No.26412, Private, Ernest CLAYDON
Aged 27
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Ernest Claydon was born in Steeple Bumpstead in 1890 (Risbridge Q2-1890 4A:643). Steeple Bumptead was in Suffolk from 1899 to 1938.He was the son of Harry
(or Henry) and Maria CLAYDON (née WESTLEY) 1891 census... Aged 10 months, he was living at 93 Mellish Street, Poplar, London with his father Harry CLAYDON [28], a carman, born Bumpstead, Essex; his mother Maria [30] born Chippenham and sister Bertha [2], born Hedingham, Essex. His father died in 1893 in London. 1901 census... Aged 10 he was living at Scotland End, Chippenham with his grandmother Jane WESTLEY [80] a widow, born Chippenham,, his mother, now a widow and sister Ethel [7] born in Poplar. 1911 census... Aged 20, he was an odd man at the mansion, living at Scotland End, Chippenham with his mother. The record of children has been crossed out so it is not yet known if his sisters survived. In 1916, in Chippenham, when a footman at Chippenham Park, he married Florence Mary WOOFFITT [30-5-1882] of Chippenham Park. |
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He enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds. From an excellent website www.bedfordregiment.org.uk by Steven Fuller, the ward diary states:- "21 Mar 1918 [The First Battles of the Somme 1918 - the Battle of St Quentin] Enemy bombardment started at 4.45 a.m. The Battalion "Stood to" in Battle Zone between SAVY and ETREILLERS at 6 a.m. "A" and "C" Companies in Front. "B" Company in Counter Attack position, "D" Company and Battalion Hd.Qrs in STEVENS REDOUBT. Enemy broke through the Forward Zone and came in touch with "A" Company during the morning. A few Germans got into the right of "A" Coys position. "B" Company went up to reinforce "A" Company at Dusk but could not turn out the enemy, who had established themselves firmly on either side of the SAVY Road. Captain W.Hobbs [Wilfred HOBBS, MC] wounded." 29 of the Bedfords were killed this day, 18 of them have no known grave. The Duhallow Stone is so named after the cemetery in Ypres where it was first used to commemorate the graves of casualties who had been buried in known graves which were destroyed in later fighting. In these cases the conventional headstones are erected adjacent to the memorial stone but do not mark an actual burial. |
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