Richard Stanley Spoor

A Private with the 1/4th Battalion, Richard died on 18th of August 1916 at the age of 22.

Richard was born at Lowestoft in 1894, a son of Moses and Alice Spoor. In 1901 hi family lived at 76 Queens Road, and by 1911 they were living at 87 Queens Road and Richard worked as a labourer for a steam drifter fishing company.

Richard enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. He joined the Suffolk Regiment, service number 3849, and was posted to the 1/4th Battalion, in France, in 1916. 

On 14 August 1916 the 1/4th Battalion moved into an area of trenches known as Seaforth, Black Watch and Worcester Trenches, near High Wood. At 2.45 p.m. on 18 August the battalion attacked the German trenches opposite their position as part of a brigade assault. D and C Companies reached the German line but had to retire as they had both flanks ‘in the air’ and no reinforcements were forthcoming. Two Lewis rifles (machine-guns) were positioned in the German trench and hostile bombing attacks repulsed. Finally, the men withdrew to Seaforth Trench. 

In the attack the battalion had three officers killed and three wounded, and 33 other ranks killed, 108 wounded, 17 missing presumed killed and 23 missing.  

Richard was reported wounded and missing on 18 August 1916 and it was not until September 1917 that it was concluded that he had died of wounds on 18 August. As he was missing, and his fate unknown, he was renumbered, as 201248, in March 1917, but he would never have known or used that service number. 

Richard’s body was found at map reference 57c.S.4.d.4.8. and his grave had been marked with a cross. In 1920 he was reburied at Caterpillar Valley Cemetery.