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Signpost - Ellingham and Kirby Cane

The life and times of the two World Wars are described in Jo Gooderham's A Chronology of Ellingham and Kirby Cane, along with a list of those fallen.

War memorials

Arthur Baldrey

All Saints churchyard, Kirby Cane contains a war grave that is maintained by The Commonwealth War Graves Commission. 

It is that of Arthur Baldry son of William and Rebecca Baldry of Newgate. He served as a deck hand in The Royal Naval Reserves on HMS Pembroke (formerly HMS Trent, a Median Class Gun Boat) Arthur died aged 28 on the 9th August 1916, in Chatham Naval Hospital, of acute nephritis and diabetes. Before he joined the Navy he was a fisherman. There were six siblings in the family.

Arthur Baldrey's headstone

Ray Burcham

Ray Burcham outside Red House, Home Farm Road, Ellingham. Died as POW of Japanese WW2

The Cosseys

Robert and Susannah Cossey of Ellingham lost four of their five sons in war. They were the grandparents of Alma Harvey, who sadly died recently (2018) aged 89. Alma married Vivian Harvey who became a Methodist minister. Alma together with her two sons, Tim and Steve loaned us their family albums for scanning into the Village Photo Archive. Alma’s mother was Winifred, one of the six daughters of Robert and Susannah. Alma’s brother Ray also died in WW2.

 

Nelson Cossey

Nelson Cossey died in France of wounds and is
buried in Etaples Military Cemetery.

Edgar Cossey
Nelson Cossey

Edgar Cossey

Samuel James Cossey
Grace Cossey at her brother’s grave

Grace Cossey

Samuel James Cossey

Samuel James Cossey in the Royal Marines.
Died at The Battle of Jutland on HMS Lion.
He was a Lance Corporal with 21 years
service in the Navy.
Commemorated on column 18
at The Plymouth Naval Memorial.

Thank you to Caroline Niddrie-Webb and Julie Wadley for researching this information and to Adrian Muttitt for the Memorial Hall plaque picture.

 

For more information on The Great War see A chronology of Ellingham & Kirby Cane.