BROWN

Leonard A

Skipper, Royal Naval Reserve, HM Drifter Silver Queen. Died 15/02/1918. Age 33. Husband of Joan Brown of Sandhoe, Hexham, Northumberland. Buried at Dover (St James’) Cemetery.

HM Drifter Silver Queen was lost on 15 February 1918 in the Dover Straights. Most of the crew were lost without trace, but the body of the skipper, Leonard Brown, was recovered.

CAINES

Edwin Morgan

Corporal 66992, 11th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers. Died 10/08/1917. Age 30. Son of Edwin Morgan Caines and Mary Ann Caines of Westleton. Commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

CRACKNELL

Stanley J

Private TR 10/27686, 31st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. Died 08/04/1918. Age 18. Son of Mrs Ethel Mary Ann Cracknell of 20 Buller Road, Leiston. Born at Westleton. Buried at Westleton (St Peter) Churchyard. Private Cracknell’s death was recorded at Ipswich

ELMY

Charles John

Private 42718, 2nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment. Died 15/04/1918. Born in, and resident of, WestletonBuried at Bedford House Cemetery, Enclosure No 4

FISK

William

Corporal 15008, 8th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Died 17/02/1917. Age 28. Son of James and Susannah Fisk of Westleton. Buried at Regina Trench Cemetery, Grancourt

GISSING

John

Munitions Worker. Died 07/1918. Age 41. Born in Westleton.

John Gissing’s death was recorded at Shardlow, Derbyshire. On 1st July 1918, from causes unknown, a massive explosion, caused by 8 tonnes of TNT, ripped through the National Shell Filling Factory, Chilwell, Nottinghamshire, resulting in the deaths of 134 people and the serious injury to a further 250. The casualties were taken to a number of hospitals across a wide area – including to the village of Shardlow in Derbyshire. While most of the workers at the factory were women, a number of men, who had been passed as unfit for military service, were conscripted to the factory

KING

Charles Henry

Private 51217, Bedfordshire Regiment, attached to 1st/1st Hertfordshire Regiment. Died 23/08/1918. Age 19. Son of Mr and Mrs Edward King of "Blue Tile," Brampton, Halesworth, born in, and resident of Westleton. Commemorated on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial

LINGWOOD

Edward St Hilary

Second Lieutenant, 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Died 03/05/1917. Age 24. Son of Alice Mary Lingwood of Westleton and the late Edward Thomas Lingwood. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial. 2nd Lt Lingwood is also commemorated on the Dunwich War Memorial

MOWER

Percy J

Private 29217, 11th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Died 19/04/1918. Born at Walpole. Buried at Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension (Nord)

MULLEY

Bertie

Private 16392, 11th Battalion, Essex Regiment. Died 26/09/1915. Age 33. Son of the late Francis and Susannah Mulley – born in, and resident of, Great Bromley, Essex – Commemorated on the Loos Memorial

NOY

Arthur J

Leading Deck Hand, Royal Naval Reserve. Died 2nd Quarter 1922. Leading Deckhand Noy’s death was recorded at Devonport, the Royal Naval shore establishment in Devon

POTTER

William John

Leading Seaman 207367, Royal Navy, HMS Cressy. Died 22/09/1914. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial.

HMS Cressy, an old 1st Class armoured cruiser, was part of Cruiser Force C, in the area of the North Sea known as the Broad Fourteens (HMS Eurylus, HMS Aboukir and HMS Hogue were the other three cruisers). HMS Eurylus had technical problems and returned to port. Early on September 22nd 1914 the German submarine U9 under the command of Commander Otto Weddigen sighted the Cressy, Aboukir and Hogue steaming NNE at 10 knots without zigzagging. Although the patrols were supposed to maintain 12-13 knots and zigzag the old cruisers were unable to maintain that speed and the zigzagging order was widely ignored as there had been no submarines sighted in the area during the war. HMS Aboukir was hit by a torpedo first and rolled over within half an hour of the attack. HMS Hogue was picking up survivors when she was hit by two torpedoes, sinking within 10 minutes. HMS Cressy had stopped to pick up survivors, but got underway, before she was hit by a torpedo and damaged. Shortly afterwards, a second torpedo hit her and she sank within 15 minutes. 837 men were rescued but 1459 men were killed in total

ROUS

Oscar

Engineman 2834/ES(CH), Royal Naval Reserve, HMS Osiris II. Developed acute appendicitis, by the time he was relayed to an on-shore hospital it had developed into peritonitis and it was not possible to save his life, died 30/10/1915. Buried at Syra New British Cemetery.

HMS Osiris II was originally built as a P&O passenger boat trading between Brindisi and Port Said. She was requisitioned by the Royal Navy during the Great War and served in the Mediterranean, but survived and returned to her P&O role before being scrapped in 1922. The cause of the death of Engineman Rous is unknown

SHEPPARD

James Baggott

Gunner 85538, "C" Battery, 250th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 13/04/1918. Age 28. Son of Samuel and Alice Jane Sheppard of Dunwich, born at Westleton. Buried at Picquigny British Cemetery. Gunner Sheppard is also commemorated on the Dunwich War Memorial

SPINDLER

David S

Stoker 1st Class 289816, Royal Navy, HMS Cressy. Died 22/09/1914. Son of the late Mr and Mrs George Spindler of Westleton. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial.

HMS Cressy, an old 1st Class armoured cruiser, was part of Cruiser Force C, in the area of the North Sea known as the Broad Fourteens (HMS Eurylus, HMS Aboukir and HMS Hogue were the other three cruisers). HMS Eurylus had technical problems and returned to port. Early on September 22nd 1914 the German submarine U9 under the command of Commander Otto Weddigen sighted the Cressy, Aboukir and Hogue steaming NNE at 10 knots without zigzagging. Although the patrols were supposed to maintain 12-13 knots and zigzag the old cruisers were unable to maintain that speed and the zigzagging order was widely ignored as there had been no submarines sighted in the area during the war. HMS Aboukir was hit by a torpedo first and rolled over within half an hour of the attack. HMS Hogue was picking up survivors when she was hit by two torpedoes, sinking within 10 minutes. HMS Cressy had stopped to pick up survivors, but got underway, before she was hit by a torpedo and damaged. Shortly afterwards, a second torpedo hit her and she sank within 15 minutes. 837 men were rescued but 1459 men were killed in total.

SPRUNT

Harry

MM. Private 18846, 2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Died 26/09/1917. Born at Westleton. Commemorated on Tyne Cot Memorial

STAFF

Stanley F

Able Seaman, Royal Navy – HMS Viola. Died 18/06/1918. Buried at Lerwick New Cemetery. HMS Viola was a Sloop, commissioned in 1916. She survived the war and was sold in 1922. The cause of Able Seaman Staff’s death is unknown

TOVELL

William G

Private 14994, 8th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Died 22/04/1915. Age 21. Born at Darsham. Buried at Westleton (St Peter) Churchyard. Private Tovell’s death is recorded at Colchester

1939-1945

ALEXANDER

John Gilman

Private 14519728, 1st Battalion, The King’s Regiment (Liverpool). Died 20/06/1944. Age 20. Son of James and Helen Maud Alexander of Westleton. Buried at Digboi War Cemetery

CLOUTING

Albert

Sergeant (Pilot) 1331382, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Died 16/12/1942. Age 20. Son of Morton Walter and Ethel Louise Clouting of Friston. Buried at Westleton (St Peter) Churchyard. Sergeant Clouting’s death was recorded at Wellingford, Oxfordshire

LEE

John Steward

Believed to be Able Seaman, Merchant Navy. ss Millisle. Died 21/03/1941. Age 39. Son of John and Mary Ann Lee. Commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial.

ss Millisle was sunk by enemy aircraft, 2 miles East of the Helwick Light Vessel in the Bristol Channel on 21st March 1941