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Lest We Forget
British Legion
The Royal British Legion


WEETING WAR MEMORIAL

World War 1 & 2 - Detailed Information
Compiled and Copyright © Transcribed and researched Peter Dearsley 2005

The memorial is in the form of a plaque mounted inside the village church – St Mary’s. The memorial lists those who laid down their lives during WWI, with the names of the WWII fallen added at a later date. There is no mention of casualties from other conflicts (Malaya, Korea, etc).

The dedication reads:

In loving memory of the Weeting men who laid down
their lives for their country in the Great War 1914-1918.

Names are recorded in full on the roll of honour but there are no details of rank, branch of service, or dates of death. The names are recorded in the following order:-

ADAMS William

Private G/81028 2nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) who died of wounds aged 36 in France & Flanders on 13 October 1917 after previous service with the East Surrey Regiment (service no 5730). He is buried in Dozinghem Military Cemetery. Pte Adams was born and lived in Brandon, and enlisted in Attleborough. He was the son of Jessie Adams of Thetford Road, Brandon.

ALGER Laurence William

Private 21314 8th Battalion Border Regiment who died of wounds aged 21 in France & Flanders on 15 July 1916 after previous service with the Norfolk Regiment (service no 19123). He is buried in Millencourt Communal Cemetery Extension. Pte Alger was born in Brandon, and was living in Thetford when he enlisted in Norwich. He was the son of Fanny Crane (formerly Alger) of The Row, Weeting and the late William Alger.

CARTER Albert Victor

Sergeant 7523 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment who was killed in action in France & Flanders on 1 July 1916 – the first day of the Battle of the Somme. He has no known grave, but is commemorated with honour on the Thiepval Memorial. Sgt Carter was born in Thetford, and was living in Brandon when he enlisted in Holbeach (Lincs).

CARTER Leonard

Private 6888 4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards, who was killed in action in France & Flanders on 16 October 1914. He has no known grave, but is commemorated with honour on the Ploegsteert Memorial. Pte Carter was born and enlisted in Brandon.

CHINN William John Cecil

Private 16502 1st Battalion Norfolk Regiment, who died of wounds aged 17 in France & Flanders on 20 June 1915. He is buried in Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension (Nord). Pte Chinn was born in Weeting and enlisted in Norwich. He was the son of William Edward Alice Chinn.

DRAKE    Arthur   

Probably either Private 17162 11th Battalion Suffolk Regiment, who was killed in action in France & Flanders on 1 July 1916 – the first day of the Battle of the Somme. He has no known grave, but is commemorated with honour on the Thiepval Memorial. Pte Drake was born in Dipton (Co Durham) and enlisted in Newmarket.

Or Able Seaman 238786 Arthur Rayment Drake HM Submarine K/7 Royal Navy, who died aged 28 on 31 January 1918. He has no known grave, but is commemorated with honour on the Chatham Naval Memorial. AB Drake was the son of Mr H Drake of St Philip’s Rd, Newmarket.

K Class submarines began to enter service in 1916, but because of their role with the Fleet they were unduly exposed to the risk of collision and a chapter of accidents befell the class. The worst accident occurred on the night of 31st January 1918 when ten K boats were operating with battle cruisers on a night exercise off May Island.

During the night, the helm in K14 jammed to starboard and she swung round and collided with K22, which was actually the K13 renamed after she had drowned most of her crew on her maiden voyage. The two boats locked together and in a series of collisions K4 was sunk by K6 (losing all hands), and K7 was sunk by HMS Fearless (also losing all hands). Four other submarines were damaged. This incident added further to the suspicion of a hoodoo on the class, because just two months earlier K1 had been sunk by the gunfire of HMS Blonde off the Danish coast.

DRAKE William

Corporal 21137 6th Battalion Border Regiment, who died of wounds aged 22 in France & Flanders on 9 November 1917 after previous service with the Norfolk Regiment (svce no 16347). He is buried in Chocques Military Cemetery. Cpl Drake was born in Mundford and was living in Weeting when he enlisted in Norwich. He was the son of Harry and Annie Drake of Canterbury, New Zealand.

KING  Walter 

Probably either Private 3655 9th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, who was killed in action in Gallipoli on 21 August 1915. He has no known grave, but is commemorated with honour on the Helles Memorial. Pte King was born in Mildenhall and enlisted in Bury, Lancs. He was the son of Mrs Angelina Scotting of Barrett St, Bury.

Or Private 2591228 Reserve Depot Canadian Army Service Corps, who died aged 23 on 20 February 1918. He is buried in Shorncliffe Military Cemetery (Kent). Pte King was the son of Walter and Jane King of Windsor, Ontario but was born in Newmarket.

MALT John

Private 12136 7th Battalion Norfolk Regiment, who died of wounds aged 27 at home (ie in the UK) on 7 July 1916. He is buried in Weeting churchyard. Pte Malt was born in Weeting and enlisted in Norwich. He was the son of Henry and Agnes Malt of Weeting, and brother of Victor Malt (below).

MALT, MM Victor

Acting Sergeant 11648 7th Battalion Kings Shropshire Light Infantry, who was killed in action in France & Flanders on 21 August 1918. He is buried in Bucquoy Road Cemetery, Ficheux. Sgt Malt was born in Weeting and was still living there when he enlisted in Whitchurch. He was the son of Henry and Agnes Malt of Weeting, husband of Beatrice Emma Malt of Thetford Road, Brandon and brother of John Malt (above).

WATSON Gilbert

Possibly Private G/8090 Gilbert Thomas Watson, 7th Battalion Queens (Royal West Surrey) Regiment, who was killed in action aged 28 in France & Flanders on 28 September 1916. He has no known grave, but is commemorated with honour on the Thiepval Memorial on the Somme. Private Watson was born in Rushford and was living there when he enlisted in Norwich. He was the son of Fred and Annie Maria Watson of Guildhall St, Thetford.

WHARF Charles

Probably Lance Corporal 12639 Walter Wharf, 7th Battalion Norfolk Regiment, who was killed in action aged 22 in France & Flanders on 4 October 1915. He has no known grave, but is commemorated with honour on the Loos Memorial. L/Cpl Wharf was born and enlisted in Brandon. He was the son of Charles and Eliza Wharf of Bury Road, Brandon.

          

O valiant hearts who to your glory came
Through dust of conflict and through battle flame
Tranquil you lie, your knightly virtue proved
Your memory hallowed in the land you loved.

Their name liveth for evermore.

WWII 1939-45
BIRSE John

Probably Leading Aircraftsman 750912 Royal Airforce Volunteer Reserve, who died aged 36 on 25 September 1941. He is buried in Llanrwst Public Cemetery. Leading Aircraftsman Birse was the son of James Stewart Gold Birse and Mary Stephen Birse, and husband of Elizabeth Balfour Birse of Llanrwst. (There are only five casualties named Birse recorded in the CWGC Register, this being the only John).

BRANCH  Charles Christopher 

Private 5827571 2nd Battalion Suffolk Regiment, who died aged 25 in India on 29 September 1944. He is buried in Imphal War Cemetery. Pte Branch was the son of Herbert Henry and Violet Branch, of Weeting.

Strategically well placed for attacks on the lines of communication by railway, road and river which were vital for the maintenance of all Allied operations in Burma, Imphal with its airfields was a main objective when the Japanese made their thrust towards India in the spring of 1944. There was severe fighting in the surrounding hills and on the outskirts of the plain and the Japanese succeeded in cutting a long section of the Imphal-Kohima road and holding it for over three months.

PALMER  Arthur William 

Signalman 2325502 Royal Corps of Signals, who died aged 24 on 12 October 1941. He has no known grave, but is commemorated with honour on the Brookwood Memorial. Signalman Palmer was the foster-son of William E and Edith W Cockerton, of Weeting.

The BROOKWOOD MEMORIAL commemorates 3,500 men and women of the land forces of the Commonwealth who died during the Second World War and have no known grave, the circumstances of their death being such that they could not appropriately be commemorated on any of the campaign memorials in the various theatres of war. They died in the campaign in Norway in 1940, or in the various raids on enemy occupied territory in Europe such as Dieppe and St Nazaire. Others were special agents who died as prisoners or while working with Allied underground movements. Some died at sea, in hospital ships and troop transports, in waters not associated with the major campaigns, and a few were killed in flying accidents or in aerial combat.

12 February 2005

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