The Suffolk Regiment

The Suffolk Regiment was raised at Norwich in 1685 by Henry, Duke of Norfolk, in support of James II at the time of the Duke of Monmouth's rebellion. It was numbered 12th in 1751, to which East Suffolk was added in 1782. The 12th was one of the six British Infantry Regiments at Minden in 1759.

In June 1836, The 12th (East Suffolk) Regiment was granted permission to bear on its Colours the word India in recognition of its distinguished conduct during its services in the East Indies from 1797 to 1807.

In December 1836, the regiment was permitted to carry on its Colours the word Gibraltar, the Castle and Key, being part of the armorial bearings of that fortress, together with the motto Montis Insignia Calpe in commemoration of its distinguished service during the siege of 1779–1783.

The Castle, Key and motto of Gibraltar were granted to Gibraltar by Henry IV of Castile in 1462, after the Duke of Medina had captured the Rock from the Moors. The key alludes to the Rock of Gibraltar being the key to the Mediterranean

On 1 July 1881, The 12th (East Suffolk) Regiment became The 1st Battalion The Suffolk Regiment.

In 1959, The Suffolk Regiment linked with the Royal Norfolk Regiment to form The 1st East Anglian Regiment (Royal Norfolk and Suffolk).

In 1964, it became the 1st (Norfolk and Suffolk)/The Royal Anglian Regiment, and in 1968, The 1st/The Royal Anglian Regiment.

The 1st/Suffolk Regiment

1 July 1881 The 1st/12th Regiment became The 1st Battalion, the Suffolk Regiment.

1897 1st/Suffolk

Sgt E Popple 1st Suffolk died 28 November 1897 aged 28 years.
(Pieta' Military Cemetery)

10 April 1897 The 1st/Suffolk embarked at Southampton from Aldershot and disembarked in Malta on 19 April.

It had an average strength of 485 men. It had 403 admissions (830.9/1000 mean strength) into hospital with 8 deaths (16.49/1000 mean strength). 6 invalids returned to England.

Its average constantly sick was 30.73 (63.36/1000 mean strength). The average sick time to each soldier was 23.13 days. The average duration of cases of sickness was 27.83 days.

The 1st/Suffolk Regiment was quartered at Mtarfa for 6 1/2 months and at Isola District for 2 months.

Burials at Rinella Military Cemetery in 1897:

17 Sep Sgt Harry Booth aged 27 years 1 month, died at Cottonera.
4 Oct Pte William John Ransom aged 19 years, died at Cottonera.
30 Nov Pte Edward Cadman aged 21 years, died at Cottonera.

Burials in Pietà Military Cemetery in 1897:

14 Oct Pte Ledikiah Clarke, aged 22 years.
18 Oct Pte James Trudgett, aged 28 years 10 months.
7 Nov L/Cpl Thomas Fowler, aged 21 years.
27 Nov Sgt Edward Popple, aged 25 years.

1898 1st/Suffolk

Admissions and Deaths during 1898
Average Strength	Admissions Hospital	Deaths	Admissions/1000	Deaths/1000
919	900	8	979	8.7
Admissions into hospital and deaths during the year with ratio of admissions and deaths per 1000 of strength. The average strength of the troops, exclusive of the Royal Malta Artillery, was 7,390 men.

The 1st/Suffolk Regiment had an average constantly sick was 60.11 (65.41/1000 mean strength). The average sick time to each soldier was 23.87 days. The average duration of cases of sickness was 24.38 days.

The regiment was quartered at Fort Manoel and Hutments and Isola Gate.

suffmano — A picquet of the Suffolk Regiment on manoeuvres 1898. (The Navy and Army Illustrated Vol VI No 71 page 279 published 11 June 1898).

7 Jan 1898 The men forming the draft of the 2nd/Somersetshire who were leaving for India, were entertained by their comrades of the Northamptonshire draft.

1 Dec The 1st/Somersetshire received orders to embark for Dover.

Baptisms in the Garrison Church in 1898:

2 Jan Elinor Kate Hearne born on 23 November 1897, daughter of Kate and Sgt James Hearne, of Cottonera.
16 Jan Amy Doris Ellen Burbridge born on 16 December 1897, daughter of Ellen and Sgt Alfred Samuel, of Vittoriosa.
23 Oct Richard Wharfe born on 9 October 1898, son of Pte John Wharfe and Sarah Ann, of Tigné.
23 Oct Beryl Millicent Cordon born on 25 September 1898, daughter of Sgt Robert Cordon and Eleanor, of Tigné.
2 Nov Joseph Wilfred Shepherd Cooke born on 11 October 1898, son of Sgt Joseph Henry Cooke and Annie Elizabeth, of Tigné.

Burials in Rinella Military Cemetery in 1898:

1 Jan L/Cpl Herbert William Rudland aged 21 years, died at Cottonera.
8 Jan Pte Herbert Hooper aged 22 years, died at Cottonera.
25 Feb Hannah Jude aged 30 years, died at Cottonera.
27 Apr Pte John Fawsey aged 21 years, died at Cottonera.

Burials in Pietà Military Cemetery in 1898:

5 Jan Pte Elias Shorter, aged 19 years.
9 Apr Pte William Watson, aged 21 years.
2 May Mrs Anne Ashby, aged 31 years, wife of Sgt Ashby.
17 Sep Dvr Ernest D Woolwough aged 19 years 10 months.
28 Oct Mrs Sarah Wharf aged 26 years wife of pte Wharf.
11 Nov George William Fenton.
8 Dec Infant Adeline Alice Harrison aged 2 months, daughter of Sgt Harrison.

1899 1st/Suffolk

Suffolk Regt — The Suffolk Regiment in the field prior to their embarkation for the Cape. (The Transvaal War Album, Hudson and Kearns page 80 published c. 1900.)

Strength: 678 men. The men were at Fort Manoel Island.

2 Jan 1899 The 1st/Suffolk, consisting of HQ Coy and eight companies, 21 officers, 3 officer's wives, 1 female officer's servant, 2 warrant officers, 41 sgts, 16 buglers, 661 rank and file, 38 soldiers' wives and 79 children, embarked for Southampton on the transport Jelunga.

The 1st/Suffolk moved to Dover on 11 January and to Capetown from Dover on 12 November 1899.

Baptisms in the Garrison Church in 1899:

10 Feb Baptism of Melita May Ranson born on 22 January 1899, daughter of Sgt George Arthur Ranson and Mary Ann, resident at Tigné.

The 1st/Suffolk Regiment

1907 1st/Suffolk

27 Nov 1907 The 1st/Suffolk left Woolwich on 20 Nov 1907, and embarked on the Dongola at Southampton. It disembarked at Malta on 27 Nov 1907.

1908 1st/Suffolk

Burials in Pietà Military Cemetery in 1908:

6 Oct 1908 Mrs Ann Elizabeth Warner, aged 37 years 5 months, wife of Cpl W Warner.

1909 1st/Suffolk

Paine A G — 7608 Boy A G Paine B Coy died 15 June 1909 from appendicitis aged 16 yrs 11 mths. (Mtarfa Military Cemetery)

3676 Pte E Rattle E Coy died 26 Sep 1909 (Pembroke Military Cemetery)

6 Nov 1909 The 1st/Suffolk held a boxing competition at the gym in Valletta.

Baptisms in 1909:

13 Jan Maurice George Bell born on 12 December 1908, son of Agnes and CSgt Maurice Bell, deceased, of Mtarfa Barracks.
13 Jan Paul Gillian Varnfield born on 15 November 1908, son of Sarah and Bandmaster Alfred George Varnfield of Mtarfa Barracks.
11 Apr Frederick William Gilbert born on 22 March 1909, son of Elizabeth Martha and L/Cpl James Gilbert of Mtarfa Barracks.
11 Apr Robert John Mumford born on 20 March 1909, son of Ellen Phoebe and Pte Joseph Mumford of Mtarfa Barracks.
9 May Madge Kate Duell born on 18 April 1909, daughter of Esther and CSgt Walter Duell of Mtarfa.
1 June Joseph Frederick George Smith born on 19 May 1909, son of Alice and L/Sgt Joseph Smith, of Mtarfa Barracks.

1910 1st/Suffolk

Ronald Clarance May died 22 Nov 1910 aged 11 mths (Pembroke Military Cemetery)

Madge Duell — Madge Kate Duell daughter of CSgt W and E Duell died 5 May 1910 aged 1 year (Pembroke Military Cemetery)

Aug 1910 Towards the end of August, The 1st/Suffolk Regiment was hit by a sudden outbreak of Paratyphoid B infection.

The fever was preceded by a few isolated cases of diarrhoea earlier in the year. The first case appeared on 4 May. The patient was admitted to hospital on 29 May from St Andrew's Barracks and was returned to barracks on 25 July 1910.

Sixteen days after his discharge, a second soldier fell ill. There followed a further twelve, all from the Suffolk Regiment, except for one soldier from the King's Royal Rifle Corps living in the adjoining St George's Barracks.

The last case occurred on 14 September and the patient was discharged on 12 Oct 1910. The pyrexia varied from 4 to 23 days. Bacillus paratyphoid was isolated in blood cultures.¹

Baptisms in 1910:

15 Apr Herbert Henry James Wilson born on 20 March 1910, son of Ruth and Sgt Henry Robert Wilson, of No 2, B Block, St Andrews Barracks, Pembroke.
22 May Annie Edith Berry born on 6 April 1910, son of Marion Annie and Sgt Arthur Berry, of No 3, B Block, St Andrews Barracks, Pembroke.
22 May Percy Walton Owen born on 21 April 1910, son of Ada and Pte Percy Owen, of No 10, C Block, St Andrews Barracks, Pembroke.

1911 1st/Suffolk

25 Jan 1911 The 1st/Suffolk embarked for Alexandria on the Dongola, where it disembarked on 28 Jan 1911.

The 1st/Suffolk Regiment

1937 1st/Suffolk

Nov 1937 The 1st/Suffolk arrived from England on a short tour of foreign service. The regimental strength was 355 men (31 Dec 1937).

1938 1st/Suffolk

30 June 1938 Strength: 455 rank and file.

1939 1st/Suffolk

30 June 1939 Strength: 0 officers, 67 men.

July The 1st/Suffolk embarked for England.

The 5th/Suffolk Regiment

The 1st/5th Battalion Suffolk Regiment landed at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli in August 1915, as part of the 54th Division.

1915 – 1st/5th/Suffolk Regiment

Burials at Pietà Military Cemetery in 1915:

13 Sep Pte Hume P aged 21 yrs.
26 Sep Pte Arbon Percy William aged 20 yrs.
3 Oct L/Sgt Albon Ephraim John aged 20 yrs.

Bibliography

Farmer J. S., 1984. The regimental records of the British Army Reprint Edition, Trowbridge, Wiltshire: Crecy Books.
Edwards T. J., 1980. Regimental Badges First Edition, Tonbridge, Kent: Ernest Benn Ltd.
Badges of H M Services. Briggs and Co Ltd, Manchester.
¹Babington, M. H., 1912, An outbreak of Paratyphoid B fever in Malta J R Army Medical Corps, Vol 18, pp 38–44.
TNA:WO 379/11. Stations of Regiments 1859–1900.
TNA:WO 379/15. Stations of Regiments 1901–1920.
TNA:WO 156/115. Register of burials in the military cemetery Rinella from January 1890 to January 1908.
TNA:WO 156/598. Baptism Register No 16; Malta from 20 February 1898 to 17 July 1916.