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21336 7th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
(‘21326’ on CWGC)
William Edwards was born around 1874 in Ballingdon, Sudbury. At the age of 17 William was lodging at 10 Suffolk Square with Joseph Outing. He was employed as a labourer for a local brickmaker and married Mary Wade in 1900. They lived at 6 Suffolk Square.
William enlisted in Sudbury and served with the Suffolk Regiment. William served alongside other Sudbury men including Frank Albon, Arthur Botham and Herbert Couch. The battalion formed part of the 36th Brigade, 12th (Eastern) Division which saw action in the opening phase of the Battle of the Somme at Ovillers on 3 July 1916. The battalion suffered heavy casualties with 470 killed including Arthur Botham.
On 3 August 1916 the battalion took over the trenches west of Pozieres, where the enemy began shelling the communication trenches for several hours. Five days later on 8 August the enemy attacked the trenches, after an early unsuccessful attack they attacked again and this time captured 70 yards of trench. The battalion had successfully recaptured the trench by the end of the day. William may have sustained his injuries during this action.
William died of wounds on 12 August 1916 and lies buried in Wimereux Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. A Cross of Remembrance was laid by the grave in March 2007.
William was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Wimereux was an important hospital base and three other Sudbury men are also buried in this cemetery. They are buried not far from Lt. Colonel John McCrae who wrote ‘In Flanders Fields’ and died in 1918.
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