ROLANDO, David


No.84959, Private, David ROLANDO
Aged 31


720th Company, Labour Corps
formerly 35032 Northumberland Regt
formerly 30697, 2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Died of Illness on Thursday, 13th June 1918


Born in 1888 (1st qtr Braintree 4a:601) son of George Henry and Florence Kate ROLANDO (née BOYTON)

1891 census...Aged 4, he was at 11 Sepulchre Street, Sudbury with his father George ROLANDO [27] fishmonger born Braintree; his mother Florence [25] born Braintree: sisters Florence [5] born Notley, Elizabeth [3] born Kelvedon and Harriet [1 month] born Sudbury; uncle David Boyton [20] fishmonger's assistant, born Braintree

It appears his mother died in 1893. His step mother ? is recorded in 1901 and 1911 as Lavinia. His father married Lavinia LANCASTER in 1920 and the 1911 census has the marriage recorded as of 26 years, making all the children Lavinia's if that were correct

1901 census...Aged 13, a fishmonger's assistant, he was at 61 Cross Street, Sudbury with his father and stepmother ? [36] born Cottingham, Yorks; sisters Florence, Elizabeth and Harriet

1911 census...Aged 24, (now recorded as born in Kelvedon), fish hawker, he was at Market Hill, Clare with his father and stepmother ? and sister Harriet

The pension card has his father at 42 St.Johns Street, Bury St.Edmunds.


He enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds in the Suffolk Regiment, no.30697. on 6th April 1915. His attestation page states he was temporarily unfit ??. He gave his age as 29 years 5 months, a fish merchant, single, of 11 Ipswich Street, Bury St.Edmunds. His next of kin was his father George Henry Rolando of 42 St Johns Street, Bury St.Edmunds. 5 feet 7 inches tall, he weighed 117 lbs and chest was 32 to 34 inches
He was mobilised on 18th may and posted to the 3rd Suffolks on 20th may and then to 2nd Suffolks on 16th September 1916. He was transferred to No.4 Infantry Coy, Northamptonshire Regt on 15th March 1917. Many pages of his service documents are barely legible but in essence he had bouts of illness in France, getting worse, until he was evacuated to U.K. and admitted to Bermondsey Military Hospital where cerebo-spinal meningitis was diagnosed and he died 2 days later.

He was posted on 24/3/1917 to BEF and evacuated to UK on 11th June 1918. Army Form 5080, completed by his father records living full blood relatives as parents George Henry and Lavinia Rolando of 42 St Johns Street, Bury St.Edmunds and two sisters Florence Stubbings [37] and Hettie Hettie Titchiner [32], but no addresses for them.






David Rolando is buried in Bury St.Edmunds cemetery compartment 71 grave 274

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


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