No.8320, Sergeant Howard Arthur Purser GILBERT
Aged 23
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Howard Arthur Purser Gilbert was born on September 12th 1893 at Knettishall, Norfolk (4th qtr 1893 Thetford 4b:363), son of
George and Mary Eliza GILBERT (née PURSER). Baptised in Riddleworth cum Gasthorpe on 18th February 1894
1901 census...Aged 7, he was at Coney Weston Hall Farm with his father George GILBERT [37] estate bricklayer born Bruiseyard; his mother Mary E [38] born Westminster; brothers Charles W [11] and Percy G [10], both born Woodbridge and Gordon W [10 months] born Coney Weston; sister Helen K [5] born Knettishall. 1911 census...Aged 17 a farm labourer, he was at Great Common, North Lopham, working for farmer Charles HOLDEN. His parents and brothers Gordon and Norman Samuel [8] born Coney Weston, were at The1 Banks, Blo Norton nr Thetford On the pension card his mother was at High Green, Nowton. That is the only documentation seen linking him with Nowton |
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He enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds. Reported as missing in the Bury Free Press on 2nd September 1916.
The 7th Suffolks missed the carnage of the 1st day of the Battle of the Somme but on 3rd they attacked Ovillers. The war diary has :- 3:15 am the battalion made a frontal attack on Ovillers on a frontage of 200 yards. The disposition of the battalion was as follows: D Coy on the right, C Coy on the left, supported by B Coy on the right and A Coy on the left. On the right of the battalion were the 5th Royal Berks, and on the left the 37th Brigade, the 36th Brigade being in Reserve. Two companies of the Essex Regt were in support to each battalion, the Norfolks being in Reserve. Zero was 3:15 pm, ten minutes before zero the leading waves advanced under cover of the bombardment and at the hour of zero assaulted in eight successive waves. The first 4 waves (B and C Coys) penetrated to the enemy's third line and portions of them into the village itself, but owing to the darkness touch was lost with succeeding waves and with the 5th Royal Berks on the right, so that the leading waves were not supported closely enough, thus allowing the Germans to get in between the waves and cut off the leading ones at the 3rd line of resistance. It was at the third line of resistance that the chief casualties occurred and the assault was brought to a standstill. The two companies of the Essex Regt moving up in support were too far behind and were practically annihilated by machine gun fire during their advance across the open. The casualties in the battalion were 21 Officers and 455 OR killed, wounded and missing, though some of these missing eventually rejoined the battalion during the following night.
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