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Redlingfield War Memorial: In Redlingfield churchyard there is a memorial to ten soldiers from the village who sacrificed their lives during the First World War. The memorial was unveiled at St Andrew's church on Sunday November 28th 1920 by Lord Henniker. The leaflet commemorating the event is pictured on the gallery page along with a First World War funeral card and the memorial itself.
The men on the village memorial are:
Gunner Albert Cracknell: Born about 1889 in Redlingfield. Son of William M. & Jane Cracknell of Horham Road and grandson of George Bayles Cracknell (parish clerk). He enlisted in 1906 with the Kent Rifle Militia and was killed in action on 2nd November 1917 with the Royal Garrison Artillery. Buried at Dunhallow Advanced Dressing Station Cemetery, Ypres.
Private Frederick Cracknell: Born 1887.in Redlingfield. Son of Susan Cracknell. He was a cousin of the aforementioned Albert Cracknell. In 1891 &1901 he was living with his grandparents George B. & Harriet Cracknell. By 1911 they had both died and he was living with Wllliam M. and Jane Cracknell, his uncle & aunt. He enlisted in the Suffolk Regiment but was killed in action fighting with the 8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment on 13th Oct 1916. Buried Bancourt British Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais.
Sergeant Thomas Wilson: Born about 1896 in Needham Market. Son of Henry Thomas Wilson (game keeper) & Betsy Nee Cracknell. His father died in 1900. In 1901 he was living in Redlingfield with his grandparents Thomas Edgar & Betsy Cracknell. In 1911 he was still living with his grandparents and also his widowed mother. He enlisted with 2nd Battalion Suffolk Regiment and was killed in action on 13th November 1916. Buried at the Thiepval Memorial Cemetery.
Sapper Frederick C Bayles: Born in Diss in 1892. Son of Charles & Alice Bayles who had moved to Redlingfield by 1911 when he was described on the census as a saddler's apprentice. Served with 19th Division Signals, Royal Engineers. Died of wounds on Armistice Day - 11th Nov 1918. Buried at the St Sever Cemetery Extension, in Rouen.
Private Harry Lincoln: Died on 5th May 1915 fighting with the 1st Bedfordshires on Hill 60 as documented in the regiment's war diary. He was born to Lizzie Lincoln in Horham on 28th April 1887 and baptised on the 14th July at St Mary's church. No father's name is recorded. The 1891 Census lists him as a lodger, aged three, in the house of Samuel and Mary Muttock in Mill Road, Redlingfield. Harry's grandmother was a Sarah Muttock born 1833. His mother Lizzie was working as a general servant at White House, Bedfield. Ten years later the 1901 census shows that he is an inmate of Willow House Children's Home in Eye. Lizzie is working as a monthly nurse for the Whatling family in Worlingworth. By 1911 he is 23, unmarried and an infantryman with the 1st Bedfordshire Regiment in Aldershot. A letter written by Harry in August 1914 (available in full here) tells us that he is in Ireland about to leave for Belgium on active service. This letter was addressed to Clara and says that if he never returns he leaves the “boy” in her charge and that she should give his medal to the “boy” to wear. The UK Register of Soldiers' Effects shows that Miss Clara Harvey was Harry's sole legatee She received £19.19s.09d.in December 1915 and a further £5 in August 1919. Clara's parents George and Caroline Harvey with siblings Sidney, George and Agnes were living on Horham Road, Redlingfield in 1901. Agnes married Reggie Lister, whose name is with Harry's on the memorial. Later she married his brother Arthur.
Private William Howlett: Born 1886 in Peasenhall. Son of Benjamin & Fanny Howlett who by 1901 were farming at Hill Farm, Redlingfield. Enlisted at Winnipeg in 1914 with 32nd Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Killed in action with the 10th Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force in trenches near Givenchy 21st May 1915. Commemorated at the Vimy Memorial Cemetery. His nephew Peter Saunders lives at Hill Farm.
Private Ernest George Lawes: Served with the Bedfordshire Regiment and was 22 when he died on September 5th 1916. He is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial. Ernest was the son of Harry and Mary Ann Lawes, who lived at Cranley Gate, Redlingfield. The Thiepval Memorial, next to the village of Thiepval, is the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme. It bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave.
Lt Corp Walter Mayhew: Born in Athelington about 1890 to Robert & Hannah Mayhew who later moved to Horham Road, Redlingfield (1901 & 1911 census). Enlisted with 11th Battalion Suffolk Regiment. He was killed in action on April 28th 1917 aged 26. and is remembered on the Arras Memorial. During the First World War Arras was near the front and a long series of battles fought nearby are known as the Battle of Arras in which a series of medieval tunnels beneath the city, unknown to the Germans, became a decisive factor in the British forces holding the city. The city, however, was heavily damaged and had to be rebuilt after the war. The Arras Memorial commemorates almost 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand who died in the Arras sector between the spring of 1916 and 7 August 1918, the eve of the Advance to Victory, and have no known grave. Although described as Lt. Corp on the Redlingfield War Memorial, all his military records refer to him as Private Walter Mayhew.
Private Reginald Lister: Born 1894. Son of George & Caroline Lister of Bulls Hall Lane, Occold. He married Agnes Harvey in 1915. Their son Eric was baptised at Redlingfield church on 12th Sept 1915 when Reggie's occupation was given as Labourer. He enlisted with11th Battalion of Royal Fusiliers and was killed in action 19th May 1918. He was buried at the Dernancourt Cemetery Picardie. The photograph of Aggie and son Eric (pictured left) was sent as a postcard and on the back was written: To my dear husband, from his loving wife, a little son Eric. It was addressed to Private R Lister in France and dated November 7th 1918. Reggie was already dead by this time. Aggie later married Reggie's brother Arthur (picture right) and had several more children. She lived in Mill Road in Redlingfield until her death. Aggie's daughter Margery Taylor, nee Lister, lives in Eye and her son Gordon Lister lives in Cratfield. Another brother, James Lister, is commemorated on the Occold war memorial. James an agricultural labourer, was a Private in the 2nd Battalion of The Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment). He died on April 2nd 1917 aged 25 and is buried at the Croisilles British Cemetery. Click here to read an article Barry Woods contributed to the Occold village magazine about James Lister. Many thanks to Barry for sharing it with us. To read his article on all the men on Occold's Roll of Honour - many of whom had links to Redlingfield - visit occold.onesuffolk.net.
Private William Edward Hawes: He is one of the few men on the village war memorial to still have family in Redlingfield. He was born in 1898 and lied about his age to join up just before his 16th birthday. William (pictured right) served in the 1st Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment and was just 17 when he was killed on May 25th 1915 and had only arrived in France on the 3rd of May. He is remembered at the Ypres Memorial on the Menin Gate. William was the son of Edward and Mary Hawes of New Cottages in Redlingfield. Pictured is his Memorial Plaque - commonly known as a Widow's Penny, Dead Man's Penny or Death Plaque. They were given to the next of kin of all service personnel who lost their lives as a result of the war. The plaques were cast in bronze and are approximately five inches (125 mm) in diameter. On the plaque no rank was recorded as the intention was to show equality in their sacrifice. William Hawes, pictured right, was the uncle of Eddie Hawes who lives with his wife Gail and daughter Kelly at Pear Tree Cottages in Redlingfield. Eddie now has William's medals and memorial plaque. The Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing is a war memorial in Ypres, Belgium dedicated to the commemoration of British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the Ypres Salient of World War I and whose graves are unknown. The memorial is located at the eastern exit of the town and marks the starting point for one of the main roads out of the town that led Allied soldiers to the front line. Designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield and built by the British government, the Menin Gate Memorial was unveiled on 24 July, 1927.
Willoughby Henry Pipe: A further casualty from Redlingfield, he is not named on the war memorial but he is listed on the 11th Battalion of The Suffolk Regiment (The Cambs Suffolks) website and remembered on the Arras Memorial. Willoughby was the son of Frederick and Ellen Ophelia Pipe (nee Wright) both of Dennington. Frederick was the son of Henry and Sarah Pipe (nee Huggins), whilst Ellen was the daughter of Willoughby & Mary Ann Wright (nee Borrett). Willoughby died on the 28th April 1917.
Private Alfred Joseph Stanley Coe: One of the survivors of the First World War was Private Alfred Joseph Stanley Coe, the village blacksmith. Born in 1899, Alfred was captured towards the end of the war while serving in the King's Royal Rifle Corps and held prisoner at Döberitz Camp. His prison badge is pictured on the First World War gallery page. Döberitz, near Berlin, held a mixture of Russian, Polish, French and British prisoners. In the Second World War Alfred, who was a Special Constable, served alongside Redlingfield's Home Guard.
Many thanks to Linda Hudson for the research on Harry Lincoln, Edith and Eddie Coe and the Hawes family for sharing their pictures, documents and memories. Thanks also to Stephen Govier for his research into the war memorial. War Memorial. I know there are more stories and pictures out there and, hopefully, I'll be able to cover them for the village magazine and village website. If you have pictures or memories of Redlingfield and surrounds during the wars or peace time please get in touch. Picture: © Peg at Pictures of England.com Information on those named was revised and updated by Linda Hudson in 2017. Many thanks to Linda for all her research.