Name
Benjamin East
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/10/1914
25
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Serjeant
13549
Grenadier Guards
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LARCH WOOD (RAILWAY CUTTING) CEMETERY
Plot IV, Row C, Grave 3.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, Primitive Methodist Church Memorial, Watford, Watford Grammar School Memorial, Watford Grammar School Book of Remembrance
Pre War
Son of Emily (nee AXTEN) and the late Arthur EAST of Watford.
His parents married 2 April 1877 at St Mary’s, Watford. Arthur died 10 June 1909 in Watford aged 55, and was buried 14 June in Vicarage Road Cemetery, Watford; Emily died 1919 in Watford aged 62, and was buried 29 January, also in Vicarage Road Cemetery.
Benjamin was born 21 June 1889 in Watford, and attended first Sotheron Road Infants’ School, Watford; then Callowland Board School, Watford, from 13 January 1896 to 3 November 1903; finally Watford Grammar School from 16 January 1904 to December 1905.
On the 1891 Census, aged 1 he lived in Watford, with his parents and six siblings. On the 1901 Census, aged 11 he still lived in Watford, with his parents and nine siblings. On the 1911 Census, a soldier aged 21, he still lived in Watford, with his widowed mother and eight siblings.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in London 6 January 1908 a town carman; was wounded in action 29 October 1914 and died at No. 5 Field Hospital, Werwick, Belgium, or in a German hospital [tho’ these may be one and the same?].
He was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914 Star medals, his qualifying date being 6 October 1914.
Additional Information
The published Watford Grammar School Book of Remembrance entry reads:
“EAST, BENJAMIN. School period: January, 1904, to December, 1905. Sergeant, 1st Grenadier Guards. Wounded in action, 29th October, and died in a German hospital, 31st October, 1914.”
There are articles about Benjamin in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 5 December 1914, 2 January 1915, and the issue dated 10 April 1915 has a list from the Grammar School.
Benjamin East and his brother-in-law Stanley Oliver Skeggs are also commemorated on the family headstone in Watford Cemetery. Their part of the inscription reads:
Also of
BENJAMIN EAST SON OF THE ABOVE [Arthur & Emily East), WHO DIED FOR HIS COUNTRY ON 0CT. 31ST 1914.
AT WARWICK BELGIUM. AGED 25.
AT REST
Also in Loving Memory of
STANLEY OLIVER SKEGGS WHO GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY OCT. 26TH 1917, AGED 27.
Unfortunately, Benjamin’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing.
Acknowledgments
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
