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FIRST WORLD WAR

In memory of

David Matthews

(Wimpole)

Private 16602. 11th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment.

Born: Haslingfield*, Cambridgeshire.
Enlisted: Cambridge (Sept-Nov 1914).
Died: Saturday 1st July 1916 (First day of the Battle of the Somme).
How died: Killed in action.
Theatre of War: France and Flanders.

1901 Census:
Family living at Valley Farm, Wimpole.

William MATHEWS	Head	M	40	Horsekeeper on Farm	Arrington, Cambridgeshire
Ann MATHEWS	Wife	M	41	-	Haslingfield, Cambridgeshire
William John MATHEWS	Son	S	11	-	Orwell, Cambridgeshire
David MATHEWS	Son	S	9	-	*Orwell Cambridgeshire**
Walter Chas MATTHEWS	Son	S	7	-	Orwell, Cambridgeshire
Emily MATHEWS	Daughter	S	4	-	Orwell, Cambridgeshire

[* At this time it was quite common for wives to return to their maternal home for confinement and childbirth and this could explain the apparent Haslingfield/Orwell contradiction.]

"Of the 750 Cambridgeshire men of the 11th Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment who climbed out of their trenches at 7.30am on 1st July 1916 no less than 691 were killed or wounded on that awful day. . . "

Grave IX.Q.2

Cemetery: Gordon Dump Cemetery, Oillers-La Boisselle, Somme, France.

The great majority of the soldiers buried in this cemetery were killed during July 1916 during the battle for the villages of La Boisselle (captured on the 3rd July) and Ovillers (captured on the 17 July). The cemetery commemorates over 1500 war casualties, although over half are unidentified.

See also: 11th Battalion Resource site and related list of the
Soldiers Killed on the First Day of the Battle of the Somme.

In memory of

John Wallis Neaves

(Wimpole)

Private 20870. 5th Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry.
(Previously 35188, 11th Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment)

Born: Barrington, Cambridgeshire.
Enlisted: Meldreth, Cambridgeshire, 2 August 1916.
Died: Monday 12 February 1917, aged 35.
How died: Died (pneumonia - see below)
Theatre of War: France and Flanders.

Husband of Emma Neaves (nee Watts) of Wimpole, Cambridgeshire and father to daughters Elsie and Ethel

John 'Jack' Neaves was the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Neaves of Barrington, who enlisted on 2 August 1916 and was sent out to France the following November. Whilst in the trenches he was attacked with pneumonia on the 10 February and died from kidney failure two days later. Before enlisting, he had been employed for 15 years on the Wimpole Hall Estate.

Grave: IV.B.6

Cemetery: Avesnes-le-Comte Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas de Calais, France.

Avesnes-le-Comte is a large village 20 kilometres west of Arras. The cemetery contains the graves of over 300 soldiers who died between April 1916 and May 1917.

Family information.

(Photographs and military history courtesy of Jean Watts)

In memory of

Alfred Henry Pell

(Wimpole)

Private G/21259. 2nd Battalion, The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Formerly 10706 East Surrey Regiment.

Born: Croydon, Cambridgeshire
Enlisted: Cambridge, May 5th 1916.
Died: Saturday 27 October 1916, aged 22.
How died: Killed in Action (see below).
Theatre of War: France and Flanders.

Son of Mr and Mrs Alfred Pell of Little End, Wimpole.

"Private Alfred Henry Pell, of the Queen's Royal West Surreys, third son of Mr and Mrs Alfred Pell, of Little End, Old Wimpole, was accidentally killed on October 28th 1916, by the premature bursting of a British trench mortar shell. He was buried on Sunday, October 29th, in the Royal Berkshire Military Cemetery, near Ploegsteert. His Platoon Commander, in a letter to his mother, speaks of him as "a good man, and liked by all." Private Pell, who was 22 years of age, enlisted on May 5th 1916, in the East Surreys, and was afterwards transferred to the Royal West Surreys and sent out to France in August the same year. Mr and Mrs Pell's eldest son, Frank, who is in the Royal Engineers, was wounded on October 25th 1916, but is back again in France." (Herts and Cambs Reporter March 30th 1917)

Cemetery: Berks Cemetery Extension, Ploegsteert, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium.

Grave: J.17

The cemetery is overshadowed on the North-West by Hill 63. It is also close to the "Catacombs" which were deep shelters, capable of holding two battalions, and used from November 1916. The Berks Cemetery Extension contains nearly 900 graves of soldiers who died between June 1916 and September 1917.

In memory of

Charles [Hales] Pratt

(Wimpole)

Lance Corporal 816. Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own).

Born: Wimpole
Enlisted: Cambridge (career soldier).
Died: Monday 7 June 1915, aged 31.
How died: Died of wounds.
Theatre of War: France and Flanders.

Son of Charles and Martha Pratt (neé Hales), of New Wimpole, Cambridgeshire.

"Lance-Corporal Hales Pratt* of the 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade, a son of Mr and Mrs C Pratt of Wimpole, died from his wounds in hospital, at Rouen, on June 7th 1915. Lance-Corporal Hales Pratt (who was 31 years of age) was serving in India when War broke out. He came home for 48 hours, and then went straight out to the Front. In January 1915, he was sent home with frost-bitten feet, but returned again to duty on the 28th. He was seriously wounded in the fighting near Neuve Chapelle, and after a month's suffering died on June 7th." (Herts and Cambs Reporter April 7th 1916)

[14 October 2007, Chris Goodfellow writes "The 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade records show that Charles Hales Pratt first arrived in France on 7 November 1914. He was entitled to the 1914 Star (with clasp and rose), showing service with the British Expeditionary Force prior to 31 December 1914, the British War Medal and Victory Medal. The clasp and rose for service under fire was never claimed by the family."]

Grave: A.9.45

Cemetery: St Sever Cemetery, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France.

St Sever Cemetery is situated about 3 kilometres south of Rouen. There are over 3000 war casualties commemorated in this cemetery.

[*Note: Some military records give the enlisted surname as Hales, his mother's maiden name. This includes the medal roll for the 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade.]

In memory of

Alfred Frederick Reynolds

(Arrington)

Private 17522. A Company, 11th Battalion Suffolk Regiment.

Born: Cambridge
Enlisted: Cambridge (December 1914/January 1915).
Died: Wednesday 24 May 1916, aged 22.
How Died: Died of Wounds
Theatre of War: France and Flanders.

Son of Alfred and Elizabeth Reynolds of 15 River Lane, Newmarket Road, Cambridge.

Grave: I D 7

Cemetery: Mericourt-L'Abbe Communal Cemetery Extension, 280, 2.

Mericourt-l'Abbe is about 6 kilometres south-east of Albert on the road to Amiens.

In the early summer of 1915 the Somme front was taken over by the British Forces, and Mericourt-Ribemont Station became a railhead. The Mericourt-l'Abbe cemetary extension was begun in August 1915. It was used, chiefly by Field Ambulances until July 1916. There are over 400 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site.