Joseph William Stocker
Born on 17 January 1899, Joe lived at 26 Victoria Terrace, Hemingford Grey. His parents were Alfred, a journeyman bricklayer, and Alice (nee Famely). They had two sons and three daughters, Joe being the second youngest. Both were from old St Ives families. There were three Stocker and two Famely households just around the corner in Filbert's Walk.
In October 1907 Joe's little sister, Francis, died aged 7 years. At the time of the April 1911 Census Joe's father was away from home. His mother worked as a laundry woman. By October 1911 Joe's father had died, aged 49 years.
Joe left school aged 14 years before the start of WWI, working as a gardener for F M Warren at The Priory, St Ives. He was soon involved in the war effort. His photo of 1915 shows him dressed in the uniform of the Hunts Cyclists, aged just 16 years. After initial training he was based at Wells Camp, Alford, Lincolnshire. He then transferred to Whitby. Another photo of 1915 (Joe sitting) was taken there. Their task was to defend the north east coast against possible invasion.
In 1916 Joe transferred to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He served in various battalions in and out of battle on the Western Front, including the Battle of the Somme. In September 1916 his sister Mabel received a birthday greeting from Joe in the form of a hospital card. He described himself as 'slightly wounded'. A photo of 1916 followed, Joe dressed in blue hospital uniform. He was soon back in the thick of battle. Joe sent a Somme Regimental Card later in 1916.
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| Men from the Royal Warwickshire Regiment at the Somme, lying exhausted during a quiet spell. |
By 1917 the Germans realised they had to defeat the Allies before forces arrived from the United States. Russia had withdrawn from the war. The Germans moved forces from the Eastern Front. They amassed 1.4 million men and 10,000 artillery and mortar weapons to attack the Allies' lines in the Spring Offensive. As part of the battle, in April 1918 the Germans established a line near the road between the villages of St Venant and Robecq.
It was opposite this line that Joe's battalion found themselves. The war diary says they were out of the front line on Wednesday 29 May 1918, training on musketry and close order drill. There was time for swimming in the canal. Joe wrote a letter to his sister that day confirming he'd been swimming. He was in good health and said 'all's quiet on the Western Front'. The following day was idyllic. The Battalion engaged in swimming sports and an evening concert in a nearby orchard.
Thursday 31 May demonstrated the stark day to day contrast for men on the Western Front. After further training in the morning, Joe and almost 600 colleagues moved up to the front line. They relieved the 2/6th Battalion, Royal Warwickshires, completing the manoeuvre at 1.15am the following morning. During the transition they were intermittently shelled, including gas shells, causing ten casualties. Joe was one of those injured. Hit by shrapnel, he never regained consciousness. Joe died at the dressing station two hours later.
Joe's mother was first informed of his death by his sergeant in a letter of 8 June 1918. There followed an official notification of 13 June. The letter to his sister of 29 May was found on his body.
A letter of 28 June from Joe's sergeant confirmed his burial place in the nearby cemetery at La Haye. Joe's death was announced in the Hunts Post 28 June 1918. His family placed a memorial in the Hunts Post 13 June 1919. Another official letter of 10 June 1920 notified Joe's mother that his body, along with 64 others, had been moved to St Venant-Robecq Road British Cemetery. He rests there today. Joe is commemorated on a memorial plaque in St James Church, Hemingford Grey.
Do you have any additional information about Joe? If so, please get in touch via the make contact page.
More source materials
1899 Birth Certificate
1901 Census
1911 Census
1915 photo of Joe at Whitby
Commemorative Certificate
Commonwealth War Graves Register
Medal Rolls Index
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