No.3/3169. Private, Geoffrey ROLFE
Aged 41
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Geoffrey ROLFE was born Whepstead in 1876 (4th qtr 1876 Thingoe 4a:525 , son of James and Elizabeth ROLFE (née BYATT). CWGC have him as J Geoffrey ROLFE but that "J" has not been seen elsewhere except his medal index card, maybe just uncertainty as to whether he was Geoffrey or Jeffery 1881 census... Aged 4, as Jeffery, he was at Old School Road, Whepstead with his father James ROLFE [36] farm labourer; his mother Elizabeth [38]; btothers Thomas [10] and James [8]; sisters Mary A [6], Phyllis [2] and Annie E [8 months]. All were born in Whepstead. 1891 census...Aged 14, as Geoffrey, he was still at Old School Road, Whepstead with his parents; brother Thomas and James (both farm labourers) sisters Phyllis, Annie E., Elizabeth [8] and Janet [6].
1901 census... Not found, he would have been in South Africa. His parents were at Stone Cross, Whepstead with his brother Thomas.
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He enlisted in the Suffolk Regment in 1895 in Bury St.Edmunds, giving his ag as 18 years, a labourer from Whepstead, 5 feet 5 inches tall,
weighing 119 pounds, chest 33 inch to 34.5 inches, brown hair, brown eyes, Church of England. Nmber 4279, he joined at the depot in Bury St Edmunds on 8th October 1895, posted to 1st Suffolks on 7th Dec, then the 2nd Suffolks on 14th February 1898, and back to the 1st Battalon on 1st February 1902 He served in Malta from 10/4/1897, in India from 14/2/1898 (2nd Bn) and in South Africa from 1/2/1902 (1st Bn) and at home from 19/10/1901. From the Reserves, he re-engaged for 4 years on 19/10/1907. His service in Sout Africa earned him the Queen's South Afric Medal with clasp for 1902 and transvaal.
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