Remembrance Sunday

Harold Hunt Caffyn 1882-1915

Harold was born in Australia in 1882, the eldest surviving son of Stephen and Kathleen (nee Hunt).  The family returned to England in 1892 and Harold went to school at Rugby followed by Sandhurst.  He served in the South African campaign and by the time the First World War began he was a captain in the North Staffordshire Regiment.   He died on the 22nd March 1915 in Belgium.  He is remembered on the memorial at Ploegsteert.

His younger brother Chalenor died in 1917 and his cousin Joseph died in 1918.

Ernest Horace Caffyn 1896-1916

Ernest was born in 1896 in Newmarket, his father was Walter Caffyn, a stableman who married Lottie Moss in 1893.  He was one of five children but three of them had died in infancy leaving just Ernest and his brother Frederick.  Ernest joined the York and Lancaster Regiment aged 18 years and was part of the Gallipoli Campaign in Turkey.  He was one of the last to be evacuated on the 20th December 1915 and then saw action in Egypt before he arrived in France  Later in 1916 he was wounded during fighting and was not seen again, he was reported as missing on the 29th September and was believed killed.  He is remembered at the Regina Trench Cemetary in Grandcourt in the Somme.

George James Caffyn  1889-1916

George was the youngest son of Thomas William and Mary Ann (nee Whicker), he was born in 1889 in Marylebone in London.  He did national service in 1906 and then worked selling newspapers.  He married Gertrude Lewis in 1910 in Plymouth and their daughter Gertrude was born soon afterwards.  George joined the Royal Navy as a Petty Officer Stoker on the HMS Orion, he died of pneumonia on the 29th January 1916 in Edinburgh.  His body was returned to Plymouth and he is buried in Ford Park Cemetery.

Arthur Archibald Caffyn 1894-1917

Arthur was born in 1894, he was baptised in Stepney on the 2nd December 1894.  His father was Alfred Caffyn, an upholsterer and his mother was Martha nee Canon, he was the youngest son in a family of seven children.  He joined a London regiment but transferred to the 14th Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles. It was whilst he was in France that he was injured, dying of his wounds on the 29th August 1917.   He is buried in the Wimereux Communal Cemetery in Pas de Calais.

Chalenor McCrae Humphrey Mannington Caffyn  1891-1917

Chalenor was born in Australia in 1891 whilst his parents Stephen and Kathleen (nee Hunt) were living there, the family returned to England when he was a year old.  On the 22nd August 1914 he applied for a commission in the Special Reserve of Officers and was part of the Officer Training Corps when he was at college and became a sergeant.  He was accepted as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 4th East Surrey Regiment on the 5th September 1914.  Chalenor was killed in action on the 28th March 1917 and is buried at the Avesnes-le-Comte Communal Cemetery in Pas de Calais, France.  

His older brother Harold had died in 1915 and his cousin Joseph in 1918.

William Gregory Caffyn 1878-1917

William  joined the 11th Battalion of the Australian Infantry as a private and died in November 1917 in Belgium and is buried at the Potijze Chateau Cemetery in Belgium.

Edward Hedley Caffyn  1899-1918

Edward was born in 1899 in Hereford, the second child of George Caffyn and his wife Deborah nee Tydeman.  Edward joined the Grenadier Guards but died of wounds on the 3rd April 1918. 

Joseph Mannington Caffyn  1880-1918

Joseph was the first of eight children born to Joseph and Sarah nee Ballard, he was born in 1880 in Northiam, Sussex.  He worked as a shopkeeper and married Florence Minchin in 1910.  They had two children Harold and John born in 1912 and 1916 respectively.    Joseph joined up in 1916 at the age of 35 years as a corporal in the Royal Garrison Artillery.  He died on the 15th July 1918 at the Military Hospital in Great Yarmouth from pneumonia.  He is buried at Caversham Cemetery near Reading.

His cousins Harold and Chalenor both died in the First World War.

Murray Cameron Caffyn  1913-1943

Murray was born in Maryborough, Victoria in Australia in 1913 just before the start of the First World War.  He became a Flying Officer in the Royal Australian Air Force and came to England during the Second World War.  He died aged 29 years on the 27th October 1943 and is buried in the Berlin War Cemetery.