TOPIC:

On the south wall of the nave in St Andrew's Church, Chelmondiston, Suffolk. The church was badly damaged by a German V2 rocket on the 10th of December, 1944 (probably targeted at Ipswich docks), and had to be replaced by a new building; thankfully, the stone tablet to the memory of Jordan was one of the few things that survived.
www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/chelmondiston.html
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On the exterior of the east wall —


In the churchyard is the grave of his younger brother, which looks as though it may have been damaged in the V2 explosion.



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The inscription for his brother reads:—
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A memorial in St Andrew's with an ABW connection was lost in 1944 - a stained glass window to the memory of Lieutenant F. A. White, who drowned in the nearby River Orwell in 1905 - although a replacement memorial window was later installed.

While Albert Edward was born in Chelmondiston, in 1881, Frederick William was born in the registration district of Bosmere, in 1872. Bosmere was the area north of Ipswich, and included Needham Market.

I've been looking at how far from the church the V2 might have landed, apparently late at night. If it had hit the church, would the plaque have survived? The area immediately to the east of the church is now occupied by modern housing, and in 1944 may have been farm buildings, cottages, and farmland, yet I can find no mention online about casualties. The east window of the church was the Lieutenant White memorial window, and that was destroyed; the Jordan headstone also faces east, so its scarring may well be due to the explosion.



Below - after a V" had landed.

Frederick William Jordan 67051 Gunner, served in the
India Campaign with the 9th Mountain Battery Royal Artillery

India General Service medal with 1891 clasp Hazara.
QSA 5 clasps RFA
Medal roll and Personal effects information attached.





Best wishes

Dave.....

His place of residence when he enlisted, and probably also his place of birth, was Crowfield, 8-9 miles north of Ipswich, and east of Stowmarket. Roy Hudd is buried in the churchyard there.