Richard East
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Richard East was born in 1892 at Newark and was the son of the late Richard Cartwright East a retired market gardener and Fanny Louisa East, née Willey of 46 Harcourt Street, Newark. His father Richard East was born in 1832 at Southey, Lincolnshire and died in 1914 in Newark, he was 82 yrs of age and his mother Fanny Louise Willey was born in 1867 in Marleybone, London, they were married in 1891 in Newark and went on to have 7 children, sadly one was to die in infancy or early childhood, their surviving children all born in Newark were, Eleanor b1891, Hilda b1891, Richard b1892, Fanny b1894, Mary b1897 and Albert Edward b1903. In the 1911 census the family are living at 21 Chatham Street, Newark and are shown as Richards 79 yrs an old age pensioner, he is living with his wife Fanny Louise 44 yrs and their children, Richard 19 yrs an iron moulder, Fanny 17 yrs a tailors button holer, Mary 14 yrs a tailors machinist and Albert Edward 8 yrs a scholar,
Private Richard East, enlisted on 25th August 1914, at Newark he had previously served for 4 yrs with the 8th battalion Sherwood Foresters Regiment, he gave his age as 22 yrs and 6 months and was living at 21 Chatham Street, Newark, his next of kin was his widowed mother Fanny of the same address, he was a moulder working for Nicholson's and Sons of Newark. He was posted to the 1/8th battalion Sherwood Foresters and landed in France on 2nd March 1915, he was killed in action on 24th April 1915 near to Kemmel and he is buried at Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery, France grave reference E.82
Five Newark men serving with the 1/8th battalion Sherwood Foresters Regiment were all killed on 24th April 1915, when a German mortar exploded in their trench they were all buried in Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery, Heuvelland, Belgium, they were Privates , Richard East, Charles Redmile, William Godfrey, Walter Hunt and Bert Sketchley Article published in the Newark Herald on 1st May 1915 :- Son of late Richard Cartwright East & Fanny Louisa East, 21 Chatham Street, Newark. A member of the Baptist Brotherhood. He was a moulder at Messrs. Nicholson & Son, where he served his apprenticeship. He had served in the battalion four years ago and re-enlisted when war broke out. Re-joining at Harpenden a week after the battalion left Newark. Killed in the trenches on Saturday last, by a large German bomb (also killed was William Godfrey of Newark).
