Selected Biographies

Lumsdale, Claude Albert – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 20.2.1899.[1]  Parents: William Lumsdale (Bricklayer) and Mary Ann [née Race] (Horsehair Weaver).  Family Connections: Brother to William Ernest Lumsdale [b1882], Walter Frederick Lumsdale [b1887], Percy Charles Lumsdale [b1889], Harry Basil Lumsdale [b1892] and Stanley George Lumley [b1896]; also, brother-in-law of Leonard Crissell [b1889] and Walter George Bromham Wood [b1891].  Home: Hall Street, Long Melford (1901 to 1911), 53 Royal Road, Custom House, London [1919] to (1921).  Occupation: Labourer in Chemical Works [1916], unemployed Factory Labourer (1921).  Service Record: Claude was a member of the Long Melford Volunteer Training Corps in 1915.[2]  His Service Record gives two conflicting attestation dates: on 9.9.1916 as Pte.41839 with 3^rd [Reserve] Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, and on 20.3.1917 as Pte.TR/4/2403 with ‘A’ Company, 25^th Training Reserve Battalion.  He transferred to 4^th [Extra Reserve] Battalion, Bedfords and was posted to France from 19.3.1918 as part of 190^th Brigade, 63^rd [Royal Naval] Division.  The Division saw action at the Battles of St Quentin and Bapaume in March, facing the onslaught of the German Spring Offensive of 1918 and at the Battle of Albert in August of that year.  On 22.8.1918, the second day of this battle, Claude received a gunshot wound to his left side, returning him to England for treatment.  Upon recovery he was transferred as Pte.44752 to 11^th [Service] Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, which was also serving on the Western Front, not returning to England until November 1919. It is not known when Private Lumsdale received his discharge from the Army.[3]  Died: Romford, Essex in 1924.

Lumsdale, Harry Basil – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 6.2.1892.[4]  Parents: William Lumsdale (Bricklayer) and Mary Ann [née Race] (Horsehair Weaver).  Family Connections: Brother to William Ernest Lumsdale [b1882], Walter Frederick Lumsdale [b1887], Percy Charles Lumsdale [b1889], Stanley George Lumley [b1896] and Claude Albert Lumsdale [b1899]; also, brother-in-law of Leonard Crissell [b1889] and Walter George Bromham Wood [b1891].  Home: Hall Street, Long Melford (1901), 146 Leyes Road, West Ham, Essex (1921 to 1939).  Occupation: Labourer at a Chemical Works for Spencer, Chapman & Messel Limited of Silvertown (1921), Male Hospital Nurse (1939).  Married: Alice M. Smith [d1938] in 1918 and Mary A. Gostick in 1950.  Service Record: Harry was attested as Gnr.209503 with the Royal Garrison Artillery.  No further detail is known as his Service Record has not survived.[5]  Died: Sudbury, Suffolk in 1963.

Lumsdale, Percy Charles – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 13.8.1889.[6]  Parents: William Lumsdale (Bricklayer) and Mary Ann [née Race] (Horsehair Weaver).  Family Connections: Brother to William Ernest Lumsdale [b1882], Walter Frederick Lumsdale [b1887], Harry Basil Lumsdale [b1892], Stanley George Lumsdale [b1896] and Claude Albert Lumsdale [b1899]; also, brother-in-law of Leonard Crissell [b1889] and Walter George Bromham Wood [b1891].  Home: St Catherines Road, Long Melford (1891), Hall Street, Long Melford (1901), lodging with Florence Garwood (sister) at Brook Street, Glemsford, Suffolk (1911), 53 Royal Road, Custom House, London (1921), 162 Wennington Road, Rainham Essex [1964].  Occupation: Wet Hackler in Horsehair factory (1911), unemployed Barman (1921).  Married: Emily Evans in 1921.  Service Record: Percy was attested as Pte.16355 with the Devonshire Regiment, being wounded in May 1917.[7]  He transferred as Tpr.43694 to 5^th Reserve Cavalry Regiment, Corps of Hussars, receiving his discharge in May 1919.[8]  Died: Havering, Essex in 1976.

Lumsdale, Stanley George – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 20.2.1896.[9]  Parents: William Lumsdale (Bricklayer) and Mary Ann [née Race] (Horsehair Weaver).  Family Connections: Brother to William Ernest Lumsdale [b1882], Walter Frederick Lumsdale [b1887], Percy Charles Lumsdale [b1889], Harry Basil Lumsdale [b1892] and Claude Albert Lumsdale [b1899]; also, brother-in-law of Leonard Crissell [b1889] and Walter George Bromham Wood [b1891]. Home: Hall Street, Long Melford (1901 to 1911), 53 Royal Road, Custom House, London (1921), 124 Grosvenor Buildings, Poplar, London [1928].  Occupation: unemployed Packer (1921).  Married: Agnes P. Graham in 1926.  Service Record: During the First World War Stanley served as Pte.L/8268 with 9^th [Queen’s Royal] Lancers.  This unit was sent to France at the very start of the conflict as part of 2^nd Cavalry Brigade, 1^st Cavalry Division.  Without an extant Service Record, it is not known when Stanley enlisted and from what date he was posted to the Western Front.  This notwithstanding, he was probably sent to France in the autumn of 1914,[10] receiving his discharge in 1919.  The 9^th Lancers were in action from the very start of the War and its battle honours cover most of the major engagements.[11]  Died: Poplar, London in 1929.

Lumsdale, Walter Frederick – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 6.3.1887.[12]  Parents: William Lumsdale (Bricklayer) and Mary Ann [née Race] (Horsehair Weaver).  Family Connections: Brother to William Ernest Lumsdale [b1882], Percy Charles Lumsdale [b1889], Harry Basil Lumsdale [b1892], Stanley George Lumley [b1896] and Claude Albert Lumsdale [b1899]; also, brother-in-law of Leonard Crissell [b1889] and Walter George Bromham Wood [b1891].  Home: St Catherines Road, Long Melford (1891), Hall Street, Long Melford (1901), Military Barracks in Egypt (1911), 232 Grosvenor Buildings, Poplar, London (1921), Leyes Road, Custom House, London (1939) to [1950].  Occupation: Coir Yarn Winder (1901), Soldier (1911), General Labourer for the Port of London Authority (1921), Builder’s Labourer (1939).  Married: Lilian ‘Lily’ Elizabeth Barnes in 1920.  Service Record: Walter enlisted in 1904 as Pte.6387 with the Suffolk Regiment, transferring in 1906 as Pte.7193 to 1^st Battalion, Suffolks and serving in Egypt and Sudan before returning to England in October 1914.  He was posted to France from 16.1.1915 as part of 84^th Brigade, 28^th Division.  During its time on the Western Front in 1915, the Battalion saw action at the Second Battle of Ypres and the Battle of Loos.  At the end of October of that year Lumsdale’s unit was sent to Salonika to support Serbia in its struggle against Bulgaria.  By the time of Bulgaria’s surrender a year later, the Battalion’s ranks were down to just 14 officers and 250 other ranks.[13]  Walter was discharged in 1919, having attained the rank of Sergeant.[14]  Died: High Cross, Ware, Hertfordshire on 10.4.1950.[15]

Lumsdale, William Ernest – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 1.9.1882.[16]  Parents: William Lumsdale (Flax Dresser) and Mary Ann [née Race] (Horsehair Weaver).  Family Connections: Brother to Walter Frederick Lumsdale [b1887], Percy Charles Lumsdale [b1889], Harry Basil Lumsdale [b1892], Stanley George Lumley [b1896] and Claude Albert Lumsdale [b1899]; also, brother-in-law of Leonard Crissell [b1889] and Walter George Bromham Wood [b1891].  Home: St Catherines Road, Long Melford (1891), Hall Street, Long Melford (1901), The Stables, Hutton Burses, Brentwood, Essex (1911), 6 Baxter Road, Custom House, West Ham, London [1917].  Occupation: Miller’s Labourer (1901), Groom (1911).  Service Record: William was conscripted on 9.4.1917 as Pte.49055 with 4^th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment, transferring on 21.12.1917 to 3^rd [Reserve] Battalion, Northants and posted to France from 28.3.1918.  Lumsdale transferred as Pte.42331 first to 1/5^th Battalion, The Prince of Wales’s [North Staffordshire] Regiment, then on 20.6.1918 to N^o. 5 Company, 8^th [Service] Battalion, North Staffs as part of 56^th Brigade, 19^th [Western] Division.[17]  Died: Private Lumsdale was killed in action on 9.8.1918, during a raid on German lines to neutralise and capture an enemy machine gun in the Locon sector.  He is buried in Sandpits British Cemetery [grave ref: IV.B.5], Fouquereuil, Pas-de-Calais, France.[18]

Related Biographies

Crissell, Leonard C. – Born: Stanstead, Suffolk on 25.5.1889.[19] Parents: Harry Crissell (Agricultural Labourer) and Mary Ann Jane [née Chatters].  Family Connections: Brother-in-law of William Ernest Lumsdale [b1882], Walter Frederick Lumsdale [b1887], Percy Charles Lumsdale [b1889], Harry Basil Lumsdale [b1892], Stanley George Lumley [b1896] and Claude Albert Lumsdale [b1899].  Home: Lower Street, Stanstead, Suffolk (1891 to 1911), Westgate Street, Long Melford [1915], 6 Baxter Road, Custom House, London (1921), 3 Drovers Cottage, Rainham Road, Hornchurch, Essex (1939).  Occupation: Agricultural Labourer [1906], Labourer in the Metal Shop of the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich (1921), Metal Process Worker (1939).  Married: Florence Annie Garwood née Lumsdale of Long Melford in 1913.  Service Record: Leonard enlisted in 1906 as Dvr.T/24266 with the Horse Transport section of the Army Service Corps having previously served with 3^rd [Militia] Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. He was transferred to the Army Reserve in 1908, re-joining the Colours and posted to France from 16.8.1914 to 2.4.1915.  He was admitted to 2^nd General Hospital in France on 29.3.1915 suffering from bronchitis, returning to England on the hospital ship HS Nevasa before being issued with a Silver War Badge and receiving his discharge in June, following a diagnosis of chronic nephritis.[20] – Died: Maldon, Essex in 1965.

Wood, Walter George Bromham – Born: Islington, London on 18.11.1891.[21] Parents: William George Wood (Motor Car Driver) and Susan Esther [née Bromham].  Family Connections: Brother-in-law of William Ernest Lumsdale [b1882], Walter Frederick Lumsdale [b1887], Percy Charles Lumsdale [b1889], Harry Basil Lumsdale [b1892], Stanley George Lumley [b1896] and Claude Albert Lumsdale [b1899].  Home: 64 South Street, New North Road, Islington, London (1911), 6 Tibberton Square, Islington [1917], 56 Ockendon Road, Islington (1921).  Occupation: Journeyman Baker (1911), Fitter [1917], Postman (1921). Married: Louisa Victoria Elizabeth Lumsdale of Long Melford in 1917.  Service Record: Walter enlisted on 15.8.1914 as Pte.2145 with 1/4^th (City of London) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, posted to Malta on 5.9.1914 and to France from 6.1.1915 to 5.8.1915 as part of the Ferozepore Brigade, 3^rd [Lahore] Division. The Division saw action at the Battles of Neuve Chapelle, St Julien, Aubers and Festubert between March and May 1915.[22] Private Wood was issued with a Silver War Badge on 19.8.1916 and discharged due to sickness.[23] Died: Havering, Essex in 1979.

Notes – [1] Date of birth from the Baptism Register 4.5.1899, Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford, the date recorded on his Service Record however is 17.2.1899. [2] For Training Corps article see Suffolk and Essex Free Press 10.3.1915. [3] For details of 4^th Bedford’s movements see War Diary [WO 95/3118/2].  See also his Soldiers’ Documents, First World War ‘Burnt Documents’ [WO 363], Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329], and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372]. [4] Date of birth from the Baptism Register 21.4.1892, Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford. [5] Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329] and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372] recorded as Harry Basil Lamsdale [sic]. [6] Date of birth from the Baptism Register 7.11.1889, St Catherines Mission Church, Long Melford. [7] For notification of his wounding see Suffolk and Essex Free Press 30.5.1917. [8] See also his Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329] and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372]. [9] Date of birth from the Baptism Register 21.5.1896, St Catherines Mission Church, Long Melford. [10] The timing of Lumsdale’s posting to the Western Front is based on the Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372] of Pte.L/8340 Thomas Albutt of the same unit, whose number was issued around the same time, and was posted on 8.11.1914. [11] For details of 9^th Lancer’s movements see War Diary [WO 95/1113/2].  See also Lumsdale’s Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329] and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372]. [12] Date of birth from the Baptism Register 1.5.1887, Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford.  The 1939 Register for West Ham, however records his birth date as 5.3.1887. [13] For details of 1^st Suffolk’s movements on the Western Front see War Diary [WO 95/2277/3] and in Salonika see War Diary [WO 95/4916] and for both theatres see Murphy, Lieutenant-Colonel C. C. R. The History of the Suffolk Regiment 1914-1927 [London: Hutchinson and Co, 1928], pp.49-56, 64-70, 75-91, 126-29, 155-64 and 303-10. [14] Soldiers’ Documents, First World War ‘Burnt Documents’ [WO 363], Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329], and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372]. [15] Date of death from the National Probate Calendar. [16] Date of birth from the Baptism Register 5.11.1882, Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford. [17] For details of 8^th North Staff’s movements in 1918 see War Diaries [WO 95/2085/2 and WO 95/2082/1].  See also his Soldiers’ Documents, First World War ‘Burnt Documents’ [WO 363], Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329], and Index Card. [18] Commonwealth War Graves Commission record, British Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929 file [ref: 741701]. [19] 1939 Register. [20] Hospital admission and discharge registers [MH 106/890], [WO 329] Silver War Badge [ref: 95288], Soldiers’ Documents and Pension Claims, First World War [WO 364] and Medal Index Card [WO 372]. [21] Date of birth from Death Record. [22] For details of 3^rd [Lahore] Division’s time in France see The Long, Long Trail at http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/ and http://www.warpath.orbat.com/indian_divs/3_ind_div.htm. [23] [WO 329] Silver War Badge [ref:55797], Medal Roll [WO 329], and Medal Index Card [WO 372].