Name
Arthur Ernest Badcock
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
12/03/1918
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
5910
Royal Sussex Regiment
13th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THERFIELD (ST. MARY) CHURCHYARD
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
St Mary the Virgin Church, Therfield, Non-conformist Chapel, Therfield
Pre War
Born in 27 Dec 1890 in Therfield son of Joseph and Julia (Gatward) Badcock and baptised on 10 Jul 1892 and living in Therfield in 1911 as a labourer.
Arthur Ernest was working for Mr J Grant in Therfield (farming) when he enlisted in Hitchin on April 29th 1916.
1891 census details
Father Joseph (41) an Agricultural labourer (ag lab) and his wife Julia (39) had Walter T. (20), ag. lab. Herbert A. (12), ag lab. Minnie A. 7, Frederick J (4) and Arthur Ernest (? months). They were living at 9 Fordham Terrace, Therfield.
1901 census details
Joseph (49) and Julia (48) only had 10 year old Ernest living at home on The Terrace.
1911 census details
Both parents were recorded as 59 and Ernest, a labourer was 20. They also had a ‘visitor’ Joy Badcock (5 born in Hitchin) with them. Of their 8 children only 5 were alive they stated. They were still living on the Terrace.
Wartime Service
Enlisted 29 Apr 1916 in Hitchin and arrived in France 22 Aug 1916. Died at 2nd General Hospital, Brighton after wounds received in action at Tower Hamlet on 4 Nov 1917, at Passchendaele.
He was rapidly trained and sent out to France in August with the 13th battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment. His regimental number was 5910. His 39th Division was involved in major battles during late 1916 (The Somme) and from July to November 1917 (Ypres) so he would have encountered all the horrors of war before his battalion was engaged in the following:
2nd Passchendaele Battle Oct-Nov. 1917.
Arthur Ernest was stationed at Ypres in Belgium at the beginning of November 1917.
On November 3rd his battalion was to relieve the 1/1st Cambridgeshires at the front line, at first travelling by bus to Shrapnel Corner then by route march. They were in position at ‘Tower Hamlets’ by 11.30 pm with the changeover completed.
On 4th they were ‘improving the line and burying the dead’. Enemy machine gun fire and snipers were very active from Gheluvelt, Lewis House and Lone Tree dugout according to the war diary and the ground was very swampy.
The Crow newspaper report says that it was on this day that he was severely injured in the knee, arm, head and face by shrapnel. He was first treated at a Canadian military hospital at La Treport then was sent to England to Bath on November 16th.
He was moved to Melsham in Wiltshire before coming home to Therfield for 10 days’ leave in January 1918.
He was obviously still suffering as he was sent to several convalescent hospitals before Shoreham where his condition gave further cause for concern and he was moved to Brighton where tetanus set in and he died on March 12th.
He was brought home and buried in Therfield Parish Churchyard on Saturday March 22nd 1918
Acknowledgments
Malcolm Lennox, Jean Handley
