In
Loving Memory
Of
ARTHUR FLATMAN
Died Feb.12th 1913
Aged 54
And of
SUSANNA, his wife
Died August 26th 1939
Aged 86 years
Also in memory of
WILLIAM FLATMAN
Son of Arthur & Susanna
Killed in Action near
Basra, Mesopotamia
Feb.26th 1917
“The souls of the righteous are
In the hand of God”
FLATMAN, WILLIAM HERBERT JEFFREY
Rank:…………………………Corporal
Service No:…………………..22254
Date of Death:……………….26/02/1917
Age:…………………………..31
Regiment:…………………….Gloucestershire Regiment
……………………………….."B" Coy. 7th Bn.
Panel Reference:……………..Panel 17.
Memorial:…………………….BASRA MEMORIAL
Additional Information:
Son of Arthur and Susanna Flatman, of Mellis Lodge, Eye, Suffolk.
CWGC: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/865077/FLATMAN,%20WIL...
Soldiers Died in the Great War records that Corporal 22254 William Herbert Jeffrey Flatman died of wounds on the 26th February 1917 whilst serving with the 7th (Service) Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment. He was born Marylebone, London, and enlisted London. No place of residence is shown.
The Medal Index Card for Corporal 22254 William H P Flatman, Gloucestershire Regiment, is held at the National Archive under reference WO 372/7/84414
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D3494089
His Service Records do not appear to have survived the Blitz of 1941.
The 1918 Probate Calendar records that:-
FLATMAN, William Herbert Jeffrey of Mellis, Suffolk, a Corporal in the Gloucestershire Regiment died 26 February 1917 on active service in Mesopotamia. Probate (granted) Bury St Edmunds 23 March (1918) to Robert Stammers retired licensed victualler and Bertram Reginald Yorke solicitor.
Effects £1507 4s 4d.
probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Calendar?surname=Flatman&...
1885 – Birth
The birth of a William Herbert J Flatman was recorded in the July to September quarter, (Q3), of 1885 in the Marylebone District of London.
1891 Census of England and Wales
The 5 year old “William Jeffery” Flatman, born Marylebone, London, was recorded living at the Norfolk Hotel, Harrington Road, Harrington, London. This was the household, and business, of his parents Arthur, (aged 42 and a Hotel Proprietor from Redgrave, Suffolk and “Seuhana”, (aged 38 and from Maidstone, Kent). As well as William their other children living with them are:-
Melinda Letitia….aged 17……born Walford…Assistant
Arthur Frederick…aged 13……born Marylebone, London
Algernon Norman..aged 4…….born Marylebone, London
Dorothy Maude…..aged 2…….born Marylebone, London
The return then goes on to list 33 members of staff and 64 guests\visitors
1901 Census of England and Wales
A 15 year old William J, born London, was recorded as a Boarding School Student at Highfield School, Chertsey, Surrey.
His parents, Arthur, (52 and a Hotel Keeper from Redgrave, Suffolk) and Susanna, (48 and from Maidstone, Kent), were now living at The Lodge, Mellis. Living with them is Arthur’s Brother-in-Law, Charles, Buck, (aged 73 and a Farm Steward from Wortham, Suffolk). There is also a live in Servant.
A house history page mentions the purchase by Arthur of two cottages now known as Tudor Cottage on Willow Common, Wortham. He brought in 1885 and became the landlord of the resident tenants.His address was given then as 21 Henrietta Street, Cavendish Square, London, and he was a Hotel Keeper. When he sold them in 1901 he was then living at Mellis Lodge.
www.hiddenhousehistory.co.uk/househistorydesk/timeline/in...
1911 Census of England and Wales
A 25 year old William Herbert Jeffrey Flatman, single and a Farmer from Marylebone, London was recorded as a visitor in the household of a married couple, Frank Charles Shipp, (45, Railway Carrier from Fornham, Suffolk) and Diana Brailsford Shipp, (48 and from Nottinghamshire). The Shipp’s live at “Belmont”, Culter Street. Ipswich, Suffolk. They have been married 17 years and have had 1 child, the 11 year old Godfrey Frank, (11, born Ipswich). Also in the household is Diana’s child from a previous marriage, (she is listed as Franks’ step-daughter), Ethel May Shipp, aged 26 and born “AlgarPark Fenu” (?). The family also have a live in servant.
There is no subsequent marriage of William so if he was courting Ethel nothing came of it.
His parents were back living and working at the Norfolk Hotel. Arthur, (62) and Susanna, (58) have been married 38 years and have had 8 children, of which 7 were then still alive. Chidren living with them are Violet C, (28, Book Keeper born Paddington, London), Dorothy, (22, Assisting in Business, born Paddington, London) and Reginald, (17, Schoolboy, born Mellis, Suffolk).
On the day
Satisfied that British preparations were approaching completion Maude requested - and after a pause was granted - permission from London for an advance upon Baghdad.
Progress was slow however, if sure, on account of heavy rain and an overriding concern to minimise casualties (one of London's most insistent demands to Maude). It took a full two months to clear the west bank of resistance below Kut, and included the capture of the fortified Khadairi Bend on 29 January 1917.
Crossing the Shumran bend on 17 February 1917 to the right of Turk forces, Maude launched an attack on both flanks. Karabekir Bey, overwhelmed, authorised a skilfully-managed retreat from Kut a week later on 24 February, heavily pursued by a flotilla of naval gunboats (bringing about an action at Nahr-al-Kalek), although British cavalry was unable to provide assistance while placed under fire from well-sited machine guns.
Additional difficulties were faced by the retreating Turks in fighting off repeated attacks by local Marsh Arabs, who attacked both sides at every opportunity.
The success of the British advance (which petered out on 27 February, some 100km beyond Kut at Aziziyeh) persuaded Khalil to postpone and then abandon his plans for a Turkish sweep through Persia; he also recalled a corps fighting against Russian forces in western Persia to boost his own strength.
Buoyed by his success in re-taking Kut, Maude barely paused before pushing on with the advance to Baghdad, which fell to the British the following month.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_Kut
(The 13th Division, of which 7 Glosters were part, took the lead in pursuing the retreating Turkish forces)
William is also on the Roll of Honour and the War Memorial in the church.