BOROUGH CEMETERY, UK
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/369286/albert-dowsett/
Service No. T/20216
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In times of war it is not just those who were called into action who suffer. This incident highlights the perils of those at home in their effort to aid those at the front.
On Sunday 2nd April 1916 a fire broke out in some empty sacks at the Gun Powder Works (Gunpowder Mill - Explosives Loading Company) at Uplees Marshes, near Faversham. An attempt was made to put out the fire to no avail and the factory manager ordered an evacuation of the site. Too late, at 2.20pm an explosion occurred when 200 tons of TNT blew up while the evacuation was in progress. The explosion was so large that windows across the Thames estuary, in Southend, were shattered and the tremor was felt in Norwich. The crater made by the explosion was 40 yards across and 20 feet deep. The death toll was 109 men and boys were killed, including the whole of the Works Fire Brigade. As they tried to control the blaze so many firemen died in subsequent smaller explosions on the site.
The many bodies that were recovered were found in the surrounding marshes and dykes; seven were recorded as missing, most probably disintegrated by the explosion.
A mass grave was created for many of the dead in Faversham Borough Cemetery at Ladydene, on the Whitstable road. It was made in 1898, and belongs to the Corporation; and it contains 31 War Graves. Five men of the 4th Buffs were killed in the explosion. The memorial was dedicated by The Lord Bishop of Croydon on 27th September 1917.
Quote "By this explosion, the most disastrous in the history of my Department, no less than 106 persons were killed on the spot or died later from their injuries and 97 were injured. Of those killed 20 were employees of the Cotton Powder Company and 4 belonged to the military guard."
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Pte. Sidney George DRURY - 1st Bn., Essex Regiment
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Died 29th April 1915
Buried or commemorated at HELLES MEMORIAL, TURKEY Panel 146 to 151 or 229 to 233.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/681038/sidney-george-drury/
Service No. 9647
Sydney was born on 22nd February 1893 at 11 Parsonage Street in Halstead, Essex, the son of Alfred Drury, an ordinary labourer on the land, and Eliza his wife. The 1901 census shows the family resident in Tilkey, Coggeshall, and it was from here that Sydney enlisted as a Regular soldier in the 1st Battalion, Essex Regiment at Colchester. The 1911 census shows him at Warley Barracks near Brentwood.
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He was probably undergoing training there as this was the home depot of the Essex Regiment. The Coggeshall Almanack shows him on the list of Coggeshall men serving in 1914. He left Avonmouth with his battalion on 21st March 1915, travelling via Alexandria and Mudros to arrive at Gallipoli on 25th April 1915. He must have been wounded on the first or second day as Records at the Essex Regiment Museum indicate that he died of his wounds on 29th April 1915 at sea, probably on one of the hospital ships, after landing at “W” Beach, Gallipoli. He was 22 years old.
(Source: https://coggeshallmuseum.org/app/uploads/2021/04/Roll-of-Honour-for-World-War-One-A-to-L_1.pdf)
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Sapper William EDWARDS - 158th Army Troops Coy - Royal Engineers
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Died 3rd September 1918 aged 38
Born Halstead, Essex, enlisted Bury St Edmunds, resident Woolpit, Suffolk. Son of William and Elizabeth Edwards; husband of E. F. Edwards, of Drinkstone, Bury St. Edmunds.
Service No. 216710
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(Sapper William Edwards, Royal Engineers, 158th Army Troops Coy, Army No. 216710). ..was en route to England from Tarranto in Italy, when he was taken ill. According to his Medical Case Sheet, he was admitted to the hospital on 29th August 1918 which also quotes a 'station' reference: "Military Hosp. A.P.O. S.85." He died at around 6pm on 3rd September 1918, cause of death being recorded initially as Meningitis, subsequently amended to Cerebral Malaria following a post mortem. He is buried in St Germain-au-Mont-d’Or Communal Cemetery Extension (plot B.15)..https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/233920-le-manoir-fleurie-~-military-hospital/
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B. ELLIS - Royal Engineers (might be Ben Ellis B/20409) but not confirmed - No other information found.
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F. ELLIS - Royal Army Medical Corps. (might be Frank Edward Ellis 28532) - No other information found.
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Pte. Edward William ELSDON - 6th Bn. South Wales Borderers
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Died 27th May 1918 aged 34
Son of John and Sarah Elsdon, of 21, Essex St., James St., Mile End, London.
Buried or commemorated at SOISSONS MEMORIAL, France
Service No. 42404
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Pte. Frederick EVANS - 105th Field Coy. - Royal Engineers
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S. FAIRBANK - Royal Sussex Regiment - No other information found
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S. FAYERS - London Regiment - No other information found
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Pte. Henry Charles FINCH - 16th Bn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment
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G. FORDHAM - Suffolk Regiment - No other information found
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Sgt. Harry Gordon GARROD - 1st Bn. Hertfordshire Regiment
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Died (Missing in Action) 31st July 1917 aged 23
Son of Jethro and Sarah Garrod, of 5, Holmsdale Terrace, Stevenage, Herts.
Harry was born in Halstead but the family later moved to Southsea Road, Stevenage, where both father and his sons worked in the Educational Supplies Association factory.
He initially served in the Hertfordshire Regiment as Private 1773, and arrived in France on the 6th November 1914. He served continuously with his Regiment and was to lose his life on the first day of a major British offensive, The Third Battle of Ypres, more commonly referred to as the Battle of Passchendaele. The offensive was launched on 31 July 1917 and continued until the fall of Passchendaele village on 6 November. Although it resulted in gains for the Allies it was by no means the breakthrough General Haig intended, and such gains as were made came at great cost in human terms. Casualties were very heavy with 459 men being killed, missing or wounded. Harry as no known grave and his name is recorded on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium. Medal Entitlement: 1914 Star, British War Medal & Victory Medal.
Service Number: 265126
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Pte. Sydney Clive GILDER - King's Royal Rifle Corps
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Died 9th August 1918 aged 18
Son of Mr. F. C. and Mrs. R. E. Gilder, of 30, Camps Rd., Haverhill, Suffolk.
Secondary Unit, Regimentposted to 6th Bn. London Regiment (City of London Rifles)
Buried or commemorated at BEACON CEMETERY, SAILLY-LAURETTE I. I. 3. France
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/185693/s-c-gilder/
Inscription: UNTIL THE DAY BREAKS AND SHADOWS FLEE AWAY
Service No. 53851
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Pte. Charles William GOODEY - 57th Field Ab. Royal Army Medical Corps
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Pte. Mark GOODEY - 7th Bn. Norfolk Regiment
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Bombardier Clifford Leslie GOSS - 410th Royal Field Artillery
Clifford Goss volunteered in 1915 and joined the Royal Field Artillery. This was the largest arm of the artillery, responsible for the horse-drawn medium calibre guns and howitzers deployed close to the front line. He served in France from December 1915, first as a gunner. By the time of his death he had been promoted to Bombardier (a non-commissioned officer equivalent to a Corporal in rank) and in charge of a six man gun detachment.
Vignacourt was the location of 20th & 61st Casualty Clearing Stations (CCS) from March 1918. The CCS were usually sited away from the front lines and treated wounded soldiers after they had received immediate, basic treatment at the frontline Dressing Stations. Men who were unfit for onward travel would stay in the CCS, less severely injured soldiers would go on to a Base Hospital. Although the CCS was a fully operational hospital many of the injuries were beyond what could be treated at the time and large military cemeteries often found around the sites of these former hospitals. Clifford died of wounds received although we don’t yet know any detail of how this happened. His brigade was involved in the actions arising from the German spring offensive on the Somme and subsequent battles between March and July 1918.
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Pte. Richard GRANGE - 10th Bn. Essex Regiment
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Pte. Claude GRAY - 15th Bn. Suffolk Regiment
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Died 6th November 1917 aged 21
Son of Arthur and Sabina Gray, of Halstead, Essex.
Buried or commemorated at BEERSHEBA WAR CEMETERY M. 45. Israel and Palestine (including Gaza)
Service Number: 320200
Inscription: IN GOD'S KEEPING
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Pte Percy HARRINGTON - 3rd Bn. Royal Fusiliers
