ADAMS, ALBERT. Private 19352. Essex Regiment. 9th Bn. 35^th Brigade, 12^th (Eastern) Division. Date of Death: 30/04/1917. ARRAS MEMORIAL

Died of wounds. His army number indicates he joined the 9th Battalion early 1915. Sole heir 'Sarah' wife?

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GOODWIN, GEORGE. Private 200951 Essex Regiment. 1/4th Bn.161 Brigade, 54th (Eastern) Division. Died: 26/03/1917. Age: 25. JERUSALEM MEMORIAL. Son of Martin and Mary Ann Goodwin, of Jaspers Green, Shalford, Braintree, Essex.

Died during the attack on 1st Gaza. Born Jaspers Green late 1893, son of a farm labourer, mother had twelve children, ten still surviving in 1911. George a cowman in 1911, all males in family worked as agricultural labourers.

JEFFREY, SIDNEY. Gunner. 102113. Royal Garrison Artillery. 405th Siege Bty.41 Heavy Artillery Group. Died: 25/03/1918 Age: 33. FAUBOURG D'AMIENS CEMETERY, ARRAS. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey, of Shalford, Braintree, Essex; husband of Minnie Jeffrey, of 79, Cleaveland Rd., Surbiton, Surrey.

Killed in action during the Ludendorff Offensive, Germany's last great 'push' of the war. Father a grocer, began life in shop. Married Minnie 1909 enlisted RGA Dec 1915.Occupation Slaughterman, by 1911 a butchers assistant. Father deceased by 1915, mother in Brixton. Contact with brothers lost. He is also named on the Surbiton war memorial

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RUMSEY, THOMAS. Petty Officer Stoker 308329. Royal Navy. H.M.S. "Actaeon." Died: 07/04/1915. Age: 28 SHALFORD (ST. ANDREW) CHURCHYARD. (in South West part). Son of Thomas and Eliza Rumsey, of Shalford.

Father died 1893. Son of an agricultural labourer Thomas too worked on farms. Died from appendicitis in Naval hospital

SMEE, FRANK. Private 25271. Norfolk Regiment. 9th Bn.71st Brigade, 6th Division. 30/04/1917 BETHUNE TOWN CEMETERY.

During March 1917 the 6th Division worked the Loos sector with trench raids and ongoing fighting at Hill 70.

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WATKINSON, ARTHUR. Private 3/2399. Essex Regiment. 1st Bn. 88th Brigade, 29th Division. 06/07/1916. Age: 35. LOUVENCOURT MILITARY CEMETERY. Son of Robert and Mary Emily Watkinson, of Shalford, nr. Braintree, Essex. Served in the South African Campaign.

Died of wounds. First served in France, entered war 9 Feb 1915. Followed the family in working as an agricultural labourer and enlisted early in the war.

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WHITEHEAD, SIDNEY. Private.12533 Essex Regiment. 9th Bn. 88th Brigade, 29th Division. 03/07/1916. Age: 24 THIEPVAL MEMORIAL. Son of Alfred and Polly Whitehead, of Shalford, Panfield, Braintree, Essex.

Entered war 13 May 1915. Like his father and brothers worked as an agricultural labourer and enlisted early in the war.

Ovillers. Ordered to continue the attack on Ovillers, 35th and 37th Brigades went in at 3.15am on 2 July (just before this, Divisional HQ received information that a British attack on their left, by X Corps against Thiepval, was cancelled). Unlike the troops of 8th Division who had to cross a wide no man's land in the bright morning sun, the 12th Division attack, at night, adopted sensible tactics of advancing across no man's land while the artillery bombarded the enemy and rushed the last few yards when it lifted. The first wave of the attack met with mixed success: for example the 9th Essex came under heavy shellfire before it had reached even the British front line; it was difficult to keep direction in the deep shell holes; yet the 5th Berkshire and 7th Suffolk crossed, finding the enemy wire was well cut, and took at least two lines of German trenches before becoming bogged in intense bombing fights in the trenches. 6th Queen's were held up by wire and machine gun fire from Mash Valley. Heavy fire from the Leipzig salient - where X Corps would have been attacking - halted supporting units in no man's land, and the attack failed to achieve its objective.

Much more in depth information available in John Harvey's excellent work

'The Men of Shalford in 1914 -18.'

1939 - 45

HMS "Welshman"

CALLOW, WALTER SIDNEY. Chief Petty Officer. C/J 44659. Royal Navy. H.M.S. "Welshman" Died: 01/02/1943. Age:43. Awards: DSM, Mentioned in Despatches. CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL. Son of Walter Louis Adolphus and Elizabeth Callow; husband of Mrs. A. M. Callow, of Christchurch, Hampshire.

Born Ilford 1900, joined Royal Navy as a 'Boy II' in 1915 and served continually as a Telegraphist reaching rank of CPO by time of his death. His father was a 'government telegraphist.' Lived in Jaspers Green, Shalford 1911.

CALLOW, Walter S, Chief Petty Officer, C/J 44659, Welshman, 1 February 1943, ship loss, killed. Naval History

On 1 February 1943, while transporting stores and personnel to Tobruk HMS "Welshman" was hit by a torpedo fired by U-617, commanded by Albrecht Brandi. Two hours later she sank east of Tobruk. HMS "Welshman"

Crew List

HMS "Welshman" Naval History

Survivors story

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Maurice Cook

No information

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CRUMBY, EDWARD CHARLES. Serjeant 6457493 The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey). 1/5th Bn.131st Infantry Brigade, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division. Date of Death: 23/05/1940. Age: 32. BONDUES COMMUNAL CEMETERY

Born 1980 (?) birthplace unknown. Served with the Royal Fusiliers then transferred to the Queens and died during the 'Battle of France' 1940.

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DAWSON, ALBERT WALTER. Sergeant. 1392797. Air Bomber. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 70 Sqdn. Died: 22/10/1944. Age: 21. BELGRADE WAR CEMETERY. Son of Mary Ann Dawson, of Shalford, Essex.

Equipped with Wellington X Bombers, flying from Italian bases 70 Sqn ranged over northern Italy, Austria and the Balkans. This plane came down somewhere unidentified as yet.

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GOLD, RODNEY WYMAN. Captain 89362 Royal Artillery. 65 Field Regt.(8th London), 56 (London) Infantry Division. Died: 24/02/1944. Age: 30 BEACH HEAD WAR CEMETERY, ANZIO. Son of Maj. Guy Gilbey Gold and Maud Mary Gold, of Shalford, Essex; husband of Rosemary Gold, of Tadcaster, Yorkshire. M.A.(Cantab.).

Body found one kilometre north of Campo de Carne station, province of Aprilia. Body identified by name inside one glove and officers 'pips.'

"Late of the Essex Yeomanry.

Dearly beloved

By all who knew him."

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MASON, EDWARD WILLIAM. Gunner 2049317 63 Lt. A.A. Regt. Royal Artillery. Died: 22/03/1944 Age: 25 NAPLES WARCEMETERY. Additional Information: Son of Arthur Mingay Mason and Alice Mason, of Shalford, Essex.

"Gone from us

But not forgotten

Never shall his memory fade."

HMS "Glorious"

RAVILIOUS, ERIC WILLIAM. Captain Royal Marines. Date of Death: 02/09/1942. Age: 39 CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL. Additional Information: Son of Emily Ravilious; husband of Eileen Lucy Ravilious, of Hampstead, London. A.R.C.A.

Appointed Honorary Captain in Royal Marines when appointed as Official war Artist. He lived with his family at 'Ironbridge Farm' from 1941. In August 1942 Ravilious was sent to Iceland and on the 1st September joined a crew in a search party for a lost aircraft. His aircraft also failed to return and he and the four crewmen were lost.

Shalford War Memorial