Belfrey Window
This window & frame were put in by
Major Sir E.P. Stracey. BT. Rackheath Park, parishioners
& friends, & dedicated to the Glory of God & in
ever grateful memory of the following soldiers
of this parish who fell in the Great War 1914-1918.
Capt Reginald George Stracey, 1st. Battalion, Scots Guards.
Born on 12th. September 1881, the youngest son of Louisa Anne Stracey, née Groucock, of 28 Evelyn Mansions, Carlisle Place, Westminster, London, and the late Gilbert Hardinge Stracey of Sprowston Lodge, Norfolk.
Resident of Rackheath.
Educated at Eton College and Sandhurst
Fought in the Boer War and was mentioned in dispatches in First World War.
Reginald was killed in action, aged 33, on Friday 1st. January 1915 in an attack at Cuinchy La Bassee when the Scots Guards were ordered to attack a German positions to the south of the La Bassee Canal.
Reginal was originally recorded as an 'Unknown British Officer' when his body was found with an 'Unknown British Soldier'. He was later identified by his officers clothing, stars, regimental buttons and his boots. The remains of the two bodies were impossible to separate and were buried with two headstones in Grave: IV. F. 3. at Bailleul Road East Cemetery, St. Laurent-Blangy, Pas de Calais, Picardie, France. Reginald's headstone had the personal inscription,
'THE SPIRIT RETURNED
TO THE GOD WHO GAVE IT'
Also remembered at St. Mary and St. Margaret's Church, Sprowston, Norfolk and on the Eton College War Memorial.
The soldier found with Reginal still remains unknown.
G/11632 Private Robert James Charlish, 11th. Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, 39th. Division.
Born in Rackheath in 1897, the son of James H. C. and Lydia Charlish, of Rackheath.
Enlisted in Norwich, Norfolk.
Robert died on Sunday 29th. July 1917, aged 20, of wounds sustained during a trench raid opposite St. Julian, Ypres, Belgium. He is buried in Grave: VII. A. 18. at Vlamertinghe New Military Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium with the personal inscription,
'GRANT HIM O LORD ETERNAL REST
FROM HIS LOVING PARENTS'
Robert was employed, along with Herbert Harmer, by Mr. Stephen Sutton, who erected a single memorial to both men in All Saints church, Rackheath.
46630 Private William John Cushing, 2nd. Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, 5th. Division, formerly 24332 Northamptonshire Regiment.
Born on 2nd. February 1897 in Bawburgh, Norfolk, the eldest son of John William, a labourer, and Rachel Cushing later of Dakenham Corner, Rackheath.
Enlisted at Norwich, Norfolk.
William was killed in action, aged 21, on Thursday28th. March 1918 at the 1st. Battle of Arras 1918, during the German's March offensive. He has no known grave and is commemorated Bay 4 of the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France.
3/7296 Private Bertie James Dyball, 8th. Battalion, Norfolk Regiment, 18th. Division.
Born in 1894 at Rackheath, the son of Mr. and Mrs. F. Dyball of 45 Watts Cottages, Rackheath.
Enlisted at Norwich, Norfolk.
Bertie died of wounds, aged 23, on Tuesday 6th. February 1917. He is buried in Grave: L. 12 at Avrluy Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, Picardie, France with the personal inscription,
'GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN'
242455 Private Horace Etheridge, 1st/5th. Battalion, Norfolk Regiment, 54th. Division.
Born in 1895 at Thurton, Norfolk, the son of James and Martha Etheridge, née Mace later of Rackheath.
Half-brother of Albert Mace, below.
The 1901 Census records the family living on Thurton Road in Bergh Apton, Norfolk.
In a Bergh Apton newsletter of 1906 Horace was listed amongst those rewarded on School Prize Day, 20th. July, for perfect attendance.
The 1911 Census records that the family had moved a few hundred yards along Thurton Road to a semi-detached pair of farm cottages, Horace is listed as a 15 year old 'cowman of farm'.
The family later moved to Caistor St Edmund, Norfolk and then to Rackheath.
Horace enlisted in Norwich, Norfolk on 2nd. October 1914 into 6th. (Territorial) Battalion the Norfolk Regiment. He then served in both the 1st. and 3rd. Battalions before transferring in February 1917 to the 1st/5th. Norfolk's.
During the Second Battle of Gaza fought between 17th. and 19th. April 1917, the 1st/5th. Battalion suffered 662 casualties in an attack on the Turkish defences at Gaza on the morning of 19th. April.
Horace was wounded and evacuate to 45th. Stationary Hospital at El Arish, 50 miles to the south of Gaza and died there, aged 21, two days later on Sunday 22nd. April 1917.
He was first buried in the El Arish war cemetery close to the 45th. Stationary Hospital but that was closed soon after the Armistice of 1918. The dead within it were re-interred in Al Kantara War Memorial Cemetery on the northern outskirts of the town now called Al Quantara on the Suez Canal. Horace is buried in Grave: F. 2.
202609 Private Stephen Albert Fox, 2nd. Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 33rd Division.
Born in 1895, the son of Stephen Samuel and Rosetta Elizabeth Fox, née Wigg of Dakenham Corner, Rackheath.
Stephen was killed in action, aged 23. He is buried in Grave: C. 20 at Five Points Cemetery, Lechelle, Pas de Calais, France with the personal inscription,
'HE DIED FOR THOSE HE LOVED'
43213 Pvt Edward W. Green, 7th. Battalion, Norfolk Regiment, 12th. Division.
Edward was taken prisoner by the Germans and died in captivity on Sunday 11th. August 1918. He is buried in Grave: B. 6. at Glageon Communal Cemetery, Nord, France.
20810 Private Herbert John Harmer, 1st. Battalion, Essex Regiment, 29th. Division, formally with the Norfolk Regiment.
Born in Rackheath, the son of William and Lydia Harmer of Rackheath.
Enlisted at Norwich, Norfolk.
Herbert was killed in action, aged 20, during the Battle of Le Transloy on Thursday 12th. October 1916.
The Royal Newfoundland Regiment on the right and the 1st. Essex Regiment on the left, captured part of Hilt Trench and the extension of Rainbow Trench, and then part of the 1st. Essex's pressed on to Grease Trench but were ordered back to the start line at 5:30 p.m. because the 35th. Brigade on the left had not managed to get forward. The Newfoundlanders held on at Hilt Trench, bombed further up and took part of the 1st. Essex's objective.
Herbert has no known grave and is commemorated on Pier and Face 10 D of the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, Picardie, France.
Herbert was employed, along with Robert Charlish, by Mr. Stephen Sutton, who erected a single memorial to both men in All Saints church, Rackheath.
13111 Private Albert George Mace, 7th. Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment, 13th. Division.
Born in Thurton, Norfolk.
Half-brother of Horace Etheridge, above.
Enlisted in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire.
Albert was killed in action on Monday 19th. July 1915. He has no known grave and commemorated on Panel 171 to 173 of the Helles Memorial, Turkey, including Gallipoli.
241735 Private Kenneth McLaren Newstead, 1st/5th. Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers, 52nd. Division.
Born in Barningham Parva, the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Newstead.
Husband of A. Newstead of 12, Barningham Parade, Aldborough, Norfolk.
Kenneth died of wounds, aged 24, on Sunday 25th. November 1917. He is buried in Grave: C. 67 at the Jerusalem War Cemetery, Israel and Palestine.
13618 Private Horace Arthur Symonds, 9th. Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, 6th. Division.
Born in 1892 at Euston, Suffolk, the son of Arthur and Mary Elizabeth Symonds later of Hall Farm, Rackheath.
Enlisted at Barnham, Suffolk.
Horace died of wounds, aged 24, in the base hospital at Etaples on Friday 3rd. March 1916. He was buried on 5th. March in Grave: VI. D. 22A at Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France with the personal inscription,
'IN EVER LOVING MEMORY
OF OUR DEAR SON HORACE
REST IN THE LORD'
5103 Private Herbert Thacker, 8th. Battalion, East Surrey Regiment, 18th. Division..
Born in Rackheath, the son of Mr. and Mrs. G. Thacker of Rackheath.
Husband of Minnie Thacker of East Bradenham, Thetford, Norfolk.
Enlisted in Norwich, Norfolk.
Herbert died of pneumonia, aged 25, in a military hospital in Amiens on Friday 17th. March 1916. He is buried in Grave: I. C. 3 at St. Pierre Cemetery, Amiens, Somme, Picardie, France with the personal inscription,
'MEMORIES CLING
WITH MANY SILENT THOUGHTS'
"I an the resurrection, and the life" St. John XI. 25.
H.J. Adams C.F. Rector.
Rackheath's war memorial takes the form of a memorial window in the belfry of All Saints church with this dedicatory marble plaque below.
