“If You Shed a Tear”
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“IF YOU SHED A TEAR" “IF YOU SHED A TEAR” IN MEMORIAM THE GREAT WAR 1914 to 1918 HOW THE WAR AFFECTED THOSE LIVING IN SOME OF THE PARISHES SOUTH OF COLCHESTER Compiled by E. J. Sparrow “IF YOU SHED A TEAR" DEDICATIO I TRIBUTE TO THE GEERATIO THAT EDURED THE GREAT WAR. THIS BOOK DESCRIBES THE LOSSES EXPERIECED BY THE MAILY COASTAL VILLAGES SITUATED SOUTH OF COLCHESTER I ESSEX. THEIR STORY IS TYPICAL OF TOWS AD VILLAGES THROUGHOUT THEUITED KIGDOM. THE STORIES AD PROFILES ARE DRAW FROM A SERIES OF MEMORIAL BOOKS PREPARED I THE FIRST DECADE OF THE 21 ST CETURY. THESE BOOKS ARE HELD I THE PARISH CHURCHES SO THAT PEOPLE MAY SIT QUIETLY I THE PRESECE OF GOD AD READ OF THE AGOY OF WAR. AT THE ED OF THEIR LIFE, THEY SAY THAT OLD SOLDIERS EVER DIE THEY JUST FADE AWAY. THE ROYAL MARIES ARE SAID TO CROSS THE HARBOUR BAR. THEY OLY DIE IF THEY ARE FORGOTTE. SO PLEASE READ THEIR STORIES THAT THEY MAY BE REMEMBERED. AD IF YOU SHED A TEAR KOW THAT YOU HAVE OT WEPT ALOE “IF YOU SHED A TEAR" In the 21 st century our governments have not eliminated war and we still have wounded and dependants to care for. However, at least the Community through the Service Charities have taken on this task. You are invited to donate directly to help the work of your local Welfare Charities supporting ex-service men and women. Perhaps the publishing of these true stories may help to improve the lot of so many, who continue to sacrifice so much. PLEASE NOTE that we obtained special dispensation from a number of agencies including the CWGC and theWar Graves photographic project regarding copyright on their material used in this book. The IWM have granted a non commercial licence for their material used in this book. This was granted in view of the nature of the book being commemorative rather than published for commercial reasons. (C) NOTE THEIR COPYRIGHT STILL REMAINS ON THIS MATERIAL USED ELSEWHERE!!! “IF YOU SHED A TEAR" COTETS ITRODUCTIO THE MEMORIAL BOOKS Here after the book is broken into 3 major sections. Firstly chapters1 to 8 discusses how various groups in the community became involved. The second section has profiles of other men lost in the 4 years 1915, 1916, 1917 and 1918. The final 3 chapters summarise the cost to our community. In all over 200 men have their profiles shown. CHAPTER 1 “THEY WET TO WAR” REGULARS OVERSEAS BATTALIONS SPECIAL RESERVES “OLD CONTEMPTIBLES” THE TERRITORIAL FORCE “WINKLE BRIGADE” CHAPTER 2 ROYAL AVY THE FIRST NAVAL LOSSES FROM THE VILLAGES HMS PATHFINDER THE “LIVE BAIT SQUADRON” THE SUBMARINES THE ROYAL NAVAL DIVISION THE LOCAL SAILORS – THE KIEL REGATTA CHAPTER 3 OTHERS JOIIG THE LOCAL RECRUITS HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS CHAPTER 4 MERCHAT FLEET AD TRAWLER FLEET GALLIPOLI LANDINGS INVOLVING HMS NEWMARKET HMY ROSABELLE CHAPTER 5 THE EXILES “IF YOU SHED A TEAR" AUSTRALIANS CANADIANS CEYLON U.S.A CHAPTER 6 EVETS IVOLIG CIVILIAS CONSCRIPTION CIVILIANS MAJOR EXPLOSIONS IN HARBOUR CHAPTER 7 THE AIR FORCE RAS, RFC, RAF CHAPTER 8 THE LADIES CHAPTER 9 1915 THE TERRIERS JOI THE FIGHT NEUVE CHAPELLE BATTLE OF FREZENBURG ESSEX YEOMANRY ACTION NORTH of HOOGE 13 TH MAY1915 GALLIPOLI & DARDENELLES. HMS VENGEANCE HM TROOPSHIP ROYAL EDWARD HMS SWIFTSURE (includes SUEZ 1915) OPERATIONS ASHORE BATTLE OF AUBERS RIDGE 9TH MAY 1915 THE BATTLE OF LOOS 25 September - 19 October 191 5 CHAPTER 10 1916 “THE KITCHEER BATTALIOS” LOSS OF HMS HAMPSHIR E ARMY LOSSES FIRST 6 MONTHS JUTLAND THE KITCHENER BATTALIONS TAKE THE FIELD - SOMME “IF YOU SHED A TEAR" BATTLE BAZENTIN RIDGE 14th-17th July 1916. BATTLE of FLERS-COURCELETTE: 15-22 Sep 1916. CHAPTER 11 1917 LOSSES AT SEA ARMY CASUALTIES GERMAN WITHDRAWL TO THE HINDENBURG LINE, 14 March BATTLE ARLEUX 28 -29 April 1917 BATTLE OF LANGEMARCK 16-18th August 1917 BATTLES OF “PASSCHENDAELE CAMPAIGN". BATTLE OF PILKEM 31 July - 2 August 1917. BATTLE OF CAMBRAI 20 November 1917 CHAPTER 12 1918 THE FIAL YEAR MIDDLE EAST “KAISERSCHLACT” BATTLES OF LAST 100 DAYS SALONIKA CHAPTER 13 LOCAL HEROES CHAPTER 14 THE COST OF WAR CHAPTER 15 THE HOMECOMIG APPEDICES INDEX OF OVER 200 PROFILES OF THOSE FEATURED IN THE MEMORIAL BOOKS “IF YOU SHED A TEAR" INTRODUCTION The following stories are derived from the Memorial Books held in our local churches. They tell the effect of war on the communities in a handful of villages in North Essex. The experiences are probably common to many villages and towns throughout the Kingdom. THE MEMORIAL BOOKS These books contain the stories of those, who lost their lives in the service of their Country or through enemy action from the South Winstree peninsular, North East Essex. BACKGROUD TO THE PROJECT There are now Memorial Books, giving some details of those who lost their lives in the Service of our Country, in the Churches at St. Andrew’s Abberton. (for Abberton, Langenhoe, Fingringhoe & Rowhedge). There is also a book for those, who died in our villages. St. Mary’s Peldon (for Peldon & the Wigboroughs) St. Mary’s Salcott-cum-Virley St Mary’s Tollesbury . (For Tollesbury & the parishes of Tolleshunt D’Arcy, Tolleshunt Knights & Tolleshunt Major as well) The project started at St Andrew’s, Abberton & Langenhoe, where a Memorial Stone was planned as part of a Millennium commemoration on the Village Green in 2000. There was doubt in the villages regarding whose name should be recorded and in the end the Parish Council settled on a general statement without any specific names. In parallel it was decided to put a Memorial book in the Church with such information as could be found on those, who “IF YOU SHED A TEAR" died. The book was made loose leaf with pages in clear plastic envelopes, so that additions & corrections could be made readily, as extra information became available. The intent of the project was to allow people to sit quietly in the presence of God and learn about those that died. There had been a partial list of 12 names previously on the church wall, which over the last few years has expanded to 30 to include others with equal claim to be represented. These other names came from a variety of sources including the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records, the CD Rom "Soldiers Died" & "Officers Died", and particularly from the local newspaper records held in Colchester Library. The criteria chosen were loss of life in the Service of their Country or through enemy action. Over the years this has included suicides suffering from shell shock and even a murder victim. Each man was accorded such details as are given in the CWGC records, his medal entitlement, details & pictures of him and his family plus such information relating to his service & death, as could be found from books, service records, old newspapers, Parish Magazines, War Diaries, Ship’s logs, Regimental Associations or Museums etc.. In several cases we were greatly helped by people who had already researched their family trees. A second book was displayed at St Andrew’s in 2001, containing the stories of those who died in our villages. During World War 2 the Battle of Britain was fought overhead and 2 RAF fighter pilots were lost and in the spirit of reconciliation 8 German airmen are also included. With the course of time many more names have been included in this book, as the other villages in the area were added; for example, 6 members of the Glosters drowned on a training exercise in 1947 in the gravel pits of what is now Fingringhoe Nature Reserve. Abberton & Langenhoe share a Rector with Fingringhoe and Rowhedge (also known as East Donyland) in a United Benefice. Thus, in 2003, similar books were produced for these two parishes. The Rowhedge book also includes a petty officer killed on HMS London in the Yangtse incident. However, their churches are normally only open for services, so copies of their books are held at Abberton, which is kept open, albeit with CCTV installed in view of several thefts from the church. In 2007, our neighbours at Peldon, Little & Great Wigborough also dedicated Memorial books, which are held at St Mary the Virgin at Peldon (42 names). Included is a casualty from the 1 st Anglo-Boer War. This has been followed in 2008 by St Mary Salcott- cum-Virley (17 names) & St Mary Tollesbury (91 names). Basically, the books now cover the area south of the Roman River to the Strood causeway, which connects to Mersea Island in the South; by the River Colne with Rowhedge in the East; while in the West by Abberton Reservoir plus the Blackwater with Tollesbury. Probably the total population at the start of the Great War was some 5000 souls, with Tollesbury and Rowhedge, being fishing ports, the main centres of population. Thus many of those lost served at sea. The others tended to be farm boys, many of them ending in Service Battalions to work with horses. More recently two books covering the Blackheath area to the North were added (124 names). These men were predominantly from Garrison families, whose descendants have moved from the area. Thus these entries tend to be only the basic information from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records. “IF YOU SHED A TEAR" The parishes of Tolleshunt D’Arcy, Tolleshunt Knights and Tolleshunt Major were combined in 2009 with Tollesbury. Thus their Memorial books have been added to those at St. Mary’s Tollesbury. In all there are currently 450 profiles of those, who lost their lives in the service of their Country or through enemy action.