The men remembered on the and Loudham War Memorial who gave their lives in the Great War 1914-1919

Researched by Andy Pritchatt of Ufford

with contributions from Cath Caudwell and Joan Peck

of Pettistree Heritage and Mike Watts

Pettistree and Loudham War Memorial

In the churchyard of St Peter and Paul’s church stands the War Memorial erected by the village to remember nine men who gave their lives for their country in the Great War. We have not been able to establish a link to Pettistree and Loudham for all of them. Just to the side of it, a tenth man from the village lies buried beneath a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone.

The names on the War Memorial are: James Fuller AB Albert William Hines PTE Herbert Garnham Howard PTE Arthur William Leach LT MC Frederick Boon PTE Walter Boon PTE Samuel Sawyer Berry LCE SGT Frank Cleveland GUNR.INS RN James Clements LNC CPL And on the headstone: Isaac Charles Thurkettle LCE CPL

James Fuller Able Seaman, 179913, HMS Hogue Killed in Action 22nd September 1914

James Fuller was born on 7th April 1879 in Rushmere, . On 17th October 1894 he joined the Royal Navy as a “Boy Second Class” enlisting at HMS Impregnable, a shore based training establishment at Devonport. He was sent to HMS Lion, a training ship which was a converted 80 gun battleship built in 1847. When he was 18, he signed on for 12 years’ service in the Royal Navy and his first ship was HMS Gibraltar, an Edgar-class cruiser built in 1892. He remained in the Navy until 17th April 1909 when he joined the Royal Fleet Reserve. He returned home to live with his widowed mother Harriet at Brick Kiln Cottages in Pettistree, and in 1911 he was working as a garden labourer. On 2nd August 1914, two days before War was declared James was recalled to the Navy as a crew member of HMS Hogue. On 22nd September 1914, HMS Hogue, HMS Aboukir and HMS Cressy were on patrol off the Dutch coast when the German submarine U9 fired a torpedo that struck HMS Aboukir on the starboard side and it began to sink. Thinking that the ship had struck a mine, HMS Hogue was ordered to close in to pick up the survivors only to be hit by two more torpedoes from the U9. HMS Cressy had spotted the submarine and opened fire on it and made an attempt to ram it before turning back to pick up survivors from the other stricken ships. The U9 fired two more torpedoes which struck the Cressy causing her to “turn turtle” and sink. The whole episode was over in less than two hours; three ships sunk, 1459 men killed and one of them was James Fuller. On his service record, there is a note at the end written in naval terms. It simply says “Discharged Dead” on 22nd September 1914 – “Drowned in the North Sea when H.M.S. Hogue was sunk by German Submarine”.

Albert William Hines Private, 2418, 4th Suffolk Regiment Killed in Action 18th August 1916

Albert William Hines was born in , Suffolk in 1896. He was the son of James and Laura Hines, and he had five brothers and two sisters. In 1911 Albert was living in and was working as a moulder in an iron foundry, and his mother, father and five of his brothers and sisters were in the Workhouse. Albert enlisted in the 4th Suffolk Regiment on 4th November 1914 and was sent to their training camp in Hertfordshire until posted to France in a draft of reinforcements on 1st March 1915 – the 4th Suffolks having first been posted to France on 9th November 1914. In July 1916 the 4th Suffolks had been sent down to the Somme where, on the day of their arrival, they were immediately involved in an unsuccessful attack on Switch Trench near the village of Bazentin-Le-Petit. In August they were in the same area near High Wood when they received orders to attack Wood Lane Trench. Two battalions were to be involved – one attacking to the right, the other to the left and, in the words of the HQ Staff, the centre would “fall automatically”, or other troops would be detailed to attack it. Zero hour was to be 2.00 pm on 18th August and when the time came to attack Albert and the 4th Suffolks had been in the trenches for four hard days. The battalions on the left and right failed to make the expected progress, and the 4th Suffolks were ordered to attack the centre line. The 4th Suffolks managed to get two companies into the German trench but not without heavy losses including all the officers and as such were forced to withdraw back to their own lines. The following evening they were relieved and went into a camp at Meulte where they regrouped. The casualties on the 18th amounted to four Officers and 33 “Other Ranks” killed, two Officers and 108 “Other Ranks” wounded and 50 missing. Albert was one of the men killed, and his body was not recovered. He is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial in France, and three War Memorials in Suffolk, at Knodishall, and Pettistree. Herbert Garnham Howard Private, 32084, 15th (Yeomanry) Battalion, Suffolk Regiment Killed in Action 6th November 1917

Herbert Garnham Howard was born in 1891 and baptised at St Mary’s Church, . The records show that his mother was Emma Howard and his father, William Jasper. In 1895 Emma married William’s brother, Charles and by 1901 the family had grown with Herbert now having three half- siblings. In 1911 the family had moved to and the 19 year old Herbert was a horseman on a farm. He enlisted in the Suffolk Regiment in June 1915 and after training was posted to France on 22nd December 1915. He was part of a draft of 25 men who joined the 2nd Suffolks in trenches near Ypres. On 1st July 1916, the 2nd Suffolks were deployed to the Somme and arrived five days later and made camp at Les Celestins before moving to the front line at Carnoy where the Battle of Bazentin Ridge was about to commence. It was during this fighting that Herbert was wounded and transferred home for treatment. Once recovered from his wounds, Herbert was redeployed to the front line but not to France. He was posted to join the 15th Battalion Suffolk Regiment who in 1917 had been formed from the Suffolk Yeomanry. The Battalion had taken part in the Gallipoli Campaign and was now serving in Palestine. At the end of October 1917, the Battalion was fighting in the 3rd Battle of Gaza and on 31st were successful in capturing Beersheeba and then it was on to Gaza and a stronghold that the Allies had failed to capture earlier in the year. On the 6th November, an attack took place on the “Sheria Position”. The advance would take the Suffolks across open countryside and heavily defended enemy positions armed with machine guns. At 4.30 am the attack commenced, and immediately the Battalion came under fire losing several of their Company Commanders. After regrouping under cover of a ridge the Battalion’s reserve company was brought to the front line. The attack resumed with added momentum with the Machine Gun Corps providing covering fire and the 15th Suffolks achieved their objectives. During this battle, the 15th Suffolks lost 22 men – one of whom was Herbert. He is buried with his comrades in Beersheba Cemetery, southern Israel. His Commonwealth War Graves Commission record states he was the son of Mrs Emma Jasper of Hungarian Hall Cottage, Pettistree.

Beersheba War Cemetery, Be’er Sheva, Israel Arthur William Leech M.C. Lieutenant, 6th Northumberland Fusiliers Died of Wounds 12th April 1918

Arthur William Leech was born in Woodbridge about June 1884. His father was George Leech, who was the railway crossing gate keeper on the Ufford Road, in Bromeswell, and his mother was Celia, neé Knights. The family lived in the Railway Crossing Cottage. In 1901 Arthur was an apprentice letter press printer, probably with the Woodbridge Reporter and Wickham Market Gazette. He was living in Earls Court, London as a journalist in 1911. Later he was a sub-editor at the Yachtsman Magazine before becoming a War Correspondent for the Daily News, and was sent to France just after the war started in 1914. His articles include a description of the Allied advance in Belgium in October 1914 and the repulsion of a Prussian attack on Ypres in November the same year. In January 1915 he sailed from Southampton with Sir Thomas Lipton on the latter’s steam yacht “Erin” to a typhus stricken Serbia. It was loaded with ambulances, trucks and medical supplies, and a medical team joined in Marseilles to work with the Scottish Women’s Hospital Committee run by Dr Elsie Inglis and the Red Cross. His father received a letter from Sir Thomas Lipton on hearing of his death. The London Gazette of 27 May 1915 reported his promotion to 2nd Lieutenant in the 6th Battalion, the Northumbrian Fusiliers from Private in the Artists Rifles of the London Regiment. In September 1916 Arthur serving in the Northumberland Fusiliers had his portrait drawn by the war artist Muirhead Bone. A notice in the London Gazette reported the promotion of Arthur to Lieutenant on 1st July 1917. He joined his regiment in the field in France on 11th August 1917 when they were based in Neuville Vitasse. Over the winter the Battalion was based around Ypres, and by March 1918 they were in the Somme area. On the 21st March the German Spring Offence started in a final attempt to break through the Allied lines and win the war. The actions over the first weeks of fighting from 21st to 27th March were called the First Battles of the Somme, 1918, and the 6th Battalion were in action during the Battle of St Quentin and the Battle of Rosieres. It was during the Battle of Rosieres that Arthur was awarded his Military Cross. The citation from the London Gazette says: “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. During a counter attack, when his commanding officer had become a casualty, he took command of the battalion and successfully led the attack to its objective capturing two machine guns and several prisoners. This counter-attack was instrumental in holding up the enemy at a critical moment, and great praise was due to this officer.” In early April the 6th Battalion moved to billets in Estaires with the 50th Division and were to take over the trenches at Merville front line. On the 9th April the German Army began a heavy artillery attack in preparation for their advance. The 6th Battalion were ordered to take positions at Trou Bayard with orders that they, along with the 5th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, should hold the line on the River Lys at all costs. On the 10th April the 6th Battalion had withdrawn to Estaires and were located in some factories which had a clear view of the river Lys and the bridges the German army were crossing. Despite the machine gun fire put down by the 6th they were forced to retreat again. The line was re-established between the Estaires - Neuf Berquin road to just west of Trou Bayard and was held by the 4th and 5th Battalions of the Northumberland Fusiliers with the 6th held in reserve. As the 11th April progressed, the 6th Battalion were involved in several counter attacks to try and slow the German advance. Early on the 12th April the withdrawal began again with positions being taken at Vierhouck. Then at 8.00 am the German army attacked in great strength and after very heavy fighting they overcame the resistance of the troops forcing them back to La Couronne. It was during this action that the 6th Battalion suffered a large number of casualties. In place of a war diary there is a letter which says: “Owing to the exceptional nature of the heavy casualties suffered by this Battalion lately – which include the Commanding Officer, Adjutant, and Intelligence Officer, great difficulty is being experienced in obtaining authentic data for the continuous history of the operation in which this unit has taken part during the period covered by the war diary in question. Major J G Leathart is the only surviving officer who can supply certain necessary facts and he will not be returning to the Battalion until the end of the week” (6th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers War Diary – letter dated 3rd May 1918) Arthur William Leech was one of the casualties and died in Longuenesse Hospital, France on 12th April 1918. He is buried in the Longuenesse (St. Omer) Souvenir Cemetery. His Probate of 1918 records his father George Leech was the tenant farmer at The Laurels, Pettistree also mentioned by the Woodbridge Reporter and Wickham Market Gazette in an obituary of their former employee. Note: All records show his surname as Leech whereas it is Leach on our War Memorial.

Longuenesse Souvenir Cemetery, St Omer, Pas de Calais, France The Boon Family William, sometimes Robert William, Boon married Florence Catton in 1886. By 1891 they were living near Stump Street, probably at Potash Cottages, with two sons, George and Albert. Ten years later in 1901, the family were in Presmere Road, and the family had increased with the arrival of daughters Annie and Eva and sons Frederick, Walter and James. Their youngest son, Percy, was born in 1905. Two of William and Florence's sons died in the First World War. They were Frederick and Walter.

Frederick Boon Private , 140105, “F” Battery, 14th Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery Killed in Action 11th September 1918

Frederick Boon was born in 1896, and in 1911 he was working as a yard boy on a farm. He was conscripted into the services in June 1916 and after training joined the 14th Brigade Royal Horse Artillery in Belgium where he was assigned to “F” Battery. On 28th March 1918, the German Army started the Spring Offensive which was to be a last gasp attempt to breach the allied lines and reach the coast, but after initial successes, the German army faltered and were forced into retreat. In late summer 1918, Frederick and his battery were serving in the Cambrai area and were involved in the retaking of Louverval Chateau from the German army. It was a short distance from the Chateau that Frederick’s Battery was positioned when, on 11th September 1918, it was shelled by enemy artillery. Frederick and another man, Woolf Corper, were both killed and were buried close by. After the war had ended, Frederick’s body was exhumed and taken to Vaulx Hill Cemetery, Pas de Calais, in France for reburial.

Vaulx Hill Cemetery, Vaulx-Vraucourt, Pas de Calais, France

Walter Boon Private, 3675, 4th Suffolk Regiment Killed in Action 15th July 1916

Walter was born in Pettistree in 1898 and in 1911 was attending Wickham Market School. On 19th July 1915, at the age of 17, Walter enlisted in the 4th Suffolks. In February the following year, he was posted to France and joined the 4th Suffolks in the field as a member of a draft of 214 men.

On 7th July 1916, Walter’s battalion was ordered to make their way hurriedly to the Somme and on arrival were immediately in action in an attempt to take Switch Trench, an enemy stronghold near Bazentin-Le-Petit. The attempt was in vain due to the German army’s presence in the village which gave them a clear view of the attack enabling them to inflict severe casualties on the opposing force. The 4th Suffolks sustained just under 100 casualties including 41 who were killed. Walter was one of those to lose his life that day, and his body was not recovered. He is also remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.

Samuel George Berry Lance Sergeant, 15747, 7th Suffolk Regiment Killed in Action 12th October 1916

Samuel George Berry was born on 21st May 1879 in Brewer’s Lane, Woodbridge and was the son of Lucy Maria Berry. The following year Lucy married Francis Sawyer who was a fitter on the local railway. By 1901 the family had grown and had moved to Tollgate Cottages in Melton where Samuel and his step father, Francis, were working at St Audry’s Hospital. On the 29th July 1901, he married Annie Norris in St Andrew’s Church, Melton and moved to where their first child was born. By 1914 the family were living at Brick Kiln Cottages in Pettistree, and Samuel was still working as a stoker at St Audry’s. By then he had seven children aged from 11 months to 15 years. When war was declared Samuel decided to enlist, and in October 1914 he joined the 7th Battalion Suffolk Regiment who were based at Shorncliffe in Kent. In February 1915, the Battalion moved to Aldershot Barracks where they underwent further training and proved to be good at shooting, being rated the best battalion in the brigade musketry course. Samuel and the 7th Suffolks received their orders taking them to France on 30th May 1915. They entrained for Folkestone where they boarded the SS Invicta and SS Queen for the journey to Boulogne. Once in France, they were sent to the Ypres salient where they spent the summer months in the front line at Ploegsteert. At the beginning of July 1916, Samuel found himself on the front line at the Somme where the 7th Suffolks led in the attack on Ovillers-La-Boisselle. Some of the battalions managed to get into the village but due to a lack of support and ammunition were forced back by the German army. By the end of the day, the 7th Suffolks had lost 470 men including all their company commanders. The Battle of the Somme continued throughout the summer into the autumn

and on the 10th October Samuel and the 7th Suffolks were sent to the front line at Bull’s Run near Flers with orders to capture Bayonet Trench and Luisenhof Farm in the opening action of the Battle of Transloy. The action was to be a disaster for the 7th Suffolks; the artillery barrage had not cut the enemy barbed wire and supporting fire from them was ineffective. Some men managed to get close to the German trenches but were held back by machine gun fire and the uncut barbed wire. The Battalion suffered badly that day sustaining over 500 casualties one of whom was Lance Sergeant Samuel Berry. His body was not recovered from the battlefield, and he is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial, and Pettistree, Melton and St Audry’s War Memorials.

Thiepval Memorial, Authuille, France Frank Cleveland Petty Officer, 209633, HMS Grafton Died of Wounds 3rd September 1915 Frank Cleveland was born on 3rd Mar 1885 in , Suffolk and was the son of Francis and Lavinia. At the age of sixteen, when he was a farm boy, Frank joined the Navy as a “Boy Second Class” at HMS Ganges. When he reached 18 in 1903, he signed on for a further 12 years. He married Caroline Baker in Paddington, London in 1911 when his parents and his siblings were living in Bredfield. On 29th June 1915, Frank joined the crew of HMS Grafton and sailed for service in the Gallipoli Campaign. The fleet arrived in the Dardanelles in July 1915, and HMS Grafton, with her sister ships, carried out the shore bombardment during the Suvla Bay landings on 6th August at the start of the Battle of Sari Bair. During the battle, HMS Grafton was struck by Turkish shells off Suvla on 12th August which killed nine of her crew. Frank was severely wounded in the attack and was transferred to the hospital ship HMHS Galeka where he died of his wounds on 3rd September 1915. His body was returned home, and he was buried in Paddington Cemetery, Kilburn, London , where he is also remembered. James Clements Private, 3672, 4th Suffolk Regiment and 235324, 2nd South Staffordshire Regiment Died 21st February 1919 James Clements was born in Pettistree in 1899 and was baptised in the church of St Peter and St Paul on 2nd July that year. He was eldest of thirteen children born to James and Laura Clements, living in Church Cottage, Pettistree. In 1911 he was attending Wickham Market School. On 19th July 1915, at the age of 16, he enlisted in the 4th Suffolk Regiment. In February the following year, he was posted to France and joined the 4th Suffolks in the field as a member of a draft of 214 men.

On 7th July 1916, the 4th Suffolks were ordered to make their way speedily to the Somme and on arrival were immediately in action in an attempt to take Switch Trench, an enemy stronghold near Bazentin-Le-Petit. The attempt was in vain due to the German army’s presence in the village which gave them a clear view of the attack enabling them to inflict severe casualties on the 4th Suffolk Regiment. James was wounded in the attack being one of nearly 100 casualties including 41 who were killed. Due to the nature of his wounds he was sent home on board the hospital ship HMHS Salta to for treatment. Once James had recovered, he was posted back to France and was to join the 2nd Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment with whom he was to remain for the rest of the War. When the Armistice was declared on November 11th, 1918, his battalion was posted to Cologne in Germany as part of the “Army of Occupation”, and it was here, on 21st February 1919, shortly before he was due to be sent home and demobilised, James died from influenza. He is buried in Cologne Southern Cemetery. Isaac Charles Thurkettle Lance Corporal, 6823, Military Foot Police Died 22nd July 1919 Under a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone in the corner of the churchyard lies Isaac Charles Thurkettle. It replaced the original memorial. He was born in 1893 one of ten children of Allan and Honour Elizabeth Thurkettle of Park Farm, Loudham. In 1911 he was living with his widowed father Allan, a farmer, and sister Violet at Naunton Hall, . Isaac enlisted in the Services on 8th March 1916 and was posted to the No 6 Royal Field Artillery Training School. On 5th February 1917, after almost a year of training with the Royal Field Artillery, Isaac was promoted to Lance Corporal and transferred to the Military Foot Police. He was posted to the Depot Military Police in Aldershot on 1st November 1918 where he remained for the rest of the war. He became ill on 6th May 1919 and was treated for influenza at the Queen Alexandra’s Military Hospital, Millbank, London before being transferred to the Michie Hospital at Queens Gate, London. On 1st July 1919, his condition worsened, and on the 8th July. he was taken to the Military Hospital in Endell Street, Covent Garden, London. He was diagnosed with Tubercular Meningitis and died on 22nd July 1919. His father was his next-of-kin and lived at Park Farm, Loudham with Isaac’s brother Reginald who also fought in the war..

Two Pettistree Lads

On a summer’s day in July 1915, Walter Boon and James Clements made the trip from Pettistree to the recruitment office in where, although underage for Walter was 17 and James was 16, they enlisted in the 4th Suffolk Regiment. There were only two digits between their Service Numbers. For the lads, it would have been a time of excitement and bravado combined with a desire to do their bit for “King and Country.” They were soon on their way to Hertfordshire where the 4th Suffolk’s training battalion was based. After several months of training the call for reinforcements came, and on 22nd January 1916, the two boys were on their way to France. After two weeks at a depot camp, they were sent to join up with the 4th Suffolks arriving on 5th February in a draft of 214 men and two officers. It was to be straight to the trenches for the boys as the men were divided between the Battalion’s companies who were in the reserve line. On the 7th February, they were relieved and sent to billets in Noeux Les Mines where they spent the next few days undergoing further training including the use of “Gas Helmets”. Over the next four months, Walter, James and the Battalion remained in the Annequin area and on the front line at Cuinchy undergoing the routine of a week in the trenches and then in billets with a few raids on enemy lines thrown in for good measure. July 1916 saw Walter and James in trenches at Cuinchy once more where they remained until the 7th when orders were received sending them down to Fricourt on the Somme where they arrived seven days later during the Battle of Bazentin Ridge. The battalion bivouacked behind the front line between Fricourt and Mametz only to be ordered to support the 1st Middlesex Regiment attacking Switch Trench which was held by the German army. Switch Trench was situated to the north east of High Wood and to the right of Walter and James’ advance was the village of Bazentin-Le-Petit held by the enemy. Their position in the rubble of the houses allowed them a clear view of the land the 4th Suffolks needed to traverse to reach Switch Trench. This left the battalion open to machine gun fire from the village.

The attack proceeded in two waves; the first wave of Companies “A” and “B” went over the top at 06.00 and advanced straight towards their objective in support of the 1st Middlesex Regiment. From their position in the village, the Germans could see the attack starting and immediately opened fire. “A” Company, who were on the left of the advance, went to ground and “B” company who were the closest to the village took the full force of the enemy machine guns and were stopped in their tracks. Companies “C” and “D” remained at the jumping off point on the orders of Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Coleman, the Battalion Commander, as he could see that it was pointless in sending any more men into the enemy firing line. An artillery barrage was launched against the village at 08.30 which lasted for half an hour and almost immediately they ceased firing the second wave was sent out “over the top”. The shelling of the village hardly affected the enemy for within moments the enemy machine guns were back in action pouring enfilade fire onto the 4th Suffolks. The battalion were to make several more attempts to reach Switch Trench but with casualties increasing the attack was eventually abandoned. In the first action on the Somme that the 4th Suffolks were involved their casualties amounted to four officers killed and ten wounded with 37 “Other Ranks” killed and 50 wounded. Walter Boon was one of those killed at 18 years of age and his friend James Clements, who was 17, was one of those wounded receiving a gunshot wound to the head which resulted in his return to England for treatment. Walter’s body was not recovered, and he is remembered with honour on the Thiepval Memorial. James recovered from his wounds and was later posted to join the 2nd South Staffordshire Regiment. At the end of the War, his battalion was posted to Cologne in Germany as part of the “Army of Occupation” and it was here, on 21st February 1919, and shortly before he was due to be sent home and demobilised, James died from influenza. He is buried in Cologne Southern Cemetery.

Our War Memorial has Listed Status

On 13th February 2017 our Parish Council received notice that our War Memorial in the churchyard had been listed as Grade ll by Historic Britain. It was assessed for listing as part of their response to the centenary of the First World War. Their report describes it “as a simple yet dignified example of the Latin cross type of war memorial. It displays a high level of craftsmanship and good quality materials and serves as a striking and evocative memorial to the fallen local men. Also it has group value with the nearby listed church (Grade ll*) and listed public house (Grade ll) in a Conservation Area”. “The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across Britain, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and the official policy of not repatriating the dead, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief at this loss. They are a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by members of the local communities who lost their lives a hundred years ago.” Our memorial was constructed of Portland stone by mason A C Stephenson and was dedicated 18th October 1920 by Canon C D Lawrence. It commemorates nine local servicemen who died during the First World War and one, George Sutton CPO RN, who died in the Second World War.

Note: The ranks shown on the War Memorial are not necessarily the ones they actually held. These were often given by relatives and were not always correct. Whilst hostilities were ended on 11th November 1918 and an armistice was agreed, the Great War was not formally ended until the Versailles Peace Treaty was signed on 28 June 1919. Hence the dates on our memorial. Brick Kiln Cottages were demolished to make way for the Wickham Market bypass in 1974—1976. They were close to where the Notcutts reservoir is today. Access to them was via the track that lies opposite North Lodge. The research by Cath Caudwell and Joan Peck is available as an addendum.

About Andy Pritchatt

He has lived in Ufford, Suffolk for 11 years. In 2014, after hearing an interview on Radio Suffolk, he decided to research the men named on the War Memorial in St Mary’s Church, Ufford. This culminated in the publishing of a book the following year “Ufford and the Great War” detailing the lives of all the men from the village that served during the First World War and not just those on the War Memorial. It can be viewed at www.uffordww1.co.uk. He is currently a member of the Melton Heritage Group who are researching the men from Melton who served in the Great War for an updated version of “Behind The Name.” which was written in 2009. The book is due to be released in November 2018. The Melton Heritage Group would be interested to hear from anyone with family stories or memorabilia from the Great War as it helps to build a picture of what life was like in a Suffolk village at that time. They can be contacted via e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone via Andy Pritchatt on 01394 461176.

My chance meeting with Andy in the churchyard earlier this year resulted in our collaboration to produce this record. He searches more than twenty information sources to document the history of local men who died in the Great War. I thank him for his dedication to this worthy cause, in particular his research into the men of Pettistree and Loudham which was augmented by Cath Caudwell, Joan Peck and myself.

Mike Watts December 2017