2nd Lieutenant, William CROPLEY
Aged 20
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The dilemma here is in which village to enter him. Despite being referred to as native of Sicklesmere, he was born and lived his early years
in Little Welnetham, then spent some time in Rushbrooke and his family were in Great Welnetham around the time of his death. He is not named on any of the
memorials, so on the strength of his birth there, I have included him with the men of Little Welnetham
William Cropley was born in Little Welnetham (4th qtr 1897 Thingoe 4a:801), son of Richard and Priscilla CROPLEY(née SMITH). His mother died at or about the time of his birth. 1901 census...Aged 3, he was at Park Farm, Little Welnetham with his widower father Richard CROPLEY [57] farmer, born Swaton, Lincolnshire; his sisters Millicent A [21] born Finchingfield, Winifred F [9], Dorothy E [7]and Alice [6] these three all born in Little Welnetham; brothers Thomas [16], Percy R [14] and Harry [12] all three born in Finchingfield. 1911 census...Aged 13, he was at Park Farm, Rushbrooke with his father; sisters Millicent Annie, Dorothy Evelyn and Alice; brothers Thomas Edward and Percy Richard. It may well be that this is the same address, as the Welnethams, Rushbrooke and Sicklesmere boundaries were confused by the extent of the Rushbrooke Estate and of course "Hall Farm" is by no means unique. |
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He enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds. From the Territorials he enlisted at the outbreak of war (what age he admitted to is not known). Wounded and
invalided home from Gallipoli, he was commissioned into the Suffolk Regiment.
The war dairy for that exact period has not been found, so we rely upon the letter below, in the Bury Free Press article, for details of his death.
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
