43791, Lance Corporal, Robert SPENCER
Aged 20
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Born in Newmarket in Q2-1896 [Newmarket 3b:513], the 3rd son of Robert and Elizabeth SPENCER (née DAINER),of 10 Sidehill Terrace,
Cheveley Road, Newmarket.
1901 census...Robert [4] was at Cheveley Road, Newmarket with his father Robert [41] a turf correspondent born Bolton, Lancs., his mother Elizabeth [42] born Kirtling and brothers Richard[11] and William [8] both born in Newmarket. 1911 census...Robert [15] was a shop assistant, still living with his parents at Sidehill Terrace. Brother William ( a tailor's cutter) was still at home, but Richard was not there. His parents later moved to "Avondale", Rous Road, Newmarket. Robert enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds |
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The Cyclists Battalion was the 1/6th Battalion initially, raised in 1911 and the 2/6th raised in 1914. As such they remained at home, but did provide drafts
to reinforce the other battalions in the BEF. Whilst there being no way without his records to ascertain exactly where and when Robert was wounded, it is possible it was in the Battle of Ancre (known to the Suffolks as The Serre), the last battle of the 1st Somme, of which the following is recorded: On 13th November at 5 am the first wave floundered forward into No Man's Land, in reality a sea of mud in which movement was barely possible. Three quarters of an hour later the attack began. The mist which hung about the low ground thickened as the smoke of the barrage increased, making direction extremely difficult to maintain. Within a very short time all the officers in the leading companies had fallen, and owing to lack of leaders no real progress was made. In spite of the atrocious weather conditions prevailing, portions of the leading Suffolk companies actually reached the German second line. But all was in vain, and the battalion having been reorganised in its original front line, remained there for the rest of the day, marching back to Courcelles the next morning. The casualties numbered 272. ( of which 82 were reported killed- 37 with no known graves) This could tie in with Robert dying at a base hospital 5 days later |
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