No.13689, Private, Bertie DOCKING
Aged 21
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Bertie William Docking was born in Brandon in (Thetford Q1-1896 4B:365) son of Herbert James and Ellen DOCKING (née FOX). His mother (born 1866, at Great Ellingham, Norfolk) died in 1900 and in 1902 his father married Ethel Eliza HUNTER 1901 census...Aged 5, he was at 1 Town Street, Brandon with his widower father Herbert DOCKING [32] labourer in woodyard; brothers Percy [10],Herbert [7] and Arthur [3]; grandparents John DOCKING [60] labourer and Hannah DOCKING [64]. All were born in Brandon 1911 census...Aged 15, a farm labourer, he was at 1 Town Street, Brandon with his father (labourer/fence fixer), stepmother Ethel Eliza [38]; brothers Herbert James (labourer) and Nurthan [Arthur]; half brothers Hector William [6] and Hammond George [11 months]; half sisters Cissy [9], May Evelyn [7] and Kate [5]. All were born in Brandon. His brother Herbert was killed in Mesopotamia in 1918. see here |
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He enlisted in Norwich on 2nd September 1914, giving the wrong age. He gave his date of birth as 17th May 1895, whereas his birth was registered Q1 1896.
He was single, a horseman, born Brandon, 5 feet 3.5 inches (161.3 cm) tall, weighed 120 lbs (54.6 kg), chest 34" to 36" (86.4 to 91.4 cm) with blue eyes, fair hair and Church of England. Initially in 3rd battalion, Norfolk Regiment, he was posted to BEF on 12th May 1915 and on 15th was transferred to the 1st Battalion Norfolk Regiment. From 15th to 22nd August he underwent training at a machine gun school Wounded in the left wrist in action on 24th September 1916, he first went to No.48 Casualty Clearing Station (Grove Town, Meaulte) and on 26th to No 1 Canadian General Hospital, Etaples. He returned to his unit on 21st October. On 18th September 1917 he went to a gunnery school. The war diary has:- "9th- Moved from support trenches in the early morning for attack on POLDERHOEK CHATEAU. Coys got on their kicking off position about 4 am. Very dark night and pouring with rain. Companies had a very difficult task to get on the tape but they managed it successfully, much to the credit of their Coy commanders. Attacked the Chateau at 5:20 am. Attack was a failure owing to Battalion on our right apparently getting held up and losing direction. We had heavy casualties in officers and men." A further report has:- "1. Battalion formed up at zero - 1:30 "A" Company on the left - "C" Coy on the right - "B" Coy in close support - "D" Coy in section reserve. "D" Coy remained in reserve for counter attack purposes. 2. Our barrage lifting, the front line went forward but "C" Coy and half of "A" Coy made a right incline which brought them off their line and facing the Chateau. Nos 1 and 2 Platoons followed the line, No 2 Platoon went slightly too much to their left and on reaching the objective found themselves isolated in front of the right of the Cheshire Regiment. They held on there till relieved on the night of the 10th-11th. No 1 Platoon also went well forward about 400 yards. Then finding they had lost touch on the right, efforts were made to regain touch. 6 am The Officer Commanding sent back a Sergeant to find out the situation. The Sergeant was wounded. 9 am He then went back with a runner and was himself wounded. 9 pm Eventually the remnants of the Platoon rejoined the original front line by night. 5:30 am Half "A" Coy and "C" Coy went half right and found themselves up against the Chateau 6 am A retrograde movement on the part of these companies was checked by O.C. "B" Coy who threw his company in. By this time the enemy had opened cross M.G. fire and was bombing from wing trenches near the Chateau and the barrage had gone on. No further progress was made. By night the Companies were re organised and the old line held." If that all seems a bit muddled and disjointed, that appears to have been the case on 9th October 1917 at Polderhoek. CWGC have 43 of the 1st Norfolks killed, only 15 with a known grave. Bertie was found much later, identified by his disc and eventually buried in Bedford House Cemetery in 1922 . The Bury Free Press of 27th October 1917 reported TWO BRANDON HEROES FALL IN BATTLE The sad news has been received at two homes in Brandon of men who have given their lives in the great war -PrvtWilliam Adams, Royal Fusiliers, husband of Mrs Adams, Thetford Road. He had been in France only a short time and died at a casualty clearing station. He was 35 and leaves three children. The other is Prvt Bertie William Docking, 1st Norfolk Regiment, who was killed instantly on the 9th. He was the third sonof Mr. H.J.Docking, Town Street,and was 21. Mr. Docking has three other sons on active service. Another Brandon man, Bertie CHALLISS was killed in the same attack see here click here to go to the Brandon at War website for more information
Bertie was found here photo: Rodney Gibson click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
