Name
Edwin Baldwin
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/04/1917
24
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
12057
Bedfordshire Regiment
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 5.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, St Michael and All Angels Church Memorial, Watford, Oddfellows Memorial, Rickmansworth
Pre War
Son of Edwin and Isabella Alice (nee Sharp) Baldwin. Edwin was born 26th May 1892 in Rickmansworth, and baptised 11th November 1894 at St Mary’s, Rickmansworth. He resided in Watford.
His parents married 12 April 1884 at St Mary’s, Rickmansworth, Herts. Edwin died 1919 in Watford aged 55, and was buried 1 March in Vicarage Road Cemetery, Watford; Isabella died 1941 in Watford aged 78, and was buried 23 August, also in Vicarage Road Cemetery.
His father was a Labourer and in both 1901 and 1911 he, Isabella and a large family (seven siblings) were living at 110 Norfolk Road, Rickmansworth. Edwin at age 18 was a House Painter.
On the 1911 Census, Edwin was listed as a papermaker aged 18 he still lived in Rickmansworth, with his parents and six siblings.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Watford; was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914-15 Star medals, his qualifying date being 30 July 1915, and was presumed killed or died of wounds received in action during the Battle of Arras in support of the 63rd Infantry Brigade.
The 6th Beds were in action at the second Battle of the Scarpe on 23rd and 24th of April 1917 and again at the Battle of Arras on the 28th when they began an assault on Greenland Hill, a long incline between Gavrelle and Roeux. They almost reached their objective but then encountered heavy enfilading fire from the chemical works near Etree-Wamin.
Edwin died of wounds sustained at some point during this action – when the Battalion came out on the 29th just 58 men remained. Fellow Rickmansworth men privates Arthur Austin and Joseph Green died during the same series of actions.
Additional Information
There is a brief article about and an In Memoriam for about Edwin in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 26 January 1918; plus another In Memoriam in the issue dated 26 April 1919. Unfortunately, Edwin’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing. Edwin is possibly the Edward BALDWIN commemorated at St Michael's Church, Watford. Edwin's brother George Edward was killed in action on the 21st of March 1918. A cousin, also John Edwin, was killed in action early in the war on the 24th of October 1914.
Acknowledgments
Malcolm Lennox, Mike Collins, Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
