Selected Biographies

Mansfield, Bertie Thomas – Born: Fordham, Essex on 16.7.1886.[1]  Parents: Thomas George Mansfield (Farm Bailiff) and Mildred Poulter [née Allington].  Family Connections: Brother to Samuel William Mansfield [b1875] and Robert Daniel Mansfield of Long Melford [b1893]; also, uncle of Robert Clifford Mansfield [b1914].  Home: Rotten Row, Long Melford (1891 to 1901), Military Barracks, Egypt (1911), St Catherines Road, Long Melford (1939) to [1955].  Occupation: Hay Trusser (1901), Thatcher for William Bigg of Burtons Farm [1916], Builder’s Labourer (1939).  Married: Sarah Ann Walford in 1910.  Service Record: Bertie was serving as a Signaller with 1^st Battalion, Suffolk Regiment stationed in Egypt in 1911.  At the Melford Military Service Tribunal in July 1916 Bertie’s employer William Bigg applied for his exemption from conscription, which was granted on the condition his situation remained unchanged.  In early November 1916 Bigg was again asking for exemption.  A decision was delayed pending a medical examination, which by the end of the month had again been made conditional.[2]  It is not known if Mansfield’s certificate remained valid until the end of hostilities, however no definitive military record has been found to suggest otherwise.  Died: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk on 16.10.1955.[3]

Mansfield, Robert Clifford – Born: Poslingford, Suffolk on 12.5.1914.[4] Parents: Samuel William Mansfield (Hay Trusser) and Caroline [née Bowers] of Long Melford.  Family Connections: Nephew of Samuel William Mansfield [b1875], Bertie Thomas Mansfield [b1886] and Robert Daniel Mansfield of Long Melford [b1893].  Home: Poslingford Hill, Poslingford, Suffolk (1921), The Street, Poslingford (1939).  Occupation: Poultry Plucker (1939). Married: Elsie Rawlinson in 1937.  Service Record: Robert enlisted as Gnr.1676452 with 51^st [Devon] Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery.  The Regiment was posted to North Africa in 1942 as part of 6^th Armoured Division seeing action at the Battle of Kesserine Pass in February 1943, before moving to Italy in March 1944.[5]  Died: Gunner Mansfield drowned in a ‘battle accident’ on 12.2.1945 and is buried in Florence War Cemetery [grave ref: I.F.17], Italy and commemorated on the War Memorial in St Marys Churchyard at Poslingford.[6]

Mansfield, Robert Daniel – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 10.2.1893.[7]  Parents: Thomas George Mansfield (Farm Bailiff) and Mildred Poulter [née Allington].  Family Connections: Brother to Samuel William Mansfield [b1875] and Bertie Thomas Mansfield [b1886]; also, uncle of Robert Clifford Mansfield [b1914].  Home: Rotten Row, Long Melford (1901 to 1911), 3 Brompton Terrace, Newtown Road, Great Malvern, Worcestershire (1921), 24 Robson Avenue, Willesden, Middlesex (1939), 26 Hersant Close, Willesden [1960].  Occupation: Motor Washer (1911, Taxi Driver (1921), Mechanic for the London Passenger Transport Board (1939).  Married: Rosaline Ashdown in 1917.[8]  Service Record: Robert enlisted as Dvr.M2/082886 with the Mechanical Transport section of the Army Service Corps and was posted to France on 19.5.1915.[9]  Died: Willesden, London on 2.4.1960.[10]

Mansfield, Samuel William – Born: Boreham, Essex in 1875.  Parents: Thomas George Mansfield (Farm Bailiff) and Mildred [née Poulter].  Family Connections: Brother to Bertie Thomas Mansfield [b1886] and Robert Daniel Mansfield [b1893]; also, uncle of Robert Clifford Mansfield [b1914] and brother-in-law of Walter Bowers [b1871], Charles Bowers [b1873], Thomas Bowers [b1875] and Samuel Bowers [b1880].  Home: Moulsham Hall Farm, Great Leighs, Essex (1881), 5 Rotten Row, Long Melford (1891 to 1911), Poslingford Hill, Poslingford, Suffolk (1921).  Occupation: Hay Trusser (1891 to 1911), Agricultural Labourer (1921).  Married: Caroline Bowers in 1899.  Service Record: Although no definitive military record has been found, Samuel may have enlisted in 1915 as Dvr.T3/029886 with the Horse Transport section of the Army Service Corps.  If this assumption is correct, then he was posted to France on 17.11.1915.[11]  Died: Risebridge, Suffolk, in 1937.

Notes – [1] Date of birth from the 1939 Register for Long Melford, Suffolk. [2] For the Tribunal’s rulings see Suffolk and Essex Free Press 26.7.1916, 8.11.1916 and 29.11.1916. [3] Date of death from the National Probate Calendar. [4] 1939 Register. [5] Royal Artillery Attestations 1883-1942. [6] Royal Artillery Other Ranks: Casualty Cards 1939-1947 and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission register.  [7] Date of birth from the Baptism Register 20.4.1893, St Catherine Church, Long Melford. [8] Recorded as a ‘Driver, ASC, serving in France’ on his marriage certificate see Marriage Register 6.1.1917, St Mary, Willesden, London. [9] Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329] and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372]. [10] Date of death from the National Probate Calendar. [11] See his possible Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329] and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372].