No. 16567, Lance Corporal, Albert Edward PEARMAN
Aged 23
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Albert Edward Pearman was born in Castle Camps (Linton Q2-1893 3B:519), baptised Castle Camps on 4th June 1893, son of Charles and Laura
PEARMAN (née WEBB).
1901 census...Aged 8, he was at Church End, Ashdon with his father Charles PEARMAN [30] farm labourer born Ashdon; his mother Laura [30] born West Wickham; sister Maud [6] and brother Freddie [2] both born in Ashdon. 1911 census... Aged 16, farm labourer, he was at New Buildings, Great Chishall, nr Royston,. with his parents; sisters Maud and Kathleen [5] born Ashdon; brothers Fred, Harold [8] born Ashdon and Frank [9 months] born Gt Chishall. CWGC has his father at Chalk Farm, Bottisham, which is the nearest record of them being in the Swaffhams area. There were no Pearmans in Swaffham Bulbeck in the 1911 census. |
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He enlisted in Cambridge.
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, Ivan COOK see here and Alfred WHITMORE see here from Reach being two. photo - Thiepval database - courtesy Pam and Ken Linge click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
