COLLEN, John
No. 12177, Private, John Richard COLLEN
Aged 26
"C" Coy., 11th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Killed in Action on Tuesday 9th October, 1917
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Born in Exning in Q2-1891, [Newmarket 3b:564] eldest son of John and Emma COLLEN (née WARREN), of Oxford Street, Exning. The index of marriages show father as
John Collin. 1901 census...at 2 York Cottages, Exning were John Collen[9], his father John [33] carpenter/journeyman, born Soham...his mother Emma [31], born Exning ...brother Arthur [1] born Exning...and sister Alice [8] born Exning 1911 census...John, a 19 years old farm labourer, was lodging with his widowed aunt Jessup Warren at Landwade Road, Exning. The rest of the family were still at 7 Bradmore Terrace, Landwade Road, Exning - his parents, brother Arthur, brother Victor [5] born Exning and sister Dorothy [4] born Exning He enlisted in Newmarket. His younger brother Arthur COLLEN was killed a year later. A collector has both brothers' Death Plaque John's entry in "Our Exning Heroes" reads as follows: Collen, J.R. 11th Suffolks John Richard Collen, of 7 Bradmore Terrace, joined up during the first month of the war, having been working as a labourer on the Heath.He was reported missing in October, 1917 and no definite news was obtained of him until the following April, when information was received that he had been killed on October 9th. News was obtained through the Red Cross that he was buried at Cement House, British Cemetery, south-west of Gangemarch. He was twenty-six when he died. |
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The 11th Suffolks were part of 101 Brigade, 34th Division. Detrained at Everdinghe in Flanders on the night of 8th October they marched into Soult and Leipsic camps.
Within a few hours of their arrival in the Salient they were engaged for the next three days in repairing roads in the forward area close to the front line to
facilitate further advance. This severe and unpleasant task, carried out in daylight and vile weather, under constant shell, machine gun and sniper fire cost
the battalion over 50 casualties
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
