Fellow local historian, Cynthia Budd, has meticulously researched the men listed on the Great War Memorials throughout the Shellrock Benefice (Great Ellingham, Little Ellingham, Rockland All Saints, Rockland St Peter and Shropham with Snetterton).
She has kindly allowed me to reproduce her tributes to the Great Ellingham men, on the Great Ellingham One-Place Study website.
Great War memorial tablet on the west wall of the Church of St James, Great Ellingham
The following is Cynthia’s piece commemorating Private 29278, Arthur Macro, 2nd/7th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment.
Arthur was born in Rockland All Saints on 25 November 1894, the illegitimate son of Florence Gertrude Macro. Florence married Charles Woods in 1898.
On census day 1901 Arthur was listed as Arthur Woods, his siblings were Jonathan and Florence. The family lived in Stow Bedon. In 1911 he was Arthur Macro aged 16, a farm labourer, recorded as a lodger of Charles and Florence Woods who then had five children. The address was Town Green, Great Ellingham.
On 11 September 1912, Arthur was attested for Army Service in Old Buckenham. He was a couple of months short of his 18th birthday, but said he was 18. Next of kin his mother 'Flora', Great Ellingham. He was 5' 6", 119lbs with grey eyes, brown hair and he had a long scar on his left wrist. Religion: Primitive Methodist.
He served with the 1st Norfolk's and in December 1913, he gained a 3rd Class Certificate of Education in basic literacy and numeracy. At the time he was serving in Holywood, North Ireland. He was still there in April 1914, when he appeared before a Medical Board who recommended that he be discharged as permanently unfit. [He suffered with a bladder problem since childhood]. There had been no improvement in his condition after various 'treatments'. He was considered fit for employment in civil life. Arthur was officially discharged 2 May 1914 having served for 1 year 234 days.
He married in Great Ellingham in December 1916. His spouse was Emily Ethel Reeder whose brother, John, was also a casualty of the Great War (he was killed on the Somme in September 1916). A son, Kenneth, was born in late 1917. It is not known when Arthur re-joined the Army, perhaps not until he received notice of conscription. His medal information shows that he served with the 7th Norfolks', and four battalions of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He was serving with the 2nd/7th Battalion, Royal Warwick's when he became a prisoner of war, the date is not recorded.
New information: The Deanery Magazine of September 1918 said "Mrs Macro has heard that her husband is in hospital at Hanover." In fact, he had died in hospital in Hanover on 6th June 1918 and was buried in the Military Cemetery there. Mrs Macro did not learn of her husband's fate until after the Armistice. The January 1919 Deanery Magazine said: "We wish to express our deep sympathy with Mrs Macro, who has heard of the death of her husband. It seems that he was severely wounded and taken prisoner, and died in Germany." In 1923 the allied War Graves in Hanover were moved to Hamburg Cemetery.
Private Macro was aged 23 and was awarded the Victory and British War Medals.
His widow re-married in 1920, her spouse was Ernest Mallett. They had one child, a son, and were still living in Great Ellingham in 1939.
With many thanks to Cynthia Budd and Chris Clarke.
Cynthia’s sources. Please note that the sources include research carried out in relation to all the ‘fallen’ of the Great War throughout the Shellrock Benefice. Accordingly, not all the sources will be applicable to Great Ellingham :
Ancestry UK: Birth, Marriage, Death and Parish Records. Census Records and Electoral Rolls. Probate Records.Military Records; Army/Navy Service Records. UK Soldiers Died in the Great War Roll. Medal Index Cards. Medal Award Rolls. The Register of Soldiers’ Effects. War Diaries. Canadian Military Records.
Archant Archives, Norwich. Also Thetford Library; The Thetford & Watton Times.
Australian War Records Websites: https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
FindMyPast; Military Service Records. Electoral Rolls. British Newspaper Archive. The 1939 Register.
The General Record Office.
The History of the Norfolk Regiment 1914-1918 F Loraine Peter OBE
The London GazetteThe National Archives
The Norfolk Heritage Centre, The Forum, Norwich. Breckles and District Deanery Magazines. Norwich Mercury (Microfiche)
The Norfolk Record Office.
Norwich Cathedral Library; 1919 Diocesan Roll of Honour.
Picture Norfolk https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/libraries/picture-norfolk
The Red Cross https://grandguerre.icrc.org
Various Regimental Websites.