Name
Edward Spicer
1893
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
16/08/1917
23
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
36453
Princess Charlotte of Wales’ (Royal Berkshire) Regiment
2nd Bn
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TYNE COT MEMORIAL
Panel 105 to 106
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Whitwell Village Memorial, All Saints Church Memorial, St Paul's Walden, Not listed on the Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Edward Spicer was born in 1893 in Whitwell, St Pauls Walden, Herts, the son of George and Sarah Spicer (nee Harwood) and one of ten children. He was baptised on 20 May 1893 at St Pauls Walden.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at Whitwell, where his father, and brothers Arthur and Frank, were working as a farm labourers. The family remained in Whitwell in 1911 and were then living in the High Street. Edward was working as a farm labourer.
Wartime Service
Edward enlisted as Private 5742 in the Hertfordshire Regiment (probably in early 1916 as Serial 5689 was issued on 1st Nov 1915). At some time he was transferred to the 2nd Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Royal Berkshire Regiment) as Private 36453, which had been in France & Flanders since November 1914 as part of 25 Brigade 8 Division. In 1917 the division was to take part in the early Battles of Pilckem (31 Jul – 2 Aug 1917) and Langemarck 16 – 18 Aug 1917) as part of the Passchendaele Offensive.
During this latter engagement (Langemarck) Edward was posted missing and later his death was presumed to have been on the 16 August 1917. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Ypres, Belgium.
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £8 and pay owing of £4 8s 11d. She also received a pension initially of 3s 6d a week, later increased to 5 shillings.
Brother-in-law to Seamont Bigg who is also named on the Whitwell Memorial.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild
