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1st Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
| Want to know more about 1st Battalion, Suffolk Regiment? There are:5276 items tagged 1st Battalion, Suffolk Regiment available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
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Those known to have served with1st Battalion, Suffolk Regiment during the Great War 1914-1918. - Banham James. Sgt. (d.26th Sep 1917)
- Bragg DCM Henry. Sgt.
- Cracknell Percy Walter. Pte
- Holmes Eli. (d.25th May 1915)
- Jennis Albert Edward. Pte. (d.27th July 1915)
- Jordan MM. James Henry. Pte
- Key Jacob Rita. Pte. (d.8th May 1915)
- Leeks Robert William.
- Manton Harry. Pte.
- Mobbs Arthur. A/Sgt.
- Payne MM, CdG. Jack. Sgt.
- Ray Arthur. Pte.
- Salmon Thomas. Pte.
- Spurling Frederick Ernest. Pte.
- Wallace William Berkeley. Lt Col.
All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please Add a Name to this List
Records of 1st Battalion, Suffolk Regiment from other sources.
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Did you know? We also have a section on World War Two. and a
Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.
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Lt Col. William Berkeley Wallace 1st Batallion Suffolk Regiment  When the 1914-1918 war broke out my grandfather, Lt. Col William Wallace, went to France with his unit, the 1st Battalion, Suffolk Regiment.
The Suffolk Regiment, and my grandfather, soon became embroiled in the Second Battle of Ypres, in April/May 1915. This was one of the few major offensives launched by the Imperial German Army and during this attack poison gas was used for the first time in modern warfare. With no gas masks, soldiers were told to urinate on pieces of rag and to hold them over their faces to prevent the inhaling of the poisonous fumes!
For a time my grandfather was in command of a detachment of two battalions in the battle of St Julien in April 1915. Later, in May, he defended Frezenberg Ridge as part of this battle. It was not the gas but the failure of a neighbouring unit to hold its position which left my grandfather’s detachment exposed on one side, of which the Germans took advantage. Grandfather, seeing that he was surrounded decided to save lives and surrender, but not before he had shared out all his cigars among his men so that they did not fall into the hands of the enemy. It is said that when the Germans overran his trench it was shrouded in cigar smoke!
My grandfather, then 49, spent the rest of the war as a prisoner until repatriated after the armistice in 1918.
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A/Sgt. Arthur Mobbs 1st Btn. Suffolk Regiment My grandfather, Arthur Mobbs was a machine-gun operator and acting sergeant in the 1st Suffolk Battalion in the First World War. I have found out he went to France, Egypt, and Bulgaria and that he had an injury to one of his eyes for which he had treatment. I have tried many times to get some photographs of him or his battalion and would be very grateful if anyone has any to share.
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Pte. Arthur Ray 84th Company Machine Gun Corps Originally Arthur Ray was in the 1st Batt Suffolk Regiment. After acquiring his War Medal, internet research has allowed me to narrow down his service details
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Pte Percy Walter "Perce" Cracknell 1st Btn Suffolk Regiment My grandad, Percy Cracknell served with the 1st Battalion, Suffolk Regiment in WW1. He was on the line for four weeks and then taken prisoner and sent to Rehnbahn Camp.
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Pte. Albert Edward Jennis 1st Btn. Suffolk Regiment (d.27th July 1915) Albert Jennis is buried in Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery.
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Sgt. Jack Payne MM, CdG. 1st Btn. Suffolk Regiment Jack Payne was born in Shepreth, Cambridgeshire in 1888 and joined the 1st Suffolk Regiment in 1908.
He fought in WW1 at both Mons and Ypres as well as Loos.
He also participated in several other WW1 conflicts including the southern Macedonian front and attained the rank of sergeant.
The records show him as being part of several battalions during his army career including 1st, 2nd, 7th, and 8th Suffolk Regiment as well as the 2nd Northants.
He was awarded the Mons Star, Victory and British War Medals.
He married a Belgium women called Emilie Rosalie Timmermans and lived in Belgium for most of his life from leaving the army in 1922 until his death in 1975.
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Sgt. Henry Bragg DCM 2nd Btn. Suffolk Regiment Harry Bragg served 22 years, first with the 1st Battalion (Boer War) and then the 2nd Battalion (WWI). He received the Queen's South Africa medal, King's South Africa medal, and the Distinguished Conduct Medal (WWI), "For conspicuous gallantry. When the enemy exploded a mine, burying him and four men, he dug his men out under a hot fire, manned the crater and held it all day. (15th of May 1916)"
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Pte. Jacob Rita Key 1st Btn. Suffolk Regiment (d.8th May 1915) Jacob Key was one of my grandmother's older brothers. Two others were also killed in action. She campaigned to have the plaque bearing their names salvaged when the church in which it had been put up was deconsecrated. She succeeded. She was also proud that he was commemorated on the Menin Gate. David, who died in September 1916 is commemorated on the Thiepval memorial and Frederick, died 8th August 1918, on the Ploegstraat memorial. None of their bodies were ever found. I have visited them all.
As my grandmother was the daughter at home during the war, and the one who could read, which her parents couldn't, imagine how she had to deal with imparting the news contained in letters from the army.
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Pte. Frederick Ernest Spurling 1st Btn. Suffolk Regiment Frederick Spurling served with the 1st Battalion, Suffolk Regiment during WW1.
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Pte James Henry Jordan MM. 7th Btn Suffolk Regiment  Jim Jordan joined the 1st Battalion Suffolk Regiment in 1907 at the age of 19. He was quickly posted to Malta, where he learned his trade of tailor. After Malta came Khartoum and Egypt. The Battalion arrived back in England in November 1914, and set foot in France in February 1915, where they took part in the Second Battle of Ypres and later that year the Battle of Loos. My grandfather was wounded three times during the war but we do not know when. We only know that after the war he was left with shrapnel embedded in his shoulder. The first occasion must have taken him out of action when the 1st Battalion left for Salonika in November 1915 and we assume then he went into the Second Battalion, and later into the 7th. He was with the 7th Battalion when he received his Military Medal (London Gazette, October 1917). On 28th November, following the Battle of Cambrai, when the use of tanks helped break through the Hindenburg Line, he and some comrades were captured. Jim spent the rest of the war at Dulmen Camp. He had four brothers on active service, one in the Navy (who served on the Royal Oak at the Battle of Jutland), and three in the Army. Unfortunately, Jim died in 1932 at the age of 44.
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Pte. Harry Manton 1st Battalion Suffolk Regiment In June 2013 I purchased a pocket watch & scratched into the back was:- H Manton 1st Suffolks 1918 Prisoner of war Germany 1915-1919.
From the records office in Bury St Edunds I have obtained a copy of his WW1 medal rolls index card.From the Suffolk Regiment Gazette of 1916 the following was obtained: Army number 7905, Name Manton H,
Unit 1st,
Camp Giessen,
As the watch was purchased in Diss which is on the Norfolk Suffolk it would appear that he did not stray far after the war. I would love to know more.
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