Herbert Henry Ecclestone

A Private with 1st Bn., Herbert died on 1st of January 1942 at the age of 31. 

Herbert, also known as Bertie, was born on 21 May 1910, a son of William and Esther Mary Ecclestone. He was baptised at Saint Margaret's Church, Lowestoft, on 1 June 1910 and his family lived at The Street, Oulton. In 1911 his family lived at Oak Cottage, Blundeston. By 1921 his family had moved to live at 37 Tower Street, Great Yarmouth. By 1944 Hebert's mother had died and his father was living at 9 Park Road, Lowestoft. 

At some point Herbert moved to Lancashire. He enlisted in The King's Regiment (Liverpool), possibly around 1929, with service number 3767756. At some pointe he transferred to serve with the 1st Battalion Leicestershire Regiment and saw active service in the campaign on the North-West Frontier of India 1937-39.  

The 1st Battalion was in India when the Second World War began. In February 1941 the Battalion moved to Penang, and in May 1941 moved to Sungai Patani, Malaya. On 7 December 1941 the Japanese declared war and, at that time, the Battalion was in positions at Jitra. From 10 December 1941 until the fall of Singapore, in February 1942, the 1st Battalion was constantly in action. On 1 January 1942 Herbert was at Kampar where the Battalion fought an action against the Japanese. Herbert was killed in action and his body left 'north-west of the foundry' before being buried in a trench close by.  

Note: Commonwealth War Graves Commission records state that Herbert was 49 when he died. This would mean that he was born in 1893 and that he would have been at least 20 years older than any of the other soldiers in his battalion. Checking all available records as well as finding Herbert's details in a number of family trees shows that he must have been born in 1913, not 1893, thus making him 29 when he died.