Biography of Private Cecil Cox (28430)
10th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
Formerly 7th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
Died 10th April 1918

Soldier

  • Name: Cecil Cox
  • Date of birth: 1898
  • Place of Birth: Stainfield, Lincolnshire, England
  • Date of Birth Registration: January – March 1898
  • Place of Birth Registration: Bourne, Lincolnshire, England
Father

  • Name: Unknown as Albert Edward Cox died in 1891 and is the father of his 4 older siblings

Mother

  • Name: Fanny Wilson
  • DOB: 20th April 1865
  • Place Of Birth: Morton, Lincolnshire, England
  • Marriage:

Siblings: (Name), (DOB), (POB)

  • Albert Cox, 1887, Morton (Died 1894)
  • Emily Alice Cox, 1888, Stainfield
  • Burton Cox, 1889, Stainfield
  • Sarah Isabel Cox, 1891, Stainfield
  • Cecil Cox, 1898, Stainfield (Twin)
  • Mabel A Cox, 1898, Stainfield (Twin)
  • Percy Cox, 1901, Stainfield

Census

  • 1901: Cecil is living with his mother in Stainfield, Lincolnshire.
  • 1911: Cecil is living with his mother in Morton, Lincolnshire. The census gives him an age of 13 and he is listed as being at school.

Relatives in services

  • None found
Marriage

  • No marriage for Cecil has been found and because of his age we can assume that he never had the opportunity to marry.

Newspaper Mentions

  • Grantham Journal 18th May 1918
    MORTON
    THE GREAT SACRIFICE – It is with deepest regret and profound sympathy that we record the death of Signailer C. Cox Lincolnshire Regiment, who was killed in action on the 10th April. The young soldier was the eldest son of Mrs Fanny Cox of this village and was 20 years of age in February last and had been in France about nine months. Heartfelt sympathy is felt for the widowed mother and family on all sides. Prior to joining the Army Cecil was a tailor in the employ of Mr H Mower. He had also been a chorister in the Parish Church.

     

    • Grantham Journal 12th April 1919
      COX – In loving memory of our dear son and brother, Cecil Cox, who was killed in action, April 10th 1918 (School House, Morton). aged 20 years.
      We often sit and think, dear, and wonder how you died.
      Without us there who loved you before you closed your eyes.
      You nobly did your duty, and like a hero fell:
      Oh! could we have held your drooping dead, and bade you a last farewell.
      Deeply mourned by his MOTHER, SISTER and BROTHERS.

    Military Records

    Attestation Papers

    • None found
    Soldier’s Died In The Great War

    • These records show that Private Cecil Cox, 28430, 10th Bn Lincolnshire Regiment was killed in action on 10th April 1918 in the Western European Theatre in France and Flanders.

    Pension Records

    • Available

    Effects Left To

    • Mother Fanny

    Medals

    • The British Medal
    • The Victory Medal

    Memorials

    • UK:
    • Morton, Roll of honour in St John the Baptist

     

    • Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
    • In memory of Private Cecil Cox, 28430, 10th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment who died on 10 April 1918, Age 20.
    • Son of Mrs. Fanny Cox, of School House, Morton, Bourne, Lincs.
    • Remembered with honour, Ploegsteert Memorial
    • Panel 3

    © Picture taken by South Lincolnshire War Memorials

    © Picture taken by South Lincolnshire War Memorials

    Military Service Timeline

    • Today we remember Morton man Cecil Cox who was killed in action on this day, 10th April 1918 aged only 20, whilst serving with the 10th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment.
       
      Cecil Cox was born in Stainfield, Lincolnshire in 1898. He was the fifth child of Fanny Cox.
      Fanny Wilson, b. Morton 1865, married Albert Edward Cox a Cottager from Stainfield in 1886. Albert, was born in Dunsby in 1864 and records would indicate that he had died at some time in early 1891.
      The children of Albert and Fanny are:
      Albert b. c1889,
      Emily Alice b. c1888,
      Burton b. c1889
      Sarah b. c1891
      Cecil b. 1898
      Mabel A b. 1898
      Percy b. 1901
       
      By 1901 Albert had died and Fanny was living in the family farm in Stainfield along with her children aged 12, 9, and the 3 year old twins Cecil and Mabel. Her widowed father William Wilson was also living with them.
       
      On the 1911 census Cecil Cox was living in Morton aged 13 with his mother Fanny, then working as a charwoman, twin sister Mabel and younger brother Percy. Cecil was also a chorister at Morton Parish church and eventually he gained a job working as a tailor for Mr H Mower before joining the Army.
       
      At the time of Cecil’s death, Fanny’s address was shown as The School House Morton, although Cecil is noted as a resident of Bourne, no doubt having moved there to take up his position with Mr Mower.
       
      Cecil’s full service records have not been found and are presumed to have been destroyed in the London Warehouse in the Blitz that destroyed 60% of all WW1 records.
       
      Cecil enlisted in Grantham and a calculation based on his war gratuity payment would indicate that he most possibly enlisted in the month after the 11th November 1916. Cecil turned 18 in 1916 the same year in which Parliament announced the Military Service act in which every eligible man over the age of 18 would be conscripted into military service. It is most likely that Cecil was conscripted when he became eligible on his 18th birthday in 1916.
       
      On enlistment Cecil joined the 7th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment being given a regimental number of 28430. We do know from newspaper records that Cecil had arrived in France around July 1917 and was posted to the 10th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment. As no confirmed dates can be found for the posting to France or the posting to the 10th Battalion, then we can only look at what happened to Cecil in his final days.
       
      The following account is compiled from the Battalion Diaries and the History of the Lincolnshire Regiment:
      The trenches to the south of Armentieres were heavily defended by the 10th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment during the morning of the 10th April. By 3.15pm the forward trenches had been captured by the enemy and Brigade had called a general retirement.
      Parts of the 10th Battalion covered the rear guard of this retirement and held the enemy off until 7pm. It is generally recognised that the actions that day allowed a retirement with relatively little loss.
      It was also noted that on the 10th April, B Company of the 10th Battalion received a draft of ninety-seven 19 year olds making it the strongest company in the Battalion; “these lads fought splendidly” noted the battalion’s diary.
      On the day he died Cecil Cox would have only just turned 20.
      From the Commonwealth War Graves Commission we know that Cecil was serving in the 10th Battalion The Lincolnshire Regiment, when he was killed on 10th April 1918.
       
      The Grantham Journal Newspaper published the following on the 18th May 1918:
      MORTON – THE GREAT SACRIFICE – It is with deepest regret and profound sympathy that we record the death of Signaller C. Cox Lincolnshire Regiment, who was killed in action on the 10th April. The young soldier was the eldest son of Mrs Fanny Cox of this village and was 20 years of age in February last and had been in France about nine months. Heartfelt sympathy is felt for the widowed mother and family on all sides. Prior to joining the Army Cecil was a tailor in the employ of Mr H Mower. He had also been a chorister in the Parish Church.
       
      The Grantham Journal had another entry on the 12th April 1919, one year after Cecil’s death.
      COX – In loving memory of our dear son and bother, Cecil Cox, who was killed in action, April 10th, 1918 (School House, Morton) aged 20 years.
      We often sit and think dear,
      and wonder how you died –
      Without us there who loved you
      before you closed your eyes.
      You nobly did your duty,
      and like a hero fell;
      Oh! could we have held your drooping head,
      and bade you a last farewell.
      Deeply Mourned by his Mother, Sisters and brothers.
       
      Private Cecil Cox 28430, 10th Battalion The Lincolnshire Regiment, is remembered with honour at the Ploegsteert Memorial, Belgium.
       
      The cemetery, cemetery extension and memorial at Ploegsteert were designed by Harold Chalton Bradshaw, with sculpture by Gilbert Ledward. The memorial was unveiled by the Duke of Brabant on 7 June 1931.

    Sources

    • WW1 Soldier’s Records (www.ancestry.co.uk)
    • British Newspaper Archive.
    • Fold 3
    • Find My Past
    • Genealogist
    • Forces War Records
    • British Army Service Numbers
    • War Gratuity Calculator
    • Commonwealth War Graves Commission
    • National Archives – Battalion War Diaries
    • General Registry Office