Lieutenant Colonel
William Morriss ARMES
TD
Infantry
Died: 12th August 1915 - Age: 43

Commemorated:

1. Memorial:Helles MemorialSp. Mem. H. 5.
2. Book:The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918Pg.115
3. Memorial:The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour19D GQS
    

Awards & Titles:

Territorial Decoration
 

Early Life :

William Armes, known as Morriss, was born in the 2nd quarter of 1872, the eldest of three children of William and Sarah Armes. He had two brothers. Morriss was unmarried and lived with the family at Hardwicke House, Stour Street, Sudbury. At the outbreak of war he was the commanding officer of the 1/5th Battalion Suffolk Regiment, a Territorial Battalion which comprised of volunteer part-time soldiers.

Family :

Captain Raymond Linay Armes of 7th Bn. Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment), killed in action on 9th April 1916, age 37 and is also remembered on the Sudbury War Memorial. Lt. Col. Reginald John Armes of 1st Bn. Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment), born 1876, who survived the war.
Ethel - Sister

Probate was granted on 14th September 1916 to his brother Reginald John, in the amount of £11,940 17s 3d.

Education & Career :

King Edward Vii Grammar Boys' School, King's Lynn. From his profile picture the writing on it states he was a B.S.C. in School House 1887-1888, although not sure if this is King Edward's Grammar School.

William was the managing director of William Armes and Sons, a prosperous coir mat and matting manufacturer in Cornard Road, Sudbury, which was founded by his grandfather. He took over the family business despite setting his heart on a military career.

Service Life:

Campaigns:

Unit / Ship / Est.: 5th Battalion The Suffolk Regiment 

Action : Gallipoli 

The Gallipoli Campaign was fought on the Gallipoli peninsula 25th April 1915 to 9th January 1916. in a failed attempt to defeat Turkey by seizing the Dardanelles and capturing Istanbul. Ill-conceived and planned, the initial effort by the Royal Navy failed to force passage through the Dardanelles by sea power alone. It was then realised that a land force was needed to support the project by suppressing the Turkish mobile artillery batteries. By the time all was ready the Turks were well aware and well prepared. Despite amazing heroics on the day of the landings only minor beachheads were achieved and over the succeeding 8 months little progress was made. Eventually the beachheads were evacuated in a series of successful ruses.

Despite Gallipoli rightly becoming a national source of pride to Australians and New Zealanders, far more British casualties were sustained, and these days the substantial French contribution is almost forgotten.

He was in command when the battalion embarked on the Aquitania in Liverpool in July 1915, heading for Gallipoli in the eastern Mediterranean. In a letter to his sister Ethel sent just before he left, he wrote "It will be quite a family party out there but Old Man Turk may throw in the sponge before we get there. I look forward to the voyage but not so much to the discomfort and flies when we land".

Detail :

Six days after his division landed at Suvla Bay, he was reported "wounded but missing". This was part of the 163rd Brigade attack that included the 'Sandringham Company' of the 1/5 Norfolk Regiment who's part has since been much misrepresented and now sits amongst the myths of Gallipoli, largely thanks to an entertaining but almost totally inaccurate TV film released in 1999. Private Harvey from Hadleigh told the family after the war that the battalion was under heavy fire, but Lt. Col. Armes went on. He was wounded in the chest but raised himself and was waving his revolver and shouting to his men when he was hit twice more in the face. His death was not confirmed until the following year. He is recorded as having died aged 43 on 12th August 1915. He has no known grave, and is remembered on the Helles Memorial, Turkey. Morriss is also remembered on the Chilton Church Memorial and the memorial window in St. Gregory's Church, Sudbury.

Killed in Action 12th August 1915. Helles Memorial Panel 46/47.

Masonic :

TypeLodge Name and No.Province/District :
Mother : Stour Valley No. 1224 E.C.Suffolk

Initiated
Passed
Raised
28th February 1896
27th March 1896
24th April 1896
 

Past Provincial Grand Registrar

Source :

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

Additional Source:

Last Updated: 2020-11-27 10:53:17