No.17156, Private, Harry BADCOCK
Aged 18
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Harry Badcock was born in Soham (Newmarket Q3-1897 3B:513), son of George and Annie BADCOCK (née CHALLIS)
1901 census...Aged 3, he was at Qua Fen, Soham with his father George BADCOCK [38] farm labourer born Burwell; his mother Annie [35] born Soham; brother John [15], Charles 11 and George 10, and sister Annie E, all born in Soham. His mother died in 1907. 1911 census...Aged 13, a farm labourer, he was at Qua Fen Common, Soham with his brother Charles and wife Mary Ann, their daughter Margaret Ivy [1] and un-named son [1 month] and his widower father George (farm ditcher and clayer), and brother Bert [7] born Soham. The family were still at Qua Fen Common in 1919. His elder brother Charles, also in the Suffolk Regiment, died in France in 1918 just after the Armistice. They must have enlisted together since their regimental numbers in the 11th Suffolks were so close together 17156 (Harry), 17153 (Charles). see here |
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He enlisted in Newmarket. The 11th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment was often referred to as "The Cambridgeshires" despite there being an actual Cambridgeshire Regiment. This was due to the fact that the recruiting facilities at Gibraltar barracks in Bury St.Edmunds were overwhelmed by the number of eager volunteers, and a temporary camp was set up in Cambridge to share the load. This unit, taking it's men mainly from the Fens and having no official title, was quickly nicknamed "The Cambridgeshires".It soon became officially the 11th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. The 11th was one of 2 Suffolk battalions involved in the action on the 1st day of the battle of the Somme, the 8th Battalion was the other, albeit in a support role. The 11th suffered the heaviest casualties in the 34th Division. Moving out from Becourt Wood at 5 am towards their jumping off point, the giant mine at Lochnagar was exploded at 7:28 (80,000 lbs of ammonal) and two minutes later the attack began. Their line of advance was through the centre of Bailiff Wood. The enemy in La Boiselle were stronger than had been thought and the Suffolks were quickly cut down by machine gun fire. It was effectively all over for them by 8 am. All day wounded lay out looking for a chance to crawl back. Some valiant souls still tried to advance, a pitiful few reaching the German wire. They were relieved on the 4th July, having suffered in all nearly 700 casualties, two of the wounded being Harry and his brother Charles.
photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
