No.13864, Private, George BOGGIS
Aged 25
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George Boggis was born in Little Welnetham (3rd qtr 1892 Thingoe 4a:569) son of Goerge and Frances BOGGIS (née FORD)
1891 census...Aged 9, he was at Bury Road, near Railway Station, Little Welnetham, with his father George BOGGIS [48]domestic gardener born Bradfield St. Clare; his mother Frances [50] born Bradfield St.Clare; sister Charlotte [12] and brother Robert [7]. The children all born in Little Welnetham. 1901 census...Aged 19, a farm labourer, he was at Low Green, Little Welnetham with his parents, father now Council road man. 1911 census...Aged 29, a farm labourer, he was still at Low Green, Little Welnetham with his parents. On the pension card his mother was at Hawstead Lane, Sicklesmere, nr. Bury St. Edmunds. Why he is on the memorial in Great Welnetham rather than at Little Welnetham has not been found. |
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He enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds.
The 31st July was the start of the 1917 Battles of Ypres. 4 Corps were to attack on an eight mile front. The Suffolks were part of the force to operate between the Menin Road and the Zillebeke-Zandvoorte Road. During the assembly stage a dump and a tank were blown up, providing some spectacular lighting effects. "C" Company lost several men passing through Zillebeke when a shell burst amongst them. The 8th Suffolks were accompanied by the 6th Royal Berkshires. Unfortunately the 30th Div veered too far to the left and assaulted Chateau Wood instead of Glencorse Wood, leading to the incorrect information being sent back that Glencorse Wood was in our hands. This led the 53rd Brigade to plunge into a fatal gap. The assaualt went on and Sanctuary Wood was the next objective, where they came under intensive machine gun fire on the further edge of the wood. This was eventually silenced , but having got a few hundred yards beyond the Menin Road at Clapham Junction they were forced to halt and seek cover in shell holes. One incident of note occurred when Major Fache with a runner, was crawling up the Menin Road, when a pheasant rose in front of them. The runner very swiftly killed the bird and carried on the tip of his rifle as they returned to our lines. As was stated at the time, probably not the first time the runner had killed game without a licence. On a more serious note, the battalion had 3 officers killed and 4 wounded, 35 OR killed, 109 wounded and 26 missing. George Boggis recorded as wounded in the war diary. Be that as it may, his body was never identified.
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