BRAY, John William
Private 1456 6 Bn, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)
Died on the Somme 4 August 1916 at the age of 32
In the 1901 census, John and his widowed mother Ann nee MARCHANT were living and working
in Stourmouth; he was an ag lab and she was a housekeeper. In WWI, The Buffs raised 17 battalions and the regiment was awarded 48
battle honours; one of its men won the Victoria Cross. The Buffs lost
some 6,000 casualties during the Great War.
FAGG, Walter William
Private 4471 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays)
Died at Verberie (on River Oise) 1 September 1914
Baptised 24 October 1886 Stourmouth by parents Thomas, a shopkeeper, and
Annie; the family was resident at Stourmouth for several decades. He was
Stourmouth's first fatality.
In February, 2004 I received an e-mail from Yvon Debuire, a teacher and local
historian, of Néry, France. He wrote:
I would like to give you some information on Walter William Fagg who died on
September 1st, 1914 and was Stourmouth's first Tommy of the B.E.F. to
have been killed in action in the Great War a few weeks before his 28th
birthday.
He died during the fight at Néry - my native village - when the First Brigade
of the Cavalry Division and the 'L' Battery of the Royal Horse Artillery were
surprised at dawn by the German 4th Cavalry Division and three Batteries,
each of four guns.
Néry - a remote, ancient village to the north-east of Senlis - lay on the
path of the Retreat from Mons in the early stage of the war. On September
1st, dawn broke with dense mist as the 1st Cavalry Brigade - the 11th Hussars,
the 2nd Dragoon Guards and the 5th Dragoon Guards - under Brigadier Briggs
were billeted in teh village. The 5th Dragoon Guards, squadron C of the 2nd
Dragoon Guards (the Queen's Bays) - Walter William Fagg's Cavalry Regiment -
and L'Battery, R.H.A. were bivouacking in the open on the south end of the
village.
At 5.30 a.m. a patrol from the 11th Hussars reported that it had ridden
into a body of German Cavalry in the thick fog. Immediately afterwards enemy
shell and machine-gun fire opened on the village from positions only 600
yards away. Outnumbered five to one, under overwhelming fire, the 'Old
Contemptibles' made a gallant stand. Officers and men of 'L' Battery fought
to the death. With some help at around eight o'clock from the 4th Cavalry
Brigade and 'L' Battery, R.H.A., they beat off and put the entire German
4th Cavalary Division in disarray. They took prisoners. They captured eight
guns - being the first to capture German guns in the Great War. At 11 a.m. the
Retreat resumed.
As a result of this Action, Captain Bradbury, Battery Sergeant Major Dorrell
and Sergeant nelson of 'L' Battery were awarded the Victoria Cross - posthumously
for Captain Bradbury. Leiutenant Lamb of the Bays was awarded the Distinguished
Service Order. In 1926 'L' Battery was awarded the Honour title of
'Néry' to commemorate the Action, being known as 'L' Néry Battery, R.H.A.
They celebrate Néry Day faithfully each year. Last year, the Battery paraded
during the Canadian exercises and the account of the Action was read.
The memorial to the Queen's Bays in Néry village reads:
'This plaque commemorates an Action in Néry on 1st September, 1914 during
which the 2nd Dragoon Guards (the Queen's Bays) played a conspicuous part in
helping to repulse the German 4th Cavalry Division. The Battle of the Marne
was won at Néry.'
Let us not forget gallant young men like Walter Walter William Fagg from
Stourmouth. We all have a duty of remembrance.
P.S. Walter is buried at Verberie National Cemetery, near Néry. Some of his
comrades are buried in Néry Communal Cemetery and a few in Baron.
GRIGGS, Edward James
Private 51988 Machine Gun Corps (Cavalry Machine Gun)
Died 1 June 1918 at the age of 29
Baptised 20 July 1890 Stourmouth by parents William, a labourer, and Rose.
He was the last of Stourmouth's sons to die during the Great War. A year of war on the Western Front showed that machine guns must be used
in larger units and crewed by specially trained men. The formation of the
Machine Gun Corps was authorised in October 1915 with infantry, cavalry,
motor and, in early 1916, a heavy branch. The Cavalry Branch consisted of
Brigade Machine Gun Squadrons. The M.G.C gained an enviable record as a
front line fighting force, and the Corps continued to see active service in
the post war campaigns of Russia, India and Afghanistan until being disbanded
in 1922. Some 170,500 officers and men served in the Corps with 62,049
becoming casualties (including 12,498 killed).
HOLNESS, James Arthur
Private 13424 The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
Died at Croisilles, southeast of Arras, 2 April 1917 at the age of 27
Baptised 15 June 1890 Stourmouth by parents Arthur William, a labourer, and
Charlotte nee WHITE. He was a second cousin of John Robert WHITE, below. In WWI, The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) raised a total of 27
battalions. The regiment was awarded 74 battle honours, and six of its
officers and men were awarded Victoria Crosses. The Queen's Regiment lost a
total of 8,000 casualties during the Great War.
MORRIS, James T.
Able Seaman J/12209 H.M.S. "Marshall Soult", Royal Navy
Died 20 November 1915 at the age of 21
In the 1901 census, James and his two younger sisters were living in Stourmouth
with their parents Emily and Thomas, a farmer from Herne. The monitor H.M.S. Marshall Soult (6,700 tons) went into service in November
1915 and was attached to Dover Squadron. She remained in service in the Channel
and. after WWI, was used as a gunnery training ship.
NEWPORT, Alfred Thomas
Able Seaman S.S. "Lewisham", Mercantile Marine
Died 17 May 1917 at the age of 35
I have no details on Alfred NEWPORT at present but the 1901 census shows
a Newport family in Stourmouth, headed by Norton and Esther, both of Waltham.
It seems probable that Alfred was their oldest son. The S.S. Lewisham (2,810 tons) was torpedoed off Fastnet, by a German
U-Boat on 14 May 1917 with the loss of 24 crew.
PETTMAN, William C.
Private 21029 10th Bn, Highland Light Infantry
Died 13 February 1916 at the age of 22
Baptised as Charles 12 March 1895 Stourmouth by parents Alfred, a labourer,
and Jane. Older brother of Alfred Thomas PETTMAN, below. In WWI, The Highland Light Infantry raised a total of 33 battalions. The
regiment was awarded 65 battle honours, and seven of its officers and men
were awarded Victoria Crosses. The 10th Battalion (Service) was formed in
August 1914. The Highland Light Infantry lost 10,032 casualties (598
officers and 9,428 rank and file) during the Great War. Visit The British Light Infantry website.
PETTMAN, Alfred Thomas
Private G/15771 The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)
Died at Arras 4 October 1917 at the age of 21
Baptised 31 January 1897 Stourmouth by parents Alfred, a labourer, and
Jane. Younger brother of the late William C. PETTMAN, above. In WWI, The Buffs raised 17 battalions and the regiment was awarded 48
battle honours; one of its men won the Victoria Cross. The Buffs lost
some 6,000 casualties during the Great War.
UDEN, Arthur
Private T/3380 1st/5th Bn, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)
Died 19 July 1916 with the Mesopotamia Expedition Force
The 1901 census shows a Uden family in Stourmouth, headed by Harry, an
agricultural labourer, and his wife Jane. They have a five year old son
named Arthur, born in Ash, and it's possible that he is the Arthur UDEN
referred to on the plaque at Stourmouth. In WWI, The Buffs raised 17 battalions and the regiment was awarded 48
battle honours; one of its men won the Victoria Cross. The Buffs lost
some 6,000 casualties during the Great War.
WHITE, John Robert
2nd Lieutenant 7th Bn, Lincolnshire Regiment
Died at Arras 23 April 1917 at the age of 19
They only child of John, a farmer, and Florence nee DONOVAN, John was
baptised 10 October 1897 Stourmouth. He was a second cousin of the late
James Arthur HOLNESS, above.
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