Mill Road, stop 19 (a).
Rifleman 4161, Walter William Gildersleeves, 8th Battalion, London Regiment (Post Office Rifles), 1884 – 24 May 1916
William Walter Gildersleeves was born in Saxmundham. In 1911 he lived in the family home at 2 South View, Mill Road in a railway house, granted to the Gildersleeves as his father Robert was the signalman and his younger brother Arthur was a railway porter. However, William chose an alternative career in the postal service. Aged seventeen he is recorded in 1901 as a postman and by 1903 he had the rural round between Saxmundham and Bruisyard. The Post Office encouraged men to enlist with the reassurance that their jobs will be available on completion of service and that military service would count towards their pension. William duly enlisted in London and served on the western front from 3 February 1916 until his death, just over three months later.
The eldest son of Robert and Rosanne Gildersleeves, William Walter was born in Saxmundham. In 1911 the family lived at 2 South View, Mill Road in a railway house, granted to the Gildersleeves as his father Robert was the signalman and his younger brother Arthur was a railway porter. However, William chose an alternative career in the postal service. Aged seventeen he is recorded in 1901 as a postman and by 1903 he had the rural round between Saxmundham and Bruisyard. The Post Office encouraged men to enlist with the reassurance that their jobs will be available on completion of service and that military service would count towards their pension.
William duly enlisted in London and served on the western front from 3 February 1916 until his death, just over three months later.
William is buried in the Barlin Communal Cemetery Extension, the cemetery used for those that died at the nearby casualty clearing station. Additionally, he is commemorated on the Saxmundham Church, Chapel and Fromus Centre Memorials. William’s father and mother died in 1914 and 1918, respectively. Seemingly his brother married but lost his life in 1919. The sole surviving member of the family, Ethel married Thomas Downes.
Mill Road, stop 19 (b).
Rifleman 471295, Fred Martin, 2/12th (County of London) Battalion, (The Rangers), 1892- 8 June 1917.
Fred Martin, the son of Saxmundham postman, John Charles Martin, followed his elder brother to London to seek work. Lodging in Shepherds Bush, Fred was employed as a builder’s clerk before he found work with the Great Eastern Railway as a porter. Fred enlisted in 1915 and perished in the area south of Bullecourt in the Arras region, aged just twenty-five.
Fred, the youngest of two sons born to John Charles Martin, a postman and his wife Jane (nee Burgess) was born in Saxmundham in 1892. Sadly, his mother died, likely in 1899, when he was just seven years old, and his father remarried Sarah Ann Moore in 1909. His elder brother eleven years older than Fred left Saxmundham and by 1901 worked in the City of London Tavern as a barman. Similarly, Fred followed his elder sibling to London and by 1911, lodging in Shepherds Bush, was employed as a builder’s clerk. According to the Roll of Honour website for the Great Eastern, Liverpool Street Station War Memorial, he was later employed as a railway Porter, based in Newbury Park.
The Roll of Honour website records Fred enlisted in June 1915 in the 2nd / 12th Battalion of the (County of London) Battalion, albeit his Medal Record Card does not mention award of the 1915 Star. Fred perished in the area south of Bullecourt in the Arras region aged just twenty-five. The War Diary recorded a far quieter time compared to the fighting experienced during the Battle of Arras. However, there were a few casualties and Fred Martin was one of them.
Fred never married or had children and his possessions were left to his father, John Charles Martin of Garden Cottage, (likely to be in Mill Road, near the junction with Rendham Road) Saxmundham. His brother, John Charles Martin, had at least one child, Charles Sackville Martin, born in 1906 in Paddington. Fred is commemorated on Saxmundham Church, Chapel, Fromus Square and Oddfellows Memorials, the Liverpool Street Station War Memorial and Arras Memorial, France.
Percival Charles Steward
Photo courtesy of Joan Stuart
Mill Road, stop 19 (c).
55772, Lance Corporal, Percival Charles Steward, 17th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (formerly 20469 Norfolk Regiment), 1896– 3 July 1918.
Charles enlisted in Ipswich initially in the Norfolk Regiment before transferral to the 17th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps. He died on 3 July 1918 from wounds received at Toutencourt, France and is buried in the Varennes Military Cemetery, France. His father, former Colour Sergeant Major, and landlord of the White Horse Inn in Sweffling, died in 1914 and the family moved to South View in Mill Road.
Percival Charles seemingly preferred to be called Charles Percy and this is recorded on his war records, albeit his correct name is recorded on 1901 and 1911 censuses. Charles, born in Leiston to George and Eliza Ann Steward was one of nine children, seven of which were alive in 1911. His father a former Colour Sergeant Mayor received his pension in 1907 but seemingly was engaged as a volunteer drill sergeant whilst the family lived at 3 Recreation Ground Cottages, Leiston. Thereafter the family moved to Sweffling.
In 1911 Charles’s father, George changed career and became the landlord of the White Horse Inn, Sweffling, albeit he also referred to himself as an army pensioner. His wife Eliza and daughter assisted in the running of the business and Charles aged fourteen together with his elder brother Ernest William were employed as blacksmiths. George’s death in 1914 likely resulted in the family moving to South View, Mill Road, Saxmundham. Less than four years later, the family lost Charles Percy.
Charles enlisted in Ipswich initially in the Norfolk Regiment before transferral to the 17th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps. He died on 3 July 1918 from wounds received at Toutencourt, France and is buried in the Varennes Military Cemetery, France. In addition to his name his mother requested the words ‘Thy will be Done’ were inscribed on the headstone. Charles is also commemorated on the Saxmundham Chapel, Church and Fromus Square memorials. His family remained at South View until the early 1920s.
Living at home in 1921 with his mother, Eliza, eldest brother Alfred was an out of work iron moulder who previously worked for Taylor and Son, General Engineers in London and sister Florence was employed as an upholster with Ashfords in the High Street. To earn extra cash Eliza took in boarders; a bus driver and conductor who worked for Eastern Counties Road Car Company. Whilst her two youngest daughters were at school, they also likely helped their mother in her home duties.
