Up ] D.E. Bawtree ] D. H. Brooks ] L. A. Brooks ] E.L.Felgate ] C.A. Greenleaf ] E. Hughes ] L. Minns ] P. Mortlock ] R. Radford ] O. Theobald ] J. Thomson ] B.Wendon ] G. Wright ] [ C.Wyncoll ] map ]

WYNCOLL, Clifford William

Shoeing Smith 98046

ROYAL FIELD ARTILLERY,

"B" Battery 173rd Brigade

who died

Friday, 3rd November 1916. Aged 18

Clifford was the son of Thomas and Emily Eliza Wyncoll. His father was a farm labourer. Clifford was christened at Saint Mary's Langenhoe on 12th June 1898. Subsequently the family moved to Peldon. 

Clifford's brother Thomas served in World War 1 in India. His sister Mabel Grace married the brother of Ernest Balls, who served with Clifford in the Royal Field Artillery. Mabel's son, Cyril was to be  "Mentioned in Dispatches" for his bravery at Monastery Hill, Mandalay in Burma during World War 2.  Cyril served for three years in India and Burma in the Royal Berkshire Regiment. 

Clifford had four other brothers; Ernest, Arthur, Enos and Edward. Ernest served in the Essex Regiment in World War 2 and Arthur in the RAF, also in World War 2.

Clifford enlisted at Colchester and served for  a  year in France. He was assigned to the 173 Brigade RFA, who were part of the famous 36th (Ulster) Division. The regiments comprising the Division moved to England for training in July 1915. Although the Infantry Brigades moved over to France in early October 1915, the Divisional Artillery including Clifford's Brigade did not go until November 1915. His Battery had just been fighting in the Battle of Albert (the first phase of the Battle of the Somme) and been withdrawn for rest. During the battle the Division achieved its objectives near Thiepval but was forced to withdraw due to the failure of flanking units. Clifford was proceeding on leave to the UK and billeted in an old barn, when he was taken ill. He was taken to hospital but unfortunately died of pneumonia.

Clifford is on the right and his sister's brother-in-law, Ernest Balls on the left.

 

With others in his Unit. Clifford is third from the right.

He was awarded the Allied Victory Medal, the British War Medal and the 1914-15 Star for France as of the date he arrived in France of 28th November 1915.

He is commemorated in Peldon Church and in France.

The Memorial in Peldon Church.              Clifford's grave in Saint Omer

He is buried at LONGUENESSE (SAINT OMER) SOUVENIR CEMETERY. Pas de Calais, France

 in Grave IV A 74

St. Omer is a large town 45 kilometres south - east of Calais. Longuenesse (St.Omer) is a commune on the southern outskirts of St. Omer. The cemetery is approximately 3 kilometres from St. Omer to the left of the D928 Abbeyville road.

St. Omer became on the 13th October, 1914, and remained until the end of March, 1916, the General Headquarters of the British Expeditionary Force. Lord Roberts died there in November, 1914. It was a considerable hospital centre, more especially in 1918; the 4th, 10th, 7th Canadian, 9th Canadian and New Zealand Stationary Hospitals, the 7th, 58th (Scottish) and 59th (Northern) General Hospitals and the 17th, 18th and 1st and 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Stations were all, at some time during the war, quartered in St. Omer. It was raided by aero planes in November, 1917 and May, 1918, with serious loss of life.  There are now over 3000, 1914-18 and nearly 450, 1939-45 war casualties commemorated in this site. There are also Special  Memorial headstones erected for 23 men of the Chinese Labour Corps.

REFERENCES

Information obtained from The Commonwealth War Graves web site. www.cwgc.org/

The pictures of the medals were kindly provided by Worcestershire Medal Service Ltd.

08/04/01   last updated

**********************************************************

These pages are dedicated to the memory of the Fallen from the two World Wars, who lived in Abberton & Langenhoe.. Prepared by Saint Andrew's Parochial Church Council. November 11th 2000

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1