No further information currently available

[Spelt CHOAT on CWGC & SDGW] Private 15919, 7th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Died of wounds 5th November 1915. Born Sturmer, enlisted Haverhill. Buried in CHOCQUES MILITARY CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France. Plot I. Row G. Grave 96.

Private 48116, 11th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Killed in action 10th AUgust 1917. Born Haverhill, enlisted Colchester, resident Sturmer. No known grave. Commemorated on YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 6 and 8.

The following supplied by Robert Mason

Private Frederick Charles Durrant, 11th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers. Service Number 48116. Killed in action, presumed on Friday, 10th August 1917. Aged 20.

Commemorated on the Menin Gate, Ypres, panels 6 and 8.

Frederick Charles Durrant, born 1897, was the third son of Jabez and Anne Durrant who set up home and business at 46 Queen Street, Haverhill with his father working as a basket maker. Anne had five more children before his ninth birthday; one was stillborn and three died within one week of being born. One was named in desperation 'No-More'.

By 1911 the family had moved to Sturmer, close to the Red Lion, with Jabez working as a beer retailer and farmer, and Frederick working on the farm.

Frederick enlisted at Sturmer, probably at the same time as another casualty from Haverhill, Thomas Ford. They were both to join the 11th Battalion Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment), who were stationed at Colchester with service numbers just four apart. (Thomas Ford died from wounds in June 1918).

Frederick’s battalion was sent to France in July 1915 and saw action in the Third Battle of Ypres, which began in June 1917 with the capture of the Messines Ridge.

These extracts from the 11th Battalion diary for 9th/10th August tell us:

Tapes were laid in ‘no man’s land’ for the troops to form up on... The kick off at ‘Zero’ was good with... the companies in position in good time... The objective was reached in good order and close behind the barrage, but came under destructive machine gun fire. Time about 5.05am. The Lewis gunners of the 11th Royal Fusiliers ... came into action here in an attempt to counter the enemy’s machine guns and snipers. The position remained the same until about 6am by which time all the Officers and many of the N.C.O.s were casualties. The enemy then counter attacked...

Many men were cut off and when they were relieved at 4am on the 11th August they went back to the huts at Dickebusch having lost 17 officers and 328 other ranks.

Frederick Durrant was one of the men killed in action on the 10th August 1917. He is remembered on the Haverhill War Memorial, the Sturmer Memorial and the Menin Gate.

Private G/48120, 2nd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died of wounds 5th June 1918. Born Sturmer, enlisted Colchester, resident Haverhill. Son of Mrs. E. Ford, of Sturmer, Haverhill, Suffolk. Buried in EBBLINGHEM MILITARY CEMETERY, Nord, France. Plot I. Row F. Grave 39.

Sergeant 10463, "X" Company, 1st Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers. Killed in action 22nd March 1918. Aged 29. Born St. John's, Bury St Edmunds, enlisted Colchester, resident Sturmer. Formerly 6067, Lancers of the Line. Son of Thomas and Eliza Gooch, of 34 West Rd., Bury St. Edmund's, Suffolk. Buried in STE. EMILIE VALLEY CEMETERY, VILLERS-FAUCON, Somme, France. Plot I. Row A. Grave 12.

Lance Corporal E/2434, 17th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Killed in action 29th September 1918. Born Haverhill, enlisted Hampstead, resident Kilburn. Husband of Bertha Ince, of 8, Loveridge Mews, Brondesbury, London. Buried in ANNEUX BRITISH CEMETERY, Nord, France. Plot I. Row E. Grave 10.

No further information currently available

Lance Sergeant 240645, "D" Company, 1st/5th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Died of wounds in Egypt 16th July 1917. Aged 39. Enlisted Hverhill. Formerly 2545, Suffolk Regiment. Son of Harry and Kate Kiddy, of Bumpstead Rd., Haverhill, Suffolk. Buried in DEIR EL BELAH WAR CEMETERY, Israel. Plot/Row/Section D. Grave 20.

Private 40560, 9th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Killed in action 14th October 1916. Enlisted Haverhill. Formerly 4459, Suffolk Regiment. No known grave. Commemorated on THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, Somme, France. Pier and Face 1 C and 2 A.

Private 241021, Labour Corps. Died at home 8th November 1918. Aged 26. Enlisted Hverhill, resident Sturmer. Son of George and Deborah Mayes, of Sturmer. Formerly 3942, Essex Regiment. Buried in ST. MARY CHURCHYARD, STURMER, Essex.

Private 329215, 4th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Killed in action 22nd November 1917. Aged 35. Born Sturmer, enlisted Haverhill. Son of John and Julia Ridgewell, of Pound Rd., Wangford, Lowestoft. Formerly 7919, Cambridgeshire Regiment. No known grave. Commemorated on TYNE COT MEMORIAL, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 40 to 41 and 162 to 162A.