Maldon (Essex) Cemetery

[stephen p nunn]

Good to see the addition of a CWGC plaque at Maldon Cemetery and a GW soldier silhouette.

[stephen p nunn]

These are the 6 GW graves registered by CWGC.......

 

BIGGS, William Frederick

Air Mechanic 2^nd Class (41197) Royal Flying Corps

Died 29/11/1916

75 Squadron. Born in Tottenham, he joined 75 Squadron - formed at Goldington, Bedfordshire, on 1/10/1916. During the evening of Wednesday 29/11/1916 he was at The Grange, Woodham Mortimer (the Headquarters for 37 Squadron) when he was accidentally killed. He was lighting the rear lamp of an army lorry when another, about 3-4 yards away, began rolling forward because the handbrake had not been firmly applied. His head was crushed between the two vehicles causing fatal laceration of the skull and compression of the brain. He is recorded as having previously served in Gallipoli, and had volunteered for the Royal Naval Armoured Car Division in 1914. He is also commemorated on the Wanstead War Memorial.

42.59

 

BLAND, Bridgman Elsey

Captain, London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade)

Died 26/10/1917

5^thBattalion. First in France 23/12/1914. Born in Maldon 1876. Son of Thomas Elsey Bland (wine & spirit merchant) and Theresa Agnes Bland of The Friary, Maldon. Educated at Felsted Grammar School. His brother was Charles Riviere Bland, a Lloyds underwriter.

I.73E

 

FLOWER, Alfred

Sergeant (483) Royal Air Force

Died 16/12/1918

First served with the Royal Flying Corps 12/8/1914. The husband of Mrs. A. Flower of 197 High Street, Maldon. Buried in the Wright family grave.

41.97

 

MEAD, Ernest Charles Wesley

Private (720889) London Regiment

Died 23/4/1919 (aged 22)

In the 24^th Battalion. Also had service number 2992. Son of Julia Ann Mead (the wife of a coal merchant) of 4 Wantz Road, Maldon.

40.55

 

OLD, Charles William

Private (16768) Essex Regiment

Died 25/6/1917 (aged 32)

In the 2^nd (1^st?) Battalion. Born in Sheffield. Lived in Maldon. The son of John William Old (fruiterer and florist) of 25 High Street, Maldon. Enlisted at Chelmsford. First served in France 25/5/1915. Previously invalided home with enteric fever. Then severely wounded on 14/4/1917 in head, arms and leg. In Lady Forrester’s Hospital, Much Wenlock, Shropshire. Had leg amputated above the knee on 6/6/1917. Died of wounds.

44.45

 

RICHARDSON, William Quintus Newsom

Second-Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps

Died 6/10/1917

37 Squadron. R.F.C. Station Goldhanger. The Goldhanger Parish magazine for November 1917 records: “On Saturday, Oct. 6th, in the afternoon about 4 o’clock, the first fatal accident at the Air Station occurred here, when a new-comer, Lieut. Richardson, who had only been on the Station about 24 hours, was upon a practice flight, and his machine fell to the ground from no great height, as the result of a sideslip.   Death appears to have been instantaneous and the machine was wrecked.” The Rector wrote a letter of sympathy to his bereaved mother (a widow) in behalf of himself and the people of Goldhanger, which was acknowledged with grateful thanks.   His remains were taken to Maldon for burial.   His age was 19 years.

42.54

 

[stephen p nunn]

In addition, there are many references to GW casualties on private/family graves.

By way of example is....

On the Mead family headstone in the old section, there is mention of Sgt. W.H. Mead, KIA on 26/2/15 aged 27 at "Le Gheer". This is actually Acting-Sergeant William Henry Cecil MEAD (8254) 'B' Company, 2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment. He was born c.1888 in Maldon, the son of ("the late") Walter W. Mead and Susan Mead of 2 Cherry Gardens, Maldon Prior to war he was an Assistant Engineer at the Maldon Corporation Water Works. He was a member of the Army Reserve, first served abroad from 22/8/1914 and suffered a slight wound to the hand. The chances are he was in the front line with the 2nd Essex during the Christmas “Truce” of 1914. His battalion (part of the 14th Division, 12th Brigade) was dug in at Ploegsteert Wood, in trenches near Le Bizet. That Christmas Day the CO, Major G.M. Tufnell reported "very little sniping and a hard frost". William was shot by a sniper's bullet through the head at 2am on 26/2/1915 (aged 27) - he was due 10 days home leave from 5am. He is on the main Maldon Town Memorial and is buried at Calvaire (Essex) Military Cemetery

[stephen p nunn]