William Rushmere

A Private with 1st Bn, William died on 25th of May 1915 at the age of 33. Son of Charles Rushmere. 

William was born at Kirkley in 1882, a son of Charles and Caroline Rushmere. He was baptised at Saint Peter’s Church, Kirkley, on 15 April 1881. His family lived at 22 Lovewell Terrace, Kirkley. By 1891 they were living at 56 Clement Square, Lowestoft, but the 1891 Census shows William and his father at Hoford Barn, West Tilbury (his father was from Tilbury). By 1901 William’s father had died, his family lived at 6 Marine Cottages, Kirkley, and William was a bricklayer. 

In 1906 William married Ellen May Smith. In 1911 they lived at 6 Church Street, Pakefield, William was a general labourer - bricklayer. In 1917 Ellen married Cyril Wells and they lived at 51 Lorne Road, Lowestoft. 

William volunteered and enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. He joined the Suffolk Regiment. He was posted to the 1st Battalion and arrived in France on 3 May 1915 to join the Battalion and he served with B Company. 

Colonel Murphy’s ‘The History of the Suffolk Regiment 1914-1927’ has the following account of the 1st Battalion’s attack endeavours on 24 and 25 May 1915, pages 78-79:

On 24 May the Battalion fell in and moved towards Ypres. As the main bridge over the canal into Ypres was being heavily shelled 2nd Lieutenant Kemp guided the battalion to a small pontoon bridge which he knew to be intact. After negotiating the bridge successfully, the battalion set of across country at a smart pace and, skirting the pond at Zillebeke, reached Witte Poort Farm at about 5 o’clock in the evening, having sustained a few casualties on the way from artillery fire directed from an observation balloon.

In front of the farm ran a sunken road, with a deep ditch bordered by a hedge on the far side; beyond lay a field with a fringe of wood at its lower end in which the Germans were entrenched, their position being only about a hundred yards away. Two companies formed the firing line, with the others following, trickled across the road, the Germans holding their fire as they did so. The battalion, crouching in the ditch with bayonets fixed, now received from Major Maycock the order to charge. Captain Rushbrooke, on the right began pushing his way through the hedge, all the others following suit. Instantly the Germans poured in a most deadly fire, which so thinned the line that the objective was never reached. The order was then given to retire and reform. 

Shortly afterwards their brigade was ordered to launch another attack: Bellewarde Farm was to be taken at all costs, so at midnight the battalion again moved up to the west side of Witte Port Farm, but not in touch with either of its flank units. The attack was to be launched on a front of about four hundred yards. Two companies were put in the firing line on the extreme right, the other two being in support. Again the order was given to charge, and the battalion led by Major Maycock began to advance, but immediately came under a withering fire as on the previous occasion. Men fell in heaps everywhere, and within a few minutes the advance was definitely held up. The attack as a whole failed. One small point, on the sunken road, was held all day. Heavy shelling also took place on the 25th and during the day two officers and some stragglers returned to battalion headquarters. The battalion now numbered three officers and 181 other ranks.

The battalion’s casualties for 25 May were two officers killed, three wounded, and two missing, and, among the other ranks, three killed, 37 wounded, and 91 missing.    

William was reported missing on 25 May. By June it had been presumed that he had been killed in action but enquiries about Frederick, made through the Red Cross, continued until 1916. 

William’s nephew, Sidney Rushmere, died in 1940 whilst serving with the Royal Naval Reserve. 

Note: The Commonwealth War Graves website incorrectly gives his service number 16745.