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7th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
7th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment was raised at Bury St Edmunds in August 1914 as part of Kitchener's First New Army and joined 35th Brigade, 12th (Eastern) Division. 35th Brigade and the Divisional Artillery concentrated near Shorncliffe, in late August. Final training was undertaken near Aldershot from the 20th of February 1915, with the cavalry, motor machine gun battery, sanitary and veterinary sections joining. They proceeded to France on the 30th of May landing at Boulogne, the Division concentrated near St Omer and by 6th of June were in the Meteren-Steenwerck area with Divisional HQ being established at Nieppe. They underwent instruction from the more experienced 48th (South Midland) Division and took over a section of the front line at Ploegsteert Wood on the 23rd of June 1915. They were in action in The Battle of Loos from the 30th of September, taking over the sector from Gun Trench to Hulluch Quarries consolidating the position, under heavy artillery fire. On the 8th they repelled a heavy German infantry attack and on the 13th took part in the Action of the Hohenzollern Redoubt, capturing Gun Trench and the south western face of the Hulluch Quarries. During this period at Loos, 117 officers and 3237 men of the Division were killed or wounded.By the 21st they moved to Fouquieres-les-Bethune for a short rest then returned to the front line at the Hohenzollern Redoubt until the 15th of November, when they went into reserve at Lillers. On the 9th of December, 9th Royal Fusiliers assisted in a round-up of spies and other suspicious characters in the streets of Bethune. On the 10th the Division took over the front line north of La Bassee canal at Givenchy. On the 19th of January they began a period of training in Open Warfare at Busnes, then moved back into into the front line at Loos on the 12th of February 1916. In June they moved to Flesselles and carried out a training exercise. They moved to Baizieux on the 30th June and went into the reserve at Hencourt and Millencourt by mid morning on the 1st of July. They relieved the 8th Division at Ovillers-la-Boisselle that night and attacked at 3.15 the following morning with mixed success. On the 7th they attacked again and despite suffering heavy casualties in the area of Mash Valley, they succeeded in capturing and holding the first and second lines close to Ovillers. They were withdrawn to Contay on the 9th July. They were in action in The Battle of Pozieres on the 3rd of August with a successful attack capturing 4th Avenue Trench and were engaged in heavy fighting until they were withdrawn on the 9th. They moved north and in 1917 were in action at Arras in The First Battle of the Scarpe, The Battle of Arleux and The Third Battle of the Scarpe. They remained in the Arras sector until the 30th of October when they moved to Hesdin for the Cambrai offensive in which the Division suffered heavy losses. In March 1918 they moved by motor lorry from Busnes to Albert and were in action in The Battle of Bapaume and spent the spring engaged in heavy fighting a the enemy advanced across the old Somme battlefields. On the
19th of May 1918 the 7th Suffolks were reduced to cadre strength and on the 24th transferred to 39th Division with over 400 men transferring to the 1/1st Cambridgeshires. On the 16th of August they transferred to 197th Brigade in 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division. They were in action in The Battle of Cambrai, The Pursuit to the Selle and The Battle of the Selle. On the 20th of October the Division was withdrawn to the Serain area for rest, then advanced through Le Cateau from the 2nd of November engaging in sharp fights with the enemy until the Armistice.
16th Jun 1915 All Quiet
3rd Sep 1915 Narrow Escape
27th September 1915 Orders
16th Oct 1915 The Derby Scheme
1st Dec 1915 Derby Scheme Armlets
11th Sep 1915 Last day of Derby Scheme Recruitment
23rd Dec 1915 Into the Line
4th Jan 1916 Reliefs 
10th Jan 1916 Group System Reopens
9th February 1916 Call Ups
11th Mar 1916 Working Party
3rd Apr 1916 Bravery Recognised
2nd Mar 1917 Reliefs
1st Jan 1918 Training
2nd Jan 1918 Training
3rd Jan 1918 Training
4th Jan 1918 Training
5th Jan 1918 Moves
6th Jan 1918 Moves
7th Jan 1918 Training
8th March 1918 Trench Raid
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Sgt. Frederick Rosier 7th Btn. Suffolk Regiment (d.25th Jul 1915) Frederick Rosier was the eldest son of Brad Rosier of Walsham-le-Willows and his wife, Rebecca. He was educated at Rickinghall Village school and enlisted in the 2nd Northamptonshire Regiment on 15th of March, 1894 and served in the South African War, receiving the Queen's medal with four clasps, Belmont, Modder River, Orange Free State and Transvaal, and King's medal with two clasps. He took his discharge, on the 14th of March, 1903, and then joined the Reserve for six years. After the outbreak of war he reenlisted in the 7th Sulfolks, on the 7th of Sept. 1914, with his former rank of Sergt., and after acting as Drill Sergeant for some time at Shorncliffe, went to France on 30th of May, 1915, He died in the Stationary Hospital, Boulogne on the 25th of July, 1915, of wounds received in action, he is buried in Boulogne Cemetery. His commanding officer wrote "He was not only a very effiecent sergtant, but also a good keen man on whom I knew I could always rely to carry out the most dangerous of our duties. His pluck when in pain from his wound was magnificent" He was for ten years a bell-ringer at St. Mary's Church, Walsham-le-Willows, and was also secretary of the local branch of his Trade Union. Sergt. Rosier was married at Walsham-le-Willows, 13th Dec. 1902, to Ellen and had three children, Frederick Arthur William, b. 26 July, 1903; Winifred Dorothy, b. 22 May 1906, and Florence Lucy, b. 23 Aug. 1915.
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A/CQMS. George Edward Jeffries 7th Btn. Suffolk Regiment George Jeffries embarked on 30th of May 1915. George was later transferred to the 2nd Highland Light Infantry, then the 5th Highland Light Infantry.
He reached the rank of A/CQMS and was demobbed on the 4th of April 1919 at Hamilton. He was awarded the Victory and British Medals and the 15 Star.
He was born in Pakefield, Suffolk and was married to Maggie.
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CSM. Horace Augustus Firth 7th Btn. Suffolk Regiment Horace Firth was born in West Dereham, Norfolk on 5th September 1890 and enlisted in the 3rd Volunteer Battalion, Norfolk Regiment on 3rd June 1907. After serving for a year, Firth transferred to the Suffolk Regiment as a Regular Army Private on 4th June 1908.
At the start of World War I, Firth was assigned to the newly formed 7th Battalion and landed in France with them on 30th of May 1915. He was wounded twice during World War I.
Firth was appointed the 1st Battalion’s Regimental Sergeant Major on 23rd January 1925. He received the Long Service & Good Conduct Medal on 15th June 1927 (Army Order 150) and, after serving as the 1st Battalion’s sergeant major for five years, Firth retired on 23rd January 1930.
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Pte. William Thomas Fosbrook 7th Btn. Suffolk Regiment William Fosbrook was my maternal grandfather. He was sent to France around December 1916 having just turned 18. He was taken prisoner at Albert on 27th March 1918 and moved through various POW camps and hospitals before returning to London from Danzig (Poland) via Leith in December and marrying my grandmother in 1920. He bore the effects of frost bite and mustard gas all of his life until he died aged 72. He was a lively and mischievous grandad who loved to tell stories. I wish I'd have been old enough to ask him about his. In loving memory.
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