Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

The Battle of the Somme 1st July - 18th November 1916 is inevitably characterised by the appalling casualties (60,000) on the first day, July 1st 1916. Having failed to break through the German lines in force, and also failed to maximise opportunities where success was achieved, the battle became a series of attritional assaults on well defended defence in depth. The battle continued officially until 18th November 1916 costing almost 500,000 British casualties. German casualties were about the same, and French about 200,000. The Somme could not be counted a success in terms of ground gained or the cost, but it had a strategic impact as it marked the start of the decline of the German Army. Never again would it be as effective whilst the British Army, learning from its experience eventually grew stronger to become a war winning army. The German High Command recognised that it could never again fight another Somme, a view that advanced the decision to invoke unrestricted submarine warfare in an attempt to starve Britain of food and material, and in doing so accelerated the United States declaration of war thus guaranteeing the eventual outcome. 287 Brethren were killed on the Somme in 1916.

Detail :

His death was recorded in the Suffolk and Essex Free Press on 20th September, 1916 - "The death is reported of Capt. Bernard St. John Glanfield, of the Suffolk Regiment. He was arriving with his battalion in France, and receive wounds on the 31st of August, from which he died on the same day. Capt. Glandfield was formerly in the Suffolk Yeomanry; afterwards he accepted a commisision in the Suffolk Volunteers and commanded the half company at Saxmundham. He continued his military career in the Territorials, on his removal to Bungay. When he transferred to Hayes he was attached to a Middlesex Battalion, but remained on the strenght of the Suffolks. He was mobilised at the commencement of the war, and went with the Battalion to France. After some months' service in the trenches he was invalided home with dysentery. On his recovery he again went to France in June, and remained their till his death. His brother, 2nd-Lieut. Gordon Glanfield was killed on the 9th November last year."

Probate GLANFIELD Bernard St. John of Bank Hounse Hayes Middlesex a captain 4th battalion Suffolk Regiment died 31 August 1916 in France on active service Probate London 2 December to the reverend Edgar Glanfield clerk and Frank Glanfield solicitor. Effects £925 10s. 2d.

For his service in the Great War he was awarded the 1914 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. His medal card shows that he "DofW" [Died of Wounds].

The medals were sent to Mrs Glanfield, who was resident at the vicarage in Imber, Wiltshire (village made famous by its evacuation in 1943 for military use).

Masonic :

Joined Waveney Lodge No. 929 at Bungay on 2nd March 1910.

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley