ID: PH01_WWS / Elaine Barker

TitlePeldon's War Dead
AbstractThere are eight men who died in WW1 commemorated on the marble memorial in St. Mary's Church, Peldon.

There were five other men we know of, three of whom died some years after the war, never having recovered from their wounds and two who were overlooked. Although their names do not appear on the memorial they are remembered in the Remembrance Services held in Peldon and Wigborough churches. Most of their stories can be found on the Mersea Museum website.

There were also four men from Peldon killed in WW2 and they are among those listed on the Roll of Honour but no memorial was ever made to them.

Peldon's WW1 Memorial

Alfred George Baldwin was the son of Alfred and Emily Baldwin of Mersea Road, Peldon. He was 18 when he joined up on 19th August 1916 and his record lists his residence as Kemps Farm, Peldon. He was killed in action aged 19 on 24th March 1918 serving in the Duke of Wellington's Regiment and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais. Read More ...

Frank Walter Harvey was born in 1879. In the electoral roll of 1918 his address was given as Barnard's Cottages, Mersea Road, Peldon. In 1911 he is listed as a farm labourer and the son of John and Jane Harvey. Frank was a private in the 7th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry and was killed on 22nd March 1918. It seems likely he was killed in the First Battle of the Somme in the Battle of St. Quentin. He is commemorated on the Pozieres memorial. Read More ...

Frederick Thomas Hicks was a Private in the Bedfordshire Regiment 7th Battalion. He was born in 1893 in Nutfield, Surrey, the son of Albert and Mary Hicks. It is likely by the time he came to Peldon he was an orphan and in the 1901 and 1911 censuses is living with David and Elizabeth Lungley, Wigborough Road, Peldon (Ransome's Cottage). The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records him as a foster son. He died on 25 April 1918 aged 24 and is buried at Longeau British Cemetery. Read More ...

Percy William Mortlock was a Private in the Northamptonshire Regiment, 2nd battalion, 24th Brigade, 8th Division. Born in 1898, he was the son of George and Lucy Mortlock who lived in Pete Tye Cottages. He died 14th March 1915 in the Battle of Neuve-Chapelle. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial. Read More ...

David Laurence Talbot was born in Peldon and baptised 13 November 1898. He was a Private in the Suffolk Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 76th Brigade, 3rd Division. He was the son of James Talbot and Maud M Talbot née Appleby. The family lived at Hillside, near Peldon Common. He was killed in action on 27th September 1918 aged 20 on the opening day of the Battle of Canal du Nord. He was buried in the Lowrie Cemetery, Havrincourt. Read More ...

James Thomson was a Private in the Royal Fusiliers 4th battalion, 9th Brigade, 3rd Division. He was the son of James and Elizabeth Thomson of Butlers Farm. The Thomsons originally came from Scotland and left after the war when the farm was ultimately submerged by Abberton Reservoir. James died at the age of 27 on 28th March 1918 and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Read More ...

Arthur George Whiting was a Private with the Worcestershire Regiment, 1st/8th Battalion, 144th Brigade, 48th Division. He was the son of George and Anna Whiting of Games Farm and was born in Wigborough. He died at the age of 19 on 17th August 1917 and is commemorated on Tyne Cot memorial. Read More ...

Clifford William Wyncoll was a shoeing smith in the Royal Field Artillery 'B' Battery 173rd Brigade. He was the son of Thomas and Emily Eliza Wyncoll of Church Cottage, Peldon. Having been involved with the first phase of the Battle of The Somme, Clifford was on his way home and billeted in an old barn when he was taken ill and died of pneumonia on 3rd November 1916 aged 18. He was buried in Longuenesse (St. Omer) Souvenir Cemetery, Pas de Calais. Read More ...

Post War Deaths as a Result of Injuries in WW1

The following names do not appear on the war memorial.

Ernest Frederick Gladwell was a captain on a Thames barge and killed by a zeppelin bomb when his barge, JOHN EVELYN, was moored in the docks in London. His parents were Frederick (a thatcher) and Amelia Gladwell and Ernest attended Peldon School as a child. He died from his injuries on 15th September 1915 and is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial. Relatives, the Coans, still live in Peldon. Read More ...

Clifford Deighton fought with the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, returned home, married Beatrice Christmas in Peldon in 1918 and died in 1920 from the effects of being gassed during the war.

Alfred Edgar Mason of Ives Cottage, Peldon, died on 9th November 1924 aged 30. He was born in Peldon, the son of Edgar and Jessie Mason. The rector, E G Bowring notes in the Parish Burials records that Alfred died on the Sunday before Armistice Day 1924 from injuries received in The Great War.

Henry Hedger was the landlord of The Plough, Peldon and died 24th January 1945 at the age of 54. His obituary in the Essex County Standard reveals he had been gassed at Ypres and been in poor health ever since. His son was to take over the pub and his late grandson, Terry, lived in the village all his life.

Harry William Dines was a Private in the Labour Corps. A week before the end of the war he died in service in Little Warley Military Hospital from influenza followed by pneumonia. He left a widow and two children living at Pete Tye Place, Peldon. His grave is by the path between Peldon village hall and church and is now acknowledged as a Commonwealth War Grave. Read More ...

Peldon's WW2 War Dead

There is no memorial in St. Mary's Church to the four men from the village who died in WW2. Although a memorial was proposed by Rev. J.R. Wilson, Peldon's rector at the time, it appears it was never realised.

Roll Of Honour December 15 1946
Four people lost their lives serving their country in World War 2 (1939 -1945)
Petty Officer W Heap Royal Navy
Private J Hodson Army
Pilot Officer J Scales RAF
C Mason Merchant Navy
It is hoped to place a suitable plaque in the church to the above.

Some Record of the Parish Of Peldon Rev C R Harrison 1867
D/P 287/28/6 Essex Record Office

Walter Heap was a Royal Navy Petty Officer Stoker on board the HMS QUORN. He died on 3rd August 1944 when the ship went down. His ship was part of a flotilla tasked with convoy protection, anti-shipping and patrol duties. He had married Joan Vera Baldwin of Lodge Cottage, Lodge Lane only the year before his death in 1943 and this was the address given on his probate. He is commemorated on Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Read More ...

John Scales was a Flying Officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer reserve: 466 Squadron. He was the son of Edward Herbert Athol Scales and Victoria Maud Scales of Harvey's Farm, Peldon. He was born in 1920 and attended Colchester Royal Grammar School along with brother George. His plane took off on a mission to Frankfurt and is believed to have crashed in the vicinity of Wiesbaden on 20th December 1943. All the crew are buried in the Rheinberg War Cemetery. Read More ...

John Hodson was a Signalman in the Royal Corps of Signals and was lost with the SS SCILLIN on 14th November 1942 aged 27. He was the son of Thomas and May Hodson of Sunnyview, Lower Road, Peldon (now The Cottage). In November 1942 Mrs Hodson was officially notified that her son was a P.O.W but less than a week after this, John lost his life when SS SCILLIN was sunk. May Hodson died in 1951 and appears in Peldon's burials' register. John is commemorated on the Alamein Memorial Read More ...

Charlton Cyril Mason took part in both World Wars. Born in 1886 at West Mersea, his family went on to live first in Ives Farm, then Pyefleet House, Peldon. His father served as Clerk to Peldon Parish Council for over 40 years. In 1916, working as a Merchant Navy Engineer, Charlton's ship, the liner SS EUTERPE was sunk by an Italian submarine but Charlton survived. On 24th February 1941, his ship, SS TEMPLE MOAT, was also sunk by a torpedo and sank 240 miles south of Iceland - there were no survivors. His probate gives his last address as Lion Garage, Abberton and although he is commemorated on the Tower Hill memorial he has no memorial locally. Read More ...

Boer War
There is one final Peldon-born casualty we know of, the son of the Reverend Christopher Harrison was killed in action in the Boer War.

Herbert Augustine Christopher Harrison was a Lieutenant and Adjutant in the 94th Regiment. He was born in Peldon Rectory in 1856. There is a brass memorial plaque placed by his family in the church of St. Matthew's, Llanelwedd, Radnorshire commemorating his death at Bronkorst Spruit Transvaal, South Africa on 20.12.1880 - and his origins in Peldon. Read More ...

AuthorElaine Barker
PublishedNovember 2021
SourceMersea Museum
IDPH01_WWS
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