No.13677, Lance Corporal, James William KING
Aged 19
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James William King was born in Soham on 9th July 1896,(Newmarket Q3-1886 3B:537), baptised in Soham on 6th May 1900, son of Petch and Mary Elizabeth
KING (née WAKE) of Hasse Drove, Soham
1901 census...Aged 4, he was at Hall Street, Soham with his father Petch KING [25] waggoner born Soham; his mother Mary E [28] born Soham and sister Annie S [2] born Soham, also his grandparents William WAKE [70] born Fordham and Sarah Ann WAKE [68] born Isleham. 1911 census...Aged 14, a plough buy, he was at Cold Harbour, Black Horse Drove, Littleport with his parents (father now farm foreman); sisters Annie, May [9], Gertie [7]; brother Jessie [5] ( the three newcomers born in Soham) and cousin Arthur James ELSDEN [21] milkman born Soham. The family later moved to The Shade, Soham. |
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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. Of the 188 men of the 11th Suffolks to die on 1st July 1916, 147 have no known grave.
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
