Suffolk Regiment, 2nd Battalion,formerly 3772 Northumberland Fusiliers
Killed in Action on Wednesday, 16th June 1915
Aged 21
William Harry (known as Harry) was born in Badwell Ash in 1894 (Stow Q2-1894 4A:763) son of Spencer and Minnie Emmaretta SYMONDS (nee HATTEN)
1901 census...Harry SYMMONDS aged 6 (born Bury St.Edmunds) who was at 84 New Cut West, St Peters, Ipswich with Nina White, a teacher of Elocution. Also there was Ray SYMMONDS [8] - his brother George Raymond, there being a tendency for families to use the second given name for the sons. His father, Spencer SYMONDS [38] a farmer born in Rickinghall; his mother Minnie [35] born in Walsham le Willows and brothers Spencer L [3] and Herbert Eric [1] both born in Badwell Ash, were at Shackerland Hall, Badwell Ash.
1911 census...Aged 16, he is the William Harry Symonds [16] born Stowmarket, at Framlingham College, Framlingham. His parents were in Badwell Ash with his brothers George (son working on farm)and Spencer (scholar), and Herbert [11],also a sister Margaret [4] born in Badwell Ash.
William Harry SYMONDS was at Framlingham College from 1908-1911 and is on their Roll of Honour, together with his brother Spencer Lester Hatten SYMONDS (see below), who was at Framilngham from 1913-15 and was killed in the Royal Flying Corps. According to the church's Roll of Service all four brothers fought in the Great War; Ray died shortly after the war.
Harry enlisted first in Newcastle upon Tyne in the Northumberland Fusiliers, No. 3772.
At the time it was recorded that he appeared to be around 16 or 17 years old,not the 19 yrs 272 days that he alleged. That was on 9th February 1914. He attested as a farmer's son from Badwell Ash, Suffolk, height 5' 11.3", weight 138.5 lbs, chest 38" expanding by 3 ",grey eyes and light brown hair. In addition to doubts about his age, it was decreed that his defective teeth made him 'unlikely to make an efficient soldier' - a quote from Kings Regulations Para 392 (iii)(c). So he was sent back home on 9th April 1914.
At that time there was concern about the number of volunteers being rejected due to defective teeth when dental treatment could have rendered them fit for service, and later regulations were put in place to arrange for such treatment to be arranged.
Undeterred he went on later to enlist successfully in the Suffolk Regiment when war broke out.
His entry in De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour reads :-
"SYMONDS, WILLIAM HARRY, Private, No. 12059, 2nd Battalion Suffolk Regt., 2nd s. of Spencer SYMONDS, of Badwell Ash, Bury St. Edmunds, Farmer, by his wife, Minnie, dau. Of the late William Green HATTEN , of Walsham-le-Willows; b. Badwell Ash, 13 May 1894; educ. Albert College, Framlingham; enlisted on the outbreak of war, served with his regt. In France and Flanders, and was killed in action at the battle of Hooge, 16 June, 1915; buried there in Sanctuary Wood;. A brass tablet has been erected to his memory in the Parish Church at Badwell Ash.".
5th Corps, the 3rd Division attacked Bellewaarde Farm, Y Wood and the trench system between them on the 16th June 1915. The leading troops got forward so quickly they came under fire from our own guns. The 2nd Suffolk were being held in reserves and came in on the back end of the battle. At nightfall "B" Company was told off to dig a trench linking Y Wood with an adjacent culvert on the Menin Road. They had their first taste of gas shells but completed their task before day-break. They then spent 4 days consolidating the line and the gruesome task of clearing up the battle field.
On the 16th the battalion had 5 men killed on the 16th, none has an identified grave.
William Harry Symonds is commemorated on the Menin Gate, Ypres panel 21 and also the Roll of Honour at Framlingham College
Click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details
Royal Flying Corps, 7 Squadron
Killed in Action on Monday, 12th November 1917
Aged 20
Spencer was born in Badwell Ash in 1897 (Stow Q2-1897 4A:841) son of Spencer and Minnie Emmaretta SYMONDS (nee HATTEN)
1901 census...Aged 3, he was at Shackerland Hall, Badwell Ash with his father, Spencer SYMONDS [38] a farmer born in Rickinghall; his mother Minnie [35] born in Walsham le Willows and brother Herbert Eric [1] born in Badwell Ash.
His brothers Harry (William Harry) and Ray (George Raymond) were at the time living in Ipswich receiving elocution lessons.
1911 census... Aged 13 he was in Badwell Ash with his parents and his brothers George (Ray, working on farm) and Herbert [11],also a sister Margaret [4] born in Badwell Ash.
Spencer was at Framlingham College from 1913-1915 and is on their Roll of Honour, together with his brother William Harry SYMONDS (see above), who was at Framilngham from 1908-1911 and was killed in Belgium in 1915.
Many pilots were initially seconded to the RFC from their original regiments, in Spencer's case from the Artists Rifles, Officer Training Corps, by becoming an observer. Some RFC ground crew (often NCO's or below) also volunteered for these flying duties as they then received supplementary flying pay. There was no formal training for observers until 1917 and many were sent on their first sortie with only a brief introduction to the aircraft from the pilot. Once certified as fully qualified the observer was awarded the coveted half-wing brevet. Once awarded this could not be forfeited so it essentially amounted to a decoration.
From the very brief records available is appears that Spencer originally served as No. 764914 Private in the 28th London Regiment. This was the Artists Rifles, which, as above, was to go on to form an Officers Training Corps. From that he was at Oxford 25 TC from 5th May 1917 until withdrawn on 13th August to attend flying instruction. He seems to have ceased instruction on 30th August and joined the Expeditionary Force in France/Flanders on 2nd October 1917 as an observer. He was posted missing and then confirmed killed on 12th November 1917. Since no other member of 7 squadron died that day it is hard to work out what happened to his pilot. Perhaps the pilot was recovered safely. In which case there should be more to the records. The time scale seems to preclude him becoming a pilot and he would not have been flying in an RE8 alone in any event, but strange things happen in war.
7 Squadron did not have a crest approved until 1939. They converted from BE2 aircrat to RE8 in air observation role in June 1917
Spencer Leslie Symonds is buried in Aeroplane Cemetery, Ypres grave7:B:34. He is also commemorated on the Roll of Honour at Framlingham College
Click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details
