Edwin
Charles WAITE
5th
November 1887
Early Life 1887-1906
Edwin was born on 5th November, 1887 in
Catsfield, East Sussex [1]. He was the seventh child and the third and last son of James and
Charlotte WAITE (nee ELPHICK).
By the end of the Great War, all three sons of
James and Charlotte had died, one in childhood and two killed in action [2].
In October 1891 he entered Catsfield Village School
and left about 1900. The 1901 Census
shows him still living in Catsfield and a Carter’s Boy on a farm.[5] By 1906 when he enlisted in the Regular Army, he was an upholsterer [6].
Joining the Regular Army 1906
When he joined the Regular Army on 29th
June 1906, aged 19, he was already serving as a part-time soldier in the 1st
Sussex (Volunteer) Royal Engineers[6]. This battalion was based in
Eastbourne [7] and it is not known whether there were more local companies in the
Bexhill and Hastings areas. If not, then
Edwin probably lived and worked in Eastbourne.
However, he enlisted in Hastings.
Apparently he received a ‘Notice’ (given to him by a Sargeant Major G
King) but it is not known what this ‘Notice’ said. Quite possibly, it referred to the terms of
his service – 3 years with the Colours, and 9 years in the Reserve. On the form, Edwin stated that he wished to
serve in the Royal Regiment of Artillery (Royal Horse or Royal Field Regiments)[6]. He was signed on as a
Gunner. However, on the following day in
Chichester, he was transferred as a Private with the number 8495 to the Royal Sussex
Regiment. His terms of service were changed to 9 years with the Colours and 3
years with the Reserve[8].
His enlistment papers show Edwin to have been 5’71/2’’
tall, weighing 144 lbs (which had increased to 158 lbs. after 6 months), with a
fresh complexion, blue eyes and brown hair[9].
Army Service 1906-1913
After enlisting in Hastings on 29th June
1906, he went to the headquarters of the Royal Sussex Regiment in
Chichester. He remained there,
presumably for basic training, until 15th December when he went to
Dover. On 16th February 1907 he was posted to the 1st
Battalion in Rawalpindi, India. [10] [11] With occasional postings elsewhere, he served in Rawalpindi until
February 1913. He returned to Britain and was transferred to the Reserve on 6th
March 1913 [12].
Whilst in India, he was a Company Cook for 18
months[12], and passed a class of instruction on Big Gun Drill on 6th
May 1911. His musketry classification
was 2nd class [12]. He also acquired a tattoo on his right forearm of a snake encircling a
tree [13].
Between 1907 and 1910, he spent a total of 88 days
in hospital with various ailments – ague, dispepsia (connected to tachycardia),
rheumatism (also with tachycardia and a lung problem), and a wounded left toe! [14].
His Regimental Defaulter Sheet and the Squadron,
Troop, Battery and Company Sheet make interesting reading. On 7th March 1908 he was drunk and
creating a disturbance in the Bungalow about 2.15 pm and then resisted his
escort. He was awarded 7 days confined
to barracks. On 18th March
1910 at Rawalpindi he disobeyed an order and was given 96 hours detention. At Gharial on 8th September 1912
he was drunk in barracks, used obscene and threatening language to a Sgt Cramp,
attempted to strike Sgt Cramp, and used obscene language in the guard detention
room. He was detained for 14 days, fined
two shillings and sixpence, and forfeited one good conduct badge [15, 16]. Nonetheless, although he had no
Good Conduct badges on his transfer to the Reserve [in
1913] , his conduct whilst with the Colours is described as ‘Very Good’[12].
Service in the Great War
Edwin was mobilised on 5th August 1914
and posted the same day to the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Sussex
Regiment. On 12th August he was posted to the British Expeditionary
Force [17]
The B.E.F sailed to France from
12/8/1914 for 5 days, the peak days being 15th, 16th, and
and 17th August. Southampton
was the embarkation port for personnel.
“A khaki-coloured tide flowed out over the
docksides of disembarkation, into the camps, and out of them again along the roads
of the Pas-de-Calais and Picardy towards the first concentration area around
Amiens. Everywhere the British Army
received a rapturous welcome from the French population.” [18]
The
Royal Sussex Regiment disembarked in Rouen[1],
“having sailed right up the Seine.
The last stretch of the journey was a triumphal progress. People lined the river banks, covered every
hillside, clung to precarious vantage points on cliffs and promontories. Flotillas of rowing boats struggled to keep
pace with the troopships and bombarded the Tommies on their decks with friendly
fusillades of fruit and flowers. The
troops were mobbed on disembarkation.
‘Buttons and
cap badges were, as always, in demand and it was this that indirectly caused
the trouble. The Sussex were proud of
their cap badge. They were proud of the
history of their regiment and they were well aware that the Roussillon plume on
their insignia was a symbol of victory.
It dated from Quebec where, as the old 35th Foot, the
Regiment had soundly beaten the French.
The Roussillon Regiment had faced them in the line and, elated with
success, the victors had snatched the furled plumes from enemy hats and worn
them gloatingly in their own. There was
not a man in the 2nd Battalion who did not know the story and, in
the very act of handing over their cap badges in the cause of Franco-British
friendship, many soldiers managed to communicate a graphic version to the
French, curious to know why this familiar Gallic device should adorn the badges
of their Anglo-Saxon allies. Despite the
language difficulty, the message came across loud and clear and the French did
not take it well. There was almost a
riot.’
Next morning,
Colonel Montresor, considerably put out, paraded the Battalion a company at a
time to read them a lecture and to point out the necessity of tact. He suggested that in the circumstances it
would be better to say, if asked, that the French had freely given the plume in
recognition of the regiment’s bravery at Quebec. There was no further trouble, but when onward
movement orders were received, the Colonel and his officers were distinctly
relieved.’ [Lyn MacDonald - 1914 - The Days of Hope - Penguin 1987]
‘The Royal Sussex reached the edge of the battle
zone at Mons in an acute state of exhaustion. The Roussillon plume stood as
proudly as ever on their badges and buttons but their owners were definitely
wilting. They had had no rest but cat naps since they had left Rouen, packed
into a train that travelled by day at little more than walking pace, stopping
at nights at railway yards where the incessant shunting of trains and the
penetrating sound of the guards’ trumpets made sound sleep impossible. Three days’
march on French cobblestones had finally brought them to their destination a
mile or so south of Mons on the eve of the battle. Crammed into the barns where
they were to billet for the night the Battalion collapsed on the straw as one
man and slept the sleep of the dead. On Sunday morning they were roused by the
sound of church bells.’
Sgt. F.M. Packham, No 10134, 2nd Bttn.,
Royal Sussex Regt., 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, B.E.F.
recorded that:
‘After breakfast we were watching the local families going to church
when we heard the sound of galloping horses coming towards us. As they
approached we saw that it was a battery of sixty-pounders rushing up the hill.
After about five minutes we heard the sound of the guns firing. Well! We had
set off running up the hill. When we got to the top we were just in time to see
our guns fire in anger for the first time. We could see the shells bursting far
ahead and almost at once we heard in the distance the sound that we were to
dread for the next four years - the sound of guns firing at us from behind the
German lines. We could see their shells bursting just in front of our guns, and
there was a rushing noise, like an express train tearing towards us. We soon
learned that when you heard that sound the shell had already burst or that it
had found its target and it was too late to duck, but we were green then! By
this time our officers had arrived to round us up. They ordered us back to
billets to ‘stand to’ at once and to be prepared to move at any time.
That day it was 3rd August [??],
and it was a day of frustration and disappointment. We did nothing but march
from one place to another and everywhere we went we could hear rifle and
artillery fire from all directions, but we saw no signs of the of the enemy.
Late in the afternoon we were ordered to dig a trench at the back of a row of
houses and dig it deep! They told us we would be there all night and that we
could expect the Germans to attack any time. We completed the trench, we posted
sentries, and then - just as we’d been told to make ourselves comfortable - up
came the Royal Munster Regiment to relieve us! So there was nothing for it but
to scramble out and start marching back to the rear again. We went into billets
for what was left of the night. We didn’t know what was happening.’
‘What was happening was that the new line was
having to be given up. It was a matter of hours since Sir John French had given
the instructions that had set the men digging for all they were worth. I will
stand the attack on the line now occupied by the troops. You will therefore
strengthen your position by every possible means during the night. Every
possible means meant that battalions already weary with marching must rouse
themselves and take to the road again to reinforce positions that were thinly
held. Every possible means meant building barriers across roadways, stretching
tripwires through copses, posting look-outs, doubling sentries. Every possible
means meant that every man must remain awake and vigilant. Every possible means
meant dig, dig, dig.’ [MacDonald]
Edwin was wounded in the Battle of Mons[2]
but recovered sufficiently to take his part in the other great battle which
avenged it (the first battle around Ypres).
His Battalion (still as part of 1st Division) were moved to
the defence of Ypres in late October 1914.
After a brief period in reserve, the Battalion moved on 7th
November to action at Klein Zillebeke.
They were relieved two days later on 9th November and again
went to the reserve line. Guards
Brigade. On 13th November,
Edwin was again wounded, and was being carried to safety by a French soldier
when they were both shot by a German sniper, both being killed. [Report of
Frances Elizabeth NICHOLS (nee WAITE) to Bexhill Chronicle 1/5/1915].
Headline ‘Killed in Action’ Sidley Soldier’s Death.
[photo] Private E. Waite. News reached
Mr and Mrs J Waite of 15, North Road, Sidley, a few days ago that their son,
Private E. Waite, Royal Sussex Regiment, was killed in action on November 13th
at the Battle of Ypres. With the sad
news came the following message from Lord Kitchener:- “The King commands me to
assure you of the true sympathy of His Majesty and the Queen in your
sorrow.” The dead hero was 27 years of
age. He had previously been wounded in
the retreat from Mons, in consequence of which, he spent a month at the base
hospital in France. Having regained his
health and strength, Private Waite was sent back to the fighting line, and
after only one day’s fighting, met his death.
The sympathy of all Bexhillians will go out to Mr and Mrs Waite in their
sorrow’
In the Battle of Mons, the 2nd
Battalian, Royal Sussex Regiment was part of the 2nd Brigade of the
1st Division of the I Corps.
The General Officer Commanding I Corps was Lt gen Sir D Haig, KCB, KCIE,
KCVO, ADC-Gen. On 23rd
August, 1914, I Corps was located between Mons and Grand Reng [Terraine].
‘Of the 90,000 men who had landed in France, one in
every six had become a casualty [about 15,000 men].’ Most of the Hospital Units had not unpacked
and dealing with great number of wounded during a retreat posed many
problems. Also, the nature of the wounds
(gas gangrene - nothing to do with later gassing) posed problems not met with
before (South Africa). [MacDonald, Lyn: The Roses of No Man’s Land (1980).
The 1st Battle of Ypres took place
between 12/10/1914 and 17/11/1914. [Holding]. The casualties at this battle
were even greater than at Mons. [MacDonald].
He [Edwin] died on 13/11/1914 aged 27, his grave
untraceable. He is commemorated by name
on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium.
The Royal Sussex Regiment is listed on Panel 20 of the memorial [War
Graves Commission]. I suspect that
either after he was wounded, his body was blown to bits by the shells or, more
likely, that the number of deaths were so great in an area of great confusion
that the dead were hastily buried in communal graves. [DLN 29/10/98]
His name also appears on the Bexhill War memorial
and also the memorial plaque on St Mary Magdelene’s Church
Bexhill Observer 12/12/1914 - ‘The death at the
Front of Private Waite of Sidley, brings the number of Sidley casualties to
five - two killed and three wounded.’
He is mentioned in the section ‘The Glorious Dead’
following the ‘Gallery of Patriots, Bexhill men who are serving their King and
Country’ in the Bexhill Observer 23/1/1915, 13/2/1915.
1. East Sussex County Record Office, Parish Register of Baptisms, Catsfield, Sussex. 1905.
2. Nichols Diana L, Waite
Family Genealogy. 2000.
5. Public
Record Office, 1901 Census. 2002.
6. Army,
Army Form B. 217 Short Service Attestation. 1906.
7. Miller
John, Holman Stephens - The Military Man.
Tenterden Terrier. 1994.
8. Army,
Statement of the Services of No. 8495 Edwin C Waite. 1906.
9. Army,
Description of Waite Edwin Charles on Enlistment. 1906.
10. Army,
Medical History of Edwin Charles Waite. 1912.
11. Army,
Statement of the Services of No. 8495 Edwin C Waite. 1914.
12. Army,
Procedings on Transfer to The Army Reserve Army Form B. 2056. 1913.
13. Army,
Description on transfer to Army Reserve. 1913.
14. Army,
Table IV Admissions to Hospital. 1910.
15. Army,
Regimental Defaulter Sheet Army Form B120. 1912.
16. Army,
Squadron, Troop, Battery and Company Conduct Sheet Army Form B121. 1912.
17. Army,
Military History Sheet. 1914.
18. Terraine
John, Mons. 1960.