No.6178, Company Sergeant Major, James CARTER
Aged 31
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Born in 1885 in Great Cornard (2nd qtr Sudbury 4a:611) son of Emily CARTER (née GRIMWOOD)
1891 census...Aged 6, he was at Sudbury Road, Great Cornard with his widowed mother Emily [31] born Brettenham; sisters Ellen [3] and Ethel Maria [1 both born in great Cornard; aunt Esther GRIMWOOD [35] born Brettenham. 1901 census...Aged 16, gardener's assistant, he was at Broom Street, Great Cornard with his mother and sisters Ellen, Ethel and Elsie [3] born Great Cornard. 1911 census...Aged 26 a Lance-Sergeant in the 2nd Battalon Suffolk Regiment, he was at Stanhope Lines, Barossa Barracks, Aldershot. He married Edith Emma MARSH [2-11-1891] of 6 Well Strret, later 18 Long Brackland, Bury St.Edmunds.They had 3 children; Dorothy Mollie [3-6-1912], Edith Jane [1-6-1913] and James Philip [7-12-1915] |
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He enlisted in Sudbury.
13th November 1916 was not a good day for the 2nd Suffolks. They took part in the last battle of the Somme which had started on July 1st. In the line at Serre, at 5 am the first wave floundered through a sea of mud into No Mans Land, and 45 minutes later the attack began. To add to their difficulties a mist increased the effect of the barrage on visibilty, and distance and direction suffered. Very soon all the officers were casualties. Despite the lack of leaders, and the appalling weather, some companies reached the German 2nd line. The attack stalled though and they re-organised back at the original front line, staying there until they marched back to Courcelles the next day. The casualties numbered 272, of which CWGC recorded 83 killed.
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