COBBOLD, Alfred
No. 12460, Lance Corporal, Alfred Stephen COBBOLD
Aged 21
7th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Killed in Action on Wednesday 18th August, 1915
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Born in Exning in Q1-1894,[Newmarket 3b:527] the 3rd son of George and Mary COBBOLD (née CLOVER) of 3 Eleanor Terrace, Exning . 1901 census...at 3 Eleanor Terrace were Alfred [7], his father George [40] a painter journeyman, born Stowupland...his mother Mary [40], born Icklingham his sisters Ellen M[16], Ethel G [15], Maud A [11], all born in Bury St Edmunds, brother George A [14] born Bury, sister Agnes B [10] born Fordham ..brother Ernest J [8] born Exning and sister Lily M [2], born Exning. 1911 census...at 6 Rowley Terrace, Laceys Lane, Exning were Alfred Stephen [17] and now a domestic gardener, his parents, brother Ernest John, now a housepainter/decorator, sister Lily Matilda and a new sister, Mabel Lennora [9] born Exning. Alfred's entry in "Our Exning Heroes" reads as follows: COBBOLD, A. 7th Suffolks Alfred Cobbold joined up at the outbreak of the war and was trained at Shorncliffe. He went out to France in June, 1915, and was killed instantaneously by a shell on August 18th in the same year. His brother was with him at the time, and was present at his funeral. He used to play football for Exning, and was a good long-distance runner. Before joining the Army he worked in Lord Durham's garden. |
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The 7th Suffolks arrived in France on May 31st 1915. By late July they were in the Ploegsteert region, alternating every six days in the line with 9th Essex.
They were in Ploegsteert until September 26th, suffering the usual shelling and sniping but no major actions. Alfred was the only one of the 7th Suffolks to die that week
The Newmarket Journal of 4th September 1915 reported:- DEATH OF AN EXNING SOLDIER AT THE FRONT - Mr.G.Cobbold, painter, of Lacey's Lane, has received word that his son, Lce-Corpl. Alfred Cobbold, had been killed at the front. He was engaged in fixing wire entanglements in front of the German trenches, a work he had volunteered to do, when he met his death. His mother received the following letter from the Chaplain of his Brigade. "Dear Madam, I regret to have to inform you that Lance Corporal A.Cobbold, 12460, 7th Suffolks, has been killed in action. I buried him today, and his comrades are placing a cross above his grave. Please accept my sincere sympathy in your loss, and, believe me, yours faithfully..F Lowland Ryan, Chaplain to the Forces, 35th Light Infantry Brigade, 12 Division, August 18th, 1915". Mr. Cobbold also received a letter from his son Ernest, who is in the same brigade, with reference to the death of his brother, in which he says:- "I am writing to you dad, instead of mother, as I thought you would be better able to bear it than mother. Well, I am sorry to tell you that poor Alf is gone. I was much cut up about it, but saw him before he was buried and went to the funeral. It happened on Wednesday, August 18th 1915. I saw him and spoke to him about 1 1/2 hours before it happened. It was a shell. I cannot write more about it now, as it makes me feel so bad. I do hope you will not take it to heart too much. I am worrying most about mother, as I know she will feel it very badly". Mr. Cobbold's other son, George was in the Royal Fusiliers but was discharged because of illness.Mr. Cobbold himself is in the Newmarket and District Volunteer Training Corps. The greatest sympathy will be felt for Mr. and Mrs Cobbold in their sorrow. Lance Corpl Cobbold was in the service of Lord Durham, being employed in the Harraton House gardens before he enlisted." Also in the Journal:- LANCE-CORPL. COBBOLD'S DEATH- Pte.B. Ashby, of the 7th Batt. Suffolk Regiment, gives, in a letter which has just been received by Mr. and Mrs George Cobbold, the following account of the death of their son, Lce-Corpl Alfred Cobbold, in action: "Just a few lines to let you know, how the platoon is cut up, of the loss of my pal Alf, who was killed in action on the 18th August. I do miss him. We had been together ever since we enlisted, which was at the outbreak of the war. I was with him at 8 o'clock the morning this happened, but he did not suffer much pain - he only called out "Sergt Hardy" two or three times. Sgt Hardy came to his assistance the moment the shell had exploded. With Alf on his knees, another private in his arms and another on his legs he did all he possibly could for them. There were several more cut about something shocking at the time. I can honestly say there was not a nicer and better chap than Alf.He was liked by every chap of his platoon. Well,Mr. and Mrs Cobbold and family, the sergeant and the platoon all send their deepest sympathy in your sad bereavement". - Mr. andMrs George Cobbold, wish, through the JOURNAL, to thank the people of Exning for the greatest sympathy shown to them in the loss of their son, who was killed in action on August 18th." |
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