No.6316, Sergeant, Arthur E PLACE
Aged 29
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Arthur Ernest Place was born in Isleham on 25th March 1885 (Newmarket Q2-1885 3B:557), baptised in Isleham on 18th October 1885, son of Charles and Mary Ann PLACE (
née BROWN).
1891 census...Aged 5, he was at the West Bank, River Lark, Isleham with his father Charles [44] an agricultural labourer born West Row; his mother Mary Ann [40] born Lakenheath; brother Abram [14] agricultural labourer; sister Lizzie Sarah [12], brothers Alfred [10],Charles Henry [8] and Thomas E. [2] and sister Bessie Eva [4 months].All the children were born in Isleham. 1901 census...Aged 16, he was at Fen Bank, Isleham with his parents, sister Kate M.[29] born Mildenhall, and all the other siblings plus brother Vernon [7]. All the boys over 12 were agricultural labourers. In Bury St Edmunds in Q4-1906 he married Eliza PECKHAM [3-4-1886]. 1911 census...Aged 26, married for 4 years, he was an insurance agent living at 26 Cannon Street, Bury St Edmunds with his wife Eliza [25] born in Bury St Edmunds and their son Arthur William. [21-7-1908]] born in Bury St Edmunds. His parents, and brothers Abram, Charles Henry and Vernon Isaac were still living at Fen Bank,Isleham. 10 of the 11 children survived. The missing child seems to be Eva, born 1887, died 1889. Arthur and Eliza went on to have two more children, Kate Mary [16-9-1911] and Reginald Thomas [8-9-1913]. His widow and children were at The Bank, Isleham Fen. His younger brother, Thomas, died in France in October 1915. see here and his youngest brother, Vernon, died in Belgium in June 1916. see here |
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Enlisted in Bury St Edmunds. He must have been at least a Reservist before the war to have been in France that early. He gets a mention in Lt Col Murphy's "History of the Suffolk Regiment" :- "On December 4th there occurred two of those accidents which are part of the normal daily risk of stationary warfare. First, owing to weather conditions, a portion of trench collapsed, killing two men; then a bomb, while being examined, exploded, killing A/Sgt E W Dunn and severely injuring CQMS Sawyer, Sgt Place and Pte, H, Chinney." |
photo; Pierre Vandervelden www.inmemories.com
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