Panfield War Memorial

A brief memorial to local men who fell during two world wars

1914 - 1918

COOCH, HORACE WILLIAM. Private 27519 Border Regiment. 2nd Bn. 20th Brigade, 7th Division Died: 09/08/1918 Age: 28 GIAVERA MEMORIAL. Son of Arthur John and Alice Emma Cooch, of Southend; husband of Florence Hetty Cooch, of Panfield, Essex.

Born Shoeburyness 1890 one of seven children. Father a painter and Horace became a plasterer by 1911. Married Florence Hetty Suckling 1914 and had one son Horace Robert in 1916. Enlisted at Westcliff on Sea in the Essex then the Border regiments. Fell in a raid on Stella Fort, between Canove and Ambrosini, Asiago Plateau, Italy, 9th Aug 1918.

Southend-on-Sea WW1 memorial plaque in Prittlewell Priory.

GURTEEN, NORRIS Private 12380 Essex Regiment 9th Bn. 35th Brigade, 12th (Eastern) Division. Died: 08/07/1916 Age 30. THIEPVAL MEMORIAL

Born Panfield 1886 to Nathan & Marina Gurteen. Father a ploughman and Norris and his brothers four brothers also worked the fields. Little other work available. Volunteered for the 9th Essex battalion.

1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal Awarded.

Effects £4/18/4d War Gratuity £8/10/- paid to mother.

Somme : 9th Essex Battalion on 7th July 1916: 18 officers & 487 other ranks entered the Usna-Tara line. 7th July: Ovilliers la Bossielle. 8th July: At 1:30 am replace the remaining 250 men of the 36th Brigade. 3 am: Bombed Germans from 200 yards of line, counter attack recovered 100 yards. During the night and following day the battalion suffered shelling from High Explosive and shrapnel shells yet advanced the position to the old German 3rd line. The battalion was relieved after midnight towards Albert. Casualties: 1 officer killed, 2 believed killed. 9 Other ranks killed, Including Private Gurteen, 65 wounded & 11 missing

RATCLIFFE, CHURCHILL Private. 426665 Canadian Infantry. 8th Bn. Died: 14th June 1916. Age: 25. YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL. Son of Bartlett Ratcliffe, of Panfield, Braintree, Essex, England; husband of Beatrice Ratcliffe, of 1957, Toronto St., Regina, Saskatchewan.

Born Berkhampstead 1892 to Bartlett & Charlotte Ratcliffe. Father a farmer. Moved several times and eventually Panfield. Emigrated to Canada 1910, married by 1916 living in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Killed during successful counter attacking action near Hooge.

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SMITH, CHARLES WILLIAM Private 19560 Essex Regiment. 1st Bn. 88th Brigade in 29th Division. Died: 14/04/1917. Age: 30 ARRAS MEMORIAL. Son of Albert and Ellen Smith, of 3, Council Houses, Panfield, Braintree, Essex.

Born Panfield 1887 to Albert & Ellen Smith. Father an Agricultural labourer and he followed this. Sometime after 1911 he enlisted at Chelmsford in the 1st Essex battalion who were based in India. With them he entered the war on 1st Dec 1915 with Egypt Expeditionary Force and fought at Gallipoli before transferring to France where he was presumed dead on the 14th of April 1917 during the Battle of Arras.

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TOFTS, LANCELOT Private. 21001. Essex Regiment. 1st Bn. 88th Brigade in 29th Division. Died: 10/12/1916. Age: 24. THIEPVAL MEMORIAL. Son of Thomas and Mary Tofts, of Rayne, Braintree, Essex. Also served in Egypt.

Born Finchingfield 1893 son of Thomas & Mary. Thomas a farmer and his three sons appeared destined for similar lives. Lancelot however joined the 1st Battalion Essex Regiment at Saffron Walden and he joined the war on the 1st December 1915 when the regiment had left Gallipoli and was stationed in Egypt. Soon after they moved to the Western Front.

WALDEN, CHARLES SYDNEY. Private. 12009 Essex Regiment. "A" Coy. 9th Bn. 35th Brigade in 12th (Eastern) Division. Died:12/08/16 Age:18.SERRE ROAD CEMETERY No.2. Son of the late Charles and Emma Walden.

Born Basildon 1897. Charles and his sister Winifred are found living with their grandmother Sophia Turner in Panfield during 1901. Charles worked as an agricultural worker until he enlisted in the 9th Essex Battalion, arriving in France 30th May 1915. Killed in action 12th August 1918 while in action on the Somme. Sister Winifred his only surviving relative, now Mrs W. A. Rowell, 28, Devonshire Place Mews, Marylebone, London.

"Sleep on dear brother"

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WARREN, WILLIAM JOHN. Rifleman. 325133. 1st/7th Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment (Leeds Rifles) (Prince of Wales's Own). 146th Brigade, 49th (West Riding) Division. Died Thursday, April 25, 1918 Age 33 TYNE COT MEMORIAL. Son of Mrs. Jane Mutimer (formerly Warren); husband of Emily Alice Gepp (formerly Warren), of Mounts Farm, Saling, Braintree, Essex.

Battalion at Wytchaete. On 24th battalion entered Vierstraat Line in reserve. On the 25th a 6 am enemy barrage fell and William John was presumed dead. His brother John William served through the war with the Royal Artillery and survived.

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Ernest White. A Thomas White lived Shalford Rd, 4 males 2 females.

WILLIS, ARTHUR. Private 14125 Essex Regiment, 11th Bn.18th Brigade 6th Division. Died: 26/09/1915. Age: 27. LOOS MEMORIAL. Son of James Willis.

Born 1888. A James Willis lived next to the Primitive Methodist Chapel in Shalford Road, Panfield in 1911, two males and three females in the family. Arthur enlisted in the volunteer 11th battalion Essex Regiment and entered the war 30/8/15. The 11th were soon in action at the Battle of Loos where Arthur was presumed deadon the 26th of September 1915.

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WOOD, CHARLES. Lance Corporal 204533 Bedfordshire Regiment. 4th Bn. 190th Brigade 63rd (Royal Naval) Division. Died: 28/03/1918. Age: 23. ARRAS MEMORIAL Son of Richard and Eliza Wood; husband of the late Maude Lydia Wood.

Born Panfield 1895 to Richard and Eliza Wood. Father a horseman on farm and by 1911 Charles was employed as a Mill Hand. Served in the Essex regiment then Lance Corporal in the 4th Bedfordshire Regiment. Married to Maude Lydia Wood and killed in action 28th March 1918.

1939 - 1945

CATTERWELL, JOHN THOMAS GEORGE. Sergeant Air Gunner. Service No: 1876698 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 102 Sqdn. Died: 09/06/1944. Age: 28 PANFIELD (ST. MARY) CHURCHYARD. Son of George and Minnie Florence Catterwell, of Panfield.

"In loving memory

Of John.

Died on active service"

Catterwell, J T G. Sergeant. 1944-06-08. 102 Sqd. Halifax III. LW140. DY-M. Pocklington. 2230. Operation Gardening. Crashed at Seaton Ross Yorkshire on return. Killed Aircrew Remembered

Crew

W/O George Donaldson Jekyll – Pilot – Aged 30 – KIA

F/O David Lillington – N – Aged 20 – KIA

F/O Vincent Phillip Hillrich – N – Aged 25 – KIA

Sgt Robert Cardwell Downs – Wop – Aged 21 – KIA

Sgt Thomas Walker Rodger – AG – Aged 29 – KIA

Sgt John Thomas George Catterwell – AG – Aged 28 – KIA

Sgt Vivian Bertram Florent – E – Aged 23 – KIA

09/06/44 Minelaying

LING, JOHN FREDERICK Sapper. 2156783 Royal Engineers. 230 Field Coy. OUED ZARGA WAR CEMETERY. Died: 09/05/1943. Age: 21. Son of Ernest and Fanny Hannah Ling, of Panfield, Essex.

In May 1943, the war in North Africa came to an end in Tunisia with the defeat of the Axis powers by a combined Allied force.

On 8 November 1942, Commonwealth and American troops made a series of landings in Algeria and Morocco. The Germans responded immediately by sending a force from Sicily to northern Tunisia, which checked the Allied advance east in early December. Oued Zarga was just behind the limit of the advance that winter.

In the last phases of the North Africa campaign, when the final combined assail on the Germans' defence began at the end of April, 228 Company went with the British Forces to Tunis, 229 and 231 Companies with the American 11 Corps to Bizerta, and 230 Company assisted the French XIX Corps advance by building Bailey Bridges between Pont du Fahs and Tunis. Sheffield at War

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WELLS, RONALD SYDNEY Bombardier. 824277. Royal Artillery. 2 Medium Regt. 3rd Infantry Division, II Corps. Date of Death: 29/05/1940. Age: 28. DUNKIRK MEMORIAL. Son of Percy James Wells and Emily Wells; husband of Dorothy Sarah Wells, of Panfield, Essex.

Born Hampshire 1912, son of James and Emily Wells. Married Dorothy Sarah Gowers 1937 in Braintree. Regular in army by 1939 died during German offensive leading to Dunkirk breakout.

Braintree & Bocking WW2 Memorial

WOOD, STANLEY WALTER. Sergeant. 1335616 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Died: 19/08/1943. Age: 20. RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Wood; husband of Constance Hannah Wood, of Stambourne, Essex.

Born Braintree 1923 died from illness or accident while training.

No. 12 Operational Training Unit RAF (12 OTU)12 OTU was formed in April 1940 as part of No. 1 Group RAF Bomber Command at RAF Benson to train light bomber aircrew.