3/10190, Private, Sidney PLUMB
Aged 41
3rd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Died of Illness on Thursday, 1st April 1915
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Sidney PLUMB was born in Balsham (Linton ), baptised in Balsham on 7th August 1892, son of John and Susan PLUMB (née CREEK).
His given name varies from Sidney to Sydney.
1891 census...Aged 7, he was at The Fox, Fox End, Balsham withhis father John PLUMB [44] landlord and labourer; his mother Susan [40], born West Wickham; sisters Elizabeth [19] and Flora [5]; brothers Arthur [11], Herbert [2] and Reginald [3 months]. All except his mother were born in Balsham. 1901 census...Aged 17, a farm labourer,9, he was at Fox End, Balsham with his widowed mother Susan PLUMB [51] inn keeper; brothers Sidney [17] a farm labourer, Herbert [12], Reginald [10] and Philip[9] and three boarders. His father had died in 1896, and elder brother, William,[1874-1898] had died in Chatham Naval Hospital on 24th January 1898, falling from the forecastle of HMS Victorious In 1909 he married Eliza Mary Ann PLUMB. They appear to have had three daughters, Florence [1910-1991], Sybil Amelia [1912-1974] and Doris May [1915-1989] 1911 census...Aged 28, a farm labourer, he was at Fox End with his wife Eliza [30] born West Wratting and daughter Florrie [1] born West Wratting. At Fox End, Balsham were his widower mother (beer house keeper) and brother Philip(farm labourer) His younger brother, Philip, in the Australian Infantry, died at in Gallipoli in 1915 see here |
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Sidney enlisted in Linton. He died at a Military Hospital in Cambridge and was buried on 6th April in the churchyard of Holy Trinity, Balsham. Tony Beeton has it from an Officer's letter and the regimental Roll of Honour that Sidney died during basic training at Cherry Hinton Road Barracks, from "spotted fever". There was a measles epidemic His pension card however states that he died of pernicious anaemia. The barracks area became Cherry Hinton Military Hospital after the 11th Suffolk left. A 3rd hospital was built at Barnwell, which together with Cherry Hinton were specialist Military venereal disease hospital, with guards on duty to keep the men in. One record has 3rd Battalion, the other 11th battalion but same number.No medal index card or medal roll entry has been found though, either on Ancestry or on National Archives. This may mean he never served abroad. As the 3rd Battalion is mentioned, the division that never went overseas, remaining to train new recruits, it is quite possible his health was responsible for a transfer from 11th to 3rd battalion. Certainly his number prefixed by 3/ would indicate serving in the Special Reserve Battalions
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