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- 8th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment during the Great War -


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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment

8th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment



   8th (Service) Battalion, Suffolk Regiment was raised at Bury St Edmunds in September 1914 as part of Kitchener's Second New Army and joined 53rd Brigade, 18th (Eastern) Division. 18th (Eastern) Division was established in September 1914, as part of Kitchener's Second New Army. The Division initially concentrated in the Colchester area but moved to Salisbury Plain in May 1915. They proceeded to France on the 25th of July and concentrated near Flesselles. In 1916 they were in action on The Somme in The Battle of Albert capturing their objectives near Montauban, The Battle of Bazentin Ridge including the capture of Trones Wood, The Battle of Delville Wood, The Battle of Thiepval Ridge, The Battle of the Ancre Heights playing a part in the capture of the Schwaben Redoubt and Regina Trench and The Battle of the Ancre. In 1917 they took part in the Operations on the Ancre including Miraumont and the capture of Irles, the fought during The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line and in The Third Battle of the Scarpe before moving to Flanders. They were in action in The Battle of Pilkem Ridge, The Battle of Langemarck and The First and Second Battle of Passchendaele. On the 7th of February 1918 the 8th Suffolks were disbanded in France.

Jul 1915 Training Instruction

Jul 1915 Billets

24th July 1915 On the Move

25th Jul 1915 On the Move

31st July 1915 Conference

1st Aug 1915 Conference

2nd Aug 1915 On the March  location map

2nd Aug 1915 Inspection  location map

18th Aug 1915 Brigade Parade

23rd of August 1915  Normal Situation  location map

26th Sep 1915 Reliefs  location map

7th Oct 1915 Reliefs  location map

15th Oct 1915 Reliefs  location map

16th Oct 1915 The Derby Scheme

23rd Oct 1915 Reliefs  location map

27th Oct 1915 Visit  location map

29th Oct 1915 Visit  location map

31st Oct 1915 Poor Conditions  location map

1st Dec 1915 Derby Scheme Armlets

11th Sep 1915 Last day of Derby Scheme Recruitment

10th Jan 1916 Group System Reopens

21st Jan 1916 Reliefs

5th Feb 1916 Reliefs

8th Feb 1916 In the Trenches

9th February 1916 Call Ups

23rd Jun 1916 Reliefs Completed

25th June 1916 Bombardment

26th June 1916 Trench Raid

1st Jul 1916 In Action  location map

1st July 1916 Attack  location map

2nd Jul 1916 In Action  location map

3rd Jul 1916 In Action  location map

4th Jul 1916 In Action  location map

5th Jul 1916 Reliefs  location map

8th Jul 1916 On the Move

14th Jul 1916 Into Support

19th Jul 1916 Hard Fighting

19th Jul 1916 In Action  location map

20th Jul 1916 In Action  location map

29th Jul 1916 On the Move

If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.





Want to know more about 8th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment?


There are:5270 items tagged 8th 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.


Those known to have served with

8th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment

during the Great War 1914-1918.

  • Bellward Victor. Sgt. (d.10th Aug 1917)
  • Lemmon Arthur.
  • Manning Frank. Pte (d.17th February 1917)
  • Morley George. L/Sgt. (d.31st Jul 1917)
  • Payne MM, CdG. Jack. Sgt.
  • Pepper Stanley. Pte.
  • Rooks Albert. Pte. (d.9th April 1918)
  • Rumsey George Henry. Pte. (d.13th Jan 1918)
  • Rust Wilfred. Pte. (d.9th Apr 1917)
  • Sargent Thomas Charles. Pte. (d.31st July 1917)
  • Songhurst Thomas James. Cpl. (d.11th May 1917)
  • Tripp Sidney P.. L/Cpl.

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 8th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment from other sources.


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  Pte. Thomas Charles Sargent 8th Battalion Suffolk Regiment (d.31st July 1917)

Thomas Sargent was my father's elder brother. He was born Turvey Beds and served with the 8th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment.

Michael Sargent






  Pte. Wilfred Rust 8th Btn. Suffolk Regiment (d.9th Apr 1917)

Wilfred Rust was born in 1879 in Pentney, Norfolk. He had two elder brothers and 5 elder sisters. He was in the 11th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment and died on 9th April 1917, aged 20. Wilfred is buried in Roclincourt Valley Cemetery.

Pauline Graves






  L/Sgt. George Morley 8th Btn. Suffolk Regiment (d.31st Jul 1917)

George Morley was my maternal great grandfather, father of Mildred Violet Morley and husband of Mrs Mary A. Morley

Ray Laflin






  Pte Frank Manning 8th Btn. Suffolk Regiment (d.17th February 1917)

Frank Manning was born in 1889 at Norton the son of George Manning of Norton and Sarah from Daventry. In the 1891 Census George and Sarah both aged 38 were living in Norton with their children Ada aged 12, Ethel aged 9, Alfred aged 7 and Frank aged 1. They were living next door to William and Susannah Manning (George's parents) who had living with them two more of the family Frank's brothers, William aged 13 and John aged 11. Frank's brother Alfred is the same age as John Blencowe who lives next door to the family. Sadly both Alfred and John were killed in action and are also commemorated on the Norton War Memorial. In the 1901 Census George is recorded as a blacksmith living with Sarah, son John is a coachman aged 21 and Alfred is a groom aged 17. Frank aged 11 is now living with his grandparents William aged 79 and Susannah aged 78, next door to his parents. William is living on private means, Ada and Ethel are not recorded so may have been married. In the 1911 Census his mother Sarah has died and Frank is again living with his father and is a waggoner on farm. Alfred is boarding in Long Buckby and is a cab driver.

Frank enlisted in Daventry as Private 40436 into the 8th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Frank was killed in action on the 17th of February 1917 at the age of 28, five months after Alfred his older brother and is buried in Regina Trench Cemetery, Grandcourt, Somme, France and is commemorated on the Norton War Memorial and Great War Memorial Board in the Church. He was awarded the British War and Victory medals and commemorative plaque and scroll.

Timothy Kirby






  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.

<p>Jack Payne

Stephen Payne






  Pte. Stanley Pepper 8th Btn. Suffolk Rgt.

Stanley Pepper was gassed in the trenches.







  Cpl. Thomas James Songhurst 8th Btn. Suffolk Regiment (d.11th May 1917)

Thomas Songhurst is buried in the Bucquoy Road Cemetery, France.

Neil Winton






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