No.32411, Private, Robert FORDHAM
Aged 19
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Robert Fordham was born in Soham in 1898 (Newmarket Q1-1898 3B:6320 son of Robert and Margaret FORDHAM (née BEAUMONT).
1901 census...Aged 3, he was at Great Fen Drove, Soham with his father Robert FORDHAM [24],labourer; his mother Margaret [21] and sister Beatrice [1]. All were born in Soham. 1911 census...Aged 13, he was at Heath Road, Burwell with his parents, sisters Beatrice May, Caroline[9], Ada [5] born Exning and Ella [1] born Burwell and brother Thomas Albert [7] born Soham. Robert is not named on the Burwell memorial presumably because the family had moved back to Mereside, Soham, according to the pension card. |
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He enlisted in Newmarket. An attack was planned in Shrewsbury Forest with the final objective being a line of hills known as Tower Hamlets Ridge, but the featureless terrain would make it difficult for troops to recognise their position. Added to this it was realised the enemy would be expecting an attack so zero hour was set for 3:50 am on 31st July, thus adding to the risk of the troops losing their way in the dark. There was considerable confusion in the assembly area part of which was actually in front of our line, in fact 3 Germans were found in a shell hole behind our troops. Within minutes of zero hour, hostile artillery barrage rained down heavily 50 -100 yards in front of the forming up line and before long direction was lost. The importance of a German strong point known as Lower Star Post which lay to the left of the Northants 1st objective and allotted to the 2nd Leinsters had been underestimated or it would not have been chosen as the junction of two battalions, each of whom edged away from it, an assumption was made that it had been captured when in reality it was strongly held by the enemy. Thanks to the attacking troops being held up by the ground and the darkness, our barrage was now far ahead of them and the battalion, out of touch with troops on it's left was left to its own resources. Lt Col Mobbs hearing from walking wounded that the 2nd objective had been taken, left his HQ and moved up to the front line and very quickly discovered the truth and that the battalion was being held up by a German machine gun. Leaving a few men to work round one flank, he went with a runner round the other flank but received a bullet through the neck and fell in a shell hole, but not before he had located the exact position of the machine gun and before he died wrote a note to HQ. The note never actually reached HQ, but was seen by one company commander. All the attacking force had by now lost their officers, reserve and support companies had already been sent in and it was left to D company of the 13th Middlesex to move up in support, losing many men on the way. They unfortunately believed they were now the leading troops and dug in, not realising they were still behind the Northants. Lower Star Point still being in German hands and the remains of the 7th Northants were suffering enfilading fire from that point and it was decided to withdraw the advanced posts and consolidate a strong line about a trench known as Illusive Avenue. At midday on the 1st August when the remains of the 7th Northants arrived back in camp at Dickebusch it proved that 4 officers were killed or unaccounted for, 8 were evacuated, wounded. Other ranks were reported as 37 killed, 162 wounded and 47 missing, the majority of which were later recorded as killed. Quite apart from the confusion occasioned by the start in darkness it later transpired that the Germans knew every last detail of the attack even before our own troops. The above summarised from http://lib.militaryarchive.co.uk/library/infantry-histories/library/7th-S-Battalion-Northamptonshire-Regiment-1914-1919 Local press report:- Mr.and Mrs.Robert Fordham, of Mereside, have recently received official news concerning their eldest son, Pte.Robert Fordham of the Northants Regt (Lewis Gun Section), who is reported as having been killed in action on July 31st. The late Pte. Fordham who would have been 20 years of age in December, enlisted voluntarily on Feb.15thlast, and was drafted out to France on May 2nd, and was thus only there a few weeks before he received his fatal wounds. A letter of condolence from one of his comrades, expressing their regret at the loss of such a valued friend, has been received by the bereaved parents.
photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
