I visited Long Melford in Suffolk this afternoon and after a trip to Melford Hall, continued to Holy Trinity Church. Walking around the somewhat overgrown graveyard I spotted a number of Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) headstones from the First World War and photographed them. What follows is a very brief toe-in the water research on the men who are buried there.
241209 Private Fred Charles Middleditch, Suffolk Regiment; died 18th August 1919. CWGC notes 1/5th Battalion. Next of kin: mother, Mrs H Middleditch of Hall Street, Long Melford. Medal index card gives Fred H Middleditch and an earlier number: 3718. Fred served overseas, arriving there on or after 1st January 1916. His numbers indicate that he enlisted around November 1915. No service record appears to survive. Census records show that Fred was born in 1891 (he was three months old when the 1891 census was taken) and must therefore have been 28 years old at the time of his death in Long Melford.
27387 Private George Henry Sansum, Royal Fusiliers; died of wounds 9th February 1918 aged 24. CWGC notes next of kin: father, H Sansum of The Green, Long Melford. CWGC also notes that he served as SARNSUM. Medal index card gives GS/27387 George H Sarnsum. George served overseas, arriving there on 24th July1916 and returning to England as a result of wounds on 2nd March 1917. No service record appears to survive. Sansum and Sarnsum appear to be well-known Suffolk names.
2263 Private Bert Duce, 5th Suffolk Regiment; died 3rd September 1916 aged 28. Enlisted early September 1914. Medal index card notes arrived Gallipoli 10th August 1915. Card also notes discharged and 1914/15 Star medal roll confirms discharged 18th May 1916, presumably as a result of wounds or sickness. No service record appears to survive. CWGC does not give next of kin but notes residence as Smaley Meadow, Long Melford.
180137 Sapper H Parmenter, Royal Engineers; died 21st August 1917 aged 31. Could find no medal index card which suggest that this man did not serve overseas. No service record appears to survive. CWGC gives next of kin as wife, M Parmenter of St Catherine's Road, Long Melford.
I have no explanation (unless there is a family connection) for why the two men, who died a year apart, are buried in a single grave.
240830 L Codling, 5th Suffolk Regiment; died 9th July 1919 aged 22. Medal index card gives 2989 and 240830. Could find no service record for this man although number indicates that he joined the regiment around 10th January 1915. Arrived overseas on or after 1st January 1916. CWGC indicates he was born in Long Melford, the son of Edward Walter and Beatrice Elizabeth Codling of The Laurels, St Catherine's Road, Long Melford.
229485 Private Frederick Martin, 1st London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers); died 10th July 1918 aged 21. Resident of Poslingford, enlisted Sudbury. Died at Home. Medal index card also gives 290195 Cambridgeshire Regiment. Arrived overseas on or after 1st January 1916. Son of George Martin of 6 Windmill Hill, Long Melford.
G/80938 Private James Ford, 1st London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers) died 7th June 1919 aged 38. Medal index card shows entitlement only to silver war badge. Enlisted 28th December 1916, discharged due to sickness on 2nd September 1918. Did not serve overseas. CWGC gives next of kin as wife, F Ford of Bull Tap, Long Melford. Fanny Ford, is also interred in this spot. She died two years later on 23rd May 1921.
The war poet, Edmund Blunden, is also buried in this churchyard but I did not locate his grave.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.
