TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN UNDYING MEMORY OF THE
MEN OF BLICKLING WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1919
Royal Navy
199210 Able Seaman Herbert Pert, HMS Swiftsure, Royal Navy.
Born at Itteringham, Norfolk, the son of George, a woodman/labourer and Elizabeth Pert of Woodgate, Blickling.
The battleship Swiftsure was participating in the Dardanelles campaign and was in action off Kirich Tepe, Suvla, laying down gunfire support. She was hit by return fire from the shore, that killed Herbert, aged 33 and four others on Thursday 12th. August 1915. Another man also died of wounds on 18th. August.
Herbert has no known grave and is commemorated on Panel 10 of the Chatham Naval Memorial, Kent.
Army
Captain Adrian Hubert Graves MC and Bar, 40th. Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry).
Born on 29th. August 1896, the son of Charles L. and Alice Graves of Oulton Lodge, Oulton, Norfolk.
Educated at Gresham's School Holt, Norfolk and Balliol College. Oxford.
Enlisted in December 1914.
On 25th. August 1916, Temp. 2nd. Lt. Graves appears in the London Gazette, his citation reads:
'For conspicuous gallantry in action. Under heavy fire he brought his guns into action to repel a sudden attack at close quarters. On many occasions he has shown great bravery in the attack'.
During 1917 he was wounded three time and hospitalised.
Between September 1917 and February 1918 he was posted to the Machine Gun Training Centre as an instructor.
On 24th. August 1917, he again appears in the London Gazette when he is awarded the Bar to his MC. The citation reads:
'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in commanding his guns with great ability in a critical situation. Finding his objective untenable owing to heavy fire, he moved forward to the front line, where he remained in action for forty-eight hours without relief. Although wounded in two places he displayed a fine example of cheerfulness and endurance'.
Killed in action on 22nd. March 1918, aged 21, while defending against German attack for two days straight. Promoted to captain two days previous at Henin Hill, France
No known grave, commemorated on Bay 10 of the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France.
2179 Serjeant John Lee Goulder, 1st/5th. Battalion, Norfolk Regiment.
Born on 16th. April 1883 at Aylsham, Norfolk, the son of John and Mary Goulder.
Enlisted in Aylsham.
Killed in action on Saturday 21st. August 1915.
Extract from St. John's Daily Star, 10th. February 1916, recounter by Corp. C.F. Garland, 1st. Newfoundland Regiment,
'When we were up in the trenches I saw four of our chaps do a plucky thing. There was a dead soldier out in front of our trench who was killed a month or more ago. The four chaps crawled out in daytime and dug a hole and buried him. The took his identification disc and pay book, etc off him. He turned out to be a Sergeant Goulding of the Norfolks. The men made a plain wooden cross with his name, etc on it and placed it over the grave of the dead hero'.
No known grave, commemorated on Panel 42 to 44 of the Hellis Memorial Memorial, Turkey.
19557 Corporal Jack Henry Flood, 7th. Battalion, Norfolk Regiment.
Died from wounds Sunday 29th. September 1918, aged 27, leaving a wife and daughter.
Buried in Grave: IV. A. 5. at Unicorn Cemetery, Vend'huile, Aisne, France.
28171 Lance Corporal Alfred William Digby, 6th. Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment.
Born at Aylsham, the son of James H, an agricultural labourer, and Fanny Digby.
Died on 18th. March 1918.
Buried in Enclosure No.2 III. E. 6. at Bedford House Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.
23424 Private Christmas Charles Broom, 1st/5th. Battalion, Norfolk Regiment.
The son of William, an agricultural labourer, and Elizabeth Broom. Brother of John and Hanna.
In 1901 the family was living at 17 Silvergate, Blickling.
Died on 2nd. November 1917.
Buried in Grave: XXIV. B. 4. at Gaza War Cemetery, Israel and Palestine.
41526 Private Charles A. Buck, 1st. Battalion, Essex Regiment. The son of M. Buck of Frettenham, Norfolk.
Died on 17th. April 1917.
Buried in Grave: II. G. 8. at Duisans British Cemetery, Etrun, Pas de Calais, France
55582 Private Earnest Edward Digby, 6th. Battalion, Welsh Regiment, formally 28051 Private, Norfolk Regiment.
Died on 17th. November 1917
Buried in Grave: XX. E. 20. at Poelcapelle British Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.
6810 Private Albert Eastoll, 1st. Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment, formally 50043 Private, Suffolk Regiment, possibly also with the Bedfordshire Regiment.
Born in 1877, the son of Robert and Sarah Eastoll, of Besthorpe, Norfolk. Brother of William, Geraldine, George and Phillip.
Albert married Alice in 1906 in Huddersfield.
The 1911 census records that the couple were living at 20 Abbot Street, Marsh, Huddersfield and Albert was working as a tram driver.
Enlisted at Cromer, Norfolk.
Killed in action on 3rd. December 1916, aged 39.
Buried in Grave: VII. D. 12. at Duhallow A.D.S. Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium with the personnel inscription,
'WATCH THEREFORE FOR YE
KNOW NOT WHAT HOUR
YOUR LORD WILL COME'
Also remembered on the Besthorpe War Memorial.
S/8580 Private Jack Foulger, 1st. Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highlanders).
Born in 1893, the son of John, a domestic gardener, and Elizabeth Foulger, of 'Glebe Villa', Horstead, Norwich. Brother of Ernest and Margery, step-brother of Louis and Violet.
Died on 13th. October 1915, aged 22.
No known grave, commemorated on Panel 78 to 83 of the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France.
Jack is also remembered on the Horstead War memorial.
20/288 Private Fred Hancock, 15th. Battalion, Durham Light Infantry.
The son of James, a woodman/labourer, and Fanny Hancock. Brother of Sidney and Walter.
Died on 24th. October 1918.
No known grave, commemorated on Panel 9 of the Vis-en-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, France.
1450 Private Cyril Frederick Pert, 1st. Kings Own Royal Regiment, Norfolk Yeomanry
The only son of Frederick and Amelia Pert of Blickling.
In 1911 he was employed as a grocer's assistant
Cyril died on 3rd. December 1915, aged 18, in Brook War Hospital, Woolwich, London from enteric fever and dysentery contracted in the Dardanelles. He is buried in St. Andrew's churchyard in Blickling.
320946 Private Charles Pert, 12th. Battalion, Norfolk Regiment.
Born in Itteringham Norfolk.
Brother of Harriet, Frederick, Arthur George, Lucy, Robert, Deborah Elizabeth, Mabel and Gladys.
The 1911 census recorded Charles working as game keeper at Calthorpe in Norfolk.
In March 1917 Charles married Iris Gladys Thurston.
Died on 21st. August 1918.
Buried in Grave: II. C. 60. at Outtersteene Communal Cemetery Extension, Bailleul, Nord, France.
B/200134 Rifleman James Tortice, 13th. Battalion, Rifle Brigade.
Born in 1884, the son of Henry, a shepard, and Jane Tortice of 37 Silvergate, Blickling. Brother of Henry and May.
Died on Sunday 25th. August 1918, aged 34.
Buried in Grave: I. F. 6. at Gomiecourt South Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.
“HIM THAT OVERCOMETH WILL I MAKE A PILLAR IN
THE TEMPLE OF MY GOD”
P/X 20947 Seaman Thomas William Parke, Royal Naval Reserve, armed merchant cruiser HMS Voltaire (F47), RN.
On 9th April 1941, Voltaire commanded by A/Capt. James Alexander Pollard Blackburn, DSC, retired, RN, was on isolated patrol in the central Atlantic, about 900 nautical miles west of the Cape Verde Islands. At 0615 hrs she was spotted by the lookouts of the German armed merchant raider Thor and the ships headed for each other.
At 0645 hrs the opponents opened fire and Thor’s first salvo destroyed Voltaire’s radio room. By 0649 hrs Voltaire was ablaze and by 0715 hrs only 2 of her guns remained in action. At 0800 hrs she hoisted a white flag, sinking shortly afterwards by the stern with a heavy port list in position 14º30'N, 40º30'W. Of her crew, 75 died and 197 survivors were rescued by the Germans. In the action, Thor expended 724 15 cm rounds against Voltaire.
Thomas died in this action on 9th. April 1941. He has no known grave and is commemorated on Panel 60, Column 2 of the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Hampshire.
1461723 Sergeant Marcus Seatter, Flt. Eng., RAF (VR), 115 Squadron, RAF.
The son of Mr. and Mrs. G. D. Seatter of Oulton, Norfolk.
Lancaster Mk.II, DS 835, coded KO-K, was delivered to 115 Sqn on 24th. November 1943. This aircraft was lost on its first operation with a total of only 4 flying hours.
Airborne at 1712 hrs. on 16th. December from RAF Witchford, Cambridgeshire for an operation to Berlin, the bomber was hit by Flak and exploded over the Kruisberg hill at 19:00 hrs., crashing near Heemskeerk, 13.5 miles (22 km) NW of Amsterdam. Marcus died on 16th. December 1943, aged 28, with his six other crew members He is buried in Row 1. Grave 304 at Heemskerk Protestant Churchyard, Noord-Holland, Netherlands with the personnel inscription,
'THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE'
This ornately decorated wooden pulpit style memorial, in St Andrew's church at Blickling, has intricately carved patterning. Either side of the inscription are figures of Saint George carved in relief.
