Like many other villages throughout the UK many of Dullingham's young men left to serve King & Country during The Great War, 1914 to 1918. At least 116 left Dullingham to "do their bit" and sadly 19 would have their lives cut short on the battlefields of France, Belgium and Palestine or dying back in England from their injuries.
This post gives a brief look at those brave men who left their families to fight for King and Country and for their village, Dullingham. Using the official public records such as the censuses, the church records for baptisms, marriages & burials at St Mary's, the school records for Dullingham School and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), I have attempted to piece together a little history on 'The Nineteen'.
The census taken on 2 April 1911, three years before the outbreak of the war, showed that there were 415 males and 350 females living in Dullingham, a total 765 people. With 116 men going off to fight over the 4 years, a quarter of village men left for war.
The majority of these men were labourers, working on farms, the railway and the roads. So not only did the families have the worry about their menfolk on battlefield but they had to backfill these jobs. Life became much harder for the women, childen and older men left at home.
Despite extensive research I cannot find any official records on women joining the war effort. That's not to say women didn't - many joined as nurses - but to date I've not come across such records for Dullingham. This post is based on the Roll of Honour which hangs in St Mary's and the War Memorial which was erected outside in the graveyard in 1920.
Harry & Robert Brown
Harry & Robert were brothers born to Robert Brown and Priscilla Radford, who had married in October 1882. They had 3 boys and 4 girls and Harry was their first born in 1884 and the family lived in Cross Green. Robert William, their 6th child, came along in 1894 but the family suffered a tragedy when Priscilla died in November 1900 at the young age of 34. By this time Robert senior was working for the Great Eastern Railway as a navvy and the family were living in "the cottage by the church". Presumably this was along Church Lane.
In 1901 Harry was working as a groom and by 1911, now living in Eagle Lane, his job was decribed as a labourer on a farm - this could still mean he was a groom. The census records show that people were not precious about job titles in those days and described exactly what they did.
Robert junior was still at school in 1901 and by 1911 was, like his older brother, a labourer on a farm. On 27th November 1915, one year after the war had started he joined the East Surrey Regiment, 1st Battalion. He was one month short of turning 21. One year later, almost to the day, Private Robert William Brown died on the battlefield in northern France. He is commemorated (maybe buried) at Gorre British And Indian Cemetery, Pas de Calais.
It's not clear when Harry joined up - presumably before his brother - but he was a Private in the 1st Battalion of the London Regiment Royal Fusiliers. He lost his life on the 8th october 1916 and is commemorated at the Thiepval Memorial in the Somme. He was 33 year of age, one of the older members of the cohot of The Nineteen.
Some good news for the Brown family was that their third boy, Harry & Robert's middle brother, Charles fought and survived the war and, by 1939 was living in Eagle Lane.
Joseph Bullen
Joseph was born in the village in February 1898 to Henry & Alice Bullen. Henry was a labourer and came from a family which had lived for several generations in the village. Alice was born in Westminister.
The family lived in Dullingham Ley and by 1911 there were seven of them living in a 3 room dwelling.
It's not clear when Joseph joined the 7th Battalion of the Rifle Brigade but given his age it was probably in 1916 when he turned 18. It is recorded is that that this young man lost his life on 27 August 1917, aged 19 years and 6 months.
There is a difference in his rank between the village War Memorial which says he was a sargeant and the War Graves record which says he was a corporal. Either way no doubt his parents would have been proud of him,
He is commemorated at the Tyne Cot Memorial, West-Vlaanderen in Belgium.
Harry Bye
Harry was born to Charles Bye and Leathea, nee Heath, in Feburary 1894. He was born in Woodditton. By the time he started school in Dullingham the family were living in Hill Farm Cottages.
Harry followed his father as farm labourer and 1911 saw him working at Lower Farm, next to Hill Farm.
Harry and his older brother Edward both went to war probably in its early years. Harry became a Lance Corporal in the Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment), 1st Battalion. Edward would return but Harry lost his life on the 4th March 1917.
He is commemorated at the Thiepval Memorial in France.
Horace & Edward Claydon
The second set of parents to lose two childen to the war were Edward Claydon and his wife Eliza, nee Brown. They married in 1885 and went on to have 12 children, 6 boys & 6 girls. Horace and Edward were 5th & 6th in line.
The family lived the Old Workhouse on the Brinkley Road. Horace was born
in May 1891 and, according to its register started at Dullingham School aged 2y 10m. Edward, born September 1893 was a little older when he started school aged 3y 7m. Presumably they both entered what we call the nursery class today.
Exactly when either joined the war is unclear but tragically they both died within 11 days of each other. Horace, a Lance Corporal in 1st Battalion of the Hertfordshire Regiment, died on 3 November 1917. He commemorated at the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery in Beligium.
Edward was a Gunner in the Royal Field Artillery "C" Bty. 307th Bde when he died on 14th November 1917. He actually died at Sutton Coldfield as result of gas poisoning in France. One can only imagine what a horrid death this would have been. Edward was buried back home in St Mary's, Dullingham.
Three years later Edward senior & Eliza received the Military Medal awarded to their Horace for "bravery in the field".
George Cootes
The records for George Cootes are rather confusing. He appears on both the War Memorial in the churchyard and on the Roll of Honour in the church. However there isn't a record for his death with the Commonwealth War Grave Commission. Such an omission isn't entirely unknown as records have been lost and burned over the years.
To confuse matters George appears on Absent Voters list for the 1919 Electoral Roll, but given he'd died in April 1918 this isn't surprising. The likely explanation is his records for his death were lost and so his name was not removed from the Electoral Roll.
What we do know about George is that he born to Lewis/Louis Coates and Maria, nee Heath. (The family surname was recorded variously as Cootes and Coates over the years.) George was the second of five childen and the first boy. He was one of the oldest of The Nineteen to die, being born 1879.
He married Elizabeth Peacock in 1910 and was a carpenter living in Station Road, then sometimes referred to by its original name of Stoney Street.
George, a Private in the 20th Middlesex, died on the 9th April 1918, aged 38. Where he fell is unrecorded and his only commemoration appears in St Mary's.
Clifford Willis Farrow
An extract from an article published in The Newmarket Journal article on 1 June 1918 says,
"The death occurred in Palestine on April 9 of 2nd Lieut. Clifford Willis Farrow of the Dorset Regiment. After completing his training in England he joined the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in October of last year. News of his deceased was received at his home at Dullingham....he was wounded on the hillside near Jaffa and died two hours later....he was 20 years of age and the oldest son of Mr & Mrs Willis Farrow of Cable's Farm Dullingham. Before joining the army he was in charge of his father's farm at Ousden showing great ability in farming for one so young. He was buried on a hillside close to where he fell and the grave has been marked with a cross."
The CWGC described that commemorated at the Ramleh War Cemetery, Israel and Palestine (including Gaza).
Alfred William Goodacre
Alfred was born in Bermondesey in London in 1890. By the age of 11 he was living in Station Road with William and Susan Sealey where he was described as a nephew. Ten years later the family was living in Church Lane and Alfred was a farm labourer.
As the age of 26 Alfred, on the 9th August 1916, gave his life at the Somme whilst a Private in the 7th Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment.
He is commemorated at the Pozieres Britsh Cemetry, Ovillers-La Boisselle, Somme, France.
Arthur & George Albert Graves
The final set of parents to lose two children on the battlefiled were Matthew Graves and his wife Mary Ann, nee Holmes. They married in the district of St Ives, Cambridgeshire in 1878 and would go on to have 11 children. They moved first to Stetchworth then later to Cross Green, Dullingham.
Arthur (July 1895) and George (August 1898) were both born in Stetchworth and were 7th and 8th in the family. By 1911 Arthur was 16 and working as a houseboy, a young servant, and George was still at school, leaving in July 1912.
There doesn't appear to be any record when either went to war, but Arthur lost his life on 1 July 1916, 3 weeks short of his 22nd birthday. He was a Private in the 11th Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment and is commemorated at the Thiepval Memorial in France.
George died nearly two years later on 27 May 1918 just before he turned 20. A Private in 1st/4th Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers he is commemorated at Soissons Memorial in Aisne, France.
Ernest Frederick Jeffery
Ernest was born to Afred and Alice, nee Honeyball, in June 1899. The family lived Hill Farms Cottages where Ernest was the middle child of five. He attended Dullingham School from Jun 1904 until May 1912, leaving just before his 13th birthday.
A few short years later he was fighting in France where he was a Private in the 6th Battalion of the Northhamptonshire Regiment. He lost his life very late stages of the war on 28th September 1818. He is commemorated at the Unicorn Cemetry, Vendhuile, Aisne in France.
Amos Bertie Manning
Amos Bertie was born to William and Mary Ann, nee Crick, in September 1898. Bertie was one of their seven children. He attended Dullingham school from June 1902 until September 1912.
He was attested into the Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) 9th Battalion on 15 Spril 1916. He died two years later from gunshot wounds to his hands, arms and legs on 23 July 1918, a few weeks before his 20th birthday.
He is commemorated at the Bagneux British Cemetery in Gezaincourt, France.
Dyson Pearman
Dyson has born in February 1892 to William and Sarah, nee Webb. He was the second of their sixth children and started at Dullingham School in September 1896. The family lived at Cross Green and by 1911 Dyson was working as a farm labourer.
Dyson joined the Northumberland Fusiliers 1st Garrison Battalion as a Private and returned home to Dullingham at the end of the war. Unfortunately he subsequently died from his injuries sustained in battle and was buried in Dullingham's churchyard on 3rd September 1919.
John Stanley Smith
John was born in September 1893. He was the third child of seven born to John William Smith and his wife Elizabeth, nee Gooch. He was admitted to Dullingham school in February 1897.
The 1901 census records that the family were living next to the Royal Oak on Station Road. Ascertaining which house is difficult as house-numbering as we know today, hadn't been introduced. Houses were often referred by a relative location (e.g. near the Royal Oak) or by the landlord's name (e.g.Page's Cottage). By 1911 John was working as a carpenter and was living in the Royal Oak itself.
John joined the 2nd Battalion of the Suffolk Regimental. He died fighting n Belgium late in the war, on 2 Oct 1918. His name appears on the War Memorial, but strangly not on the Roll of Honour in the St Mary's.
He is commemorated at Mons (Bergen) Communal Cemetry in Hainaut, Belgium.
William Frederick Smith
William Frederick Smith and John Stanley Smith were first cousins, both their fathers being brothers. William was born in 1890 and lived in the Royal Oak, where his father Charles was the publican. Cousin John Stanley lived next door.
William's family were still living in the Royal Oak in 1901, but by 1911 William and his parents had moved to Eagle Lane. William was working as a carpenter's labourer.
In August 1916 William married Dorothy Mary Hearn at St Mary's, Dullingham. Their marriage record shows that William had already joined the army and was a Private in the 3rd Suffolk Regiment.
After just a year of marriage Dorothy became a widow when William lost his life on 14 Dec 1917. William is another whose death appears on the Roll and the War Memorial but not on the CWGC records.
Sidney Southgate
Sidney was the only other men of the The Nineteen who was married before he was killed by the war. He was born in Chelmsford, Essex where he married Emma Ketley in 1906.
By 1911 they were living in Malting Cottage, Church Lane, Dullingham. He was a gardener and by 1914 Sidney and Emma had two boys.
Sidney lost his life, aged 40, on 4 September 1917 fighting in the 24th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers. He is commemorated in the Calias Southern Cemetery, Pas de Calias, France.
Fred Turner
Fred was born November 1884 in Penge (then in Surrey). By 1893 Fred and parent William and Ann, nee Webb, had returned to Dullingham where Fred was admitted to school.
By 1901 he was living in Station Road and had been apprenticed to a carpenter. Official records for Fred from this point on seem sparse. The Dullingham War Memorial shows he died on the 20 September 1915. Where is not recorded as there is no record for him the CMGC. He does appear on Roll of Honour in St Mary's, but is not marked as having given his life.
William John Webb
William was born in Dullingham in 1886 to William & Sarah. He was the 10th of their eleven children. The family lived next to the Royal Oak (and the Smiths).
By the age of 15 William was working the land and appears to be one of the first in the village go to war.
On 20 July 1916 William died and is commemorated at Caterpillar Valley, Longueval in the Soome, France. He was 30.
