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50235 54th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps
Bertie Lorking was born in Sudbury around 1894, one of seven children of William and Emma Lorking. His father was a plasterer and the family lived at 25 Burkitts Lane before later moving to Newmans Road. At the age of 17 Bertie was employed as cycle repairer.
Bertie enlisted in Colchester and served with the Suffolk Regiment (formerly 2470). He first served in ’a theatre of war’ in the Balkans on 10 August 1915. It is very likely he saw action with the 5th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment alongside other Sudbury men during the Gallipoli Campaign. It is not known when he transferred to the Machine Gun Corps which was formed on 22 October 1915.
Bertie died age 24 of pneumonia at the 21st General Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt on 21 October 1918 and lies buried in Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt. Many lost their lives from disease as well as from the fighting during the campaign in the Middle East.
Bertie was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal and was recorded as ‘recommended for decoration’ in the original Sudbury Roll of Honour.
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