No.12760, Private, Abel TWEED
Aged 23
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Abel Tweed was born in Cheveley (Newmarket Q3-1893 3B:493), baptised in Cheveley 1893, son of Joseph Luke and Mary TWEED (née SARGENT).
1901 census...Aged 7, he was at Main Street, Little Green, Cheveley with his father Joseph L TWEED [40] farm labourer; his mother Mary [33]; sisters Rose [13], twins Alice and May [3] and brothers Joseph [8] and William [5] and his father's uncle Joseph TWEED [84]. All, except his Ashley born mother, were born in Cheveley. 1911 census...Aged 17, errand boy, he was at Little Green, Cheveley with his parents,. brothers William (cowman), James [9] and Philip [6] both born in Cheveley, and sisters Alice and Celestine (May). His mother had borne 11 children but 2 had died. CWGC and pension card give the address as 63 Dover Cottages, Little Green, Cheveley. |
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He enlisted in Newmarket. The 8th Suffolks and 11th were the only Suffolk battalions in action on the 1st day of the Somme. By late October they were in the Courcelette area. They had been detailed to attack Regina Trench on 16th, but this was postponed until the 21st when they were relieved. According to the war diary, on the 29th they relieved the 6th Battn.,Northamptonshire Regiment in REGINA TRENCH during daylight and completed by 2 p.m. During the evening VANCOUVER TRENCGH was heavily shelled - "A" company who were "counter attack" in this trench had their company headquarters blown in and five men killed. 2nd Lt J E Row was killed shortly after in the trench by a shell - Bn HQ was situated at R.29 central(Map Le SARS) Battn under orders of 54th Infantry Brigade. CWGC confirms six dead. Initially buried with others scattered in an area just north of Courcelette, and marked by the Graves Registration Unit, he was re-interred in Regina Trench Cemetery on 21st March 1919
photo: Rodney Gibson photo: Rodney Gibson click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
