 In billets at La Clytte, the 2nd Battalion were resting after a period in the trenches at Vierstraat.
On the 28th February 1915, the Corps Commander, General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien, visited the Battalion accompanied by Major-General Haldane and Brigadier-General Bowes, to view a new barbed wire entanglement which had been developed by Private Death in the previous weeks when they had been in the front line. The “Suffolk Death Trap” as the War Diary coined it, proved very popular with the visiting top brass and they all “expressed their highest approval of it.” Private Death joined the Suffolk Regiment in late August 1914, although he was most likely a Reservist called back to the Colours and possibly given his old number upon re-enlistment. He may very well have been at Le Cateau, and survived the battle or he may have come out afterwards as a replacement. He would be Mentioned-in-Dispatches in June 1915, for his part in the 2nd Battalion's attack on the German positions in front of the village of Hooge. His Platoon Commander, Lieutenant H.C.N. Trollope was wounded by shrapnel in the arm and leg during the same attack. As to what Death's or De'Ath's exact design was is unsure, but it was clear that the ethos had changed from one of offensive, to one of defensive. Comments are closed.
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Welcome to our online 'chronicle' that charted the history of the many battalions of the Suffolk Regiment throughout their service during the Great War.
This record is now closed, but we have retained all our original posts here for you to search through and in the fullness of time, we hope to add to it as and where new stories come to light. It was at times, a challenging but rewarding endeavour which has helped many people in their research of the Regiment. If you know the specific month of an action of the Regiment, you can search for it in the list below: Archives
February 2025
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