BANTOFT

Alfred Samuel

Private 27276, 7th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City Of London Regiment). Killed in action 13 November 1916. Born Chillesford, Suffolk, resident Sudbourne, enlisted Saxmundham. Buried at Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel

BENNETT

Cordie William

Private 8031, 7th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Died 21 December 1915. Born Blythburgh. Buried at the Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner, Cuinchy

BENNETT

William G

Private 50781, 1st/5th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Died 9 June 1918. Aged 25. Son of Charles and Mary Ann Bennett of 41 Decoyhouse, Iken, Tunstall. Native of Orford . Buried at Ramleh War Cemetery, Israel

CALEY

Philip Herbert

Lance Corporal 59515, 106th Field Company, Royal Engineers. Died 17 July 1917. Born Sudbourne, resident in Tunstall. Buried at the New Irish Farm Cemetery, Ypres

CHITTLEBOROUGH

John Lindley

Gunner 104794, 265th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died of wounds 24 September 1917. Aged 39. Born and resident Chillesford, Suffolk, enlisted Ipswich. Son of William Chittleborough of Chillesford and the late Susanah Chittleborough. Buried at Godewaersvelde British Cemetery, Nord, France. Plot I. Row G. Grave 29.

FRANCIS

Herbert Franklin

Private G/35966, 7th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City Of London Regiment). Killed in action 13 November 1916. Born Chillsford, enlisted Ipswich. Buried at Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel

GRAND

Reginald Walter

Private 37840, 3rd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Died 18 February 1917. Aged 22. Son of Robert and Rose Grand, of Brightwell. Buried at Orford (St Bartholomew) Churchyard. Private Grand’s death was recorded at Woodbridge

KING

Russell William

Rifleman A/205352, 8th Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps. Died 21 March 1918. Born in Chillesford. Commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial

KNIGHTS

Edward George

Private 20819, 6th Battalion, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry formerly 34652, Suffolk Regiment. Killed in action 22 March 1918. Aged 28. Born and enlisted Chillesford, Suffolk. Son of George B and Eliza Knights of 5 New Cottages, Chillesford Lodge, Orford. Commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France. Panel 60.

KNIGHTS

William Harry

Private 14975, 8th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Killed in action 7 July 1916. Born Chillesford, enlisted Ipswich. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial

MEADOWS

George Snowdon

Stoker 1st Class 308721, H.M.S. Natal, Royal Navy. Died 30 December 1915. Aged 35. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Meadows of 69 Broom Cottage, Sudbourne. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial.

On 30th December 1915 Natal was lying in the Cromarty Firth with her squadron under the command of Captain Eric Back RN. Shortly after 3.20pm, and without warning, a series of violent explosions tore through the ship. Within 5 short minutes she capsized, a blazing wreck. 390 men, more than half of the ship’s company, 11 women and children and two dockyard workers perished either from the explosions or in the freezing water of the Cromarty Firth. There was a huge amount of speculation about the loss of the Natal. A mine laying U-boat was thought to be the cause but an underwater inspection revealed massive damage from an internal explosion. sabotage by German agents was suspected but never proved

SMITH

John

Private 17549, 1st Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Died 25 May 1915. Aged 29. Husband of Lily Jane Foreman (formerly Smith) of The Bungalow, Wigborough Wick, St Osyth, Clacton-on-Sea. Commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

SMY

Arthur

Stoker 1st Class K/18565, H.M.S. Hogue, Royal Navy. Died 22 September 1914. Born Clopton. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial.

H.M.S. Hogue, an old 1st Class armoured cruiser, was part of Cruiser Force C, in the area of the North Sea known as the Broad Fourteens (H.M.S. Eurylus, H.M.S. Aboukir and H.M.S. Cressy were the other three cruisers). H.M.S. Eurylus had technical problems and returned to port. Early on September 22nd 1914 the German submarine U9 under the command of Commander Otto Weddigen sighted the Cressy, Aboukir and Hogue steaming NNE at 10 knots without zigzagging. Although the patrols were supposed to maintain 12-13 knots and zigzag the old cruisers were unable to maintain that speed and the zigzagging order was widely ignored as there had been no submarines sighted in the area during the war. H.M.S. Aboukir was hit by a torpedo first and rolled over within half an hour of the attack. H.M.S. Hogue was picking up survivors when she was hit by two torpedoes, sinking within 10 minutes. H.M.S. Cressy had stopped to pick up survivors, but got underway, before she was hit by a torpedo and damaged. Shortly afterwards, a second torpedo hit her and she sank within 15 minutes. 837 men were rescued but 1459 were killed in total. Stoker Smy is also commemorated on the Clopton War Memorial

SMY

Noah G

Leading Stoker K/17913, H.M.S. Intrepid, Royal Navy. Died 27 April 1918. Born in Clopton. Buried in Clopton (St Mary) Churchyard.

Leading Stoker’s death is recorded at Medway; this was probably as the result of wounds received during the Zeebrugge raid on 23 April 1918. H.M.S. Intrepid was built 1894. Converted to a minelayer in 1910. Became a depot ship and served as such in the White Sea. Finally became a block ship and was scuttled at Zeebrugge 23 April 1918. Leading Stoker Smy is also commemorated on the Clopton War Memorial

GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS THAT
A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FORE HIS FRIENDS.

H J Snowden © Doug Ireland (WMR-5462)

1939-1945

SNOWDEN

Herbert John

Corporal 1886332, 7 Field Company, Royal Engineers. Killed in action at Cape Bon, Tunisia, 13 May 1943. Aged 24. Son of Willie George and Ellen Snowdon of Chillesford. Buried at Massicault War Cemetery, Tunisia