East, B
BENJAMIN EAST
Remembered with honour Larch Wood (Railway Cutting) Cemetery: Plot IV, Row C, Grave 3.
He enlisted in London 6 January 1908 a town carman; was wounded in action 29 October 1914 and died at No. 5 Field Hospital, Werwick, Belgium, or in a German hospital [tho’ these may be one and the same?]. He was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914 Star medals, his qualifying date being 6 October 1914. Unfortunately, Benjamin’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing.
There are articles about Benjamin in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 5 December 1914, 2 January 1915, and the issue dated 10 April 1915 has a list from the Grammar School.
Son of Emily (nee AXTEN) and the late Arthur EAST of Watford.
His parents married 2 April 1877 at St Mary’s, Watford. Arthur died 10 June 1909 in Watford aged 55, and was buried 14 June in Vicarage Road Cemetery, Watford; Emily died 1919 in Watford aged 62, and was buried 29 January, also in Vicarage Road Cemetery.
Benjamin was born 21 June 1889 in Watford, and attended first Sotheron Road Infants’ School, Watford; then Callowland Board School, Watford, from 13 January 1896 to 3 November 1903; finally Watford Grammar School from 16 January 1904 to December 1905.
On the 1891 Census, aged 1 he lived in Watford, with his parents and six siblings. On the 1901 Census, aged 11 he still lived in Watford, with his parents and nine siblings. On the 1911 Census, a soldier aged 21, he still lived in Watford, with his widowed mother and eight siblings.
Service number
13549Rank
SerjeantUnit
1st BattalionRegiment
Place buried
Date of death
31/10/1914*Age at death
25Place of death
- 1st S.W. Herts Scout Troop [in St Mary's Parish Church Watford] (4)
- Abbot's Langley Herts War Memorial (17)
- Aldbury Herts War Memorial (1)
- Aldenham Herts War Memorial (located in Letchmore Heath Herts) (8)
- All Saints Church Croxley Green Herts (12)
- All Saints Church Harrow Weald Middx (2)
- All Saints Church Hertford (1)
- All Saints Church King's Langley Herts (1)
- All Saints Church Leavesden Herts (31)
- All Saints Church Witham Essex (3)