A brief memorial to the men of Belchamp Otten who died during two wars

Belchamp Otten Church

1914-1918

Walter Barrell BARRELL, Walter, Private 58300. 7th Bn. Northamptonshire Regiment, 73rd Brigade in 24th Division. Died Wednesday, October 9, 1918. CAGNONCLES COMMUNAL CEMETERY. Born 1882 Belchamp Otten, father Josiah then a Carrier, mother Alice dies two years later. Brother Charles, sister Mary. 1908 Walter has married Caroline and by 1911 he is a stockman with a daughter Caroline.

Enlisted May 18^th in 3^rd Northamptonshire Regiment. Called up for active service 17^th May 1918 sent to France 18^th September 1918. Transferred to 7^th Battalion 29^th September 1918.

Effects to widow Maud. £1/9/2d + 7/8d War gratuity £3. Widows pension of 20/5d awarded from 28^th April 1919.

According to the war diary:- In the afternoon of the 9^th October the battalion attacked the village of Cagnoncles. By 17:00 hours and after overcoming intense resistance the battalion had taken the high ground overlooking the village. Further attacks were repulsed by heavy machine gun fire from the village and a halt was called to await artillery support. Casualties: 4 Officers killed, 2 wounded, 85 ORs killed or wounded. Private Walter Barrell was one of these.

CHAPLIN, THOMAS SYDNEY. Sapper 244042 Royal Engineers, Inland Water Transport. Died 30/07/1917. Age: 36 BELCHAMP OTTEN (ALL SAINTS AND ST. ETHELBERT) CHURCHYARD Son of Mrs. Lucy Chaplin, of Fowes Lane, Belchamp Otten. Born Belchamp Otten 1881, 1891 lived at grandparents with mother Lucy and brother Stanley, by 1901 he boarded in Coggeshall while working as a gardener.

It appears he enlisted in the army at some time as he then joined the Royal Engineers from the army reserve. This while living in Victoria Street, Charlton. He was placed in the 'Inland Water Transport' of the Royal Engineers during February 1917. During April 1917 he claimed he had been hit by shrapnel from abomb dropped from an aircraft. Operated on at Dunkirk, he spent time in hospital and then home on leave. He then went to Thetford Command centre where during July he complained of headaches, mild depression and other various ailments. His condition worsened until paralysis set in and he died in the Military Hospital, Colchester on the 30th of July 1917. 'General paralysis of the Insane' was the diagnosis. The war did not always kill men directly.

Find a Grave Gravestone

CWGC

GOODY, CECIL GEORGE. Private 48070 Northumberland Fusiliers. 21st (Tyneside Scottish) Bn. 102nd (Tynside Scottish) Brigade. 34th Division. Formelry 181490 Army Ordnance Corps. Died 09/04/1917 Age: 23. ARRAS MEMORIAL Son of the late Joshua and Mary Ann Goody. Born Belchamp Otten 1893.

Father ran the general shop on the Highway at Belchamp Otter with Cecil George assisting, there were three sisters in 1901 also.

The Northumberland Fusilers participated in the Battle of Arras. The Battle opened on the 9th at 05:00 hours with sleet and snow behind their backs and with snow drifts covering the ground. Somewhere near Arras Cecil George Goody fell and his body was never recovered.

War Diary 14th - 17th October

MASON, PERCY Private 320536 Suffolk Regiment 'A' Coy. 15th Bn. 230th Brigade in 74th (Yeomanry) Division. Died 16/10/1918 Age: 30. RUE-DAVID MILITARY CEMETERY, FLEURBAIX Son of William and Alice Mary Mason, of Belchamp Otten, Clare, Suffolk.

"Up in heaven

We hope to meet him

Where no farewell tears are shed"

15th (Suffolk Yeomanry) Battalion. Formed in Egypt on 5 January 1917 from dismounted Yeomanry regiment. January 1917: came under command of 230th Brigade in 74th (Yeomanry) Division. 1 May 1918: embarked at Alexandria for Marseilles, landing 7 May.

Died and was buried alongside his comrades at Fidurbaix, re-interred August 1920.

Pearson, Archibald S. Born 1896 Belchamp Otten, to John and Sarah J. Pearson. Father an Inn Keeper at the Lion Inn. Archibald like the rest of family worked in the Inn. Two brothers Reginald and Rowland.

An Archibald Pearson served in the 2nd Northumberland Fusiliers as Corporal. He entered the war on the 6th of March 1915 and fell at Ypres on the 26th May 1915. If this is our man he would have been 18 or 19 at the time. Requires confirmation.

Ypres, Menin Road. Attack on Witte Poort Farm and the ridge on which it stood. Then followed an attack on Bellewarde Farm. 2 Officers killed, 10 wounded, 29 men killed, 133 wounded, 188 missing.

Museum

Harry Reeve Private 7100 or 7199, 2nd Suffolk Battalion. Father Henry mother Sarah. LA FERTE-SOUS-JOUARRE MEMORIAL. Harry was born 1882 at Belchamp St Paul's the family moving between there at Belchamp Otten. During 1901 Harry and brother Arthur are found in London working as Railway engine cleaners.

There is some dispute in the records. A Harry Reeve served in the 2nd Suffolks. One record has him dying on or after 26th August 1914, the other he dies in action on the 15th July 1915. The record is unclear.

Other local memorials

Ashen Cornish Hall End Finchingfield Great Bardfield Little Maplestead Little Saling(Bardfield) Little Sampford Shalford Sturmer Panfield Gosfield Greenstead Green Braintree & Bocking Great War Memorial

1939-1945

HOWARD, FREDERICK CHARLES WILLIAM Gunner 863535 Royal Horse Artillery. 'C' Bty., 4 Regt. Date of Death: 15th December 1940 Age: 22 ALAMEIN MEMORIAL Son of William Lea Howard and Edith Elizabeth Howard.

1939 – The Regiment was formed as 4th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) at Helmieh, Egypt on 28 May 1939. The original Batteries were C Battery, F (Sphinx) Battery, and G Battery (Mercer's Troop), drawn from independent commands in India and equipped with the Ordnance QF 25 pounder. Wiki

Operation Compass December 1940