43715, Lance Corporal, William Bridge SARGEANT
Aged 25
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William Bridge SARGEANT was born in Haverhill (Risbridge Q1-1892 4A:700), son of William and Sarah Elizabeth SARGEANT (née BRIDGE).
1901 census...Aged 9 , he was at 28 Queen Street, Haverhill with his father William SARGEANT [47] brewer's agent born Finchingfield; his mother Sarah E.[48] born Haverhill; sisters Edith May [21] draper's assistant and Bertha Mary [15] both born Kedington and Agnes [12] born in Haverhill. 1911 census...Aged 19, an apprentice chemist, he was at 2 Mount Road, Haverhill with his parents and sister Agnes. The pension card has his parents at Hamlet Road, Haverhill. |
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He enlisted in Norwich. The battalion was trying to take the last bit of the Schwaben redoubt from two converging directions but after three days of rain, the muddy conditions slowed them down too much and the attempt failed, with 27 killed. The redoubt was finally cleared on 14th by the Cambridgeshires, Black Watch and Kings Royal Rifle Corps. The Schwaben redoubt occupied the land between Connaught Cemetery and Mill Road Cemetery. He was found at 57d.R.20.c.4.9., identified by his disc and remains of clothing and re-interred in Villers-Bretonneux in 1923. There appears to have been two others of his battalion nearby, also now resting in Villers-Bretonneux. The reburial so far away was no doubt due to most cemeteries being closed by then, only a few larger ones open for such occurrences. |
photo: Rodney Gibson
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details