No.16659, Private, Frederick PAPWORTH
Aged 23
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Frederick Papworth was born in Soham (Newmarket Q1-1893 3B:316) son of Richard and Emma PAPWORTH (née BLACKWELL) of Berry Crofts, Soham.
1901 census...Aged 8, he was at The Crofts, Soham with his father Richard PAPWORTH [46] carpenter's labourer, born Histon; his mother Emma [45]; brothers William [21] bricklayer's labourer and Harry [13] errand boy. All except his father were born in Soham. 1911 census...Aged 18, a farm labourer, he was at Berry Croft, Soham with his parents (father now a builder's labourer) and brother Harry (farm labourer) |
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He enlisted in Newmarket.
The worst day in British military history, 60,000 casualties, around 20,000 of them dead. The 11th Suffolks were part of 34th Division, as yet untried in battle, in the front of the attack opposite La Boiselle. At 7.28 a mine containing 60,000 lbs of ammonal was blown, creating a crater (Lochnagar crater) 55 feet deep and 220 feet across. 2 minutes later the attack began, the 11 Suffolks following the 10th Lincolns advancing on a line through the centre of Bailiff Wood. The Germans however were in great strength in La Boiselle and as the Suffolks advanced they immediately came under heavy machine gun fire. The lines of men were quickly reduced to groups of 3 and four and by 8 am the battle was decided. Hundreds lay wounded, a pitiful few had managed to reach the German wire. Occasionally a man rose and tried to get forward, only to fall again. Even those few who did reach the parapet were quickly despatched by flame throwers. Frederick was a Company runner and was reported missing. It was some time after the battle that his Captain herd that he was officially recorded as missing, and wrote to his mother:-"Your son I always knew as an excellent fellow. He was a Company runner, a position only given the the very best of men. I sympathise with you very deeply in your loss, and hope that your sorrow will be comforted by pride in the way that your son met his death." Of all the battalions in the battle of Albert, the 11th Suffolks fared worst, with very nearly 700 casualties (a battalion is nominally just over 1,000 men). The 11th Suffolk suffered 188 killed on the 1st July, 147 of them have no known grave. More than 20 Newmarket area men in the 11th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment died on the infamous 1st day of the Somme.
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