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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