No.G/24518, Private, Abner Charles BACKLER
Aged 27
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Abner Charles BACKLER was born at 44 Crowland, Haverhill on 12th April 1889 (Risbridge Q2-1889 4A:657), baptised on 3rd April 1890 at St
Mary's, Haverhill, son of Herbert James and Alice BACKLER (née BARTRUM).
1891 census... Aged 2, he was at Dane Common, Kedington with his father Herbert BACKLER [30] butcher; his mother Alice [30] born Wortham; brother Alfred [5] and sister Gertrude [3]. All except his mother were born in Haverhill. 1901 census... Aged 11, he was at Three Goats Yard, Haverhill with his parents, brother Alfred (greengrocer's assistant), sister Gertrude and brother Frederick [8] born Kedington. 1911 census...Aged 21, a farm labourer, he was at 14 Meeting Walk, Haverhill with his widowed mother; brother Alfred (stone sawyer) and his wife Alice [24] born Haverhill and their daughter Gertrude [1] born Haverhill. Two of his mother's six children had died. In Q3-1914 he married Alice Maud PARKER (b. 19-2-1893). Their son Charles F.J. was born 28-6-1915. She married James W. MILLER in 1919. The pension card records his widow at Valley Way, Hundon, and after her death the pension was paid to the guardian of their son, Mrs Maria Susanna PARKER. |
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He enlisted in Bury St. Edmunds. Due to a core of professional footballers, the 17th Middlesex were known as the "Footballers Battalion".
Another such, the "2nd Footballers", was the 23rd Battalion.
The South West Suffolk Echo on 13th January 1917 reported:- "Mrs Backler of Little Wilsey Farm, has been officially notified that her husband, Pte. Abner Backler, of the Middlesex Regiment, was killed in action in France in November last, having been previously reported missing. It is curious to note that Pte Webb (Fred Webb from Duddery Row) who enlisted in London, and Pte Backler, who enlisted locally, were both at length members of the same Regiment and neither knew that they had a colleague from the same town.". They were near Mailly-Maillet. The war diary entry is very long, but in summary, on 13th November 1913 the 17th Middlesex were involved in an attack to take Pendant Copse, to the rear of the village of SERRE. They had no casualties during the forming up process. At Zero hour, 5:15 am, the Artillery began their preliminary bombardment and at 5:51 the battalion followed the 2nd South Staffs over in waves.The 13th Essex and 1st Kings were on their right and the 3rd Division on their left. Visibility was hardly 30 yards due to heavy mist. Their objective, Pendant Copse was invisible, but the troops were cheerful, success seemed inevitable. B and D Coys even played mouth organs as they went. At 7:20 Capt Hormman OC D Coy, who was wounded, returned with news of some confusion and various units "all mucked up" in the main line. Although German artillery was slight, machine gun fire was causing problems.At 7:30 2nd Lt Barnfather who had gone out to choose Battn HQ returned to say the Staffs had not got on and their CO reported that they had been checked. A further message was received that they were being help up by wire opposite the German trenches. not helped by the fog. Then at 8:45 it was reported that the Royal Scots and West Yorks had come through, going south, which upset and did a great deal to disorganise us. When 2nd Lt McIntyre reached our front line he found the Sth Staffs there, held up by wire. The remains of B Coy were manning a bank, probably the SERRE Road. Enemy machine guns had been causing a great deal of trouble. Hearing Capt Kissack had been killed he consulted with the only other officer present and decided to bring in the remains of his company,numbering only 20. The advance now stopped completely and General Daley order all men collected to man LEGEND TRENCH, which was to be strongly held. This was done by the 79 men collected. At 9:25 a message form Brigade HQ said that 5th Infantry Brigade had been successful in their attack. At 2:15 they were ordered to hold he front line with strong posts and machine guns. Enemy artillery was very active especially on LEGEND and BOW trenches and these trenches were in extremely bad condition. CWGC figures show 96 killed, of which 49 have no known grave.
also commemorated in Old Independent United Reform Church in Haverhill. click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
