LAST, Edward


No.9044, Lance Corporal, Edward LAST
Aged 25


7th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Died of his Wounds on 24th October 1915


Edward Last was born in Chevington (2nd qtr 1889 Thingoe 4a:720) son of John and Emma LAST (née BRIDGE).

There is room for confusion over place names, but all the addresses were within Ickworth Park. The mystery is why only Edward is named on the Chevington memorial and Horringer/Ickworth, but his brother Herbert is only on the Horringer/Ickworth memorial since it would be expected that his father would have put both names forward.

1891 census...Aged 1, he was at Shoemeadow Bottom, Chevington with his father John LAST [45]vermin killer born Great Saxham; his mother Emma [41]; brothers Harry [18], Arthur [14], James [12] all farm labourers, Benjamin [8],Tom [5], Herbert [4] and William [2]; sisters Jenny Maria [10] and Emma Bridge [6]. All except his father born in Chevington.

1901 census...Aged 11, he was at The Round House, Ickworth with his parents, brothers Benjamin (assistant gamekeeper), Thomas (carpenter), Herbert ( farm labourer), and William; sisters Emma and Kate [9] born Westley.

1911 census...Aged 21, gardener's labourer, he was at Martin's Green, Chevington by Horringer with his parents (father as gamekeeper), brothers Benjamin (woodman) and William (hurdle maker).

His mother died in 1916 and father on the pension card was still at Martin's Green, Ickworth Park

His brother Herbert was killed in 1918 in the Worcester Regiment, having won the Military Medal. see here


He enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds. He died of wounds at West Riding Casualty Clearing Station at Lillers
With no service record and dying of wounds, there is no way of saying exactly where or when he was wounded. The battalion spent much of the time just prior to his death fighting around The Quarries




photo CWGC

Edward Last is buried in Lillers Communal Cemetery IV:D:22
and commemorated on Chevington war memorial

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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