Selected Biographies

Race, Florence May – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 7.2.1896.[1]  Parents: William Race (Stockman on Farm) and Frances [née Hardy].  Family Connections: Sister to William George Race [b1895] and niece of Walter Race [b1864].  Home: Stone Houses, Rodbridge Street, Long Melford (1901), living with Charles Hardy (Uncle) in Borley Road, Rodbridge, Long Melford (1911), East Street, Sudbury, Suffolk (1921 to 1939).  Occupation: Corset Worker (1939).  Married: George Robert Ralph in 1925 [see below for military details].  Service Record: Florence was a Nurse with the Voluntary Aid Detachment during the First World War.  Died: Sudbury, Suffolk in 1972.

Race, Walter – Born: Great Whelnetham, Suffolk in 1864.  Parents: Walter Race (Bone Boiler) and Louisa [née Bullock] (Midwife).  Family Connections: Uncle of William George Race [b1895] and Florence May Race [b1896].  Home: 5 Southgate Street, Long Melford (1871), Bone Mill Cottage, Station Road, Long Melford (1881), Station Road, Long Melford (1901), 16 Carew Road, Eastbourne, Sussex (1911).  Occupation: Flax Dresser (1901), Butler (1911).  Married: Jane Ann Adams in 1894.  Service Record: Walter enlisted in 1884 as Gnr.40965 with the Royal Artillery serving in India and South Africa and seeing action in Second Anglo-Boer War before his discharge in 1901.  It is not known if he saw service during the First World War as no definitive record has been found.[2]

Race, William George – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 15.11.1894.[3]  Parents: William Race (Road Labourer) and Frances [née Hardy].  Family Connections: Brother to Florence May Race [b1896]; also, brother-in-law of George Robert Ralph [b1898] and nephew of Walter Race [b1864].  Home: Chapel Green, Long Melford [1897], Stone Houses, Sudbury Road, Long Melford (1901), Newton, Suffolk (1911), 66 East Street, Sudbury [1915].  Occupation: Agricultural Labourer (1911).  Service Record: William enlisted as Pte.10247 with 2^nd Battalion, Essex Regiment and was posted to France from 28.12.1914 as part of 12^th Brigade, 4^th Division.  The Battalion took part in the Retreat from Mons and saw action at the Battles of Le Cateau, the Marne, the Aisne and Armentières in 1914.[4]  Died: William died of wounds on 23.3.1915 in the care of 11^th Field Ambulance at Le Bizet in Belgium.  Three days earlier 2^nd Essex had taken over trenches at Warnave, north of Armentières.  Notwithstanding the Battalion’s diary describing each day as ‘fairly quiet’ or ‘very quiet’, the casualties from sporadic shelling and sniper fire over this short period accounted for one man dead and seven wounded.  Sadly, one of this number, Private Race was buried a few miles away in Strand Military Cemetery [grave ref: X.F.7], Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium.[5]

Related Biography

Ralph, George Robert – Born: Newton, Suffolk on 31.7.1898.[6]  Parents: Harry Ralph of Great Waldingfield, Suffolk (Horseman on Farm) and Eliza Jane [née Bowers].  Family Connections: Brother-in-law of William George Race of Long Melford [b1895].  Home: Waldingfield Road, Newton, Suffolk (1901), Valley Farm, Newton (1911), High Tree Cottage, Acton, Suffolk [1915], Folly Road, Great Waldingfield, Suffolk [1919] to (1921), 3 Church Row, Long Melford (1939), 9 St Pauls Road, Erith, Kent [1965].  Occupation: Textile Trade Collector (1921), Lorry Driver and Coal Roundsman (1939).  Married: Florence May Race of Long Melford in 1925.  Service Record: George enlisted on 27.2.1915 as Pte.3764 with 3^rd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers [City of London Regiment].  On 24.1.1918 he was posted to the Westen Front as Pte.800257 with ‘J’ Company, 2/3^rd Battalion as part of 2/1^st [London] Brigade, 58^th [London] Division.  He was listed as missing by his battalion on 24.3.1918 during the opening phase of the German Spring Offensive, he had received gunshot wounds to his right buttock and left foot before being captured at Cressy, and subsequently taken to Prisoner of War camps in Darmstadt and Güstrow in Germany.[7]  Following his repatriation at the end of 1918 he was transferred to 30^th Battalion, London Regiment, being issued with a Silver War Badge and discharged in April 1919. [8]  Died: Erith, Kent on 3.4.1965.[9]

Notes – [1] Baptism Register 16.4.1896, St Catherines Mission Church, Long Melford.  [2] Chelsea Hospital British Army Service Record [WO 97] up to 1901.  [3] Date of birth from the Baptism Register 19.9.1895, St Catherines Mission Church, Long Melford.  Admission Register 1.12.1897, St Catherines Infants School, Long Melford records birth date as 1.11.1894. [4] For details of 2^nd Essex’s movements during this early part of the conflict see War Diary [WO 95/1505/1].  See also his Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329] and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372].  [5] Commonwealth War Graves Commission record and British Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929 file [ref: 165158].  [6] Date of birth from the 1939 Register.  His POW record however records his birth year as 1899.  [7] International Committee of the Red Cross [ref: PA23325].  [8] Soldiers’ Documents, First World War ‘Burnt Documents’ [WO 363], Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923 [ref:190/0700], [WO 329 – Silver War Badge ref: 456745], Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329] and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372].  [9] National Probate Calendar.