"Killed On 24th Inst"

One of the first fatalities to be buried in 'Suffolk Cemetery' was young 2nd Lieutenant Francis Thomas Schroder.
Schroder started his military career as a Sergeant in the Grenadier Guards (no. 14705) but having had a good education at the Royal Hospital School at Holbrook, near Ipswich, he was commissioned and joined the 2nd Battalion in the Ypres salient in early in 1915. The War Diary noted that "2/Lt FT Schroder killed, 10 men wounded 4 rifle grenades landed in L5 doing most of the damage."
When rumour of his death reached England, his family enquired to the War Office to ask if the rumours were true since they had not as yet, received the official notification of his being either dead or missing. The telegram arrived on 25th to state coldly that "2/Lieut F T Schroder 2nd Suffolk Regt killed in action 24 March"  
On 31st March a letter arrived stating that "The Military Secretary presents his compliments to Mr Shillum and begs to inform him that since writing to him on 25th inst. a report has been received that 2nd Lieut FT Schroder was killed on 24th inst."
The other fatality of the action that day was 13150 Private Sergeant Jessup. Another Suffolk man, he was born in Wickham Market in 1891. Originally a member of 4th Suffolk, he transferred to the Royal Field Artillery in 1913, but after war broke out, he found his way back to his old Regiment and to the front, joining a draft that arrived early in 1915. 
In 1921, when a pension was granted to Jessup's family, his brother, who was then living in Benton Street in Hadleigh, received a payment of £4 1s 4d. (around £135 today). Not much for a brother lost.

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