Embedded Files
World War 1 Archive
Welcome to the Gorseland Primary School World War 1 Archive. The stories below have been donated by staff and students at the school. At Gorseland Primary School we have been learning all about World War 1. We have had children planting trees in a new memorial garden and made poppies to create our very own field of poppies.
Albert James GoodchildTerritorial Force
Served in the Territorial Force from 1912 until 1915 when he joined the regular Army and served in France until the end of the war. He was not badly injured but was poisoned with Mustard Gas which affected him at times for the rest of his life.
This is from the war diary of Albert James Goodchild great great granddad of Chloe and Emma Goodchild:
Dropped one side of the trench but as usual no damage and Fritz in same position as yesterday. Our Battns still raiding him, 21 Prussian guards taken prisoner and brought down to Bde 16th. Fritz again retired main body to old line some way back.
Fusiliers out patrolling and in touch with NL on our right, few prisoners, Frank rang me up on phone from Souastre think his Bde is taking over from our arty, or both working together, our leavers unlucky being caught by our own shells. 3 men killed, 6 prisoners, 14 wounded.
Staff Captain wanted PB to go over with men, thought perhaps one of his would get the job, but general washed it out saying it would be no good. Good job for me. Aug 1st Fritz spotted some of our chaps on the top of trench and shelled us for 10 minutes hard, no damage Bde relieved by 63rd bde quiet journey out. Billetted again in Souastre.
'Bde short for Brigade'
Chloe Goodchild - Year 4B
Emma Goodchild - Year 3A
A.S. Corps
George Edward Derisley signed up on 11th August 1914 to join the army. He served in France and Salonika (Greece) as a mechanic repairing and driving army vehicles. He returned home in 1918 with no injuries.
Chloe Goodchild - Year 4B
Emma Goodchild - Year 3A
George Edward Derisley
Captain, East Kent Regiment
Harold George Redhead
Harold Redhead was born in London in 1881. He joined the Army in 1906. He was sent to France with his regiment, the 19th Royal Hussars Cavalry in 1914. The regiment saw action that year in the Battle of Le Cateau, the Retreat from Mons, the Battle of the Marne, the Battle of the Aisne and the Battle of Armentieres. In 1916, he was transferred with others to an infantry regiment to help replace the losses of non-commissioned officers caused by the war. A short while afterwards in 1917, he was awarded the a commission and became a captain in the East Kent Regiment, one of the oldest regiments in the British Army known as "The Buffs", - a name derived from the colour if the leather coats worn by the regiment in the 17th Century.
Captain Redhead suffered a number of injuries during his service on the Western Front including being gassed. He returned home on 14th March 1918, and spent the remaining few months of the war in hospital.
He was advised by doctors that the fresh air of the east coast would be of benefit to him, and eventually he moved from London to Kesgrave in 1926. He died as a result of his injuries aged forty six years.
Zack Weir - Year 5A
Wiltshire Regiment, 5th Battalion
Sydney Cornish fought in Turkey and was killed in action in August 1915 aged 20. He was in the Wiltshire Regiment, 5th Battalion.
Henry Cornish - Year 1A
Sydney Cornish
Isla Farrow's Relatives
Isla Farrow - Year1A
Frederick BarnesCaptain, Royal Navy Reserves
Mr Frederick Barnes was a Captain in the royal navy reserves in the First World War. He was awarded the distinguished Service Cross for rescuing British and Australian troops at Gallipoli whilst under heavy Turkish canon fire in his mine-sweeper. Only around 2000 of these medals were awarded. He lived in Hull and he was a teacher.
Harriet Everson - Year 6A
Christopher ParsonsPrivate, Shropshire Regiment
Christopher Parsons was a private in the Shropshire regiment and fought at the Battle of Mons in the First World War. He was wounded and taken prisoner by the Germans, but managed to escape. He lived in Hereford and trained race horses.
Harriet Everson - Year 6A
mother received a bronze memorial plaque in memory of John.
Calum Thompson - Year 4B
Jake Thompson - Year 1A
John (Jack) BaltropPrivate 40045, Essex Regiment
In 1909 John enlisted for 4 years' service with the Territorial Force. At the same time he was working as a booking clerk for the Great Eastern Railway at Stratford. When the First World War broke out, John enlisted as Private 40045 with the Essex Regiment. Sadly, John was killed in action in France on 22nd March 1918 during the Advance on Flanders with the 11th battalion of the Essex Regiment. According to records John was posthumously awarded The Victory Medal and The British War Medal.After the war, John's
John Thorpe6th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
He served in the 6th Btn of the Suffolk Regiment at some point during the war he suffered a gas attack.
Oliver Seggar - Year 3A
Wallace Seggar7th Queens Own Hussars
He served in the Queen’s Own Hussars. He walked from Hadleigh to Bury St Edmunds when he enlisted and didn’t tell his parents. He served in Mesopotamia(Iraq) during the first world war.
Oliver Seggar - Year 3A
Alfred James FarrowPrivate, 6th Bedfords Regiment
Called up to fight in the first world war, he was sent for training at the old fort at Felixstowe, he was then seconded to the 6th Bedford's and given the army number 21504 and sent overseas as a teenager. As the son of a gamekeeper he was at ease with handling guns and would have been classed as a good shot. He was given the job of sniper and it was during this time while camped out at an old ruined church, that a shell exploded close to him. He was badly injured and lay in the churchyard for 5 days before anyone realised he was alive. His parents had been sent a telegram to say he was missing in action. Fortunately he survived and was found and taken to a field hospital, from there he was moved to a brick built hospital somewhere in France before being shipped back to England. His parents received another telegram to say he was alive and in a war hospital in Epsom, Surrey with shell wounds to his right arm and right knee. This was on 6th April 1918, 7 months before the end of the war. He was discharged from the army on the 11th October 1919.
After many visits to the hospital he made a partial recovery, unable to work full time, he made a living with an army pension and a small holding selling fruit, vegetables and eggs. He died peacefully at the age of 91.
Noah Creasey - Year 1B
George Perschky
Royal Artillery
George was born in London and went to school until he was 14 years of age, he then started work in the printing industry. When the First World War was declared in 1914, at the age of 29 he was conscripted to the Royal Artillery and was sent to France where he was in many battles. He returned to England at the end of the war in 1918 where he continued his career in the printing industry until his retirement in 1951.
Reece Summerhill - Year 2B
Chloe Summerhill - Reception B
William Hitchcock
Medical Corps, 29th Division
William landed at Sulva Bay Gallipoli in August 1915 aged 20 years. He was tending a wounded Sergeant with his rum ration on a beach and moved back on his knees to retrieve something when a sniper shot the Sergeant dead. William thought that if he had not moved the bullet would have killed him.
In July 1916 he was at the Somme and in 1917 Ypres and Arras.
During his time in the army he was a stretcher bearer with three others and once when a shell came down it killed the man on the stretcher and the bearers survived.
He finished the war as a dental technician then went back to his old job at Fisons and later retired from there after 51 years service.
Amelia Myers - Year 1A
Page updated
Report abuse