23752, Private, Gordon Cecil FREESTONE
Aged 23
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Born in Ditton Green in Q4-1895 [Newmarket 3b:491], baptised in Woodditton on 17th November 1895, son of George and Amelia Charlotte FREESTONE (née HOBBS)
of Ditton Green, Woodditton.
1901 census...Gordon [5] was at Ditton Green with his father [39] blacksmith; his mother Amelia [40], the post mistress; his sister Amelia Lottie [12] and his brothers David William [14], and Harold George [9]. The whole family were Woodditton born. 1911 census...Gordon was now a milk boy, at 4 Lowther Street, Newmarket with his parents; sister Hilda Louise[25] a manageress in confectionery, who was not with them in 1901, and his brothers; David now an auxilliary postman, and Harold, a grocers assistant. He enlisted in Newmarket. The Newmarket Journal of 28th August 1916 carried a letter from him about his experiences at the front.
The pension card has the family still at 4 Lowther Street.
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On November 19 the 7th battalion arrived at Peiziere (nr Epehy) and moved into their assembly positions for the Cambrai offensive. On the 20th the battalion attacked,
capturing German positions and establishing a new line of trenches. After three weeks of fighting and marching the battalion were eventually relieved on
November 29 and sent into brigade reserve. The men were badly worn out and in need of a rest but brigade reserve was only ½ a mile behind the front line and
there was no trench system. On November 30th the Germans attacked from all sides, using aeroplanes and dropping bombs. This attack was in retaliation for the
surprise British attack on the 20th. The 7th battalion suffered 232 casualties. However, 28 of the men from the battalion who had been captured during the
German attack managed to escape and rejoined the battalion on December 3rd. A roll call on the same day showed the strength of the battalion to be just 250.
None of the 34 men of the 7th Suffolks who died on 30th November 1917 have known graves and are all named on the Cambrai Memorial |
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details