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24054 7th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Herbert Couch was born in Kings Norton, Birmingham in 1893. His mother Ada died when he was twelve, and their father William Henry Couch brought up Herbert and his younger sister Winifred. His father was a cashier at Worsey’s woollen factory in Birmingham and later married Nellie Mabel Wilkins and had three more children. The family lived at 22 Noel Road, Edgbaston. Herbert attended King Edward’s Grammar School and then Birmingham University gaining a BA Honours degree before being appointed to teach history, modern languages and geography at Sudbury Grammar School in April 1914.
His father’s health was failing after contracting tuberculosis and he was unable to work, Herbert was exempt from conscription being the main breadwinner of the family. Herbert enlisted in Sudbury in January 1916 under the Derby scheme, which urged men to register with the condition that they would only be called upon to serve if needed. He was almost immediately told to report to the 7th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment.
It was reported in the Suffolk and Essex Free Press on 19 July 1916 that ‘Private H W Couch, of the Suffolks, who was one of the Masters at Sudbury Grammar School, was wounded in the head by a shell, which smashed his rifle. Private Couch is in hospital in Edinburgh’. The 7th Battalion which formed part of 35th Brigade, 12th (Eastern) Division saw action at the Battle of Albert (1 – 13 July 1916) in the opening phase of what we now refer to as the Battle of the Somme. He served alongside other Sudbury men including Frederick Albon, Arthur Botham, William Edwards and James Moulton.
Once Herbert had recovered from his injuries he returned to the front. He wrote regularly to his sister Winifred. In one letter there was mention of an injury to his leg. In July 1917 the battalion was in the Monchy sector around Arras where the chief activity was raiding enemy trenches.
A letter was sent at the beginning of July when his unit was resting behind the lines. On Tuesday 11 July 1917 he sent a Field Service postcard, which was a pre-printed card with choices of messages for the troops to choose from saying that he was quite well and would write at the first opportunity.
Herbert died of wounds aged 24 that same day at the 8th Casualty Clearing Station. He lies buried in Duisans British Cemetery, Etrun, France. A Cross of Remembrance was laid by his grave in October 2011.
Herbert was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
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