Bertie Gordon Hadingham

Born: 1890

Died: 17 December 1915

Rank and Regiment: Lance Corporal 2335 in the 1st/6th Battalion of the Essex Regiment

Resting Place: Alexandria (Chatby) Military And War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt - C. 98

Memorials: St. Mary the Virgin, Carleton Forehoe, United Kingdom

Bertie was born in Carleton Forehoe in 1890. He was the eldest son of Hedley Hadingham, carpenter, and Catherine Emily (nee Wade).

The 1901 Census finds the Hadingham family living three doors down from the family of Bertie Bowles. We do not know when Bertie joined the village school at Carleton Forehoe, but there is an entry in the school’s log-book for 15 April 1902 recording that he had left to go to school in Wymondham. Sometimes small village schools were less than wonderful, but on the same page of the log book is the note of a visit by H M Inspectors : “The conduct of this school is very satisfactory – the instruction sound and sensible”. 

By 1911 Bertie Hadingham working as a teacher, and was living at 50 Pelham Road, Norwich, staying with Edward and Elizabeth Read and their four adult children, the oldest of whom, Elizabeth Agatha, was a “Certificated Assistant Teacher” like Bertie, though she was ten years older than he was. Edward had evidently done well for himself – he is described as a retired cigar factory foreman, though he was only aged 55. The Census form is completed by Elizabeth Agatha in an immaculate copperplate hand, and signed by her, though the census enumerator duly struck her name out and substituted that of her father.

Subsequently, Bertie moved to Westcliff-on-Sea, where he lived in Holyrood Drive and taught at Chalkwell Hall Boys School, then fairly newly established. Chalkwell Hall is now a flourishing Junior School which celebrated its centenary in 2008. There is a record of him being a member of the National Union of Teachers.

As war came, Bertie volunteered for the Essex Regiment. He was posted to the Balkans and then to Gallipoli. It was here that he contracted dysentery and died later at Alexandria on 17 December 1915, aged just 25.

His effects amounting to £11 2s 9d were paid to his father, together with a War Gratuity of £5.

He is buried at Alexandria War Cemetery. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission incorrectly lists him as a private, but he had been promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal before his death.

He is commemorated on the War Memorial at Carleton Forehoe, the parish where he was born and grew up, and on the Memorial at Westcliff where he had been working before he enlisted. He is also one of fifteen teachers commemorated on the Norfolk Teachers’ Memorial at County Hall, Norwich.

Alexandria (Chatby) Military And War Memorial Cemetery

Norfolk Teachers’ Memorial