No.8135, Corporal, Richard STARLING
Aged 33
|
Richard Starling was born in Grantchester, Cambs, (Chesterton Q4-1885 3B:479), son of George and Mary Ann STARLING (née CURTIS).
1891 census...Aged 5, he was at Back Lane, Burrough Green, with his father George STARLING [37] labourer, born Burrough Green; his mother Mary Ann[36] born Westley Waterless; sisters Priscilla [14] born Burrough Green, Phyllis [10] born Bottisham, Viana [1] born Burrough Green, and brothers James [7] born Bottisham and King [3] born Burrough Green. Viana died in 1892 1901 census...Aged 15, a labourer, he was at 39 Westley Waterless with his parents, brothers Elijah [22] born Burrough Green, King (labourer) and Elias [4] and sister Maria May [7] both born in Burrough Green. 1911 census...Aged 25, single, he is a Private in the 1st Battalion, Yorks and Lancaster Regiment in Karachi (then in India). His parents, sister May and brother Elias were still near Westley Waterless. Brother King was in the Suffolk Regiment in Egypt. His brother Elijah served in the Royal Engineers and survived the war, his Army records are available on line through Ancestry. Brother James joined the Lincolnshire Regiment in 1900 and served in South Africa then transferred to the Royal Garrison Artillery and served in Bombay, his records survive at least as far as his pre war service. It is not known if he served in 1914-1919, but being married with two children and having served his 12 years in the colours, he may well have missed the draft. Brother Elias served with the Suffolk and then the Bedfordshire Regiment from 17-11-1915 to 18-12-1917 but was invalided out with a lenticular cataract. Brother King also enlisted in the Militia in 1904 and in the war served with the Suffolk Regiment, dying in France on 26th August 1914 at the Battle of Le Cateau. . see here.. Some of King's early Army service records are on line, but not his war time records. Richard's Army papers include a declaration of his family, made by his father on 28th November 1919:- Father- George Starling, Mother- Mary Ann, living at 39 Hillside Cottages, Westley nr Newmarket. Full brothers - Elijah [41] Thurlow, nr Haverhill; James [36] 19 Kings Road, Sheernes and Elias [23] in Westley Full sisters - Susan EDWARDS [44] Dullingham; Priscilla CARTER [42] Westley; Phyllis BRIGGS [38] Stetchworth and May STARLING [26] Westley. |
|
The Army records and "Soldiers Died" apparently cannot always be sure which County Westley is in, Suffolk being favoured at times, but his Army records
clearly indicate which family Richard was from, albeit the census of 1891 and 1901 have him born in Grantchester and his birth registration is from Chesterton, Cambs? He enlisted in Bury St Edmunds in the Militia, Suffolk Regiment (# 2839) on 4th October 1904., and on 22nd November 1904 he enlisted in the 1st Battalion, Yorks and Lancaster Regiment, giving his age as 18 years 2 months, a labourer, height 5ft 3in (160 cm), weight 110 lbs (50.1 kg), chest 34" to 38" (86.4 to 96.5 cm) in, blue eyes light brown hair. After six months military service he was 5 ft 3.5 in (161.3 cm)tall, weighed 122 lbs (55.5 kg) and chest 36" to 40" (91.4 to 101.6 cm). He served in Pontefract in 1904, Dover 1905 and on 11th September 1906 he was passed fit for India. He was in Quetta in November 1906 and Karachi from 25 November 1910. On 4th December 1912 he was allowed to extend his service to 12 years with the colours. He was in UK on 19th November 1914 and joined the BEF in France on 14th January 1915 Embarking with the 1st Battalion at Marseilles on 24th October, he arrived in Alexandria, Egypt on 6th November, re embarking on 1st December and arriving in Salonika on 14th December. He had two stays in hospital with illness before being hospitalised with a gun shot wound in the arm on 11th October 1916, left Salonika 14th October, via Alexandria and on to UK on 11th December 1916. Then he was at Welsh Hospital, Netley from 22nd December 1916 to 5th January 1917. Promoted Corporal he was retained in the Army in 1917, transferring to the 2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment on 27th March 1917 and joining his unit via Folkestone-Boulogne on 29th March. He received a gunshot wound to the face on 24th April 1917 and was admitted to 26th General Hospital, Etaples on 25th, rejoining his unit on 16th May 1917. His records are too badly damaged to read much of the rest but he appears to have rejoined the 2nd Battalion on 7th February 1918 and reported missing, presumed dead, on 21st March 1918 The 2nd Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment were engaged around the area of Lagnacourt Village. The battalion war diary records that on the 21st and 22nd March 1918 the battalion was involved in heavy and bitter fighting under sustained attack from the enemy. At around 4.50am on the 21st March the Germans began to shell the rear areas of the battalion line with gas and high explosive. This continued until around 7.30 am when the barrage changed its focus to the Reserve line for an hour and then the front line for 20 minutes. So intense was the barrage on the 2nd Battalion's front line that almost every man of the company holding it was killed or wounded leaving around 15 survivors. Then the enemy attacked, capturing the severely depleted front line, even though the remnants fought hard and caused them to retreat to the reserve line. The enemy then spread across our front. ‘A’ Coy were brought up to support ‘C’ Coy in the reserve line but they could not hold back the enemy and were driven out of their positions. ‘B’ Coy who were in Lagnicourt Trench are described as fighting it out to a finish! The Battalion had to adopt a fighting retreat from Lagnicourt village to Vaulx inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy as they did so. On the 22nd March what was left of the battalion was driven to a place called Sunken Road where they made what the diary describes as their last stand under another sustained attack by overwhelming enemy forces. The battalion was relieved during the night by the 10th Battalion, Queens Regiment. 105 of the Battalion died on the 21st March 1918, only 9 have identified graves, the rest are named on the Arras Memorial. |
photo; Commonwealth War Graves Commission
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details